“Of course it would. But if you’re busy, Pat could bring it into town this afternoon.”
“It would be easier, but not better. I could be at the ranch in one hour.”
Hannah frowned. “You think it’s that important?”
“It could be a very important discovery.”
“We’ll see you in an hour. I’ll let everyone know you’re coming.”
“That would be good. I will see you soon.”
And in typical Nick fashion, he disconnected the call and left Hannah staring at the phone.
“Is everything okay?” Mrs. Bennett asked.
“I think so. Nick Costas will be here in about an hour to look at the painting.”
“That sounds promising.”
It did to Hannah, too. “If it is a Bierstadt, I wonder how it ended up in Pat’s grandmother’s dining room.”
Mrs. Bennett placed a small plate upside down on the sheet of pastry. “She could have inherited it from another family member.”
Hannah sighed. “Pat’s going to call his cousins to see if they know anything about the painting.”
Using a sharp knife, Mrs. Bennett cut a perfect circle of pastry around the plate. “It could have been in the attic for a long time. It’s a pity Pat’s grandparents didn’t tell him more about the painting.”
“Hopefully, Nick might be able to tell us something.” Hannah rinsed her breakfast dishes and placed them in the dishwasher. “I’ll tell Pat and Brett that Nick’s on his way here. After that, I’ll either be in the attic or the living room.”
“Sounds good. Pat’s in his office.” Mrs. Bennett said as she lined a dish with baking paper.
“Thanks.” Hannah walked out of the kitchen and climbed the stairs. She hoped Nick could tell them more about the painting. If it was by Albert Bierstadt, it could take a lot of time and money to have it authenticated. And if anyone realized how many valuable paintings were on the ranch, it could create more issues than Pat needed.
