Amelia paused in untying the packages. “It has, but it also hasn’t. I’m still working with it.” She pointed to a stack of paintings leaning against the south wall. “Those are some of my new ones.”
Her sister moved to where she’d pointed and started looking through the canvases. “Does Mr. Hennessey know you’ve been painting him? I imagine he would be quite surprised to discover that gardening was such a fit subject for artwork.”
“I’m sure the poor man would die of embarrassment if he saw those.” She resumed pulling the oil paints from the brown paper wrapping. In total, there were over a dozen colors. “Wherever did you find the persimmon and lilac paints?”
“At a little shop at the Burlington arcade. Have you been there?” She continued to pull paintings and view them. “I do believe that you are getting better with every one you paint.”
She rolled her eyes at her sister’s back. “I thought we established that you have no eye for good or poor paintings.”
Joanna looked over her shoulder. “I thought I had no eye for aesthetics?”
She shrugged. “They are too closely related to discuss the difference.” She held up her hand as Joanna opened her mouth. “No, we’re not going to discuss it.”
“But it’s fun.”
“No.” She grinned at her sister’s pout then carefully set the paints in a box and carried them to her supply table. She would save them for Andrew’s next visit if he still wanted to keep their bargain. She moved to the east window and scanned the grounds. It would not do for him to arrive today while her sister was there. Joanna would ask far too many uncomfortable questions.
“Oh, this is magnificent. Naughty, but truly remarkable. However, did you get one of the grooms to pose for you?”
She snapped her head around to find her sister pulling the blank canvas from an easel and setting the watercolor of Andrew on it. She always let her family view her finished work, so it hadn’t occurred to her that the sketches and paintings of Andrew might cause comment. She would have to be sure to disguise them better.
Forcing a laugh, she moved closer. “I didn’t. As I said, your book does help.”
Joanna studied the painting. “There’s something familiar about that profile. I’m sure I’ve seen this man, but not in the stables.”
Seeing no help for it as her sister would hear that Andrew was visiting Bedford, she waved her hand as if it were obvious. “Yes, that’s Lord Sommerset’s profile. He’s visiting Lord Harewood and the Enderlys. He came to call a few weeks ago.” She stood next to her sister. “I thought he had a very classic profile, so I sketched it first then tried the paint. Does it look as if it is all one man to you?”
“It does. What a creative idea.”
She gave her sister a saucy smile. “You should have seen my costume for the Noells’ masquerade.” She took her sister’s hand and led her to the settee with its back to the east window. “But first you must tell me how wonderful your school is.”
Joanna settled in. “It’s even better than I dreamed. Lady Astor is such an asset and we just hired two more instructors. Lady Elsbeth has a mind for geology and is now determined to visit Ireland to see the basalt rock columns.”
To see her sister so happy with what she’d created at Silver Meadows made some of her own resentment over not inheriting the property fade away. “And what of the duke?”
“James? He’s an incredible instructor, though I do think one or two of the women are a little in love with him and two others are intimidated by him. The first I can understand, but the second baffles me.”
She laughed. Of course James would be intimidating. As far as she knew, he’d read every book in Christendom and even some outside it. “Joanna, your husband’s knowledge can be a tad overwhelming for those of less education. I don’t imagine he could be a little less, um, knowledgeable?”
“You jest.”
“I do. I’m sure as your students learn more, they will feel more comfortable around him. Have you decided when you will add the focused courses yet?”
Joanna’s brows lowered and her lips puckered before she responded. “I’m still putting plans together for that. I do believe that every woman wishes to learn more in a different field.”
She patted her sister’s hand. “Poor Jo. You’ll figure it out.”
“I suppose.” She squinched up her face, then laughed. “What about you? You said you went to the Noells’ masquerade ball. I so wished we could have arrived for that, but the school is just taking all our time and we love it.” Her happy smile communicated nothing but joy. “What costume did you wear?”
She proceeded to regale her sister with the antics of the evening and the gossip that ensued the rest of the week. Though she mentioned the friar, she never admitted to going out on the terrace with him. That happening would remain between herself and Andrew, even if he didn’t know it was between them.
One of the footmen arrived with a new tea service and sandwiches, and while enjoying the food, they chatted for over an hour. Afterward, Joanna decided to repair to the house to rest.
Once again alone with her thoughts, Amelia moved to her sketching table. However, moments after Joanna left, there was another knock on the door.
“You couldn’t have forgotten to tell me something.” She opened the door, fully expecting Joanna, only to find Andrew standing there rubbing his hands together, his breath causing small clouds of air to appear.
“I wondered if she’d planned to stay all day.” He strode past her and whipped off a dark blue wool cloak. Beneath it he wore brown pantaloons and his shirt, but no cravat, waistcoat, or tailcoat.
