Dazzle The Complete Unabridged Trilogy (185 page)

The image seared her mind like a strobe, and she shook her
head to clear it.

Jasmine's performance was building, and she started to do
imitations of the Smurfs, her favourite cartoon characters.
Tamara could only watch her in wonder.

That effortless ease at imitation.

That natural affinity between lens and performer.

Those sly eyes, looking around to see if she had everyone's
attention.

Ripples of whispery gooseflesh danced up and down
Tamara's arms. In startled amazement she looked to Daliah
to see if she had seen. Daliah caught her glance, indicating she
had, and they raised their eyebrows and turned slowly to Inge,
who had seen too. Once more, all three women looked back toward Jasmine, and then at each other. Could it be? they
wondered silently.

When Jasmine finished her performance, Inge caught the
child and hugged her to her scrawny bosom, 'I would say
you definitely have the Boralevi talent,' she whispered with a
smile. She gently stroked the girl's lustrous dark hair with both
shrivelled, age-spotted hands. 'Mind you, it's still too early to
tell, but I do believe I can detect a little of Senda, Tamara,
and Daliah in you, young lady. What do you say? Do you want
to grow up to become a star?'

The magic moment was like a munificent wave of warmth.
As though drawn by a magnet, the four of them—Inge,
Tamara, Daliah, and Jasmine—drew together and linked their
arms around each other.

We are links of the same chain,
Inge thought happily, her eyes misty.
You see, Senda? You are here after all. Part of you
lives on in each of us, just like part of us will live on in the
memories of Jasmine, and her children, and her children's chil
dren. So it was, and so it will forever be.

'Now, come with Aunt Inge,' Inge finally whispered to Jasmine. 'It's late and time for beddy-bye. I'll tuck you in myself, and we'll both get a good night's sleep, eh?' She took
the little girl by the hand. 'That way, we'll be rested when we
go shopping in town tomorrow. Aunt Inge is going to buy you
a glassy new dress.'

Tamara and Daliah smiled after them. Much had changed
over the years, but when Inge became very, very emotional,
she still tended to bungle her English.

###

JUDITH GOULD is the author of 18 sensational novels, the most recent being
GREEK WINDS OF FURY
.
SINS,
her first novel, was the basis of the famed CBS television series starring Joan Collins and shown during "Sweeps Week," upon which TV advertisement rates for networks depend. In 1993, Ms. Gould was the recipient of
Romantic Times Magazine's
REVIEWERS
CHOICE AWARD
for "Best Contemporary Novel" for
FOREVER.
Her novels have been translated into 24 languages.
After living in Manhattan for over 25 years, Ms. Gould currently makes her home in the historic Hudson River Valley, and is at work on a new novel. She can be reached at
www.judithgould.com
, and her backlist is being mounted in e-book format.

* * * * *