The Painting, Jeffrey Allen White [best memoirs of all time TXT] 📗

The Painting
by Jeffrey Allen White

As Camille, sat in the park with Francine, she thought about what had happened yesterday. She had been at the same park with her charge, Francine, daughter of Louis and Estelle Garielle, the couple she worked for as a nanny.

Camille remembered everything about yesterday and secretly wished that today would be a repeat. She had taken Francine to the park as she does three days every week. The child, aged seven, is cute, smart and very loving. Camille is devoted to her charge and has been for the last three years.

She was hired upon the recommendation of Mademoiselle Cordieu, from the Cordieu School for Girls, where Camille attended since the age of five. Her own parents, Rene’ and Claudia Gerard, had both died in an accident while out of the country on holiday and her inheritance gave her the opportunity to stay at school until she was seventeen. Now, gainfully employed, she loved her work and the challenges it brought and the opportunities it offered.

Camille taught the usual assortment of subjects to Francine; language, mathematics, science, religion and history. She also was teaching her to paint and do crewelwork, which were her own favorite past times other than reading which was her joy. Today was not the usual day to go to the park as she went on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, weather permitting most of the time. Francine so loves to come here and play with the other children and spend time in the fresh air. However, today was Thursday, not their regular day. She had returned to catch a glimpse of or to speak with him again. A man she had met only a day earlier all by accident.

This man came up to her and started to chat. Being polite but careful she maintained a civil conversation and stuck to current events like the weather and similar generalities. The man introduced himself as Jean Luc Devereux, a young painter from Paris who took a sabbatical from his school to come here to Trembulaire, to do research and paint. He had offered her the chance to sit for a painting. She was very surprised and even amused. She had told him, no, straight away. She could not commit to anything her employees would not approve of and she feared they would not want their daughter’s nanny to be involved with an unmarried gentleman, during working hours. She needed to be spending time with Francine. She could read, of course, and often did with a diligent eye watching for the child and her needs. There were always a chance of her falling and hurting herself and she could not bring home a damaged child no matter how small the injury.

She loved working and living as the Garielle estate where she has access to most public rooms, especially the library which, she enjoyed almost everyday. She was able to read many of the most important books of the times. Where could she get such a privilege as this? She was off on Sundays, could read all day after church, and often ran home to get back to an exciting story. She even loved the American writers, which had now become part of the French system, although not tolerated in all households. The Garielle’s took in work of the young and upcoming writers of the day, whether it was in France, England or in America.

Camille wanted to talk to this man again about his offer. When she returned home yesterday, the offer presented to her gave way to her dreams. Fascinated by the offer and the chance to chat with someone from Paris, she thought about it all night. He had lived a most exciting life, who had seen everything and done everything. Her heart would race when she thought of how Monsieur Devereux lived his life among the people of Paris. She longed to go there. Perhaps this would be the closet she would ever get to there.

The hours passed and Francine was becoming tired. She expressed her desire to return home so she may play with her dolls, which she often did daily. Having two or three favorites that were her little ‘family’ gave Francine hours of enjoyment. The frequent tea parties were the way they spend many afternoons. Camille had become good friends with Leticia, Sophie and Emily, the three most beloved of Francine’s dolls. Francine so loved them that when sweet little Emily broke her arm, Camille stayed up half the night sewing it back on in the dim glow of a candle lamp. She had pricked her fingers to where they bled but she managed just before dawn to present Emily back to her foster mother and her doll sisters.

Camille thought she had seen Jean Luc Devereux, over near the boathouse but it turned out to be a young man with his sweetheart as they prepared to take a ride in a rowboat across the small lake. Maybe Jean Luc would paint her in front of the lake or maybe it would be near the merry-go-round where most people enjoyed or even at the lovely fountain in the middle of the park. Camille became excited just thinking of the many places she could sit at while Jean Luc painted.

She supposed the hours were getting late and they had some mathematics to undertake when they returned. Not an especially pleasing subject for Francine but as vitally important as the others. She looked around seeing all the people as they passed by on their outings or meetings or just crossing through to get from one side of the park to the other. Jean Luc seemed absent and her heart fell like a brick falling from a ledge. She had made up her mind last night to accept Jean Luc’s offer. She would have to convince her employees that it would not take away from her duties and that Francine could learn perspective from a real artist. She, herself painted but it was merely bowls of fruit and scenic studies. She would paint on Sundays also when she tired from reading. Camille would work on a particular piece for weeks and even months struggling to get the light just right or to add enough shadows or depth. She was a perfectionist although she knew she had a long way to go to come close to Jean Luc’s level.

She checked her watch that hung from a chain on her dress. It had been a gift from the Madame, two Christmases ago, which she cherished. It was the first real piece of any kind of jewelry she ever received other than what she inherited from her mother which, was made up of mostly rings ad a few broaches. The watch symbolized their highest regards for Camille. She thought again about the painting with Jean Luc and thought that she would do a disservice to the couple by sharing her time with Francine with an almost complete stranger. They had not even met by a mutual friend. This was not done this way. Proper meetings took time and planning. Having a man come up to her in a park whether she were there with her charge or alone to sit and watch the nature around her, would be almost a reason for termination of employment. Had Monsieur and Mademoiselle Garielle ever thought or learned that she were involved with such a man, they would surely remove her from the position of Francine’s nanny. Camille could never let that happen.

She was lucky to have her position and education. She was luckier than most as she also had an inheritance that took her through school, a good school and gave her the education that many would never have. She also received a small allotment each month for personal use to buy her own necessities. She managed to save at least half of every month, building a savings for the future. She would have some money to take a short holiday, purchase a book, or buy new clothing when needed. Her employee provided so much already that she felt very lucky to be in her position at this time and place.

Francine was a sweet child and she often dreamed of having a child of her own but she was obliged to work there until Francine turned seventeen and then she could go off into the world to do her bidding or to take another charge if she desired. She had wanted to take a few years off to see and travel. Perhaps she would meet a young man and they would become engaged, therefore giving her the freedom to stay home and be a wife and hopefully a mother to her own children. But this was all speculation as she had many years before that would come about. She was a mere twenty years of age. In the meanwhile, she had Francine to take care of. The library had thousands of books to read and she would never run out of them. She enjoyed meeting with other nanny’s and often would go to Saturday Night socials with them as a supervised group to offer protection against single men.

The day started to drift into late afternoon. They would have no time for mathematics today, she thought. Preparing to go, she collected her book and parasol and called for Francine. The child had run off and became engulfed in the crowd. She looked around fearing she had lost the child but from behind the lemon ice stand she was relieved to see Francine talking animatedly to a gentleman. Walking closer she realized it was none other than Jean Luc Devereux, the man she intended to say, yes, to for sitting for him to do a painting.

“Good afternoon, Mademoiselle.” He was smiling as he stood up from his knelt position of chatting with Francine.

“I see that you two have become great friend.” Camille saw how friendly she was to Jean Luc and that he looked upon her as a ‘friend’. I was not sure you would come here today.” Camille was quite bold in her statement, especially for a women of her young age and after only meeting once before.

“I was on my way over to look for you. I have something I would like to give to you.”

Camille had hesitation about his offer of a present. How would she ever explain that to Francine’s parents? A gift from an almost total stranger, in a park was very odd at the very least and suggested a relationship which was frowned upon. She was both happy and sad, as she would have to decline it. But the offer made her feel special all the same.

Jean Luc held a large square object covered in cloth. It was two feet square and as she looked at it, she thought it might be a painting? How would she ever be able to bring a painting into the house? What would the other staff say? She could never hide it. And to hide it would