Romancing the Rogue (77 page)

Charlie took one
last look at himself in the mirror before packing up the basket on his bicycle. If his paintings kept selling like they had since the Grand Opening,
he
’
d be able to buy a car soon.
He
’
d already quit his job delivering newspapers. The buzz from the Grand Opening had stirred up so much interest in his work
he
needed to paint every day, almost all day.
He
’
d even
taken
some of his supplies over to the gallery
—
to the Sheffield home
—
so that
he
could sketch and do the preliminary color studies while at the shore. The shops along the Boardwalk seemed to be a popular subject among the people who bought his paintings. That and the beach.

In his coat pocket was a
letter
that had arrived the previous day. Written in an elegant hand on vellum, the
letter
was from a former patron who had recently opened a new gallery on Manhattan. He still had trouble believing his luck. The words were burned on his memory:

My dear Charles,

I hope this letter finds
you
well. I have always regretted having to close down my gallery in Soho, leaving
you
to
your
own devices.
You
were such a promising artist, and
your
paintings were popular among my customers. I was thrilled to find
you
at the little gallery opening in Wildwood. But I know
you
are capable of so much more.

I have
recently
joined forces with David Thurston to open Thurston-Perry Galleries in Manhattan, and we are confident that we can make
it
a success now that the economy is improving. We will celebrate this joint venture with a Grand Opening in October. I would love to feature some of
your
best works and invite
you
to come to Manhattan to discuss this with me. I would be pleased to have
you
as a guest at my home while
you
are in the City
.

The note
continued with details about the Grand Opening and
was signed by Regina Perry.
She
had been one of his
staunchest supporters. She’d called him a
Wunderkind
,
but h
e
never expected
her
to seek him out
so many years after closing her gallery.

What
an exciting opportunity
.
H
e couldn
’
t
wait to share it with Rose.
She
needed to be a part of
it
because s
he
was the reason for his success. His Lady Luck. And
she
needed to come along to the gallery opening so that he could continue to succeed and have bigger and bigger successes. He had to convince her to go to New York with him
, at least for this event
.

She
might resist, now that
she
had the gallery. But he
’
d be sure to leave several of his nicer paintings, and some of the local artists could fill in the gaps. There was plenty of artistic talent in the area.

As he made his way south, the sun rose above the waters, warming his face. The salty breezes always cheered him, and he pedaled faster.

The merchants on the Boardwalk were already hard at work, opening their shutters, sweeping, cleaning
,
and preparing for the day. Several of them waved and nodded as he rode by. Energy
had been
high since the Grand Opening. Every day several locals would stop him to express their thanks for drumming up so much business for the island.

He turned his
bike
down Oak
S
treet and got off. He walked around the house and knocked on the back door.
Before h
is
hand returned to
his
side
,
it opened.

Rose stood at the doorway, and Charlie
’
s heart flipped when
she
smiled at him. He wondered if
she
knew just how lovely
she
was when
she
smiled. Attractive, but in a no-nonsense way.
She
was the type of woman who rolled up her sleeves and did what needed to be done. Sort of like his mother. No wonder Ma liked her.

She
was
his
muse,
his
Lady Luck. And he would need his Lady Luck beside him for the next phase in
his
career.

“
Good morning
,” Charlie said as he entered the sunny kitchen.
“
I
brought
Mrs. Donovan
’
s painting. And
I have
some wonderful news.
”

Her eyes widened, and he nearly drowned in the pools of gray.

“
Oh
,
Mrs. Donovan will be so happy. You got it done much faster than she expected.
”

He shrugged.
“
I wasn
’
t working on any other projects, so I did it right away.
”
He set the package down and reached in his pocket, pulling out the letter.
“
This came in the mail for me yesterday. I thought you
’
d like to read it.
”

She took the envelope, pulled out the fragrant note, and opened it. He watched her closely as her wide eyes skimmed the page.
Any moment now,
he thought,
she
’
ll get to the
important
part and she
’
ll be excited.
But instead of the happiness he
’
d expected,
her
brow furrowed and
her
cute little mouth curved downward.

“
So you
’
re leaving?
”
she nearly whispered.

“
Well, not right away. The opening isn
’
t until October, after the tourist season here is done. I want
you
to come with me.
You
could close the gallery for a week
—
more if
you
wanted to.
You
r
mother could come
, too
. Regina has plenty of room for all of us.
”

“
I
’
ll
—
I
’
ll think about it.
”

“
Think? Is there a reason you don
’
t want to go? I thought you grew up there.
”

“
I — did, but I haven
’
t been there in several years. I don
’
t have the right clothes.
And some of my memories of that place aren
’
t good ones.
”

“
I
’
m sorry for that.
W
hy don
’
t you come with me and make some new memories? Regina is a wonderful hostess. You
’
d have fun.
”

“
Mother would enjoy it, I suppose
,
but
she
’
s so frail lately.
She
wouldn
’
t be able to keep up with us, and
she
shouldn
’
t be left alone in a hotel room. I
’
ve been watching her, making sure that
she
eats, because if
she
doesn
’
t
she
not only gets weaker,
she
gets confused.
”

“
Has Doc McManus seen her lately?
”

“
No.
Not since the day you sent for him. Still,
I
’
m pretty sure
she
’
s
been overdoing it.
She
’
s
started to make friends with some of the women nearby
,
and
they
often
come to visit
. When
she
gets nervous or excited
she
forgets to eat, even when there
’
s food in front of her.
”

“
If
she
’
s
got friends, that
’
s a good thing. They
’
ll help look out for her. Maybe
she
could even stay with one of them while you
’
re gone.
”
He gazed into
her
eyes, begging
her
to change her mind.
“
Please, Rose. I need you with me. Good things happen when you
’
re with me.
”

Rose
’
s cheeks flushed to a deep red
,
and her voice quivered with anger.
“
I can
’
t send my mother off to someone else
’
s home so I can go away! That would be like sending a dog off to a kennel or boarding a horse at a stable. My mother is not a pet, and I will not treat her that way!
”

Charlie held his hands up as if warding her off.
“
I
’
m sorry
.
I didn
’
t mean to imply that
you
—
”

“
You
r
mother is
fortunate
to have three children
to look after
her
. My mother has no one except me, and I take that responsibility very seriously.
”

“
Of course you do. I just thought—
”

“
I can
’
t just drop everything and leave. My mother
needs
me, so I
need
to be here.
”

Charlie knew when to retreat. He felt behind him for the doorknob, wanting to make a quick getaway.
“
I understand. Hope Lily
’
s better soon.
”
He backed out the door and hopped on his bicycle. Maybe he
’
d spend
the afternoon painting at home.

Summer turned to
fall, and as
the leaves changed color, vacation
homes
in Wildwood
closed and tourists dwindled in number.
Businesses along the Boardwalk shut down for the winter, but the Sheffield Gallery remained open.
Clients continued to make their way from metropolitan areas all along the east coast to the gallery.

Charli
e painted
every day
.
He and Rose had
finally reached
an uneasy truce.
His contract with the gallery assured that a certain number of paintings would remain in Wildwood, and he kept that promise.

It felt good to be back in New York City. Charlie breathed in the smells and took in the sounds of the busy streets. It had been nearly six years since he
’
d been
t
here, and Central Park now looked like a huge flower garden, thanks to
M
ayor LaGuardia
’
s efforts. He strolled through the park, taking in all the improvements that had taken place since he
’
d left.

Rose would like it here
.
He
still
couldn
’
t
understand why
she
wouldn
’
t come with him. Surely there was someone else
to
watch over
Lily
.
A week or two away from the gallery
would give
Rose
a nice break
. Truthfully,
he
needed her
t
here.
Rose
was his Lady Luck. Good things happened when
she
was with him. From the time
she
touched that painting to the time
she
’
d kissed him at the gallery opening, only good luck had come his way. Before
leaving Wildwood
,
he
’
d convinced her to touch each and every painting
bound for New York
.
Hopefully
,
her good luck would work long
distance.

Maybe he should find some sort of souvenir. A gift, to thank
her
for helping him revive
his
career. Something to show
his
appreciation. What could he get?
She
wasn
’
t someone who demanded a lot. In fact,
she
’
d never asked for anything.

He stopped in his tracks as a voice inside his heart nudged him.

She
asked for understanding when
she
said
she
couldn
’
t come.

What kind of man was
he
, always taking from her and never giving back? The one time
she
’
d
asked for anything,
he
’
d
been unwilling to give it to her. Yes, it would have been grand to have her along.
She
’
d
been responsible for his recent success, but
she
had a life that didn
’
t include him.
He
scowled as
he
continued his walk across through the park. A pair of small children chased each other, cutting back and forth across the path in front of him, but
their playfulness failed to cheer him
. The idea that
he
’
d
taken advantage of Rose
bothered
him
, and
he
wanted desperately to change that. Another thought entered
his
mind
,
and
he
stopped again.

Would it be possible to persuade her to be a greater part of his life?

~~~~

Four hours later,
he stood in the lobby of Thurston-Perry Galleries, holding a glass of champagne and trying not to look bored. Around him, men in formal suits and women in furs greeted each other before entering to peruse the collection of art Regina and her business partner had gathered. His paintings were somewhere
inside,
and he supposed he ought to go and mingle. But he couldn
’
t gather the enthusiasm. Without his Lady Luck, how could anything go
right?

“
Why aren
’
t you mixing with the patrons, Charlie? You can
’
t possibly be nervous.
”
Regina P
erry materialized beside him, wrapping her silk scarf around her ample neck. Glittering stones hung from her ears, outshining a plain, though well
-
preserved face.

Charlie shrugged.
“
Not nervous, Regina. Just mustering up the inclination. I
’
m not going to be a good advocate of the gallery and my work if I
’
m not in the mood.
”

A perfectly painted eyebrow rose.
“
Problems back home? I would imagine the Sheffield Gallery is not happy about losing their biggest draw.
”

“
No, I promised I would keep several pieces there. But I
’
d hoped Miss Sheffield would come with me to New York for this opening.
”

“
You wanted her to see what a real gallery was like?
”

“
She
’
s familiar with New York galleries.
Her
family lived here until
her
father died. I just wanted
her
here
with me. It seems things go better for me when she
’
s around.
”

The woman
’
s expression softened.
“
Do I detect a romance?
”
she teased.

“
Perhaps. All I know is
,
I feel better when she
’
s around. I
’
m more motivated. My painting is better, and life in general is better.
”

Regina reached out and patted his cheek.
“
That, my young friend, is love. Miss Sheffield doesn
’
t bring the good things
to
you, she inspires and brings out the good
in
you.
When
you
’
re inspired,
you
do better work. When
your
work is better,
your
outlook is happier. And life in general is better, no matter what the circumstances really are.
”
She let her words sink for a moment. Then she straightened his tie and brushed off his jacket, much as his mother would.
“
I
’
d hoped to convince you to move back to New York. I have friends in high places who could do wonders for your career. But I have the feeling I
’
d be wasting my time. There
’
s a young lady back in New Jersey who has
your heart
, and you need to be where
your heart
is.
”

~~~~

Rose finished folding
a load of towels and
took
them to the linen closet. Charlie would be in New York by now, and if she had gone with him
,
she would be registered in the Waldorf-Astoria, not having to worry about laundry. Or any other domestic chore. She could have been, at least for the weekend, a member of the pampered, privileged society that she had once been a part of.

But there was no way she could have left her mother. Why couldn
’
t he have understood that? Her little fragile flower of a mother could not take care of herself. And since they couldn
’
t afford to pay someone to watch over her, she needed to be here to see to it that Lily ate and had clean clothes to wear. She
’
d been right about him all along
—
as an artist, he thought about himself first and others later.

There was the gallery, too. Attendance was much lower now that the vacationers had left the area, but they still got visitors from Cape May and Philadelphia. A gentleman from Washington had come in a week ago and placed an order for a dozen of Erin Grady
’
s rugs for his shop. Did Charlie expect the gallery to just run itself? She sniffed. Thankfully, he hadn
’
t taken everything and left the main gallery empty.

She checked in on Lily, who sat at her writing desk, corresponding with friends.

“
I
’
m going to go downstairs now, Mother. I
’
ll take your breakfast dishes with me. Can I get you some tea? A snack?
”

Lily swiveled in her chair and smiled as Rose picked up the breakfast tray.
“
Thank you, dear. Tea would be lovely, but please don
’
t hurry. I saw you gathering the laundry already this morning. You work too hard.
”

“
It
’
s nothing, Mother. I
’
ll put the kettle on while I do some dusting in the gallery.
”

“
All right, dear.
”
Lily returned to her writing.

Rose made her way downstairs and filled the kettle then picked up her cleaning rags. She
’
d dusted the ceramic pieces in the sitting room when a loud knock rattled the front door. Her heart skipped a beat, but then she remembered
—
Charlie was in New York. The gallery wasn
’
t scheduled to be open today. Perhaps it was one of the other artists bringing more of their work in. She hurried to open the door.

Erin and Mabel Grady stood on the step, each holding a basket.
“
Hello, Rose,
”
Erin said.
“
I
’
m surprised to see you here. I thought you
’
d be gone to New York with Charlie.
”

“
Er, no. Mother wasn
’
t up to the trip, and I just couldn
’
t leave her here alone.
”

“
Why not? Is she ill?
”

Rose shook her head
.

Erin
continued,
“
We brought a nice pot of chicken soup and fresh baked bread for her. And Mama here baked a chocolate cake. If you haven
’
t already started to fix lunch, we
’
ll bring this through to your kitchen so we can heat it up for her.
”

“
Oh, of course. How sweet of you!
”
She pulled the door open wide to allow the women to enter and then followed them to the kitchen. The aroma coming from the baskets made her drool.
“
Everything smells heavenly.
”
She took the now singing kettle off the burner and filled the teapot.

“
We can
’
t have Lily wasting away again.
”
Mabel sliced the bread as she spoke
.
“
Charlie told us how she fainted away when you first started putting a lot of time into setting up the gallery
,
and we wanted to make sure she had no excuse to go hungry.
”
The two women bustled about her kitchen, and soon
a tray was ready to take up
stairs
.

“
Shall we
wait until Lily
is
done eating
?
I
f you
like,
I can just pick up the pot later in the week when it
’
s my turn to come back
,
”
Erin said.

“
Your turn?
”

“
Yes, didn
’
t Doc tell you?
When my son Donald was in his office getting his finger sewn up
—
he
’
s so
accident prone
—
we started talking about the gallery and speculated that you
’
d be going to New York for Charlie
’
s showing. Doc wondered who would take care of Lily, since she doesn
’
t know how to cook or even warm things up. I said,
‘
W
ell seeing that Lily and Rose were responsible for me being able to take Donald to the doctor and not worry about feeding the family, it
’
s the least we can do to take care of Lily.
’
So a bunch of us got together and made a schedule. Lily won
’
t go hungry, not on our watch.
”

Rose didn
’
t know what to say. It was overwhelming to have such a support system, to know that a group of people cared
enough
to plan and execute such generosity. She
’
d never thought she
’
d be able to share her responsibilities.

“
I had no idea this was happening. You are such angels to take care of Mother like this. I didn
’
t go to New York because I had no idea she would have people like you looking out for her.
”

Erin shrugged.
“
It
’
s nothing. We look out for each other around here. You
’
re one of us. You took care of our family by opening this gallery and getting folks to come and notice us. And that helped everyone. It
’
s only right that we help you
,
too.
”

Tears pooled in Rose
’
s eyes.
“
Thank you so much.
”
She wiped her eyes with her apron.
“
I
’
ll take
this
up to
Mother
. Are you sure you want to leave all this food here? There
’
s so much more than she can eat.
”

“
I
’
ve got a better idea,
”
Erin countered.
“
Why don
’
t I take the tray up to her
while
you
start packing a suitcase? I think
you
’
ve got
a train to catch.
”