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Contents ( 56)
  1. The Seven Sisters
  2. Cast of characters
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. Author’s Note
  55. Acknowledgements
  56. Bibliography

‘And I believe we will be sharing an atelier soon. Professor Landowski tells me you are to take up an internship with us in the next few weeks.’

‘He has suggested it, but I wasn’t intending to tell anyone until it’s confirmed,’ said Margarida, signalling the waiter to bring her the bill. ‘I will be honoured if he will have me there.’

‘He thinks you show great ability. For a woman, that is,’ Laurent teased.

‘I will take that as a compliment.’ Margarida smiled at him as the bill arrived and she laid a few notes on top of it.

‘And perhaps if you are there in the studio, you could act as chaperone while I take time to sculpt Mademoiselle Izabela?’ suggested Laurent.

‘It may be possible to arrange, but we shall have to see,’ said Margarida, her eyes again darting between Laurent and Bel and the clock behind the bar. ‘We must take our leave. À bientôt. Monsieur Brouilly.’ She kissed him on both cheeks, as Bel too rose.

‘And Mademoiselle Izabela, it seems that fate has conspired to bring us together. I hope the next time it can be for longer.’ Laurent kissed her hand, shooting her a glance from under his lashes as he did so. Naive as she was, she instantly understood what his look contained.

Images

Luckily, when Bel arrived back at the apartment, Maria Georgiana was taking her afternoon nap. Maria Elisa, however, was reading a book in the drawing room.

‘How was it?’ she asked as Bel came in.

‘It was wonderful!’ Bel threw herself down in a chair, exhausted from nervous excitement, but still elated from her encounter with Laurent.

‘Good. So, what did you learn?’

‘Oh, all about the tools needed for stone sculpting,’ she said airily, her alcohol-infused brain preventing her lips from moving in the way they usually did.

‘For six hours, you were learning about the tools needed for sculpting?’ questioned Maria Elisa, glancing at her suspiciously.

‘Yes, for most of it, and then we went for lunch and . . .’ Bel stood up abruptly. ‘I think the day has exhausted me. I will go and take a nap before dinner.’

‘Bel?’

‘Yes?’

‘Have you been drinking?’

‘No . . . well, only a glass of wine with lunch. After all, everyone in Paris does the same.’

Bel walked towards the door, vowing that in future she would refrain from whatever she was offered on the rustic tables of La Closerie des Lilas.

21

Apartment 4
48, Avenue de Marigny
Paris
France

27th June 1928

Dearest Pai and Mãe,

I can hardly believe that I have been away from Rio for four months; the time has flown by so fast. I am still loving the lessons I take with Margarida de Lopes Almeida at the Beaux-Arts school. Although I know I will never be a great artist like some of my classmates, my lessons have given me a far deeper appreciation of painting and sculpture and I feel this will benefit me greatly in my future life as Gustavo’s wife.

Summer has really arrived in Paris now, and the city has become even more alive with the turn of the season. I am beginning to feel like a true Parisienne!

I hope that some day you can both see for yourselves the magic I’m lucky enough to behold every day.

My dearest love to both of you,

Izabela