The Officer's Temptation Ch. 03

She turned then and smiled at him. "Now I am the one who is prattling."

"No," he said, frowning at the canvas. "Go on. I have never heard anyone discuss a painting in such terms."

"Do you see the people there, in their little boats?" she asked and continued after he nodded. "You perceive their faces, do you not? You can make out their clothing. Step closer." He edged up behind her as they stepped closer to the painting, making it so that the whole picture was reduced into blotches and dabs of paint. "Look now," she instructed. "Do you see their faces?"

His eyebrows raised in surprise. "No," he said. "There is nothing at all! Just tiny brushstrokes. I thought that I could see the eyes... but there is nothing but a hint of shadow here. No detail at all."

"The work of a talented artist is to create an illusion," she said. "This is one such method. Such tiny little details that make up the whole of a person. And you only perceive their secrets when you are close." She stepped back suddenly and exclaimed. "I hadn't noticed, but look!"

He looked around in bewilderment. "What?"

"The sun has come back out!"

Indeed it had. He had not realized that while they had been studying the painting the light had changed subtly. He had not needed to squint to see the tiny figures on the canvas as the clouds had been rolling away outside and the oppressive roar of rain had died out without him noting it.

She turned to him and smiled. "As much as I would love to continue your art education, I should be away back home. Mother will be worried that I got caught in the downpour. She always thinks that I will take ill after being caught in the rain."

He nodded. "But I shall drive you home," he said. "I'm afraid my parents took the landau, but come, let's have the buggy hitched."

"I would insist that you not go through the trouble," she said, "except for that I have borrowed your sister's dress and I would hate to ruin it by brushing the hem through the mud."

"So it is settled, then" he said, and with her on his arm, they walked down to the stables, had the buggy hitched in no time and enjoyed a quick ride to her home, chatting amicably the entire time. It was not until he was returning on his way home that he remembered the dinner that was awaiting him. His reunion with Arabella and her husband. His stomach went cold at the thought.