Page 41 of The Quiet Wife
“You… you didn’t mean them?”
“OfcourseI meant them. I meant every word, but I shouldn’t havesaidthem.”
“Oh…erm… why?”
He looked at her. Regret etched on every line of his face.
“Because… because…” he gestured helplessly.
Frances’s gaze dropped to her fingers twisting in her lap. “I’m glad you said them. I know you weren’t trying to… seduce me, or anything silly like that. You were describing what you saw, and I’ve never thought of myself or Frederick in quite those terms and it… it… well, it’s made me look at things. Think about things. Look at me,” she admitted.
“I… see.” He cocked his head to one side, considering her. “Are you angry with me?”
“Not a bit. You believe in what you are doing. It matters to you, and I think anyone who looks at your work can see that.”
To her surprise, colour touched his cheeks. “That’s kind of you to say.”
“So, are we still friends?”
Jemie regarded her and a warm smile spread gently across his face as he nodded.
“Friends,” he agreed.
CHAPTER 15
London - Kensington
Frances listened in quiet amazement to Mr Jeckyll as he discussed the dining room at length, how he was planning to cover the walls with sixteenth century hangings that were once part of the dowry of Catherine of Aragon. Something else her husband had apparently purchased for an astronomical sum. The cabinetry that Frederick had described was more a lattice framework of walnut which would house the porcelain, apparently from China. There would be walnut shutters, pendant lights… and they had decided that Jemie’s portrait,The Princess from the Land of Porcelain, would adorn one wall. She supposed it was appropriate, given the amount of porcelain the room would hold.
It was exhausting just listening to Mr Jeckyll, who was incredibly intense. One might say, driven. His plans were apparently in the Anglo-Japanese style, and the dining room would become the ‘porzellanzimmer’ or the Porcelain room. Frances wondered if she would ever be allowed to entertain or even eat within it, for fear of doing damage. She glanced at her husband. He was hanging on Jeckyll’s every word. It sounded more like an art gallery than a family dining room. She looked at all the papers strewn over Frederick’s desk,spilling onto the chairs. She rubbed a finger against her temple, feeling a headache coming on.
“It sounds quite remarkable, Mr Jeckyll. Very detailed. Ah, very impressive. Um… How long do you think it might take to complete?” she asked with a bright smile after Frederick gave her a stern glare that indicated he expected her to say something.
It was clearly entirely the wrong thing to say as the man went an interesting shade of pink and his abundant mutton-chop whiskers quivered with outrage.
“Madam. It is completely impossible to put a timeframe on such an undertaking. This will be a room like no other. It will be utterly unique, a work of art in and of itself. One cannotpossiblysay how long.”
“Of course not, Jeckyll,” Frederick said in soothing tones, shooting her a furious look. “Please forgive my wife.”
As Frederick calmed Mr Jeckyll, she made her excuses and left them to their deliberations, not wanting to listen to any more of Jeckyll’s outbursts or her husband’s stinging comments.
She called for her carriage and headed back to the safety of the parlour in the Queen’s Gate house with a headache, wishing she were at home in Speke. Things were much more comfortable there. She settled herself with tea, when a commotion in the hallway drew her attention.
The door opened and in tumbled Lizzie with Edith and William, all of them laughing. Alastair and Mr Carlisle followed close on their heels, making her smile. At last, some sane company.
“How lovely to see you all,” she beamed as the footman divested them of outer garments.
“Do come and have tea.”
“Jemie isn’t far behind,” Alastair rubbed his hands together. “We’ve been to the galleries. It was most interesting. Lord, but that man knows what he’s about. He’s utterly fascinating to listen to.”
Frances laughed but wished she’d been with them and heard what he had to say rather than being bored by Frederick’s tedious plans for the new house.
William settled himself opposite Edith and smiled at Frances.
“So, how are the discussions going with the architect?”
Frances nodded politely. “Fascinating. It will be lovely.”
