The End Of The Rainbow – Episode 57
From the moment she had arrived in Paris, Constance’s courage had begun to fail her. As she’d left, Josh had pressed a scrap of paper into her hand.“Adam’s address. I had a letter from him a while back. This might be of use to you if . . .” His voice had tailed off then, as if he were afraid of saying too much. Constance had said nothing, but had kept the paper with her.On the journey, Adam had not been mentioned the talk had been of all they might see in Paris. Kirsty’s enthusiasm was infectious and, for a while, Constance was fully occupied in answering her endless questions. In her youth, Letty had made the Grand Tour with her mama, and she had a clear idea of the places she wanted to revisit.But Constance knew that there was one subject uppermost in their minds and, to her, the daily diversions supplied by Letty were welcome distractions from what she was now almost afraid to confront her visit to Montmartre in search of Adam.Each day, at breakfast, Letty would outline plans for the day. There were visits to the Louvre, the Palace of Versailles, the elegant shops on the Place de Vendome and the fine gardens of the Tuileries. Constance explored some of the smaller galleries on her own, lingering over the newest and most interesting art, while Kirsty was rendered speechless at the sightof the Eiffel Tower, which Letty pronounced “rather vulgar and ostentatious, and not in keeping with an elegant city like Paris!”On the fourth evening of their stay, they went to the ballet. Only then did Constance begin to relax. Several times, she closed her eyes and let themusic wash over her. Her thoughts turned to Adam, and she knew that, having come this far, she must complete her journey and find him.Letty glanced anxiously at her god-daughter. She had not pressed her about going to Montmartre, nor had Kirsty. And yet, that which was unspoken had filled their minds.As their party left the ballet and made their way through the throng of fashionably dressed Parisians, Letty sneaked a glance at her god-daughter. Suddenly Constance seemed more assured, with a light in her eyes and a smile on her lips. There were admiring glances cast in her direction as she stood, her elegant moire dress shining shades from dusky pink to deepest violet in the lamplight.“Miss Constance looks beautiful!” Kirsty whispered to Letty.Somehow, it was as if, her decision made, a weight had lifted from Constance’s shoulders.****At that particular moment, Adam was making his way back from a wonderful evening with Madeleine and her family. With great ceremony, her portrait had been unveiled, and Adam had been rendered dizzy with the compliments that had come his way all evening.Georges had been so excited that, at one point, he had gone out into the street and had ushered in passers-by just to admire the picture! He had pressed extra money on Adam for the work, and even the cool, composed Madeleine had become animated enough to throw her arms round the artist and kiss him on both cheeks, enveloping him in a waft of cool lemon scent.Climbing the stairs to his room, his boots in his hand, Adam touched his cheek, smiling to himself at the memory of it all. He would paint Madeleine again, he promised himself, in many different settings. She would be his Muse.He smiled again as he remembered the attention Madeleine had paid him all evening. Andr had not been there absent, it seemed, for a while. Perhaps the tutor had fallen from favour with Georges’s beautiful daughter?For a while, he sat on the wicker chair by the open window, watching Montmartre gradually fall asleep in the moonlight. He could still hear the murmur of Madeleine’s voice as she’d thrown her arms round him in that rare burst of affection.“Tomorrow we go to Montparnasse, Adam, you and I. Tomorrow you will see famous artists. Come at midi,” she’d whispered as he’d left.He smiled to himself. Tomorrow, he could sleep late, then meet his fascinating companion at noon.
