Page 4 of The Quiet Wife
“How exciting,” Frances enthused. “I won’t detain you.” She gave him a smile and moved to leave.
“Make sure everything is perfect, Frances.” He warned her.
She swallowed and pinned the smile to her face.
“Of course, my dear.”
CHAPTER 2
Speke Hall - Liverpool
James McNeill Whistler looked about him. He’d heard much about Speke Hall, his newest patron’s Liverpool country home, and at last, here he was, finally part of the famed Leyland set. He inhaled the fresh air and jumped down from the carriage, his boots crunching on the gravel. He waited as his good friend Rossetti followed at a more sedate pace and then brushed at his jacket, ridding himself of the dust from the journey.
“Charmingly rustic, isn’t it?” Rossetti stifled a yawn.
“It’s charming all right,” Whistler observed the splendid building. “However, I’m not sure rustic is the word I would choose. Is it Tudor?”
He examined the house, resplendent with black and white timbers amid a warm reddish coloured stone that gave it warmth and appeal against the backdrop of unbroken, blue, February sky. Ensconced as it was in glorious grounds, just waiting for the trees and flowers to burst forth, it was large enough to be impressive, but not so huge as to overwhelm the senses.
He wondered how close they were to the river, sensing the tang of fresh water in the air. He’d visited Liverpool as a boy and recalled his fascination with the magnificent Mersey.The cool, clear air with spring so close was such a welcome change from the sulphurous smog of London.
Rossetti stretched and then tugged at his waistcoat to make himself presentable.
“The original house is Tudor, as I understand it. It fell to ruin and was bought by some family or other who pulled it from the mire, but there was no heir. I believe the current owner is a young woman living in Scotland or somewhere equally far-flung.”
“I see, so Leyland is renting it. It’s not a family home?”
Rossetti grinned at him and shook his head. “To the best of my knowledge, Leyland grew up in the slums of Liverpool, though he doesn’t care to discuss that of course.”
Whistler’s eyes widened at that snippet of information. He knew Leyland was self-made, but he hadn’t realised he had originated from quite such humble beginnings.
Rossetti nodded. “It’s true. Even though it’s not his, he’s spent a small fortune bringing the whole place up to snuff.”
“He’s as rich as they say he is, then?” Whistler probed.
Rossetti nodded, and a smile hovered over his lips. “Fabulously so. Damned good patron if you can persuade him. Did you ever finish the painting he wanted you to do?”
Whistler winced. “The Three Girls? Uh…no.”
Rossetti gave him an admonishing look.
“I know, I know. I offered to return the fee, but he’s interested in me doing more work. I think it’s smoothed over,” Whistler said, hoping it was true.
“I’ve no idea why you didn’t just finish it and let him have it.”
“It wasn’t right.”
Rossetti rolled his eyes. “Those two phrases will be your undoing, my friend.”
“What phrases?” he said, stung.
“First, ‘it wasn’t right’ and second, ‘it’s not finished’.” Rossetti delivered this in a high-pitched American twang he presumed was supposed to mimic him. He smirked and punched his friend lightly on the arm. It was far too close to the truth.
“You worry about your failings, and I’ll worry about mine.”
Rossetti chuckled, and he laughed with him. He was confident that he could bring Leyland around. He’d done a substantial number of sketches for him, and a couple of smaller paintings to demonstrate his skill. He’d also spent a fair amount of time pandering to the man’s vanity. He’d discovered that the buttoned up, starchy Frederick Leyland, darling of the Bibby Shipping Empire, responded favourably to flattery and, well, not to put too fine a point on it, a little flirting. However, it was a tactic Whistler used sparingly as, vanity aside, Leyland was no fool.
He didn’t think he’d have too much trouble securing patronage if he could show him more of his work and spend more time in his company, and this evening would be the perfect opportunity to do just that. A couple of decent commissions from Leyland, alongside the other commissions that were growing in a satisfying way, would set him up nicely.
