Violet (Suitors of Seattle Book 7) (2 page)

Violet exchanged looks with her mother before following the man, feeling as if she were a schoolgirl about to be chastised for bad behavior.  She stepped into the office with him and closed the door behind her, assuming that was what he wanted.  "I'm sorry if that painting upset you, Mr. Smith."  She had no idea why it would have, but she didn't want him to be angry with her.  She needed to have a good working relationship with this man.

"Upset me?  You took my grief over my sister's death and exploited it so you could make money off of it.  I'm more than upset, I'm absolutely livid!"

Violet stared at the man in front of her.  He had dark hair and eyes that were still very sad.  "Your sister?"  She didn't even know his sister.

"Yes, my sister.  She was murdered a few months back, and I'm now raising my nephew on my own.  Do you have any idea what it's like to raise a small child by yourself, Miss Sullivan?"

Violet shook her head.  "No, sir, I don't.  I know very little other than painting.  I saw you and your nephew, and I just had to paint you.  You had to see how everyone reacted to the painting.  It's my best work," she told him proudly.  He'd make money off of it as well, since he was the owner of the gallery.  How could he fault her for that?

"My grief is your best work.  I'm so happy for you.  We'll finish out this show, but I promise you I will do everything I can to make certain you never have another show from me or any other gallery owner.  I cannot believe you displayed my grief for the entire world to see.  That was a private moment between my nephew and me!"

Violet sighed.  "Did you ever consider that private moments should be kept private?  You were in a public park where anyone could see you.  I did nothing you hadn't already done."  She couldn't believe the nerve of this man.  He'd accused her of doing something he had already done on his own.  "Good night, Mr. Smith."

She left the room, slamming the door behind her.  She knew it was petty and childish to do so, but he had just told her that her first big break into the art world would not be a success because he no longer wanted to work with her.  If she were in a city like New York it would be different, but in Seattle, there was only one art gallery she could work with, and she'd just been told she'd never work with them again.

When she walked into the main room, she could still hear the buzz of excitement over the new painting.  Whatever Mr. Smith said, she'd done a good job with this one, and she wasn't going to be ashamed.  She would enjoy her night, and she would sell paintings.  She was an artist, and she was proud of her work.

Mary looked at Violet with worry in her eyes.  "What did he say to you?" she whispered.

"He's angry that I painted a private moment he had with his nephew without his permission.  If the moment was so private, why was he having it in a public park?"  Violet sighed and turned as someone came up to her to get her attention again.

All through the evening, Violet watched her "babies" leave in the hands of their new owners.  There were only a few paintings left at the end of the night, one of them being "Lost Souls."  She was surprised that one didn't sell, but pleased she wouldn't have to give it up. 

Once everyone else was gone Mr. Allen approached her.  "Miss Sullivan, you were a success beyond our wildest imaginings.  I still cannot believe you sold so many paintings in just one evening.  I would love to see what you could do with a showing in a gallery in New York City."

Violet shook her head sadly.  "I'm afraid Mr. Smith said he'd never work with me again.  He wasn't pleased with the painting of him with his nephew."  She still couldn't believe the man had been so angry with her.  She'd done nothing wrong.  Why couldn't he see that?

Mr. Allen frowned.  "I'm not terribly surprised.  I'll talk to him.  I don't think he understood the sheer magnitude of money you made us this evening."

Violet smiled.  Money wasn't terribly important to her, because her family had been wealthy for as long as she could remember.  She did like the idea of earning her own money, though.  It made her feel as if she'd accomplished something.  "I hate the idea of never again working with the only gallery in town.  Please talk to him.  If I'd know the man I painted was the owner of the gallery, I'd never have brought the painting."  She didn't add that she never would have painted it, because she knew that nothing could have kept her from painting Mr. Smith and his nephew.  Once she'd seen them, she had to paint them.  It was as simple as that.

*****

Violet was still practically floating as she walked down to breakfast the following morning.  She couldn't believe what a wonderfully successful evening she'd had. 

"Good morning, Mama."  She looked around.  "Where are the others?  Did Iris already go back to school?"

"Iris was up before I was this morning, and yes, she's back at school.  She said something about having to spend as much time as she could this weekend studying for a big examination."  Mary watched her daughter closely as she fixed her plate from the sideboard and sank into the chair opposite her.  "I'm glad we have some time alone."

Violet always hated hearing her mother say those words.  They either meant she'd done something to displease her mother or Mary wanted her to go shopping with her.  She hated shopping unless it was for new art supplies.  Her mother always wanted to dress shop, though.  She kept silent and started on her eggs, hoping her mother wouldn't elaborate on what she needed her for.

"You're not going to get me to keep quiet by not saying anything, Violet."  Mary glared at her daughter.  "Painting that man and his nephew was an invasion of privacy."

Violet looked at her mother with surprise.  "But they were in public.  How did they expect things to be private?  That makes no sense to me."

"So if you were in public, say at the funeral of someone you love, would it be all right for someone to sketch you while you were mourning?  Or to take a photograph of you?"

Violet thought about that for a moment.  "Of course not, but I wasn't at a funeral.  I was in a park."  Surely her mother could see the difference.

"Maybe you need to start thinking about the people you paint before you begin a project.  For instance, think about what must have been going through that man's mind as he looked down at the boy.  He may have just lost his wife.  Whatever happened, he was eaten up with grief, and you captured it for the entire world to see."  Mary shook her head.  "I just don't think that was very sensitive of you."

"I didn't mean to hurt anyone.  They drew me, the man and boy who were so sad.  I had to paint them.  I guess I could have kept the painting to myself and not shown it, but what good would that have done?"  Art was for the entire world to see.  Not just her.  She couldn't not share her gifts.

"It would have done a lot of good for them.  You don't understand the anguish of losing someone you love."  Mary sighed.  "I don't know if you know this, but I had a miscarriage when Iris was about a year old.  I was devastated.  I cried on and off for months, and even now, I still mourn on the anniversary of the baby's death."

Violet looked at her mother in surprise.  "I had no idea.  The baby wasn't even someone you knew."

"I know.  Think of how much harder it would be to lose someone you know and love.  I loved that baby, because I love you girls and knew she would be another beautiful child.  If I were to lose one of you or anyone else I love, I would be devastated.  I cannot imagine losing your uncle Max."

"And I memorialized his grief in a painting and then showed it to all of Seattle.  No wonder he's angry with me."  Violet looked at her half-eaten breakfast and sighed.  "I need to go to his house and apologize, don't I?"

Mary shook her head.  "As an unmarried lady you shouldn't go to his house.  You know that.  You may send him a note and invite him here so you can talk to him if you'd like."

Violet frowned.  "He's not exactly husband material, Mama.  He's a very angry man with a small child to raise.  It shouldn't matter if I go to his house on my own."  Her mother's ideas of propriety made her crazy at times.  What did her reputation matter if she was just going to have a career anyway?

"You know better than that, Violet.  Or you would if you'd come down out of your room for more than twenty minutes per day.  Your reputation will be in tatters if you're seen alone with him.  Send him a note inviting him here so you can talk to him privately.  I'll allow you to shut the door instead of leaving it open, so your conversation can be private."

Violet nodded obediently.  "Yes, Mama.  I'll send it over with one of the maids right after breakfast."

"I'm glad you see it my way."

"Of course I do.  I don't want to, but I do."  Violet ate the rest of her breakfast in silence, rehearsing what she'd say to Mr. Smith in her head the whole while.

Chapter Two

Violet was heading to her father's office to write the note to Mr. Smith when she heard a knock on the door.  She went to it and flung it wide, not really caring who was there.  Her mother had spent years telling them to let the servants get the door, but she had never listened.  Her mother wanted to live a life of formality that would have been good back East, but just didn't make a lot of sense in Seattle.  Sometimes she found perverse pleasure in doing exactly what her mother said not to do.

She stopped short when she saw who was on the other side.  "Oh, Mr. Smith, I was just going to pen you a note.  Please, come in."  She held the door wide and once he was inside led him to her father's office, closing the door behind them.  Walking around the desk, she sat in her father's chair and left him to take the seat across from the desk.  "Please, have a seat."  Violet hated being wrong, but more than that, she hated hurting others.  She could recognize that she'd done both, and she would rectify the way she'd treated Mr. Smith immediately.

Jonas took the seat she indicated.  "You were about to send me a note?" he asked, seemingly surprised.  His eyes were narrowed as if he expected her to say or do something stupid.

Violet nodded.  "Yes.  I want to apologize for my behavior, you see.  I've never lost someone I love.  I was insensitive to you and your nephew, and I never should have displayed that painting for all of Seattle to see.  Will you forgive me?"  She could never go so far as to say that she shouldn't have painted it, because she knew deep down in her soul there was nothing else she could have done.

Jonas blinked a couple of times in surprise.  The last thing he'd expected was an apology.  "I didn't come to get an apology from you. I wanted to talk about working with you further. Your show did so well it wouldn't make sense for me not to continue working with you. I know I was rude to you last night, but as long as you understand that that sort of thing will never happen again, we can work together."  He closed his eyes for a moment, wanting her to tell him 'no.'  He didn't have any desire to ever see the woman again, let alone have a working relationship with her. 

Violet sighed. "I'd be shooting myself in the foot if I wasn't willing to work with you. I do wish you would accept my apology.  I never meant to hurt you or anyone else with that painting. I should have been more sensitive."  She'd never had anyone not accept a pretty apology immediately.  Why wouldn't he?

"If you are willing to work with me, I'd like to talk about a showing at my gallery in New York City."

"New York City? I've always wanted to have a showing there. It's been my dream since I was a little girl." Violet was surprised by how very excited she was at the prospect of working with this man. The previous night she'd thought him old and crotchety. Now, she found him handsome and extremely attractive. Of course now he wasn't angry with her.  At least she hoped he wasn't.

Jonas nodded. "I can get everything set up from here, but for the actual event, we will need to take a train to New York. Will your mother allow you to travel without her?"  He'd known very few young ladies who were allowed to travel without at least a traveling companion.  He sincerely hoped he wouldn't have to put up with an overbearing mother on the thirteen day trip as well as a spoiled artist.

Violet thought about his question for a moment. She couldn't help but smile as she thought about how her mother had taken a train along with her sister Daisy when she left to go to Montana to be a mail order bride. "I'm honestly not sure. I hope so. She may insist upon going with us."

Jonas raised an eyebrow. "Will she make it difficult for me if she does have to go with us?"

"There's no telling with Mama."  Violet smiled at him. "When my sister Daisy was my age, my mother went with her to be a mail order bride in Montana."  She tried not to laugh at the look of surprise on his face.  What kind of mail order bride took her mother along for the ride?

Jonas sighed. "I was afraid it would be like that. Would she be all right if I hired a companion to travel with us? I'd like to take my nephew as well along with his nurse of course."

Violet thought about that for a moment. "I think if she had some say in who you hired, Mama would be all right with that." She hoped that her mama would have very little say in whomever was hired though.  "I would be happy to sit in on any interview."

"Then by all means I will run whoever I hire through your mama." He stood up and walked toward the door seeming to ignore her offer to help him interview companions. She could hear him mumbling under his breath about artists who were too young to make their own decisions.

Once he'd gone through the door behind him, Violet stood up and did a little dance. Never in her life had she imagined that she really would be going to New York City and having a showing when she was only twenty years old. Did life get better than this?

*****

Violet wasn't at all surprised by her mother's reaction to her news. "You cannot go across the country on a train with an unmarried man. You cannot go across the country on a train with a married man. Unless you happen to be married to him it's not happening." 

Mary's face was set, and Violet knew better than to argue with her, but that had never stopped her before.  "Mama, it's just a business arrangement. He doesn't even like me."  Even as Violet said the words, she wished they weren't true.  What was it about the brooding man that intrigued her so?

"You are a beautiful girl, Violet. I don't think you have any idea what runs through a man's mind when he sees a girl like you. If you really want to go, I'll go with you." Mary's tone of voice made it very clear she was not going to accept any arguments.

"What if he hires a professional companion? Someone who will travel with us along with his nephew?"  She said a silent prayer her mother would agree with the plan.

"I would need to meet her first. If you feel that strongly about going, and I like the companion, I would consider it."

Violet shook her head. "You do realize I'm twenty years old right, Mama? I don't need you to hold my hand and walk me to school any longer."  How long would it take for her mother to realize that all eight of her daughters were now grown?

"I do realize that. What I don't think you realize, is that big girls have more to worry about from men."

"I'll tell him my mama says I have to have a nanny then." Even though it was the answer she'd expected, Violet found herself very annoyed by her mother's reaction. Secretly she wondered if she just wanted to have time alone with Jonas Smith. She's never been attracted to a man before, and he definitely made her heart beat faster.

*****

Violet tried talking to her father when he got home from work that afternoon. "Papa, I just don't think mama understands that this is good for my career."  She tried to keep her voice calm and professional even though she felt like whining about the situation.

Fred had listened to her rant and rave for over ten minutes.  "I happen to agree with your mother on this one. I know you were hoping that I would take your side, but I just can't do it. I love you, Violet, and I could never let you go off across the country with a man I don't know. Even if I didn't know him and you were married to him, I couldn't let you do it. I love you too much to put you in that kind of position."

"I thought you understood that I was a woman, Papa. You let Daisy be a mail order bride."  It was her ace in the hole, and she prayed her father didn't have an answer to it.

"But I certainly didn't stop your mother from going with her. Jasmine and your mother both accompanied Daisy when she went to Montana. If you had a younger sister who wasn't in school, I would send her with you and be just fine with it. The problem is, you're the youngest still at home. I have no one I can send with you to keep you safe."

"As if Jasmine ever kept anyone safe! I really expected more from you, Papa." Violet stood up and left the room going straight up the stairs to her bedroom. Her sisters would be arriving any moment with their families so they could all have a family portrait taken. She never felt less like having her portrait taken in her life.  She'd do it though.  She wouldn't let her mother accuse her of sulking and say that she'd proved her point.

The family had a huge dinner together after the photographer left. Even with as large as the Sullivan dining room was, there wasn't room for all of her brothers-in-law and nieces and nephews. Thankfully it was a pretty September day, and they were able to set up tables on the back lawn.

While they ate Violet talked to Iris about how annoyed she was with her parents. "They let you go off to college and live in the dorm. Everything you want you're doing. But they still treat me like a baby!"  Since Iris was younger than Violet, she found the situation very unfair.

"Oh, Violet! You were too busy painting to be there the day that I moved onto campus. Mama was right beside me inspecting absolutely everything. Each girl we ran into in that dorm was asked the same three questions. 'What's the worst thing you've ever done? Why are you in school? Do you think you'll be a good influence on my daughter?' It was humiliating! Some of the girls still tease me about it, and we've all known each other for two years." True to form Iris's arms were waving, and her fork was pointing in every direction as she spoke.

Violet giggled. "I wish I could say I can't believe she did that, but I can see it happening. She's always been a little bit more overprotective than most of the mothers we know."  They'd all rebelled against it in their own way.

"For while, I was worried that she'd show up on campus every morning and walk me to class. At least she didn't do that."

"Do you still enjoy the life of a college student?"

"Not particularly. It's the only way I'll ever get to be a doctor, and I'll do just about anything to do that." Iris grinned. "Did I tell you that I got to help a local midwife with the birth of the baby? It was so exciting."

"You know if you want to be a midwife, we have enough sisters to keep you in business forever." Violet smiled mischievously.  She knew Iris had no desire to limit her practice to helping women give birth.  She wanted to practice all forms of medicine, and she was determined to make it happen.

Iris made a face. "Do you have any idea how many professors have suggested that I just be a midwife? It makes me absolutely crazy! Why can't anyone see a woman doing more than women's medicine? I don't want to spread spend the rest of my life helping women birth babies. I want to do something real!"

Violet frowned realizing she'd gone too far. "I didn't mean to offend you, Iris.  I think you're going to be the best doctor who ever lived. I know I'll be the first in line to get treatment from you. I promise, I will come to you if I'm having a baby."

Iris gave a half laugh. "I do want to deliver babies! I just don't want that to be all I do."

Daisy walked over and squeezed between Iris and Violet. "Mama tells me Mr. Smith wants to do a showing for you in New York City! That's so exciting! Are you going to do it?"  Daisy was the quietest and the sweetest of the eight sisters.  Violet had always wished she could be a bit more like Daisy.

"I want to, but Mama either wants to come with me or she wants me to have a traveling companion. I feel like she's forcing me to have a nanny. Do you ever think she's going to realize that all of her little girls are grown up now?" Violet knew that Daisy of all of her sisters would understand her feelings.

Daisy rolled her eyes. "I do understand where Mama is coming from, but I also think she goes overboard. When I met Eli in Montana he immediately grabbed me and started kissing me. You should have seen Mama's face! I thought she was going to call the sheriff on him right there and then."

Violet giggled. "Jasmine told us all when she got back. We all had a good laugh at your expense." She glanced over at Eli. "He lived through the experience."

"Yes, he did. He wouldn't let Mama stay in our house that first time, even though there was plenty of room.  I don't think she would have laughed if she hadn't been able to see me again after the wedding night. She was more than a little silly about that wedding."

"And look how that turned out! You and Eli seem so happy together. Jasmine even married someone from out there. How are she and Lee doing?"

Daisy smiled. "They're doing really well after that rocky start they had. The boys just absolutely adore Jasmine. Someone has to, right?"  She winked at Violet.  Jasmine had been a pain in the past, but she'd become a wonderful wife and mother.  They were all proud of her.

Violet giggled. They all made making fun of Jasmine their favorite pastime. She had been a terrible practical joker and her favorite victims were sisters. They all loved her now and they even liked her, but they didn't forget what she'd been like before. "I'm so glad she ended up with twins just like her. Do they still play jokes on her at all?"

"Never!" Daisy shook her head. "They're both afraid of what she would do back to them if they tried."  Jasmine had been 'pranked' by the boys just once, but it was enough for them to learn.  Before they'd gone to bed that night, they'd realized who the mistress of practical jokes truly was, and they'd never messed with her again.

"So you think I should just get a traveling companion when I go to New York?"