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The fact of the matter is, if Eset accepts my marriage proposal, it will be me and her against the world. My father’s aspirations won’t matter. My father’s cause won’t matter. The only thing that will matter is what Eset wants or what I want.
I glance over after hearing a loud bit of laughter and see an older couple sitting on the edge of one of the fountains. They’re both smiling and seem to be joking with each other. The man wraps an arm around his wife, and she presses a kiss on his cheek. They have to be in their mid-sixties, with all white hair except for a couple gray strands that peek out. I want a love like that, something that lasts for years to come.
I look down at my watch and realize Eset is supposed to meet me at the museum in five minutes, so I leave Trafalgar Square and head over to the other side of it, where the National Gallery is. It’s only a couple of minutes until I’m at the National Gallery, and man, it’s busy. I guess it’s to be expected since we’re in one of the top tourist destinations in the world.
As I’m standing in front of the museum, I spot a woman with the deepest brown hair in a light pink dress with high heels. There’s a purse hanging over her right shoulder, and I narrow my brows, thinking it very well might be my date. Sure enough, she turns her head—likely looking for me, too—and I realize it is Eset.
As I walk toward her, I take in her entire ensemble. It has a deep V-neck plunge that shows off the little bit of cleavage that she has, and the V stops a couple of inches above her belly button. She has a gold bracelet hanging off her right wrist and a gold ring with an emerald stone on her left hand. She continues accessorizing the look with a dainty gold chain around her neck and gold studs in her ears. Her purse is a mixture of white and gold, while her high heels are black.
The dress has a high slit which is very sexy, and the fabric has been ruched together in the center, accentuating her dainty waist. Eset is a frail woman with not a lot of meat on her bones. Typically, I go for women with curves, and while Eset isn’t the usual woman I’d go for, she’s much different in other ways.
“You look…”
Eset cocks a brow, waiting for me to say something.
“Breathtaking.” It’s the best word I can come up with right now, and damn, is it accurate.
“Thank you. I tried to look presentable for our outing, especially since there’s bound to be someone here watching us.”
I smile at Eset’s words. She’s the kind of woman who never holds her tongue, and I think that’s one of the most attractive things about her. In the beginning, I thought this might not work out with me having an arranged marriage to her. I thought I might not be attracted to her or that I might not be interested in her in the slightest. There were numerous things that could go wrong, honestly, and I wasn’t blind to that fact. Though, it sure looks like we’re doing pretty damn good if you ask me. Our conversation isn’t forced, and we both find the other attractive. She might not know that I realized how she was staring at me the first day we met at the pub, but I did. She was pleased with how I looked, and it was written all over her face.
“Then we should go inside. We should be able to have a little bit of privacy. I think you’re going to enjoy what I have planned.” In fact, I know she’s going to enjoy it. After looking at her portfolio online, I know what types of artwork she enjoys, and if she doesn’t like this exhibition, I will be shocked.
“You said you got tickets for a certain exhibition, and I’m quite curious to know what it is.” Eset narrows her eyes on me as I take a couple of steps closer to her, taking this opportunity to wrap my arm around her waist.
“Discover Manet & Eva Gonzalès,” I answer her, and Eset’s lips form into a smile. “The National Gallery is advertising the exhibition as the first in a series of shows that look at a single painting from unexpected perspectives. They say with the new technological advancements that we can all get a fresh take on what Manet was trying to achieve with Eva since she was his only pupil.”
“Do you know their story?”
“I can’t say I do.” I press on Eset’s back, and we both begin walking toward the entrance to the museum. We head up the stairwell and walk in through the doors, and as we make our way into the museum, Eset gives me some history on Eva and Manet.
“Most of the time, people assume Eva and Manet were romantically involved, but that wasn’t the case. Manet saw Eva’s extreme dedication to painting and believed she could be an integral part of the art industry as a whole. He was right because she ended up becoming one of the four most prominent Impressionist female artists of the nineteenth century, alongside Mary Cassatt, Berthe Morisot, and Marie Bracquemond.”
“Why did people assume they were romantically involved?” I question as we approach a woman collecting tickets for the exhibit.
“Who doesn’t love to believe love is in all aspects of one’s life? Imagine the story it would’ve made if Eva and Manet were actually lovers. They weren’t, though it’s what people wanted to assume. Manet simply believed in Eva from the get-go, so she turned from his model to his pupil. Eva eventually went on to marry a man named Henri Guérard, who was also in the art industry. Henri was Manet’s engraver, and Henri was also a very successful painter, lithographer, and printmaker.” Eset continues going on, and we make our way into the exhibition. I can hear the passion in her voice through every passing word as she continues to give me information about Eva and Manet’s story.
“I imagine she made quite the impression through the years.”
“She did, but it didn’t last too long. She passed away at thirty-four after giving birth to her only son with Henri. Such a sad way to go. A child should be the reason for being so excited about what’s to come, but unfortunately for her, she never got the chance to see what her child would grow up into.”
“Do you know what he did?”
Eset shakes her head. “Sadly, no.”
I find myself enjoying learning more about this woman. “You’ve always enjoyed art, I take it?” I know she enjoys it, but I don’t know if she’s one of those people who finds something they love from when they’re a toddler or if this is something she began enjoying as a teenager. I want to learn more about her. If all goes well, this woman is going to be my wife.
“Ever since I was a little girl. I found it relaxing, this calming thing in the world around me. I remember times as a child when I would be staring off toward my father’s main living area, staring right at the paintings. I’d always wondered what was going through the artist’s mind.”
I can totally see Eset being like that. As much as I want to keep learning more about her, we do have very important matters to discuss.
“I think it’s a gift when we can find things we enjoy as a child. I don’t mean to change the subject so abruptly, but since we can speak privately, I think we should discuss some important matters.”
“Ah, so you’re itching to get some sort of feedback or response from me.” Eset giggles lightly, and I tighten my grip around her waist, pulling her closer to me.
“If you choose to look at it that way, then yes. I only wish to reiterate that my father’s ambitions aren’t my own. I know where your family’s loyalty lies, and I know what my father believes will happen with the two of us getting married.”
Eset turns her head and looks right at me. “He believes our union will calm waters in his impending war, doesn’t he?” See, this is what I mean. She has a good head on her shoulders.
