Oh, should I order some wine?”
Nodding, Claire said, “I’ll have a glass of white wine with the fish, that’ll be nice, Laura, thanks. Why don’t you get a small carafe of the house white; it’s good. We don’t need a whole bottle.”
After ordering the wine, Laura sat down at the table and turned her attention to the salad. The two friends ate in silence for a moment or two, until Laura said, “Did Hercule give you any idea about the price of his friend’s Renoir? Or, rather, what she wanted?”
“No, he didn’t, and to be truthful, I’m not sure that he even knows.”
“It won’t be cheap,” Laura muttered, raising her eyes from her plate, staring at Claire. “A Renoir is a Renoir is a Renoir, to paraphrase Gertrude Stein.”
“Well put. Listen, Hercule could be a good source for you. Many of his clients are art collectors, and they might well have something they want to sell. That’s of interest to you, I mean, such as a Matisse or a Bonnard. You said your client craves these two artists.”
“That’s right, and I have another who always says he’d give his right arm for a Gauguin, at least that’s the way he put it to me.”
“Well, you know Hercule’s the great expert on Gauguin, so if there’s anything knocking around, he’d know. We should talk to him about it. Over the weekend. I’ll invite him to dinner one night.”
“I like Hercule, and I enjoy talking to him about art. About anything, for that matter. He’s very interesting.”
“Great, I’ll ask him to come to dinner on Saturday.” Claire put her fork down and leaned back. “I forgot to tell you, I saw Dylan a couple of weeks ago.”
“Oh, and how is my baby brother?” Laura asked, sounding surprised.
“Recalcitrant, as usual, even a bit contentious, to be honest. He took me to dinner at Espadon. He was staying at the Ritz, and he seemed hell-bent and determined topick a fight with one of the waiters. I felt a bit uncomfortable at first, but then he finally calmed down after I’d kicked him on the shin under the table
and
punched his arm. I hate it when he picks on people who can’t answer back.”
“What a pity he hasn’t outgrown that nasty little habit yet. Anyway, how’s he doing?
Really.
Mom constantly says he’s behaving himself at last, and that things are working out for him, but he’s always managed to pull the wool over
her
eyes, as you know.”
“I think he
is
doing well, Laura, as surprising as that might sound to you. In a funny way, living in England has … what’s the phrase I’m looking for? It’s settled him down, yes, that’s it, and it’s sorted him out. I think he’s come into his own. He says he loves working on
Time,
and I believe him.”
“That’s good to hear. But I bet his personal life’s a mess.”
Claire grinned. “He says it’s a full-blown calamity, and I’m using his words. He told me his girlfriend Minerva has split, and he’s worried that she might be pregnant and is depriving him of his child. And his former girlfriend Nina is stalking him, he insists. He’s just met a new young woman, Inga, a Swede, and he was thinking of having her move in with him. Oh, and he’s bought a farm in Wales.”
“Par for the course, all this,” Laura said, and she couldn’t help laughing. “We were right, you and I, when we gave up on Dylan years ago. He’s just a bad boy, as Gran’s forever announcing. And you
know
the way he feels about
us.
He resents us and our friendship, yours and mine. He’s never forgiven us for sending him away when he was a little boy, cutting him out of our fun and games.Don’t forget that, and his tantrums. He’s all mixed up, that brother of mine.”
“Aren’t we all?” Claire eyed Laura carefully.
“I guess so. The Valiants are probably as dysfunctional as any other family.”
“Better not let Grandma Megan hear you say that, or she’ll have—”
“My guts for garters, to quote dear old Gran,” Laura said.
“I’m glad
Nodding, Claire said, “I’ll have a glass of white wine with the fish, that’ll be nice, Laura, thanks. Why don’t you get a small carafe of the house white; it’s good. We don’t need a whole bottle.”
After ordering the wine, Laura sat down at the table and turned her attention to the salad. The two friends ate in silence for a moment or two, until Laura said, “Did Hercule give you any idea about the price of his friend’s Renoir? Or, rather, what she wanted?”
“No, he didn’t, and to be truthful, I’m not sure that he even knows.”
“It won’t be cheap,” Laura muttered, raising her eyes from her plate, staring at Claire. “A Renoir is a Renoir is a Renoir, to paraphrase Gertrude Stein.”
“Well put. Listen, Hercule could be a good source for you. Many of his clients are art collectors, and they might well have something they want to sell. That’s of interest to you, I mean, such as a Matisse or a Bonnard. You said your client craves these two artists.”
“That’s right, and I have another who always says he’d give his right arm for a Gauguin, at least that’s the way he put it to me.”
“Well, you know Hercule’s the great expert on Gauguin, so if there’s anything knocking around, he’d know. We should talk to him about it. Over the weekend. I’ll invite him to dinner one night.”
“I like Hercule, and I enjoy talking to him about art. About anything, for that matter. He’s very interesting.”
“Great, I’ll ask him to come to dinner on Saturday.” Claire put her fork down and leaned back. “I forgot to tell you, I saw Dylan a couple of weeks ago.”
“Oh, and how is my baby brother?” Laura asked, sounding surprised.
“Recalcitrant, as usual, even a bit contentious, to be honest. He took me to dinner at Espadon. He was staying at the Ritz, and he seemed hell-bent and determined topick a fight with one of the waiters. I felt a bit uncomfortable at first, but then he finally calmed down after I’d kicked him on the shin under the table
and
punched his arm. I hate it when he picks on people who can’t answer back.”
“What a pity he hasn’t outgrown that nasty little habit yet. Anyway, how’s he doing?
Really.
Mom constantly says he’s behaving himself at last, and that things are working out for him, but he’s always managed to pull the wool over
her
eyes, as you know.”
“I think he
is
doing well, Laura, as surprising as that might sound to you. In a funny way, living in England has … what’s the phrase I’m looking for? It’s settled him down, yes, that’s it, and it’s sorted him out. I think he’s come into his own. He says he loves working on
Time,
and I believe him.”
“That’s good to hear. But I bet his personal life’s a mess.”
Claire grinned. “He says it’s a full-blown calamity, and I’m using his words. He told me his girlfriend Minerva has split, and he’s worried that she might be pregnant and is depriving him of his child. And his former girlfriend Nina is stalking him, he insists. He’s just met a new young woman, Inga, a Swede, and he was thinking of having her move in with him. Oh, and he’s bought a farm in Wales.”
“Par for the course, all this,” Laura said, and she couldn’t help laughing. “We were right, you and I, when we gave up on Dylan years ago. He’s just a bad boy, as Gran’s forever announcing. And you
know
the way he feels about
us.
He resents us and our friendship, yours and mine. He’s never forgiven us for sending him away when he was a little boy, cutting him out of our fun and games.Don’t forget that, and his tantrums. He’s all mixed up, that brother of mine.”
“Aren’t we all?” Claire eyed Laura carefully.
“I guess so. The Valiants are probably as dysfunctional as any other family.”
“Better not let Grandma Megan hear you say that, or she’ll have—”
“My guts for garters, to quote dear old Gran,” Laura said.
“I’m glad
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