Her Hand in Marriage. Jessica Steele
was plain from that that her mother’s former confidence in her ability had not fully returned. ‘How about accepting the commission on the basis that if you mess it up, or Lewis does not like it, you reserve the right not to sell it to him?’
Eleanor considered the idea. ‘But what about the time he’ll waste coming here? I shall need at least two or three sittings!’
Romillie had to smile. ‘Mother, dear,’ she teased gently, ‘I’ve an idea Lewis won’t consider it time wasted whether there’s a portrait for him to hang in the boardroom at the end of it or not.’
Her mother went a delicate shade of pink. ‘Oh, you,’ she said, but did allow herself a quiet smile.
Romillie had supposed her mother would discuss the portrait with Lewis when he came down again, but when on Thursday evening he had not been down to Tarnleigh at all, her mother revealed that he’d got a lot going on in his office that week.
‘I wonder,’ Eleanor began, stopped, and then started off again. ‘Do you fancy acting as my agent, Rom?’
Romillie had no idea what an artist’s agent did, but, ‘What would you like me to do?’ she asked.
‘Would you like to get in touch with Lewis and—um—arrange for his first sitting? That is,’ she added hurriedly, ‘if he still wants me to do it.’
By the sound of it, her mother was nervous of broaching the subject to Lewis, and, aware as Romillie was of her mother’s quite exceptional ability at her artist’s easel, she could feel herself getting quite uptight. She knew they had Archer Fairfax to thank that her mother’s confidence had been so badly fractured.
Talk at the surgery the next morning was all about the retirement dinner the following evening. Jeff Davidson, clearly not believing she had found anyone to replace him in her life, had halted her to quiz her every day since Monday as to whom she was bringing as her guest. But it was not until Brenda, Mr Yardley’s dental nurse, who was organising the event, asked her for her guest’s name for a place card that Romillie realised she had been a bit tardy.
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