Chapters (50)
- Cover
- Dedication
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- The Pengarron Sagas
- The Harvey Family Sagas
She looked up at him. Her voice came out as a croak. ‘Timothy’s forbidden me to paint any more. He followed me to Trelynne Cove where I was at work and ordered me home. I refused to go with him and we had a terrible quarrel. He got really angry and shouted at me, something he’s never done before.’
With tender fingers Clem brushed straying hair off her damp face. ‘And this upset you so much you felt you had no choice but to destroy your work? That’s a pity. I’ve been taking a look at it. It’s very good, in fact I’d say you’ve a touch of genius, Livvy.’
‘Really? You’re not just saying that to appease me, Clem?’
He traced a fingertip around her face. ‘I promise you, sweetheart. Thank the saints you haven’t destroyed the lot. That picture of the castle up on the Mount is just wonderful. My wife’s spoken of your talent many times since we’ve been here,’ he lied. Catherine thought Olivia a poor wife and her painting an unjustifiable waste of time. ‘The way I see it, Timothy’s got no right to deny you this pleasure, to stop you using your gift, which he should know is a gift from God.’
Some of the tension left her, but she stayed pressed against him. ‘Others have said that. I gave one of my miniatures to Jack and his wife as a wedding gift, and Mrs Rosevear made some fine, and I thought, informed comments about it. She said she had seen works of the same quality in some of the grand houses she has worked in.’ A thought made her want to cry again. ‘Dare I think I can produce paintings that might be welcomed further abroad than the few I’ve sold locally?
‘Clem, there was something I was going to put before Timothy but it’s out of the question now. There’s a well-known artist, a Mr George Spears, recently come to the county, who is presently staying at the Mount, with Sir John St Aubyn. I thought if I was to meet him, if he agreed to a request to look at my work, I would know then just how well my talent is. I was going to say to Timothy, that, if Mr Spears slighted it in any way, found it laughable, say, or immature, then I’d be content to carry on with it as a relaxation only, as Timothy wants. I should have pleaded with him differently in Trelynne Cove. Now all is ruined. My dream quite gone.’