‘Wonderful.’ She had no idea that food could be so complicated. ‘But don’t forget I’ve only got an hour.’
He laughed. ‘The service is fast.’
It would need to be if they were going to eat that much. She was sorry now that she had told him how hungry she was.
‘Would you like wine with your meal?’ John asked.
She shook her head in horror, remembering what the champagne had done to her. Never again! ‘Just water, please.’
As the meal progressed, she began to relax in his company, just as she had the first time they had met. They talked about his studies and hopes for the future, the shop, and general things. He was easy, relaxing company.
They had thin soup first, then fish with a lovely sauce over it, followed by steak and various vegetables. When offered something from the array of gorgeous puddings and cakes, she reluctantly refused, knowing she couldn’t eat another thing, and it was no good trying to force it down. The food had been a revelation to her, but she had enjoyed every mouthful.
When they arrived back at the shop, she rushed up to Ben and told him how sorry she was. Lunch had taken an hour and a half.
‘Don’t worry about it, Amy.’ Ben waved away her apologies. ‘Did you enjoy your meal?’
‘It was lovely.’
‘Good, that’s all that matters.’ Ben smiled at John. ‘I’ll take a break now. See you tonight, John.’
‘About seven?’
‘Fine.’ Ben strode out.
‘Now, Amy, show me that bowl, will you? My mother loved the vase.’
He bought it, and while she was wrapping it, she asked, ‘Are you going out somewhere with Ben tonight?’
‘No.’ He handed over the money. ‘I’m coming to your house to see the paintings he’s got in his studio.’
The bowl nearly slipped out of her hands in surprise.
‘He’s very good and I’d like to see what else he paints. They are all landscapes and flowers on show upstairs.’
‘That’s because they sell quite well.’ Amy finished the parcel and handed it to him. ‘But he does paint other things.’
‘I look forward to seeing them.’ He studied her carefully for a few moments. ‘He told me he has a lovely portrait of you.’
‘Oh, you don’t want that!’ She was glad she wasn’t holding something delicate at that moment or it would surely have shattered on the floor. She didn’t like the idea of someone having a big picture of her face on their wall, and Ben had assured her he would never sell that painting.
John merely smiled. ‘I’ll see you tonight, then.’
Just wait till you get back, Ben. I’m going to have a few words with you!
It was an hour before Ben returned to the shop and at the time Amy was too busy to talk to him, but as soon as there was a quiet time, she cornered him.
‘You’re not going to sell my portrait to John, are you? You told me you wouldn’t part with it.’ She gazed at him imploringly. ‘I don’t think I would like my picture on someone else’s wall. He doesn’t know about me, and if he found out, he would hate the picture… and me.’
Ben’s expression was sad. ‘No he wouldn’t, Amy. You were not responsible for what your father did.’
‘I know, but I don’t want him to have it. Please, Ben.’
‘I won’t part with it, Amy, I promise.’ He ran his large hand over her hair. ‘Don’t worry. I would never do anything to upset you.’
She breathed a sigh of relief. ‘I know.’ Of course he wouldn’t.
‘I believe John Sterling is a good man, and he likes you very much. Give him a chance.’
Amy chewed her lip and frowned. ‘I’m afraid to.’
‘Then tell him everything about yourself. I’m sure it won’t make any difference.’
‘No, no I can’t.’
Right on the dot of seven, John arrived, and Mrs Dalton brought him into the kitchen where they were all gathered. It was a favourite spot now.
‘Let me introduce you to everyone, Mr Sterling.’ Mrs Dalton made him sit down. ‘The man at the end with his nose stuck in a book as usual, is Ted Andrews; Benjamin Scott you’ve met; next to him is Howard Palmer, the sculptor, and Amy Carter you also know.’
John looked confused. ‘But you all have different surnames. Amy said Ben and Howard were her brothers.’
It took Mrs Dalton twenty minutes to explain the unusual set-up of the house. ‘So you see, John – I may call you that?’
He nodded.
‘We consider ourselves a family, and the boys are like brothers to my dear Amy.’
Amy was relieved when Mrs Dalton didn’t go into details of how she came to be with them.
‘Now you’ve met everyone, come up and have a look at the paintings.’ Ben unfolded himself from the chair. ‘Then I’ll take you to see Howard’s workshop and some of his special pieces.’
*
‘That’s beautiful.’ John gazed at the portrait of Amy, mesmerized by the skill of the artist in depicting such an unusual and arresting face. ‘How much do you want for it?’
Ben turned round from propping pictures up on the bench for John to see. ‘That isn’t for sale.’
Tearing his gaze away from the portrait, John frowned. ‘Name your price.’
‘Two hundred pounds.’ Ben grinned and went back to his task.
‘I’ll take it.’
Ben spun back to face John. ‘Whoa! I was only joking.’
‘I’m not. I’ll get you cash first thing in the morning, or you can have a cheque now.’
‘That’s tempting.’ Ben ran a hand through his hair in astonishment. ‘The one you bought was of a young girl sitting by the river, and unless you looked carefully, it could be anyone. But this is a full head and shoulders portrait. It’s the first I ever did of her, and rather special. I don’t know that I could part with it, and I promised Amy I wouldn’t sell.’ He gave a quiet chuckle. ‘She thinks she’s got a funny face and doesn’t like the idea of it being on someone’s wall.’
‘And you won’t break your word.’ It wasn’t a question.
‘Never.’ He leant against the bench, his expression serious. ‘She’d had a tough life before she came here.’
John studied Ben intently. ‘In what way?’
‘It isn’t my story to tell.’
‘No, of course not.’ John studied the painting again and sighed with regret. ‘You’ve painted her with such love, and it shows.’
‘I do love her.’ He looked pointedly at John. ‘But my feelings for her are as a brother.’
‘And you’d do anything to protect her, even turn down two hundred pounds for a painting.’
‘Yes, even that, and if you knew the courage she has shown, and is still showing, then you would understand.’ Ben clenched his hands as he remembered how they had found her beside her mother’s grave, forlorn and desperate. He didn’t believe he would ever forget that day. It was imprinted on his mind like a bad nightmare that wouldn’t go away.
‘I like her, Ben, and I won’t hurt her.’
‘You’d better not, or you will have to face four very angry people.’ He pushed away from the bench, relaxed and smiling again. ‘Do you want to have a look at the other paintings?’
‘Of course, that’s what I came for.’
Ben raised a quizzical brow. ‘Really? I thought you came to see Amy?’
‘That too.’
After about an hour every picture had been examined carefully and John eventually chose a painting of the Thames from the Richmond Terraces. Ben had captured the panoramic view superbly.
‘How much?’
‘Twenty pounds.’
John gave him twenty-five. ‘Could I commission you to do a painting for me? My parents live in a very nice Georgian house near East Meon in Hampshire. It’s their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary in three months’ time and I’d like to give them something special. Would you do a painting of the house for me?’
‘I could do that.’ Ben f
ished out a pad and pencil from the drawer and pushed it towards John. ‘Give me the address and instructions how to find it. I’d have to go and have a look, make some sketches and maybe take a few photographs as well.’
He watched John as he wrote down the instructions, suddenly realizing that this was no struggling student doctor. Still, he didn’t want to take advantage of that fact. He liked John Sterling. ‘How long will it take to get there by car?’
‘Well, I can make it in just under an hour and a half. Depends how fast you drive.’
‘Too fast, according to Howard.’ Ben nodded. ‘Allowing for the time and travelling, it will cost you around thirty-five pounds.’
‘That’s fine.’ John’s smile was one of pleasure. ‘My parents will be delighted to have a painting by you. They greatly admired the one in my flat when they visited; in fact my mother wanted to take it home with her. Will you be able to do this without them knowing?’
‘I’ll do my best.’ Ben chuckled. ‘Is there any shrubbery for me to hide in?’
‘If you get down on your knees you might be able to hide.’ John grinned as he eyed the tall man in front of him. ‘If they do see you, for goodness’ sake don’t tell them your name or they’ll guess I’m behind your visit.’
‘I’ll tell them I’m Howard Palmer, sculptor.’
‘Good idea.’ John picked up the painting he’d just bought. ‘Let’s go and see the sculptor and his assistant, shall we?’
Completely absorbed in painting a spotty dog, Amy didn’t hear the door open. With the tip of her tongue peeping out of the corner of her mouth, she carefully daubed a brown patch around one eye.
‘What do you think, Howard?’ Looking up she found three pairs of eyes fixed on her face, and she immediately noticed the parcel under John’s arm. ‘You’ve bought one, then?’
He nodded. ‘It will look lovely in my bedroom.’
‘What did you choose?’ She knew Ben had quite a lot of paintings upstairs. He was a prolific painter, always working on something. And she loved them all.
‘Well…’ John patted the parcel. ‘There were so many to choose from, and I couldn’t resist the lovely portrait—’
‘Ben!’ She was immediately on her feet. ‘You didn’t sell it, did you?’
‘No, of course not, Amy.’ His mouth twisted in a wry smile. ‘I was sorely tempted, though, but I wouldn’t break my promise to you. Not even for such a large price. John’s got more money than sense to accept an amount I quoted in jest.’
John shrugged. ‘It was worth every penny of that. If you ever decide to sell, please give me first refusal.’
‘That’s a promise.’
Howard couldn’t contain himself. ‘How much did he offer, Ben?’
‘Two hundred pounds.’
The vase Amy had picked up to paint next crashed on to the floor, scattering in small pieces around her feet. She pushed them under the table with the toe of her shoe, muttering, ‘Now look what you’ve made me do.’ Her eyes were wide when she looked at Ben. She didn’t like the idea of that painting being in anyone else’s house – it was too personal – but she shouldn’t have made him promise never to sell it. ‘You can’t turn down money like that.’
‘I can, because it isn’t something I can easily part with. John wanted the one I’ve got hanging in the studio. I did that painting immediately after sketching you by the river. I believe it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.’
‘But you’ve painted others.’ She felt awful now.
‘You didn’t tell me you had more of Amy.’ John put the painting down and shook his head. ‘I thought I’d seen everything you had up there.’
‘I’ve got more of her stacked in a cupboard.’ Ben held up his hand to stop John returning to the studio. ‘But they aren’t full-face portraits like the one you saw, and I won’t sell any of them. One day I shall have an exhibition showing Amy through the years.’
Amy’s mouth dropped open. This was the first time he’d mentioned the idea. But it was ridiculous! He was always pulling her leg. He must be joking. She gave an inelegant snort. ‘You’re daft, Benjamin Scott, do you know that? No one would come to see paintings of me.’
Ben smiled knowingly. ‘We’ll see.’
‘I’ll do a couple of busts of her as well.’ Howard winked at Ben. ‘That should bring in the crowds.’
They were looking highly amused now. How they loved to tease her, and she found it hard to keep a stern expression.
‘Just look at that face.’ Ben leant on Howard. ‘Is it any wonder I can’t stop painting her?’
John joined in with the easy banter. ‘Let me know when you’re giving the exhibition and I’ll be first through the door.’
‘You’re all as daft as each other.’ Amy was laughing openly now. ‘Why don’t you go to the pub and have a drink? I’ve got work to do.’
‘Good idea.’ Howard brushed dust from his sleeve. ‘Will you join us, John?’
‘Love to.’
Wiping imaginary sweat from his brow, Ben said, ‘We’ll have a couple to steady our nerves for tomorrow.’
‘What’s happening tomorrow?’ John picked up his painting again.
‘Amy’s taking her driving test.’ Howard pretended his hands were shaking. ‘I think we’d better make it three pints. My nerves are ragged already.’
When she made to lurch at them with a rather large bowl in her hands, they shot out of the door, calling, ‘Bye, Amy.’
‘They’re potty.’ She settled down again to paint, but there was a smile on her face. She loved the way they teased her.
21
‘Stop shaking, Amy, there’s nothing to it. You’ll pass easily.’
‘It’s all right for you to look so smug, Howard; you took your driving test last week. But suppose I can’t read the road signs, or I turn left instead of right?’ She hadn’t been worried about the test yesterday, but now it was almost here, she was terrified.
‘Which hand have I put the ring on?’ Mrs Dalton asked, pouring her another cup of tea.
Amy admired the lovely pearl and coral ring Mrs Dalton had loaned her for today. ‘My right hand.’
‘Remember that and you won’t make a mistake.’ Mrs Dalton smiled reassuringly.
Ben leant back in his chair, making the front legs leave the floor. ‘We’ve been over and over the area they use for tests, and you know all the roads.’
She nodded. The last few weeks Ben had been making her drive all the time, and as soon as Howard had passed his test, they had both taken her over the route. ‘Suppose they take me somewhere different – somewhere we haven’t been?’ She worried her bottom lip. ‘And what about the Highway Code, suppose I can’t remember that?’
Ted picked up the booklet, opened it and fired questions at her. She answered every one correctly. ‘You’re worrying over nothing.’
She stirred her tea. That was true; they had all taken turns in reading it out to her until she knew it off by heart, but if she panicked it would all disappear from her memory. Things had a habit of doing that. Oh, she would be so relieved when this was over.
‘Time to go.’ Ben stood up. ‘Come on, you’re going to do just fine. I have every confidence in you.’
The teasing of last night had gone and they were giving her all the support she could want.
‘I’m coming too.’ Howard joined them. ‘Mrs Dalton’s minding the shop until we get back.’
Amy walked to the car with Ben and Howard on either side of her. She was old enough now to have learnt a bit about life, and Mrs Dalton had had a frank talk with her about what happened between a man and a woman, but there was nothing sexual between her and the boys. They had always treated her like a sister, and it was that kind of love they shared. She knew they went out with girls from time to time, and she prayed they would both find themselves good wives one day. She adored them so much, especially Ben, and she only wanted the best for them.
She looked from one to the other. ‘I won’t let you do
wn.’
‘You’ll never let anyone down, Amy.’ Ben spoke gently as he opened the car door for her. ‘You drive.’
Before pulling away from the house she waved to Mrs Dalton and Ted, who were standing on the step. ‘Good luck,’ they called.
With another wave she drove up the road towards the dreaded test. She knew that if she failed she could take it again, but she wasn’t going to fail!
The examiner was quite stern-looking; he said little, and Amy longed to have Ben or Howard with her to give her confidence. She concentrated hard, trying to remember everything she had been taught.
The test itself was just a blur; her nerves had jangled all the way through, but she had done everything he’d asked her to. Was it good enough?
When they finally stopped she watched him writing, wishing she knew what it meant. Then he turned to her and actually smiled.
‘I’m pleased to tell you that you have passed, Miss Carter.’
‘Oh, thank you.’ She could have hugged him, but controlled herself. Not the thing to do at all!
When the examiner got out and went back into his office, she erupted out of the car and rushed towards Ben and Howard who were standing only a few yards away, waving her certificate in triumph. ‘I’ve passed. I’ve passed!’
She was swung off her feet and passed from one to the other. Neither of them had any trouble lifting her.
‘This calls for a celebration.’ Ben put her back on the ground. ‘We’re taking you somewhere special tonight.’
‘Oh, where?’ She was beside herself with excitement. She had done it, actually done something this difficult. She remembered her struggles at school; this would have seemed impossible to her then.
‘Wait and see, nosey.’
‘Let’s go and tell Mrs Dalton and Ted.’ She would never have got through this without their help and support.
‘Where are we going? You can tell me now, can’t you?’ Amy was finding it difficult to stop chattering. All five of them were going out together. Mrs Dalton was wearing her best hat, and when Amy had tried to return the pretty ring, she had been told to keep it as a gift for passing her test first time. She had never owned anything so lovely.
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