Page 42 of The Quiet Wife
Lizzie seemed unconvinced.
“Really, it will. It’s very… dramatic.”
The door opened, and the footman announced Jemie’s arrival.
“Has Jeckyll been?” he queried as he accepted a cup of tea.
“He is with my husband at Prince’s Gate as we speak. I’m afraid I upset him by asking how long the venture might take, so I excused myself.”
Jemie considered her for a moment, then threw his head back and laughed which cheered her immensely.
“Apparently, a man cannot put a time on a work of art,” she did her best impression of him, before bursting into a fit of giggles when everyone laughed with them.
Jemie grinned and sat facing Frances.
“Well, it’s certainly taking you a while to finish Leyland’s portrait,” William put in as the mirth subsided.
Jemie dipped his head in acknowledgement of the hit.
“I’m told that the room will be Anglo-Japanese, and your picture of thePrincess from the Land of Porcelainwill be the centrepiece. It sounds rather exciting,” Frances said.
Jemie sipped his tea. “The man has good taste.”
Edith chuckled. “I wager you’d love to get your hands on that room.”
Frances watched with a bubbling sense of anticipation as he offered them all a very prim look. “Not at all. I have several portraits to complete, and my responsibility will be to the staircase. I shall create panels that will rival a Medici palace.”
They all stared at him, and he burst out laughing again and shook his head. “Lord, your faces! You are all so gullible. Yes, ofcourseI’d love to get my hands on it. What it needs now is flair and imagination, not…cabinets.”
There was a moment’s stunned silence, but then everyone laughed with him, his words clearly striking a chord. Frances held a hand to her mouth as gaiety bubbled up and spilled over.
As they all wiped their eyes and settled back down Frances shook her head. “From what Mr Jeckyll said, itwillbe fabulous. You need to finish Frederick’s portrait and then you need to do mine. Leave the dining room alone!”
She held her breath after the words came out worrying what his reaction would be, but Jemie’s smile was infinitely warm. He sat back and his eyes twinkled in that way that made her tingle inside. She wished she could tell him how utterly exhilarating it was to speak freely and with humour in his company.
“You are, as ever, right, dear lady. I do need to finish your husband off.”
Alastair snorted. “If you get your hands on the dining room, you’lldefinitelyfinish Leyland off.”
They all fell about laughing again and Frances couldn’t remember when she’d last felt so… happy.
Jemie lifted his hands, indicating for them to settle down. “Leyland appreciates my work. The man knows a good thing when he sees it. However, I think I’ve cracked the conundrum of how to approach his portrait.I don’t know why I didn’t see it sooner. It’s as clear as day.”
“You do?” Mr Carlisle leaned forward. “Do tell.”
Frances sat forward as Jemie nodded. “I’m going for a Velásquez style. Black on black. Limited colour palette.”
They all looked a little baffled.
“Black on black?” William said, puzzlement clear on his handsome face. “Won’t that be a little… dark?”
Jemie rolled his eyes. “Black background, black clothes, but an emphasis on the face. God, man, have you neverseena Velásquez?”
Jemie was vibrating with excitement, and it was catching. Frances’ heart was fluttering in her chest.
William shrugged and shook his head in good humour.
“Do you…” Frances began, and they all looked at her. She swallowed. “Do you mean the way he painted the King of Spain?”
