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Persephone nods, mesmerized. She never lets go of my arm as we walk, a fact that I have to admit I like. Being her guiding light and her protector, all in one. That’s something that she not only brings out in me, but also a role she allows me to fill for her.
Julia coaxes us onward, through several Renoir and Degas-filled rooms. Lots of ballerinas and water lilies. Honestly, it’s not to my taste, but it’s clear enough that Penny is soaking up every moment.
She even asks Julia several questions about the artists’ painting process, impressing even Julia.
“No, I am not sure whether Renoir used crushed beetles to make his paint red. I will ask for you before you leave, though.” The look on Julia’s face is one of slight surprise. I doubt if she gets very many true artists here.
In total, we spend almost two hours browsing through the museum's many rooms. Penny even revisits a few of the galleries, gazing at some of her more favorite works.
“It’s incredible,” she mutters. “I mean, you can see the brushstrokes so clearly this close up.” She waves a hand across the artwork she is talking about, from one side to the other. “You can tell so much more about the light and the movement seeing them in person. This is… It’s honestly crazy that I have never been here.”
I put my arm around her, feeling like I’ve won a prize. My heart squeezes.
She looks up at me with wide, innocent eyes. “Thank you, Hades. Thank you for knowing just where to bring me. This is so inspiring.”
“Of course,” I say, as if it was nothing.
As if I didn’t have to threaten to expose Rene’s gambling habit to his family in order to get this little tour. My lips curve upward at the corners. “We only have the museum to ourselves for another half an hour. I was thinking that we would go to the little café that they have upstairs and sit outside on the terrace. How Parisian is that?”
Her eyes fill with tears. I frown, thinking that I’ve done something wrong.
“What is it?”
“It’s just… wonderful. That’s all. It all just seems so…”
She lets go of my hand and does a whirl, letting her skirt fly out wide. She makes a couple of turns around the wooden floor, grinning and looking happier than I can ever remember.
I admit, I feel good, knowing that I have shown her something new and wonderful to her. Will it always be this easy with Persephone?
“So? Ye approve?” I ask.
She laughs forever. “Of course I do. Thank you again for bringing me here. I can’t get enough. I would probably never leave if the staff didn’t make me.”
Offering her my arm, I wink. “Come on. Let’s go feed the baby. Besides, you haven’t lived until ye’ve seen the café patio here…”
She takes my arm, and we leave the echoing gallery, talking a little too loudly about Penny’s favorite things she’s seen today.
Chapter21
Persephone
Making a face, I pull back from the painting and study it. It’s a simple still life, just oranges and apples on a silver tray. It’s supposedly one of Manet’s lesser known works. Pressing my lips, I tilt my head.
I’m done, or nearly done anyway. The work I’ve chosen is not a knock off exactly so much as it is a work that never truly existed. It’s one of a series of a still life that he did, but he never did quite so many copies.
Backing up a few feet, I move side to side, making sure that my work is impeccable and above questioning. I have to say, I love working in this particular style and although the entire job stressed me out as much as possible, I’m pretty pleased with the results.
Putting my brushes down, I slip off my work apron and hang it on the back of a chair. The stack of forged documents is on the table beside me, the ink dried and ready to be utilized.
Stepping away from the workspace, I am finally able to breathe easily. Everything that I set out to accomplish has been done. We won’t need to hide out here much longer. I moved towards the door to the studio.
From the light, I would guess it is early afternoon. Hades and I have a doctor’s appointment today that I absolutely can’t miss. I hurry through a quick wash of my face and hands.
When I come out of the bedroom, I hear Hades' raised voice, speaking somewhere far off. I raise a brow and tiptoe toward his voice.
Sucking in a breath, I listen outside the apartment door. I know that I shouldn’t be listening in on anything that Hades doesn’t want me to hear. But I can’t help it. He has been so tense and jumpy today that I’m practically going crazy.
"They blew up a car not far from here," he whispers into his phone. "I don’t believe that bullshit the news is circulating about Islamic terrorists. A car bombing within two blocks of my location is a coincidence, and I don’t believe in coincidences."
