you?’
As h e went across to Stephen, Paula and Howard came on to the terrace, arm in arm.
‘ This is going to be the perfect end to what has been a simply perfect day,’ Paula trilled to no one in particular. She smoothed down the skirt of her dress – a profusion of brightly coloured flowers on a white background – adjusted the flower in her hair, pulled her shawl around her shoulders and gazed up at the leafy awning. ‘Oh, look, Howie. Aren’t those fairy lights adorable? So atmospheric. This really is the most wonderful honeymoon.’
He slid his arm around her, pulled her to him and kissed her cheek.
‘Yuk,’ Jenny heard Nick mutter. ‘I think I’m going to throw up. And that dress – she looks like she should be in a vase.’
Stephen glanced at Nick, and moved from Clare’s side to the Prosecco table. ‘We’re having Bellinis this evening,’ he called to Howard and Paula. ‘Can I make you one? It’s the real thing, peach purée and all that.’
‘ Sounds good to me,’ Howard said. ‘We’ll both have one, thanks. And Mr Rayburn’s on his way, too. We overtook him while he was looking at one of the paintings. You could pour one for him while you’re at it.’
‘ No sooner said than done.’ Stephen arranged three glasses in a row, spooned a little peach purée into each and picked up the bottle of Prosecco.
‘Nice dress, Paula,’ Clare said politely.
‘I’m glad you like it. It’s Howie’s favourite,’ Paula said, visibly preening at the compliment.
Stephen finished pouring the wine and was carrying two glasses over to the Andersons as George Rayburn wandered out on to the terrace. Jenny went over to him at once.
‘ Good evening, Mr Rayburn. I hope you were able to get some rest after today’s exertions.’
‘ Indeed, I was, thank you. I sat in the shade just outside my room, and before I knew it, it was way past the time that I should have been here. I do apologise.’
‘ Don’t think twice about it. This is a holiday as well as a class. Your sleep will have done you the world of good, and you’ll enjoy the evening all the more for it. Now, I think Stephen’s made you a drink. We’re having Bellinis, but if you’d prefer something else, you only have to say.’
‘ No, I’m sure that it will be delicious.’ He took a glass from Stephen. ‘Thank you, dear boy. Don’t you worry about me, Jennifer. I shall go and talk to Paula and Howard. I’ve just been looking at the painting that I saw them studying earlier today. It really is a most interesting picture and I look forward to hearing what they thought of it.’
As George walked across to the Andersons, Jenny turned and strolled back to Max, who was standing alone now. ‘Well, that’s all of us here now,’ she told him. ‘As I said, we’re a mixed bunch.’
‘ Mixed or not, everyone seems to be very pleased with everything, with maybe one exception.’ He indicated Nick. ‘But I think that’s more to do with the girl than with anything else. She seems very pleasant, not to mention pretty, and it’s hardly surprising that both young men are smitten. No, you’ve obviously made everyone feel at ease, and very quickly, too. As I believe I’ve said before, I was lucky to find you.’
‘ I’d say that I’m the one who’s lucky,’ she said, smiling up into his face. ‘I had to find a job for the summer, and this is way beyond my wildest dreams.’
S he was indeed the lucky one, she thought, being given the chance to finally discover what happened to her father.
‘ I think we’ll have to agree that we’re both lucky,’ he said warmly, and she noticed that his eyes lingered on her face. ‘So, what did you do this morning after I left Stephen with you?’
‘ I showed them how to do a quick watercolour sketch. By the way, I’m keeping all the drawings I do for you to see at the end of the week. Obviously, everyone will take the paintings home that they want to keep, but they might leave some of
As h e went across to Stephen, Paula and Howard came on to the terrace, arm in arm.
‘ This is going to be the perfect end to what has been a simply perfect day,’ Paula trilled to no one in particular. She smoothed down the skirt of her dress – a profusion of brightly coloured flowers on a white background – adjusted the flower in her hair, pulled her shawl around her shoulders and gazed up at the leafy awning. ‘Oh, look, Howie. Aren’t those fairy lights adorable? So atmospheric. This really is the most wonderful honeymoon.’
He slid his arm around her, pulled her to him and kissed her cheek.
‘Yuk,’ Jenny heard Nick mutter. ‘I think I’m going to throw up. And that dress – she looks like she should be in a vase.’
Stephen glanced at Nick, and moved from Clare’s side to the Prosecco table. ‘We’re having Bellinis this evening,’ he called to Howard and Paula. ‘Can I make you one? It’s the real thing, peach purée and all that.’
‘ Sounds good to me,’ Howard said. ‘We’ll both have one, thanks. And Mr Rayburn’s on his way, too. We overtook him while he was looking at one of the paintings. You could pour one for him while you’re at it.’
‘ No sooner said than done.’ Stephen arranged three glasses in a row, spooned a little peach purée into each and picked up the bottle of Prosecco.
‘Nice dress, Paula,’ Clare said politely.
‘I’m glad you like it. It’s Howie’s favourite,’ Paula said, visibly preening at the compliment.
Stephen finished pouring the wine and was carrying two glasses over to the Andersons as George Rayburn wandered out on to the terrace. Jenny went over to him at once.
‘ Good evening, Mr Rayburn. I hope you were able to get some rest after today’s exertions.’
‘ Indeed, I was, thank you. I sat in the shade just outside my room, and before I knew it, it was way past the time that I should have been here. I do apologise.’
‘ Don’t think twice about it. This is a holiday as well as a class. Your sleep will have done you the world of good, and you’ll enjoy the evening all the more for it. Now, I think Stephen’s made you a drink. We’re having Bellinis, but if you’d prefer something else, you only have to say.’
‘ No, I’m sure that it will be delicious.’ He took a glass from Stephen. ‘Thank you, dear boy. Don’t you worry about me, Jennifer. I shall go and talk to Paula and Howard. I’ve just been looking at the painting that I saw them studying earlier today. It really is a most interesting picture and I look forward to hearing what they thought of it.’
As George walked across to the Andersons, Jenny turned and strolled back to Max, who was standing alone now. ‘Well, that’s all of us here now,’ she told him. ‘As I said, we’re a mixed bunch.’
‘ Mixed or not, everyone seems to be very pleased with everything, with maybe one exception.’ He indicated Nick. ‘But I think that’s more to do with the girl than with anything else. She seems very pleasant, not to mention pretty, and it’s hardly surprising that both young men are smitten. No, you’ve obviously made everyone feel at ease, and very quickly, too. As I believe I’ve said before, I was lucky to find you.’
‘ I’d say that I’m the one who’s lucky,’ she said, smiling up into his face. ‘I had to find a job for the summer, and this is way beyond my wildest dreams.’
S he was indeed the lucky one, she thought, being given the chance to finally discover what happened to her father.
‘ I think we’ll have to agree that we’re both lucky,’ he said warmly, and she noticed that his eyes lingered on her face. ‘So, what did you do this morning after I left Stephen with you?’
‘ I showed them how to do a quick watercolour sketch. By the way, I’m keeping all the drawings I do for you to see at the end of the week. Obviously, everyone will take the paintings home that they want to keep, but they might leave some of
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