he stands up as I come in.
‘Ah, Beth. You’re here. Good.’ He looks to the men. ‘Gentlemen, you’ll remember Beth from our visit to the monastery when we first saw the Fra Angelico.’
I look more closely at the men and realise that I recognise two of them. One is the abbot of the monastery, wearing a suit and looking quite different out of his robes. The other is one of the brothers I remember from that day. I don’t know who the other two are, but one of them is regarding me strangely from dark eyes. I glance over but I don’t recognise him.
‘Come in, Beth, and sit down. I want you here because of course this matter concerns Mark and therefore you. Mark, sadly, can’t be here himself, so Beth is his representative.’ Andrei gestures to a chair. I go and sit down, wondering what I’ll be expected to do.
Andrei speaks again. ‘The first thing to say is that we want all this settled quietly – don’t we, Beth?’
I nod.
‘There’s no point in dragging reputations down, or making allegations of fraud or criminal activity. The abbot here is just as shocked and horrified as I am that the painting has been revealed to be a fake.’
I glance over at the abbot but he doesn’t seem particularly shocked or horrified. In fact, he looks quite happy as he nods away in agreement.
‘And so we’ve decided that we will simply do an exchange. The monastery will return my money, and I will return the painting to them to do with as they will – on the condition that they do not attempt to pass it off as a genuine Fra Angelico.’
‘I see.’ I glance around the men again. The man with the dark eyes is still regarding me in that curious way. ‘That sounds satisfactory. I’m glad you’ve come to the agreement so easily.’
I’m pleased – this is definitely the best solution. If the painting is quietly returned and no fuss made, then perhaps Mark’s reputation will remain unblemished. We might even be able to organise some kind of statement where Mark retracts the authentication that Andrei put out in his name and the Hermitage concurs after the event. I’m feeling quite warm again towards Andrei – he’s worked this out very well for us. He does have the kind side I saw in the orphanage. His heart is a good one. I don’t really understand why I’m here though. This has all been agreed without me so why did he want me at this meeting? Then Andrei looks over at me again.
‘Beth, I’d like you to organise the repayment of the funds.’
‘Me?’ I’m surprised. I’m an art assistant, not a banker.
Andrei nods slowly. ‘Yes. Didn’t Mark tell you? He arranges the financing for all my art purchases. He pays through his own accounts and I refund him the money. That’s how I would like it to work in reverse as well. The abbot’s advisers will sort out the details with you. The money will come to Mark and then to my account.’
‘I see.’ It seems a rather pointless arrangement to me, but Andrei and Mark must have their reasons. If that’s what is always done, it must be what Mark wants.
Andrei stands up, smiling rather coolly. ‘Good. I must leave you for a moment. I have a call to make. Beth, perhaps you could give your details to Brother Gregor?’
As he leaves the room, one of the brothers comes over to me but it isn’t the man with the staring eyes. That one continues to observe me as I discuss the practicalities with Brother Gregor and swap email addresses so that we can facilitate the payment online. As we are completing things, he comes over and hovers near me, obviously waiting for a chance to speak. When Brother Gregor moves away to talk to the abbot, the other man steps forward.
‘Miss, I wanted to talk to you. To see if you have any news.’
‘News?’ His voice, deep and low, has a strange effect on me. It sounds familiar. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’
‘News of Dominic Stone. He has not been to the monastery for some time.’
My insides clench at the sound of
‘Ah, Beth. You’re here. Good.’ He looks to the men. ‘Gentlemen, you’ll remember Beth from our visit to the monastery when we first saw the Fra Angelico.’
I look more closely at the men and realise that I recognise two of them. One is the abbot of the monastery, wearing a suit and looking quite different out of his robes. The other is one of the brothers I remember from that day. I don’t know who the other two are, but one of them is regarding me strangely from dark eyes. I glance over but I don’t recognise him.
‘Come in, Beth, and sit down. I want you here because of course this matter concerns Mark and therefore you. Mark, sadly, can’t be here himself, so Beth is his representative.’ Andrei gestures to a chair. I go and sit down, wondering what I’ll be expected to do.
Andrei speaks again. ‘The first thing to say is that we want all this settled quietly – don’t we, Beth?’
I nod.
‘There’s no point in dragging reputations down, or making allegations of fraud or criminal activity. The abbot here is just as shocked and horrified as I am that the painting has been revealed to be a fake.’
I glance over at the abbot but he doesn’t seem particularly shocked or horrified. In fact, he looks quite happy as he nods away in agreement.
‘And so we’ve decided that we will simply do an exchange. The monastery will return my money, and I will return the painting to them to do with as they will – on the condition that they do not attempt to pass it off as a genuine Fra Angelico.’
‘I see.’ I glance around the men again. The man with the dark eyes is still regarding me in that curious way. ‘That sounds satisfactory. I’m glad you’ve come to the agreement so easily.’
I’m pleased – this is definitely the best solution. If the painting is quietly returned and no fuss made, then perhaps Mark’s reputation will remain unblemished. We might even be able to organise some kind of statement where Mark retracts the authentication that Andrei put out in his name and the Hermitage concurs after the event. I’m feeling quite warm again towards Andrei – he’s worked this out very well for us. He does have the kind side I saw in the orphanage. His heart is a good one. I don’t really understand why I’m here though. This has all been agreed without me so why did he want me at this meeting? Then Andrei looks over at me again.
‘Beth, I’d like you to organise the repayment of the funds.’
‘Me?’ I’m surprised. I’m an art assistant, not a banker.
Andrei nods slowly. ‘Yes. Didn’t Mark tell you? He arranges the financing for all my art purchases. He pays through his own accounts and I refund him the money. That’s how I would like it to work in reverse as well. The abbot’s advisers will sort out the details with you. The money will come to Mark and then to my account.’
‘I see.’ It seems a rather pointless arrangement to me, but Andrei and Mark must have their reasons. If that’s what is always done, it must be what Mark wants.
Andrei stands up, smiling rather coolly. ‘Good. I must leave you for a moment. I have a call to make. Beth, perhaps you could give your details to Brother Gregor?’
As he leaves the room, one of the brothers comes over to me but it isn’t the man with the staring eyes. That one continues to observe me as I discuss the practicalities with Brother Gregor and swap email addresses so that we can facilitate the payment online. As we are completing things, he comes over and hovers near me, obviously waiting for a chance to speak. When Brother Gregor moves away to talk to the abbot, the other man steps forward.
‘Miss, I wanted to talk to you. To see if you have any news.’
‘News?’ His voice, deep and low, has a strange effect on me. It sounds familiar. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’
‘News of Dominic Stone. He has not been to the monastery for some time.’
My insides clench at the sound of
Similar Books
