Secret Desire the picture lesson two

Gwen arrived at the home of the Parrish family, a middle-class estate with exquisite taste of the late 1800s. As usual she was late but uses the excuse again “this darn brace takes forever to put on my leg you know, polio has been my worst enemy.”. Even so, she was a lady of eloquent style and outstanding beauty of which Joy, the household lady’s maid was a little envious causing the odd sarcastic comment. “Oh, do come in my dear, you look stunning in that amazing cotton dress, such a beautiful shade of cream and trimmed at the ankle and long sleeves with pale pink lace sets you off nicely. Oh, look you have a small stain on the wrist there dear (she remembered seeing that last time she was here for tea) you might like to cover it with your shawl so it won’t be seen” I remember you wear it often”. Joy was of short stature and plain looks and attire in her mid-thirties. As Gwen entered the sitting room the magnificence of color coordination of pastel green walls, cream then lined the cornice on the walls with gold trim on the edges made her gasp., so typically decorated for 1880 she thought. Placing her cotton brolly that protected her fair skin from the elements on the door stand as she entered the room. the waistline and bodice of her dress reviled her perfect figure any lady could wish for. That is when she saw it, looking over at the heads of the other guests in the room at the hand painted Portrait above the fireplace of the master of the house Mr. Parrish himself. Clumsily due to the brace “Oh my” she gasps as she clomped over for a closer look at the artwork. Gwen being a collector of fine art looked at the paint strokes, the colors and texture of the workmanship. Unable to make out the signature of the creator she turned to Joy ” By whom was this masterpiece created?” Joy leaned in to speak with a whisper to Gwen “well I am not at liberty to say my dear” she looked over both shoulders and those near her to ensure the walls didn’t have ears and she could not be heard. ” It … was … a …woman! and Mr. Parrish has been spending many, many hours with her, rumor has it even after the painting was complete and hung”. The curtain which hung over the doorway from celling to floor in majestic maroon velvet moved and Gwen thought it was the wind. Her heart pumped with anger at that point knowing she too had spent many hours after dark with the said Mr. Parrish and this was never mentioned in their conversations, even though their minds where on other matters. Not giving a passing thought to Mrs. Parrish who has been bed ridden for at least five years, Gwen said “I’m a tad week in the knees I may need to sit down for our tea now ” with a stark straight grin as she looked around at the other woman for a distraction.