Publisher
Hennings
Cass had to sit down for a few moments before giving her answer, which was a very strong yes. Going to London, to Hennings, was going to be a visit full of memories, and would make her sad in many ways. Yet she had to grasp this opportunity. She gave herself a mental shake. She had to live her own life, without Ranulph, and this new project seemed like a good beginning.
Shortly after this sensible decision, and just before she went for her shift at the wine bar, she texted Rosa. This was news she needed to share with more people than just her mother, although her mother was absolutely delighted.
‘All that colouring in seems to have got you a job, Cass!’ her mother had said when Cass told her. ‘And not just painting pretty pictures for my friends.’
‘I don’t know why you’re so surprised,’ said Rosa half an hour later, sipping her Virgin Mary. ‘Your drawings are brilliant.’
‘I assume the publishers will want colour and not just line drawings. They haven’t seen any of the watercolours that I’ve done, I don’t think. Although, thinking more about it, I did send Bastian a card that I’d painted – just an email version – maybe they’ve seen that?’
‘Whatever! It will be different and a lot more fun than all this spinster-woman-with-cats type stuff you’ve been doing!’
‘In case you’ve managed not to notice, we’re in a wine bar, where I also work. And I haven’t got a cat. I suggested it to Mum but she wasn’t keen.’
‘Cass! You know how worried I’ve been about you. You just moon over Ranulph—’
‘I haven’t said a word about him!’
‘I still know you’re doing it though. Those very nice men tried to pick us up the other night and you wouldn’t even let them buy us a drink.’
‘There was no point—’
‘You could have gone along with it for my sake!’ Rosa was indignant.
‘I’m sorry. You should have said.’
‘Not with them standing within earshot!’
‘Seriously, I won’t let it happen again. If anyone tries to pick us up, I’ll let them. For your sake.’
Rosa sighed. ‘Look, I’m just pleased you’ve got this new thing in your life. Hey! Why don’t I go up to London with you? We’ll spend the night with Susie, and have a blast.’
‘Oh, excellent!’ said Cass. ‘I will find it a bit triggering, you know? Going to London on my own.’ She paused, suddenly worried. ‘You won’t want to come in with me to the publishers, will you? I won’t be able to let you—’
‘Of course I don’t want to come in with you. But we could have fun afterwards. Susie would love it, I know!’
And so, with a bit of job juggling for Cass and Rosa, the following week, the two friends set off for London. They went on the first affordable train with, among other things, a heartfelt blessing from Cass’s mother. Apparently she had been really worried about her daughter’s nun-like ways. ‘You were a bit wild when you were young, Cass,’ she had said. ‘But you’ve only ever been out for work or a drawing class recently. It’s not normal.’
Rosa was getting off at Paddington and Cass was transferring to the Underground to Holborn. She had her route planned, her phone well charged and her laptop in her cross-body bag.
She was early for her appointment with Hennings so she sat in a little café nearby. It was not unlike the café in Paddington where Ranulph had fed her breakfast after the drama of getting her father’s camera back from Austin. And of course she thought about Ranulph. But as she left to go to her meeting, she accepted she would always think about Ranulph. He was in her mind, like a screensaver. Whatever else was going on in front, in the background he was there, whirring around in her imagination.
Although she’d met Bastian’s publishers before, she felt a bit shy. Last time she’d been with Ranulph, a couple of glasses of champagne down, and she was just a hanger-on. Now she was the main attraction. She was greeted at reception, and sent up to the second floor. She put on a smile as the lift doors opened.
There were several people there to greet her. Bastian’s publisher Michael Masters, the art director with his quirky glasses and a couple of people from Sales and Marketing. Everyone was friendly and seemed pleased to see her.
‘Cass! It’s so kind of you to come. We’re all very excited by this new project and we’d love it if you were willing to be part of it,’ Michael Masters said.
She was ushered into the room and offered both hot drinks and cold. ‘We’re hoping you’ll have time to come out for a bit of lunch after this,’ said the art director. ‘Now let me tell you what the plan is. We’re imagining a series of illustrated guidebooks to the islands of the Caribbean. Starting with Dominica because Bastian has photos of all the places he’ll want to mention.’
‘But if you’ve got photos, why would you need me?’ Cass laughed. ‘You haven’t got me muddled up with my father, have you? He’s the one for photography.’
There was general laughter. ‘We don’t want photographs because, although of course they are works of art in their own right, we want something more … creative. Bastian has a wonderful writing style which really makes you see what he’s describing. We want something as lyrical as that for the illustrations.’
‘Have you seen any of my paintings? It’s quite a new … direction for me.’
