A Closed Heart by Oster, Camille (acx book reading txt) 📕

put down somewhere, or a scent, but they were becoming more rare now. It was as if the traces of him were fading from their lives. “If only we have a portrait,” Julius said with a pointed look.

“That must be her,” Octavia said and rose, stretching her back as she stood. “You have invited her for supper, haven’t you?”

“Eliza?”

“No, that girl, Jane Brightly.”

It hadn’t even occurred to him since they never ate together—at her insistence. “I will have Mr. Fuller remind her.”

Octavia moved to the door to meet Eliza, who was arriving in her carriage. More children spilled into the house as his sister-in-law walked in. “Oh, it’s lovely to finally arrive. How are you, Julius? You look well.” She came and kissed him on the cheek.

“We waited to have some tea until you arrived,” Octavia said. “Julius has just admitted he’s been a perfect ogre to this woman.”

“Jane?” Eliza said, looked around expectantly.

“I believe she’s working, which she seems to do every waking moment.”

“She is dedicated,” Eliza said as if that perfectly reasonable. “How is the portrait going? It’s a tedious process. Hard for the children, but I don’t regret it one bit. The paintings are perfection. Honestly, we’ve had her do illustrations for us for years, but they don’t fully show how truly gifted she is. Can you imagine being that gifted?”

Julius didn’t quite know how to reply, because he had no means of imagining it, or thinking it was something quite so admirable. Obviously, he was impressed by talent, but he hadn’t really thought of it as a virtue.

“They are wonderful paintings. Although I doubt she could succeed in making Julius look so angelic.”

“It’s so lovely you could both come,” Julius said wryly. Why were they here? It had to do with Jane, because they wouldn’t just randomly descend like this otherwise. Or simply it was just a reason for coming, the yearning for an outing after a long winter.

Grudgingly, he supposed it was quite nice to have company. It had been a long winter. As Octavia said, Atticus would appreciate the company of his cousins, and perhaps he would also appreciate a distraction from how tense and distant his relationship was with Jane Brightly.

It wasn’t something he’d intended. It was as if they’d gotten off on the wrong foot somehow. Not that one should perhaps have a meaningful relationship with one’s painter, but their relationship felt awkward—as if they had no common ground even as they spent so much time together. Truthfully, he spent more time with her than he had any other person—and that had included his wife.

Or maybe close relationships simply grew awkward with him. It was never something he’d been terribly successful at—other than with his siblings and father. No one else had really featured in any meaningful way. Except now there was Atticus, and it was true that it wasn’t a close relationship. Granted the boy’s youth made it difficult, but it was the one person he wished to have a closer relationship with. It just seemed that he missed the knack for it that other people had—and maybe the inclination in general.

Chapter 14

JANE HEARD VOICES, WHICH was usual in this quiet house. Mr. Fuller had just explained that Julius’ sister and Eliza had both come to visit. No indication that this was going to happen had been given to her, so this was a complete surprise. A supper invitation had been extended to her, which she appreciated. It was getting a little isolating being just her and Julius here, and Atticus, who she didn’t actually see that much.

“Jane,” Eliza said when she walked into the salon. “So lovely to see you. How have you been?”

“Never better,” Jane said and allowed herself to be kissed on the cheek.

“You look wonderful. I think the country air agrees with you.”

A sentiment Jane wasn’t entirely sure she agreed with. Granted, the country air was lovely and fresh, but the sedate country lifestyle did get a bit grating. “It’s certainly beautiful here.”

In turn, Jane greeted Octavia and Julius with nods and smiles. “We meet again, Miss Brightly. My brother insists he hasn’t been beastly.”

“He’s been very considerate.”

Mr. Fuller offered her a refreshment before supper and she accepted. They took their seats around the sofa grouping. “Whatever must you talk about on these long evenings?” Octavia asked.

For a moment, neither of them spoke, because they hadn’t been dining together, which these women clearly expected, and for some reason, this felt like an admission of guilt, or that she was a bad guest.

“Mostly about her dedication to her work,” Julius finally said. “As with many passions, the sufferers struggle to put them aside.”

“You make it sound like an affliction,” Octavia said chidingly.

“A passion naturally absorbs one,” he said in return and his eyes came to her, which Jane found confusing.

“I’m sure he’s a dreadful model. Is he easy to paint?”

“No,” Jane admitted honestly. Again she had his gaze, but she struggled to read him, which was an ongoing feature in their dealings.

“You must sit still, Brother. Don’t make her life unnecessarily hard.”

Mr. Fuller entered and informed them that supper was ready to be served. They rose and made their way into the dining room, which seemed brighter with more of them there. Jane took the same seat she had used before, while Octavia went to the opposite end of the table from Julius. “I suppose I can have your old seat now that Cressida won’t be using it anymore. I was just telling Julius before that he should divorce her. Surely you’ll have to have someone fill this seat at some point.”

Julius was mutely ignoring the question, but there was a mutinous look that passed through his eyes.

“I truly believe you use this as an excuse to embrace becoming the hermit you always wanted