Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
D illy flitted around the gallery with a spring in her step, setting the stage for her first art class. She arranged the easels in a welcoming semicircle, ensuring each student would have a perfect view of the charismatic life model, Pierre. With a beaming smile, she popped the cork on a bottle of Prosecco, filling each glass, its effervescence matching her own jittery energy. The Prosecco would hopefully help everyone relax and embrace their inner artist. Dilly was looking forward to tonight; it was just what she needed, the perfect blend of creativity, friends, laughter, and a bit of bubbly magic.
After laying out sketch pads and charcoals by the easels, she carefully moved the couch at the back of the gallery to the centre of the semicircle. With a playful touch, she draped a dressing gown over the back of the couch, envisioning the artistic charm it would add.
To ensure a blend of modesty and creativity, she placed a bowl of vibrant fruit on the side table, its colourful array promising both visual delight and a tasteful cover for the model. The setup was perfect, brimming with artistic flair and a touch of fun, ready to inspire everyone in the class.
Sitting on the couch and waiting for the first guests to arrive, Dilly’s thoughts turned to Max. Even though she hadn’t seen him since he’d left the auction with his wife – ex-wife? – he was still on her mind. She felt a pang of disappointment that he hadn’t come to see her or explain what exactly went on yesterday. She had hoped for some clarity, but instead she was left with lingering questions and a sense of unfinished business.
Determined not to let thoughts of Max spoil her girly fun, she stood up and checked everything was ready. She looked at the glasses of Prosecco and wondered how many bottles they would get through tonight. She also wondered if anyone would notice she wasn’t drinking. She did have the perfect excuse, given that she was hosting the event and it wouldn’t be at all professional if she was drunk on the job. Still, she knew the girls would try to persuade her to have at least one, so she discreetly poured herself a wine glass of sparkling water, determined to keep her pregnancy a secret for now. The bubbles mimicked the Prosecco everyone else would be drinking. She sipped it with a smile, happy to have found a way to keep her unexpected news under wraps.
* * *
Ten minutes later the gallery was filled with laughter and chatter, as it had been from the moment the door swung open and her first students arrived. Dilly could hardly contain her amusement, knowing full well that the source of their giddiness was the naked man they were about to draw. Clemmie and Amelia had been first to burst through the door and had immediately enveloped Dilly in a bear hug.
‘Congratulations on winning the lighthouse, Dilly! You really are the queen of auctions, art and Prosecco!’ Amelia exclaimed, releasing her and making a beeline for the tray of drinks.
Next came Betty, Verity and Robin, who squealed in unison as they spotted Dilly. ‘You did it! The lighthouse is yours!’ Betty squeezed her before picking up a drink then kissed her on the cheek. ‘This is my kind of night. Good friends and?—’
‘And a naked man,’ Cora – the co-owner of The Olde Ship Inn – finished Betty’s sentence as she was next through the door, along with Becca. ‘I have to say, it’s good to take a night off from working at the pub and relax with friends.’ She smiled.
‘I never realised I was so interested in art until tonight,’ said Becca, giving Dilly a hug.
‘I thought you’d be working the Cosy Kettle tonight,’ said Dilly. ‘I’m glad you’re here instead though.’
‘I’ve got the night off. You didn’t think I was going to miss this, did you?’
Once everyone had their bubbly in hand, they began to settle behind their easels. The sight of the semicircle of eager faces, all peering expectantly at the empty couch, made Clemmie nudge Dilly. ‘You’d think they’d never seen a naked man before! How are you doing, by the way?’ she whispered.
Dilly did a quick scan of the room to make sure no one was in earshot. ‘I can’t quite believe I’ve got another human growing inside me. It doesn’t feel real to me but I know it is, and as far as Giles goes, I’m looking at the positives. He might have come into my life to take everything I owned, but I stopped him and he was the one who ended up forfeiting something precious. He left me with the greatest gift of all and it’s going to be me and her against the world.’
‘Her?’
‘Just a figure of speech.’
‘You are the most amazing person I know, Dilly Waters. Have you heard anything from Max?’
Dilly shook her head. ‘No and that tells me the type of person he is, if he’s not even come to explain. When you think you know someone…’
‘So, when does the star of the show arrive?’ Betty chimed in, sitting impatiently behind her easel, looking towards the clock on the wall.
‘Patience, Betty!’ Dilly replied. ‘Pierre will make his grand entrance soon enough.’
The room hummed with excitement as they waited and chatted amongst themselves whilst sipping Prosecco, their anticipation building. Dilly took a moment to soak it all in, feeling thankful her friends were here to support her new venture – though there was no doubt that what they were really here for was to see Pierre get his kit off. Even so, this was going to be a night to remember, filled with laughter, creativity and perhaps a few blushes when Pierre finally made his appearance.
Just as the room reached a peak of giggly expectation, the door swung open. All heads turned and though Dilly was expecting to see Pierre, in walked Max instead, looking slightly out of breath and holding a bunch of flowers. Dilly’s heart skipped a beat. Was he here to apologise and give her clarity about what had happened yesterday?
Before she could say a word, Betty gasped dramatically. ‘Oh my God, Dilly, is this our model?’ she exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement. ‘He’s gorgeous!’
Max’s eyes widened in sheer terror as he took in the semicircle of eager faces, all of the women grinning mischievously from behind their glasses of Prosecco. He looked towards the couch and the bowl of fruit then took an instinctive step back, colliding with the door he had just walked through.
Robin and Becca burst into laughter. ‘Oh, he’s brought his own prop!’ trilled Robin, pointing at the flowers. ‘To cover up his modesty.’
Dilly stepped forward, trying to contain her own laughter. ‘Max, what are you doing here?’ she asked, though she couldn’t help but smirk at the situation.
Max cleared his throat, still looking around like a deer caught in headlights. ‘I, uh, wanted to come and put things right between us. Here, these are for you, a peace offering.’ He held up the flowers like a white flag.
Still feeling mischievous, Betty chimed in, ‘Let’s get this show on the road. We are very eager to begin.’
Clemmie’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Granny, you need to behave. That’s…’
Dilly smiled and shook her head. ‘Ladies, this is Max, not Pierre. He’s not the model for tonight. He’s currently working at the boat house with my dad. How you’ve missed him coming into the tearoom, Betty, I will never know. Usually, you don’t miss a trick.’
Betty held her hands to her chest, pretending to look hurt, as a collective ‘Aww!’ of disappointment echoed around the room and Max visibly relaxed, though still looking slightly bewildered. He gave Dilly a sheepish smile. ‘Well, I’m glad that’s cleared up. I almost thought I was going to have to strip down for art’s sake.’
Betty patted the seat next to her. ‘You’re welcome to join us and keep your clothes on, Max. But be warned, we might still draw you if Pierre doesn’t show up!’
Max chuckled nervously, glancing at Dilly. ‘I don’t think this is the best time to talk.’
‘I think you may be right. But you are more than welcome to join us.’
‘I’ll just stick to a night in front of the TV, but thanks for the offer.’
With that, Max, made his escape with a quick wave and slipped out the door before any more surprises could be sprung on him.
Dilly placed the flowers in the sink at the back of the studio. It seemed the night was off to an even more memorable start than she had anticipated. No sooner had the door clicked shut behind Max than it swung open again, this time revealing the true star of the evening.
Pierre waltzed in with all the flair and drama of a seasoned performer, a confident grin spreading across his face. Without a moment’s hesitation, he began stripping off his clothes, each item discarded with a flourish, until he stood in all his glory, not even attempting to cover his manhood.
The room fell into a stunned silence, the women frozen in various states of surprise. Betty turned an alarming shade of crimson and fanned herself vigorously, muttering, ‘Oh my stars!’ before teetering dangerously in her seat.
Verity, ever the cheeky one, leaned over to Amelia and whispered loudly, ‘Just remember, nice gentle strokes… with that paintbrush… it’s all in the detail.’
Amelia stifled a giggle and replied, ‘I’m pretty sure no one will miss that detail.’
Dilly clapped to get everyone’s attention. ‘Ladies, let’s welcome Pierre and focus! Let the painting begin.’
Pierre, unfazed by the commotion he had caused, struck a dramatic pose on the couch, his every movement exuding confidence. The bowl of fruit sat neglected and forgotten on the side table. It seemed they wouldn’t be needing it this evening…
Betty, thankfully, regained her composure somewhat, adjusted her glasses and peered at her sketch pad as the room was suddenly filled with silence, the only sounds pencils scratching against the paper and paintbrushes sloshing in their water pots, interspersed with occasional giggles and whispered comments. Pierre remained perfectly still as the women did their best to capture the spirit of their unexpectedly bold model.
As the evening was coming to an end, and just as everyone thought that Betty had tamed her excitement, she called out to Pierre, who was just about to move from the couch, to pause. ‘Can you hold that pose for just a few more minutes? I promise, I’m almost done… with my Prosecco,’ she piped up.
Dilly glanced around the room, unable to suppress a smile. This was definitely an art class she wouldn’t forget. Yet, as the clock ticked on, her mind kept drifting back to Max, wondering what he had to say for himself about yesterday. The flowers he’d brought were beautiful, but they reminded her too much of Giles’s tricks. After all, hindsight had shown her that he’d always bought her flowers when he had something to hide.