Thea’s happiness threatened to vanish. She’d wanted Ben to like Rory’s work, she’d wanted the paintings to be as good as she felt they were, but she did not want them to disappear to America. ‘They’re my slides. Or they will be, when I get them back. I won’t let him have them.’

Ben sighed. ‘He can always take more slides, for God’s sake.’

‘But don’t you want Britain to have them? Or Ireland?’

‘Rory’s not really Irish, he told me. He’s just taken on an Irish personality because he lives here. He was born in Liverpool.’

‘Oh. Well, what has that got to do with anything?’

‘Nothing, really. It just means he’d be happy to exhibit in England, which makes it easier as I have contacts there.’

‘But those contacts can’t get us a show quickly enough?’

Ben shrugged. ‘I can ask around, but it’s unlikely. There’s been a huge surge of interest in art since Tate Modern opened and they’re booked up further ahead than ever.’

‘Can’t you find a new gallery? One that hasn’t got booked up yet?’

Ben looked at her. ‘No. I have a job, and a child and a nanny to support.’

‘Oh. Sorry.’ Thea realised that her enthusiasm was making her unreasonable. She sighed and closed her eyes. ‘Well, I’ll tell you what. I’ll have to open a gallery myself.’

Ben chuckled, assuming she was joking. ‘Even you wouldn’t be mad enough to do that.’

‘No, I’m serious. I want to open an art gallery, to show Rory’s work.’ It suddenly seemed so obvious that she wondered why she hadn’t thought of it before.

‘You really are mad! I thought it was just a persona you adopted. Do you know the sort of rents they charge for property in London?’

‘Very well, as it happens, seeing as I only moved away a couple of years ago. But who says the gallery has to be in London? If there’s no room for Mohammed in London, the mountain will have to move out of town or something.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘I’ll open a gallery in Cheltenham, or somewhere like that. We’ll make the Artylartary, or whatever they’re called, come to the provinces!’

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Ben looked at her as if she were unhinged, but this didn’t faze her – she was getting used to it. ‘I’ll find premises near where I live and open an art gallery to show Rory’s work. And if I like it and can make a go of it, I’ll keep it open and show other people’s work.’