Chapter 18
Three pristine blossoms of gardenia, in a vase on the credenza beside Mr. Ponder’s desk, perfumed the office with their ineffable sweetness.
In front of the desk stood Mrs. Gidley.
Mr. Ponder reached out to give her a piece of paper. “Anita, here are two more names for Theo. And here are his letters to go with them. Do these things first, please.”
Mrs. Gidley looked at the list with the same enthusiasm she might have given a speeding ticket. She shook her head. “How many of these do you think Mr. Theo is going to do?”
“From what he tells me, he wants to give all of the portraits to their owners. That’s what he calls them, ‘owners.’ I believe there are over ninety altogether. I’m impressed you’ve been able to find addresses for all of them so far. Especially the students.”
Mrs. Gidley was pleased with the compliment. “Some of them have been pretty hard to find, but Shep knows most of the people. Between him and the internet, we’ve been lucky. But I still think this is all pretty strange.”
She was not yet willing to acknowledge her enjoyment of Theo’s project and her growing sense that she was part of something admirable.
“Mr. Ponder, even now, I’m not sure I trust the man. There’s just something suspicious about him. I can’t put my finger on it but….”
Mr. Ponder looked up. “Anita, have a seat. I want to tell you something.”
It was obvious from his tone, a tone she knew well, that he had thought about whatever it was he was about to say.
“Anita, you know our business as well as I do, and I don’t like keeping secrets from you.
You know that I trust you. That’s not the issue.
It’s just that there are times I’m required to keep things to myself, and this is one of those times.
Theo insisted upon it. I’ll admit he’s an unusual case, but I at least want you to know this. ”
Mr. Ponder had Mrs. Gidley’s full attention for whatever “this” happened to be.
“Before taking Theo into Ponder House, I made a number of phone calls in his presence and also did some other due diligence. You know I wouldn’t have taken him on if I thought there was a problem.”
Mrs. Gidley nodded.
Mr. Ponder paused. “Anita, many years ago, Theo was a client of my father.”
Mrs. Gidley sat up straight. Her eyes registered utter surprise, lifting like drawbridges to allow entry of the revelation into her mind. She scrolled through her memory for any clue that Theo had been in Ponder House during her decades of employment there. Her memory was blank.
“I checked our files,” he continued. “Theo suggested I do so as proof of his character, and I found Dad’s notes.
It verified what Theo had told me about himself, and that’s why I took him on as a client.
I want you to know he is not a man to fear or be suspicious about.
That’s all I can tell you, but I hope it’ll put your mind at ease. ”
Mrs. Gidley was a cauldron of questions, but she restrained herself and simply thanked Mr. Ponder “very much.” She looked again at the list of names. “I’ll get these addresses and mail the letters this afternoon.”
And so she did.