Stan

Jane

Can you hear me

Just about

I am in London

When will you return

In a couple of hours

Are you missing Rome

Very Much

I can meet you

That would be nice

In an hour

Where

I will be outside of the old French Institute in Leicester Square

Know it well

I have purchased a present for you

From Rome

No I only found it an hour ago

But you must not be cross as it cost a great deal

It is your money Jane

I will tell you now

Why the rush

Because I am so excited

Sounds fun

Do you remember Richard Gibbs-White

The artist

Yes I posed for him a few times when I was at college

Well I had just had coffee with Ana Musical

How is she

Spanish

She is auditioning today and is a bag of nerves

For what

A musical version of Anna Karenina

I will play the railway engine at Obiralovka

Not nice Stan

Well I was trotting off towards Oxford Street when I passed an art gallery and guess what

It was open

Better than that

It was showing an exhibition of Richard’s work

There were about forty paintings and sketches there

I know what is coming

Yes I found myself staring at the student me

Were they his life studies

Mostly

And then I found

The Violet Seller

Which was by far my favourite work

It was for sale so I purchased it

I had such a lovely time

Were you in Southern France that year

Yes

I spent many hours quite naked

With only violets for company

Violet Remembered Hills

Come again

Violet Remembered Hills

He has painted it as a commission

But nonetheless I loved it

He gave me some sketches

I still have them at Mummy’s

I had been introduced to the dealer before

And he remembered me

Martin Type

In one

He asked for my memories of thartsummer

So that he could use them

I will send them to him later

He let me in on a secret

That being

Richard actually worked on The Violet Seller twice

Two paintings

Yes

Which one was on show

The copy

So you purchased the copy

No the original

Confused dot com

Richard did not care for the chap who commissioned the work

Why

I never found that out

So he worked on it twice with very subtle differences

Almost invisible

If you look at the original there are seven bunches of violets half covering my left breast

I have never counted them

Take my word for it

Also my pubic area is slightly different

It is thicker

In the copy it resembles Goya’s La Maja Desnuda to an extent

A Violet Seller is always going to be a woman of the streets

I think Richard was having a bit of fun

Would that not have pissed his client off

Possibly but he would have been none the wiser

When you enter into a contract unless there is a clause

I see where you are coming from

The copy in Richard’s view was slightly inferior

What if the collector walked through the door

That would be interesting

So you purchased Richards original painting

No I purchased the copy and that was why I could afford it

How much did it cost you

That would be telling

Bad boy

You should not question the expense

But you are quite rough Stan so I will tell you

No need

Two thousand five hundred

It was listed at five but the dealer

Sold it to me for two five

What did you do give him a blow

STAN

Only joking

But did you

I think that he is glad to be rid of it

Hot potato

Slightly

Your notes

Will be anonymous and will describe the summer that all

A well known artist and his model

They will replace your painting with a sketch

Richard is in London next month

Is he aware of this chess game

I would imagine so

Do you keep in touch

Off and on he is in LA now

I am his past but he is fond of me

So you are telling me that you found the gallery by chance

Yes

Liar

Do you like your gift Stan

Very much

But it is not my birthday

Need it be

So why

Guess

Guess what

I have some really good news for you

Promotion

No

Think about it

Ana is returning to Spain

No

Perhaps you might take me to dinner tonight

Maybe at Marco’s

You have gained promotion

No

They have sacked you

No such luck

Stan would you bring my green backless and my black heels

Why

Because I have just flown back from Rome

Okay but why the mystery

Time will tell

Jane

Yes

Thank you so much for the painting

You are a very bad girl

I will hang it in our bedroom

And buy you violets each week

You are a hopeless romantic Stan

Jane

Yes

The news

Yes