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Helena glances around the table and says that since everyone's here, we can start, then turns toward Blaire and asks her to begin.

"Yes," Blaire replies. Her voice is steady, professional, controlled, and she taps a key on her laptop so the ownership chronology appears on the screen behind her.

"The historical record is stronger than we initially expected. We've confirmed the forced-sale context through correspondence, valuation history, and dealer records. Nothing we found creates a defect in the Trust's present title, but the circumstances surrounding the 1938 transaction are well documented."

Simon nods and says he agrees with that assessment, that the correspondence makes the economic pressure clear without requiring anyone to overstate what happened.

Blaire looks toward him.

"That distinction matters," she says.

"Charlotte isn't asking anyone to pretend the later title chain is invalid. She wants the history acknowledged accurately and the work considered for private reacquisition."

Clara folds her hands over the folder in front of her and says that from the legal side, that keeps the matter relatively clean, that the Trust can evaluate the request without conceding any title defect.

Blaire nods once, agreeing, and I say nothing, because there is no reason to. She moves through the material without hesitation, answering questions before they become problems and keeping the conversation focused on what actually matters. The woman I remember was good at this. The woman sitting across from me now commands it. She does not defer to anyone unnecessarily, and she does not overexplain. When Simon adds historical context, she lets him. When Clara addresses legal exposure, Blaire listens and then brings the discussion back to Charlotte's objective, and she knows the difference between expertise and authority in a way that makes it difficult not to watch her.

Helena turns a page in her file and says we'll still need an updated valuation before the Trust committee sees this.

"We do," Blaire replies.

"Charlotte is prepared to make a serious offer, but she doesn't want to negotiate against an artificial premium simply because of the family history."

Clara looks toward Blaire and asks whether she's expecting the provenance to affect value in both directions.

"Yes," Blaire says.

"The history increases significance, but it also makes the transaction more sensitive. That doesn't automatically mean a higher price."

Simon says that's reasonable, and I finally speak.

"What range are you using?"

Blaire looks at me, and for half a second, irritation flashes across her face before it disappears.

"The current insurance figure is too high for a private-sale benchmark," she says.

"I'd rather use recent comparables, condition, and institutional history before attaching a working number."

"That makes sense," I reply, and her eyes stay on mine for another moment, as if she expected me to challenge her. I do not. There is no reason to. I know enough about the transaction to know when someone else knows more.

Helena turns toward me and says the Trust will want a recommendation before approving deaccession, and asks whether, assuming the valuation comes back where expected, I'm comfortable with the matter proceeding to that stage.

"Yes," I reply. "Provided counsel is satisfied and the historical documentation is complete."

Clara says it will be, and Blaire looks back at her notes as the conversation continues. Simon walks us through the final provenance gaps. Clara explains which internal approvals remain. Helena outlines the Trust process and the timetable for review. Blaire keeps returning the room to Charlotte's objective whenever the discussion starts drifting toward institutional caution for its own sake.

At one point, Helena raises the question of precedent.

"We'll need to be careful about how this is documented internally," she says.

"If the Trust approves the sale, we don't want the transaction interpreted as a general restitution policy."

Blaire leans back slightly.

"It doesn't need to be," she says.

"This can be documented as a private sale involving a specific work, a specific family history, and a willing buyer. There's no reason to turn it into anything broader."