If only she found the preparation of Catharina’s canvases as satisfying as a clean gown. More than twice she has boiled and mixed the preparation to daub on the porous surface and although her first attempts were disasters, she has improved. The first time, she spilled the mixture on her skin and the foul scent of bubbling animal fat hung about her for a whole day like a bad omen. The second time, she did better, holding the cauldron between her feet while she dipped in the brush and smeared it across the expanse of cloth. When it was done, she stood back, panting, to admire her efforts. It was only when a frowning Catharina appeared at her shoulder that she saw the drips and runs, the uneven patches where the glue had dried in clumps. After a moment’s silence, Catharina’s displeasure seemed to dissipate.

‘It matters not,’ Anna heard her say, to herself. ‘Griet will soon return and she knows how to prepare a canvas. She has a natural talent for such things.’

These words should have sent a cold shiver through Anna’s heart. But her recent experiences with Crispijn have dulled her fear of being thrown out immediately, should Griet somehow return. There is a softness in the way Crispijn looks at her that makes her suspect he would retain her services and find a place for her within the staff even if Catharina no longer needed her companionship. She has tried to make herself useful, and now that the Horsts are due to sit for their portrait, there will be even more for her to do. There will be errands to run back and forth between the households, props to coordinate and purchase and paint. Catharina has also warned her she will be so occupied with painting that she will not have time to respond to the usual queries from clients wishing to pick up their completed works. Anna reassured her it would not be a problem. But of course, she was working on the assumption that Crispijn would be around to help. Disappointment churns in the base of her stomach at the thought of his leaving. She cannot speak to the wisdom of Catharina’s taking on the portrait, but the decision has been made. Wouldn’t it be best to get the sitting over with as quickly as possible? Then they can all move on with their lives. Catharina’s obsession (there is no other word for it) with Griet disturbs Anna and she cannot exactly say why. But she remembers Cornelis de Witt saying that artists can be temperamental, that they can fall in love with the strangest things – a vase, a mood, a pretty insect. They are adept at maintaining their passion until something better comes along. Perhaps Griet and Catharina enjoyed a close friendship of the kind it is difficult to describe. Anna has never had any close friends – it was only ever her and Lijsbeth.