They walked through to the kitchen together and as they reached the door, Caroline stepped to one side and ushered her in. It was a huge room, high-ceilinged like the rest of the house, and with a magnificent central island, capped with a marble slab. The hob, ovens and sink were all of the highest quality. Standing by the sink, wearing a freshly-ironed or quite probably brand new apron was a slightly nervous looking Olivia.
‘Hi, Penny. We’ve bought all the ingredients you asked for.’
‘We?’ Penny was surprised, but pleasantly so.
Olivia nodded, an expression of pride on her face. ‘I went with Janice yesterday. By the way, she’s got the day off today, so we can use anything we want in the kitchen. Anyway, we went to a supermarket.’ From her tone it was clear that supermarkets weren’t normally on her list of shopping venues. ‘I’d forgotten how much stuff they’ve got in there.’ There was awe in her voice.
Penny gave her a smile and checked the ingredients on the worktop. ‘Now, then, let’s get cooking. Today, we’re going to prepare something that everybody likes. Lasagne’s an easy dish, but it’s a full meal. Serve it just on its own and that’s fine. If you like, you can prepare a salad as a starter, but that’s optional.’ She gave Olivia a grin. ‘And men all love lasagne. Remember what I said about the way to a man’s heart being through his stomach.’ She saw Olivia smile back at her and added wickedly, remembering some of the more memorable moments from last night’s dream. ‘Although the trouser route is also very effective.’
As they prepared the meal, they chatted, Olivia doing all the hands-on work while Penny stood by and advised, smiling as she saw the dog’s eyes trained unblinkingly on what was happening on the worktop. Since their dinner together, the atmosphere was much more natural and relaxed between the three of them. Apart from food, they talked about a lot of things, from the Foundation to men. After a while, Olivia asked Penny about her relationship status.
‘So, have you got a boyfriend, Penny? I’m sure you must have. You’re very pretty.’ No sooner had she said it than she blushed. ‘I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. Seeing as we’re supposed to look alike, it sounds as if I’m paying myself compliments.’
Caroline stepped in to supply a neutral opinion. ‘You are both very pretty. It’s true. And I know the answer to this one; it’s yes. His name’s Owen, and he’s a hunk, and I met him last night for the first time. Penny’s been too shy to bring him home in case she were to lose control and ravish the poor boy while I struggle to avert my eyes.’
‘But I will be bringing him home sometime soon, I promise, after our weekend in Oxford.’ Penny surveyed Olivia’s handiwork. It looked and smelt good. She watched carefully as Olivia began the process of filling the dish with alternating layers of pasta and meat. ‘And what about you, Olivia? No men on the horizon?’
Olivia was concentrating hard, clearly anxious to get everything right. She didn’t look up. ‘I went out with a few boys when I was at university, but nothing terribly serious.’
‘And none since then?’
There was a pause before Olivia replied. ‘I don’t know. Maybe, possibly.’ Penny recognised the language. It sounded very familiar, but she decided not to pry.
‘Sounds a bit like me. Still, there’s time.’
Olivia nodded. ‘I should hope so. We’re the same age, aren’t we? I’m twenty-five. I’ll be twenty-six in January.’
‘That makes you six months younger than me. Either way, you’ve still got time, hasn’t she, Caroline?’
‘Bags of it.’
‘It would’ve been nice to invite you along to my little party last night; it’s annoying that we can’t be in the same place at the same time. There were a few quite good-looking boys there as well. Never mind, as soon as you’re back on the job, I’ll change my hairstyle and we can start going out together.’ As she spoke, Penny realised she really rather liked her new hairstyle and would be reluctant to give it up.
‘I’d like that.’ Olivia glanced up with a smile. ‘I used to go to all the student parties when I was at uni.’ She glanced across at Caroline. ‘And what about you and men, Caroline? You never talk about them. Have you got a special somebody in your life?’ Caroline blushed red.
‘Erm, I’m not sure. Maybe, possibly.’
Penny smiled. She appeared to have started a linguistic trend. Seeing Caroline’s embarrassment, she was quick to step in and help her out. ‘Caroline’s being very coy about this one. She says she’ll tell us all about him when it happens.’
Olivia had also noticed Caroline’s blushes and was kind enough not to insist. ‘How exciting! I’ll look forward to hearing all about him in due course. Now, Penny, what do I do? The dish is full.’
‘Turn the oven on, we’ll have to wait for it to warm up, and then you just bung it in. Nothing easier. And, while we’re waiting, why don’t I make tea for us all?’
The lasagne turned out to be a great success and Olivia insisted that they sit down and eat some, even though it was still only eleven o'clock when it came out of the oven. They all agreed that it was excellent and Olivia was clearly delighted. Everyone having decided it was too early for wine, she toasted Penny with tea.
‘Thank you so much, Penny. How come you’re so good at making lasagne? Have you been to Italy?’
‘Yes, quite a few times. I spent a year living and working in Florence and that’s where I learnt quite a bit about Italian cooking. The lady I stayed with was a super cook and she gave me all sorts of tips.’
‘So, do you speak Italian?’
Penny nodded. ‘Pretty well now. I did A-level Italian at school and I went over there for three months as an au pair before I went to university. I know Tuscany best, like I say. I’ve spent quite a lot of time in Florence. When I left there, I had a couple of weeks in Rome and then a week in Sicily.’ She looked across and explained. ‘I hooked up with an amazingly handsome Sicilian boy when I was in Florence and he took me home with him.’ She smiled. ‘I was supposed to stay there a month or two, but I legged it after a week. It turned out he was related to the whole town and everybody knew everything about everybody. All a bit too oppressive, somehow. There’s just Venice on my bucket list still to go.’
‘Well, at least you can remedy that very soon when you go to the big conference over there.’
Penny grinned at her. ‘I can’t wait.’
‘But first there’s Paris to come.’ Caroline’s expression showed how much she was looking forward to the weekend. Penny, on the other hand, had mixed feelings. Somehow, attractive as a couple of days in the city of light had originally sounded, she couldn’t shake the feeling that a big bed in Oxford would have been even better.
Chapter 13
‘So how was Paris?’ Olivia opened the door to Penny, but made sure she stayed out of sight of anybody on the road outside. Gilbert came charging up, delighted to see her, jumping up on his hind legs, his whole rear half wagging along with his tail.
‘It was lovely.’ Penny had thoroughly enjoyed the weekend in Paris after all, in spite of her reservations. She grabbed the big dog’s paws and gently returned him to the ground, stooping to give him a stroke.
‘And the conference?’ Olivia waited for her to straighten up again and then led her through to the kitchen.
‘Fascinating. There were delegates from all over Europe and it was so interesting to hear the different problems that exist from country to country.’ Penny sniffed the air. ‘What’s that I can smell, Olivia?’
Olivia gave her a slightly nervous smile. ‘I bought myself a cookery book and I’ve been experimenting with biscuits. I remember helping our old cook to make biscuits when I was little, so I thought I’d give them a go. Would you like to taste one?’
‘I most certainly would.’ Penny was very impressed. And when she tried a biscuit, she was even more impressed. Not only were the ginger biscuits really rather tasty, it was Olivia herself who then made tea for the two of them. She really was becoming quite domest
icated. And more cheerful. Penny thought she should point that out to her. ‘It’s really good to see you looking and sounding happier these days, Olivia. Are you beginning to feel a bit more optimistic about life?’
Olivia set the mugs of tea down on the worktop and perched on a stool opposite Penny, the dog, as usual, positioned between the two of them, his eyes on the biscuits. She nodded her head. ‘Yes, definitely. I saw the doctor on Thursday and we’ve agreed that I stop taking the pills I’ve been on. So I haven’t had an antidepressant for four whole days now and I certainly don’t feel any worse; probably better if anything.’
‘That’s terrific.’
‘By the way, Penny, there’s something for you here.’ Olivia reached for a little package, tied with a ribbon, and handed it to Penny. ‘I was really pleased to hear about you getting your big break in the art world. This is just a little something to mark the occasion.’ Hesitantly, Penny took it from her and opened it. Inside was a velvet box and inside that, a thin gold chain. Hanging from the chain was a finely sculpted tiny artist’s palette, also in gold. It was simple, elegant and beautiful. Penny caught sight of the jewellers’ name inside the lid and almost dropped the box.
‘There was no need for this, Olivia, really. How terribly sweet of you. It’s gorgeous, really gorgeous.’ She took it out of the box. ‘Is it all right if I put it on?’
‘Here, turn round, I’ll do it for you.’ Olivia clipped the chain around Penny’s neck and nodded approvingly. ‘The man wanted me to buy white gold, but I told him with our hair colour, it had to be real gold.’
Penny gave her a hug. ‘Thank you so much. I feel quite overcome. But you shouldn’t have.’
‘It’s not just to celebrate your success, I wanted it to be a sign of friendship too. I’m very pleased to have met you, Penny, and you’ve helped me more than you know.’
They sat and chatted as they drank their tea before Penny looked up. ‘So, have you worked out what we’re going to be cooking today?’
‘There’s pastry and eggs and asparagus. Could it be a quiche, maybe?’
‘Dead right.’
They spent a pleasant morning preparing the food, chatting all the time. Caroline, after a tiring weekend in Paris, had taken the day off and Olivia had told the housekeeper to take the day off again, so they had the house to themselves. Penny told Olivia lots about her childhood and background and learnt a lot about her in return. The quiche they prepared was a great success and, as they tasted it, Penny pointed out another advantage of the dish. ‘And the great thing about a quiche is that you can eat it hot or cold, so when some handsome man comes knocking at your door, you’ll have something to give him.’ She grinned. ‘And somehow I don’t think it’ll be long before a handsome man appears on your doorstep.’
Olivia blushed. ‘I think I might have found him already.’
‘Is this the one you meant when we were talking about love at first sight?’
Olivia nodded, hesitated and then clearly decided she wanted to tell Penny all about him. Penny listened, enthralled, as Olivia told her story. ‘I went out with a few different boys when I was at university, but since then, there’s only been one I really liked. I knew as soon as I met him that he was something special. The trouble was, I only just started going out with him a matter of days before my father died. I’m afraid, since my dad’s death, we haven’t been in contact very much.’ She looked across at Penny. ‘Well, to be totally honest, he’s been sending me loads of emails, but I haven’t felt up to going out anywhere with him.’
‘And you knew he was the one as soon as you first saw him?’ Penny was getting more and more interested in this phenomenon. So yet another person was telling her it existed. If it really was a thing, had it happened to her with the mysterious pirate man?
Olivia nodded again. ‘I can tell you where it was, what he was wearing, what I was wearing and even the music playing at that moment.’ She looked across at Penny with a smile. ‘It was at a friend’s birthday party and the theme was the 1960s. I was wearing a really short red mini skirt and the music playing was When a Man Loves a Woman.’
‘Oh, I love that one. I should know who sang it, but I can’t remember.’
Olivia shook her head. ‘I’ve forgotten too. I did know. Anyway, like I say, apart from that, I can remember everything.’
Penny looked across at her. There hadn’t been any music playing on either of the two occasions when she had seen her mystery man, but she knew she could describe him and his clothes right down to the smallest detail. So, she reflected, it was looking more and more likely that she, too, had fallen foul of this love at first sight phenomenon. But a fat lot of good it was going to do her, seeing as she knew nothing about him, and the chances of seeing him again in a city of eight million people were slim in the extreme. Anyway, she told herself firmly, she had Owen now and their weekend in Oxford was only a few days away now. She felt a wave of excitement.
‘Percy Sledge!’
Olivia’s voice interrupted her train of thought. For a moment she didn’t follow.
‘Percy who?’
‘Percy Sledge. He sang When a Man Loves a Woman. I knew I knew it.’ Olivia sounded pleased. Penny put all her internal considerations on the back burner for now and gave Olivia an encouraging smile.
‘I’m not sure I’d have known that. Well, now that you’re getting better, that’s something to look forward to.’
Olivia smiled and changed the subject. ‘So, Penny. And what about you? Have you always wanted to be an artist?’
Penny nodded. ‘I’ve always liked drawing and painting, and I’ve never been much good at anything else.’ She picked up a last bit of pastry from her plate and nibbled it, doing her best to avoid making eye contact with Gilbert, who was giving her his baleful they don’t feed me expression. ‘And I don’t regret it one bit. I love what I do, even if I’ve yet to make any serious money out of it.’ She relented and gave the final piece of pastry to the dog; it disappeared instantly and without a trace.
‘Have you sold many of your paintings?’
‘A few. There’s a local gallery down in Devon where they sell one or two every now and then, but there’s no way I can live on what I get from my painting. At least not yet. If, and it’s a big if, this exhibition in Piccadilly results in sales, then maybe I’ll be on the right track.’
‘Well, if you invite me round to your house again, you must show me your work. I’d love to see what you do. By the way, did I hear you say that your special subject at university was Renaissance art?’ Penny nodded. ‘Well, I had an idea the other day. I don’t know if it could appeal to you, but I thought it might.’ Penny looked up with interest. ‘Would you be interested in having access to our Bosch triptych? Maybe you could write a paper on it or something. The only thing I’d ask is that you don’t reveal where it’s hanging. The insurance company told Daddy it should be kept in a bank vault, but he loved it so much, he wanted it kept on display.’
Penny’s eyes opened wide. ‘Interested? Olivia, that would be awesome. And of course I won’t mention where it is.’ She thought quickly. ‘I could do a study of it, take a few photos, and see if I could get a paper published in one of the journals. That would look really good on my CV.’ She looked across and caught Olivia’s eye. ‘Let’s face it, if the January exhibition bombs and I don’t start selling my paintings soon, I’m going to have to find a real job. I don’t think I could stick the prospect of spending the next forty years of my life waiting at table. So the more I can do to make me more employable in the art world, the better. I don’t know how to thank you.’
‘You’re very welcome, Penny. Since I’ve got to know you, you’ve helped me a lot. I feel loads better these days and I know a lot of it’s down to you.’
‘That’s really good to hear, but you’re the one who’s doing it. To be honest, I don’t think you’ll need me to take your place at conferences and meetings for much longer. You’ll do just fine. You know you said you wanted me
to hang on for another few weeks? Well, of course I will and you know how keen I am to go to Venice. But, after that, I reckon you’ll be well able to step up to the plate.’
Olivia finished her slice of quiche and took a mouthful of tea. ‘I think you’re right. I really believe I’ll be up for it. To be honest, if something happened to you now, I reckon I’d just about be able to handle all the people and the crowds once more. I’d be scared stiff, but I think I could do it.’
‘That’s very good news.’ Penny really was pleased for her. This job had been a lot of fun and had pretty much saved her from financial disaster, but she realised it couldn’t go on forever. The conference in Venice was less than two weeks away now and the exhibition in Piccadilly would be at the end of January. With the money she was making from replacing Olivia, she knew she had enough to pay the rent at Caroline’s house and get by until February or March, by which time she would have a good idea as to whether she stood a chance of making it as a professional artist. If not, she would need to start looking round seriously for a better job than waitressing, and the chance to get her hands on the Bosch was a marvellous opportunity to make her a more marketable proposition in the art world. She looked across at Olivia and smiled. ‘I’ll tell you something, though. I enjoy spending time with you.’
‘Me, too, and I hope we can stay friends, Penny.’
‘Of course we’ll stay friends. I’d like that. A lot. And I’m pretty sure Gilbert would agree.’ She glanced down at the dog at their feet and then looked up again, as did Gilbert, both of them sniffing the air. ‘There’s just one thing, Olivia. After you cut the quiche, what did you do with it?’
Olivia looked surprised. ‘I put it back in the oven to keep it warm.’
‘I rather thought that was what you’d done.’ Penny was grinning now. ‘Tell me, do you normally have smoke coming out of the oven?’ She saw Olivia follow the direction of her eyes and jump to her feet.
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