friend to cover for her.
‘What time do we start?’ Sam had heard voices in the hall.
‘Almost immediately. Come with me and I’ll explain what I want you to do.’
Rose led her into the large studio and began arranging the stacked seats into a semi-circle. In front of them she placed easels then decided where best to seat the girl.
Sam turned out to be a good model. Perhaps her preoccupation enabled her to sit for the first hour with hardly, a movement, her profile to the class as they quietly drew it. Rose, from a different perspective, sketched her three-quarter face. ‘Okay, I think that’s long enough. We’ll take a break now.’ They always stopped for coffee half way through the class.
The silent concentration was broken. Chairs scraped and conversations broke out as people began comparing their work.
‘Thank you, Sam. We all appreciate your sitting for us. Do you want to stay until the end or would you rather leave?’
‘I’ll go if you don’t need me any more.’
Rose took her to one side and pushed a ten pound note into her hand. It had been worth it. Rose had enjoyed sketching her and she had found out as much as she wanted to know.
‘Right, let me see what you’ve done this evening then I’ll look at what you’ve managed at home this week.’
No one had quite captured the essence of Sam although Joyce had managed to portray the wistfulness in her face. It had been a worthwhile exercise, one conducted with only herself and Joyce knowing the reason behind it.
When the class finished, she put Joyce’s mind at rest by telling her that Sam was upset because Lucy seemed to favour her boyfriend’s company over her own. She made no mention of the rape.
Satisfied, Dave Fox pushed his plate away. Eva had cooked a delicious meal. She had told him how unsuccessful she had been in finding work and he’d tried to reassure her that something would eventually turn up. ‘Don’t worry about the money, Eva. Living as we do we don’t spend much. Better you get a job you enjoy rather than taking one for the sake of it.’ He smiled and reached for her hand. ‘Don’t look so glum. You’re a winner, you know, you’ll get there in the end. Look what you’ve survived already.’
Eva felt near to tears. Never had she thought she could be so happy with a man but there was ashadow hanging over it all. ‘Dave, please tell me where you were on that Sunday night.’
‘Why is it so important to you?’
She pulled her hand away. Surely he must have some idea why she kept asking him. ‘I just need to know, that’s all. I thought we’d agreed never to have any secrets. I’ve told you all there is to know about me, about my family and John.’
‘Likewise.’
Eva nodded. Dave had explained that his marriage had gone wrong because his wife was more of a socialite than he was. ‘Unlike me, Sarah was into dinner parties and attending all the local functions where the same crowd of people gathered,’ he had admitted. ‘She was always wanting me to better myself, whatever that might mean. Nothing I did pleased her. I’d had it. I suddenly realised that freedom was more important than appearances. I bought the van and came down here and gave her a divorce. And do you know it’s the first time since childhood I’ve really felt happy. Strange when money once meant something to me. And now I’ve got you.’
But Eva had never met any of his family. She only had Dave’s word that his reasons for leaving were as he had told her. Maybe therewas something far more sinister behind his move to Cornwall. Damn him, she thought, damn him for making me feel like this. One simple question. If she had the answer she knew she would be either truly happy or completely devastated.
The persistent double ringing finally penetrated Jack’s consciousness. Wondering if he had overslept and someone was phoning from work to find out where he was he reached out and picked up the receiver. There was no sunlight to
‘What time do we start?’ Sam had heard voices in the hall.
‘Almost immediately. Come with me and I’ll explain what I want you to do.’
Rose led her into the large studio and began arranging the stacked seats into a semi-circle. In front of them she placed easels then decided where best to seat the girl.
Sam turned out to be a good model. Perhaps her preoccupation enabled her to sit for the first hour with hardly, a movement, her profile to the class as they quietly drew it. Rose, from a different perspective, sketched her three-quarter face. ‘Okay, I think that’s long enough. We’ll take a break now.’ They always stopped for coffee half way through the class.
The silent concentration was broken. Chairs scraped and conversations broke out as people began comparing their work.
‘Thank you, Sam. We all appreciate your sitting for us. Do you want to stay until the end or would you rather leave?’
‘I’ll go if you don’t need me any more.’
Rose took her to one side and pushed a ten pound note into her hand. It had been worth it. Rose had enjoyed sketching her and she had found out as much as she wanted to know.
‘Right, let me see what you’ve done this evening then I’ll look at what you’ve managed at home this week.’
No one had quite captured the essence of Sam although Joyce had managed to portray the wistfulness in her face. It had been a worthwhile exercise, one conducted with only herself and Joyce knowing the reason behind it.
When the class finished, she put Joyce’s mind at rest by telling her that Sam was upset because Lucy seemed to favour her boyfriend’s company over her own. She made no mention of the rape.
Satisfied, Dave Fox pushed his plate away. Eva had cooked a delicious meal. She had told him how unsuccessful she had been in finding work and he’d tried to reassure her that something would eventually turn up. ‘Don’t worry about the money, Eva. Living as we do we don’t spend much. Better you get a job you enjoy rather than taking one for the sake of it.’ He smiled and reached for her hand. ‘Don’t look so glum. You’re a winner, you know, you’ll get there in the end. Look what you’ve survived already.’
Eva felt near to tears. Never had she thought she could be so happy with a man but there was ashadow hanging over it all. ‘Dave, please tell me where you were on that Sunday night.’
‘Why is it so important to you?’
She pulled her hand away. Surely he must have some idea why she kept asking him. ‘I just need to know, that’s all. I thought we’d agreed never to have any secrets. I’ve told you all there is to know about me, about my family and John.’
‘Likewise.’
Eva nodded. Dave had explained that his marriage had gone wrong because his wife was more of a socialite than he was. ‘Unlike me, Sarah was into dinner parties and attending all the local functions where the same crowd of people gathered,’ he had admitted. ‘She was always wanting me to better myself, whatever that might mean. Nothing I did pleased her. I’d had it. I suddenly realised that freedom was more important than appearances. I bought the van and came down here and gave her a divorce. And do you know it’s the first time since childhood I’ve really felt happy. Strange when money once meant something to me. And now I’ve got you.’
But Eva had never met any of his family. She only had Dave’s word that his reasons for leaving were as he had told her. Maybe therewas something far more sinister behind his move to Cornwall. Damn him, she thought, damn him for making me feel like this. One simple question. If she had the answer she knew she would be either truly happy or completely devastated.
The persistent double ringing finally penetrated Jack’s consciousness. Wondering if he had overslept and someone was phoning from work to find out where he was he reached out and picked up the receiver. There was no sunlight to
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