Let's check in and see how Jane is faring, shall we?
Thanks to all my betas who contributed in different ways: lovingyouisbest, JD Bell; Joy Booth and Fredrica.
Final tweaking is my own.
If things come awry
Jane left with Charles to Albuquerque and they drove her trailer into the garage at the Gardiners while she and Charles went back to his place for the night. Break was spent enjoyably with Charles and Aunt and Uncle Gardiner and then with the entire Bennet clan when they came up for Christmas. Jane stayed with the Gardiners for the duration of her family's visit, mostly due to her father's sensibilities.
PPPxoxNM
Christmas was a snowy affair, filled with nights looking at farolitos in the Old Town Plaza and other sites (or luminarias, depending on what part of New Mexico one hails from). The days were occupied with tamale and biscocho making along with favorites that Tia Lena brought from her home town, including evenings of Posadas including ponche at the end of the evenings to keep things warm and merry.
Even the pensive Lizzy could find some bright spots in the holiday. At any rate, Lena always kept the group so busy Lizzy didn't have time- or make time- to confide in either her Tia or Jane about the letter. She found herself falling into bed and sleeping for 10 plus hours every night, anyway. Her mother gave her lots of grief but Tia always came to her rescue telling her sister in law to let the poor dear sleep. Jane stole what moments she could with Charles and simply assumed her sister was recuperating from the grueling Fall semester. Of course Mary was busy with Collins, enjoying her new romance in between sitting for her young cousins.
Tia Lena knew how to keep Lyon and Kitty busy, too. She knew the pair were quite financially motivated and could put forth quite the effort with the right inducement. The teenagers managed the store which was near enough to UNM to keep at least a trickle of students coming through the store's doors with their family. Their behavior was impeccable regardless of temptation to leave their post to flirt with college kids. Tia Lena wasn't stupid. She used a carrot- stick method, informing her charges that there were hidden cameras and she checked the till and sales daily. If she found anything missing or damaged, Kitty and Lydon would be disciplined by Herself- a prospect far scarier than to face either their mother or father, for Tia promised to make them refinish an old table with multiple coats of paint. They knew she was as good as her word, as her lovely refinished dining room chairs can attest.
The Bennets left a day after boxing day. Tom swore he hadn't spent near enough time scouring the numerous bookstores for first editions, but, Francesca, satisfied with her after Christmas sale finds, proclaimed the trip complete. And so, home they went.
PPPxoxNM
Jane was sad to see them go, but happy that she'd be returning to Charles's that night.
Jane scheduled an appointment with her advisor to ensure her transfer was in order for next semester. Wearing a new galactic print wrap dress that showed her leg scar, Jane felt confident in a way she hadn't felt before. She noticed the advisor gave her a once over when she entered the office, at first assuming the advisor was simply surprised at her scar. Resolving that this was the type of behavior she had to expect, so Jane steeled herself and prepared for the academic interview.
She should have been forewarned when the advisor spoke at length with Jane about what brought her to UNM, as well as her boyfriend's profession, the department advisor's review of UNM's ethical code in the School of Psychology. It was only then that her stomach dropped as she saw a magazine open to a photograph of an all-too-familiar scar- and the rest of the figure that Charles had painted. Her face red with humiliation, she assured the advisor that she would see to these matters and get back with the school, leaving immediately.
Jane spent hours ruminating, crying, fuming, first in nearest restroom she could find, then in her car, then in the parking lot of a cafe conveniently situated off the freeway that lead from UNM to the Gardiners. Tia Lena and Uncle had taken the kids out and they weren't home, she let herself in and sat in the dark looking out the window. She had long since put the phone on silent, ignoring it. An inward resolve broke and she looked at her phone. 16 missed calls and 5 emails, all from him. She stared at the screen, daring it to light up. When it did: "GUESS HOW MY INTERVIEW WENT TODAY!?" She demanded.
"Jane, angel, what's the matter?" Charles asked, his voice shaky.
"My department advisor asked me a series of questions about ethics, which, initially, I expected, until I looked over at his choice of reading materials. I then realized that I had been very foolish in making made the MISTAKE of posing NUDE for my SUCCESSWHORING 'boyfriend'!"(he could hear the airquotes in the ironic tone of her voice)
"Is that what your developer daddy taught you? Exploit the characteristics of your commodity to its full advantage in order to make the best deal? Maybe you wanted to go one up on the old man and show you could even stick it (and I mean that literally) to a disabled woman to boot?
WELL CONGRATULATIONS! Your father would be proud!"
If a cell phone could be slammed violently to hang up, Charles supposed the nondescript click at the other end would have sounded much different.
He was still in shock when the phone rang again, and, seeing Lena's number, he picked up tentatively, expecting to be screamed at for some mysterious thing he'd done. Instead, Charles got the answer he had been in too much denial to cipher on his own. Lena kindly congratulated him on his most recent success and told him how beautiful Jane was and how proud he must be that his work had made it to January's Land of Enchantment magazine. Charles responded a questioning Thank you, followed by requesting Lena to please keep in touch and that he wanted to make sure Jane was OK. She enigmatically answered that she didn't suppose this would be their last conversation as there was a question of what to do with one very lovely antique locket. When he asked if she had any idea when he could see Jane, Lena only wished him well and said her goodbyes.
Continuing to want- rather than know- things were otherwise, Charles forced himself to be naive to the situation while calmly picking up the stack of mail he'd so far neglected. The biggest one was a package about the size of a magazine. Opening it, he found a copy of January's Land of Enchantment with a letter of congratulations from the Editor, which had conveniently been tucked into a double page spread with his portrait of a lounging nude Jane featured prominently, along with more information which Charles had given a friend, someone he now recollected was a freelance journalist, the one who had photographed him at Netherfield.
Retracing his steps the evening of opening night, Charles swore had been careful- he thought- to lock the studio. He had been nervous that so many people hovered around, but assumed that people would respect the privacy of a locked door. What didn't make sense is how they could have published a piece without permission until he realized that he'd signed a paper for what he'd assumed had been photographing the party for the events column. Dammit, he had been in too much of a hurry to read it thoroughly and now-THIS.
Charles had PROMISED Jane, for all the good his words had been. Feeling blood pumping through that vein in his temple, Charles now tore through other pieces of mail.
He received several offers for the pieces of Jane featured in the layout, all of them in sums that dwarfed the current asking prices of his previous work. The value of his work had just gone up exponentially. He was simultaneously overjoyed and horrified. Part of him though that now Jane wouldn't NEED to make a living and they could easily live of the sums offered for his work.
The other part realized how Jane had just given the most sacred part of herself, the most wounded part, revealed it to him in confidence, only to have him bare it to the world after 10 minutes of flattery and camaraderie from a so called friend. No, he couldn't even say that. The man was a colleague and friend of sorts.
It NEVER occurred to Charles that any pictures published without his advance viewing. He stupidly left Jane bare, not even recognizing in the moment her deepest personal and professional need for privacy. He hadn't only done this once, but had repeatedly spoken about his portraits of Jane to several Santa Fe colleagues during the Opening Night party.
By now, his hands were shaking and that vein felt like a geyser about to blow at any minute. Charles took about 4 ibuprofen for all the good it would do. Then he called Darcy, ticking off the slowly passing milliseconds before Darcy picked up on the first ring.
"You did WHAT?" Darcy roared after Charles confessed everything. "I was afraid this would happen. Why didn't you have her sign a contract?"
"They were meant to be private." Charles felt like he was a 10 year old boy, being scolded.
"A hell of a lot of good that does when you allow Caroline to invite PHOTOGRAPHERS to your party? I saw where this was going. What are you going to do now?" His voice was so loud Charles had to hold the phone away from his ear, and that was after he'd turned the volume down.
"I thought you'd have an idea," he spoke carefully into the phone, "That's why I'm calling you."
"Me?" Darcy harrumphed, "I'm not a lawyer. You may not have gotten along with your old man but didn't he at least teach you to cover your ass?"
Charles answered, "It's not my ass that I care about. I want to take care of Jane. I want to make this right. I don't need a fucking lawyer to fix my relationship."
"Well in case you haven't noticed, I'm not one to look to in that department, either!" Sighing, Darcy asked, "What is it you want to do about it?"
Darcy listened while his friend came up with his own solutions involving making Jane his permanent muse in art and life.
Darcy tersely responded. "So what you want to do is to take this woman who has found her own way in the world, the way that you crushed out of carelessness, and rescue her? Honestly, do you think that simply by convincing her that you are now at a new level as an artist and can support her forever that she'll just up and say 'my hero! Of course I'll agree to letting you sell those portraits where I BARED MY SOUL!'"
Charles remained silent. "Charles, most women aren't waiting for a prince anymore. I learned that myself recently, from a woman who is cut out of the same cloth, literally. If I were you, buddy, I'd come up with another plan. Maybe you should go to her family and talk to them. They'd be better and helping you figure out what to do since they know her best, and they have her best interests in mind. Do you remember that her aunt was acquainted with my mom? I think you may need some territorial furniture, my friend."
Charles was confused. "What does that have to do with talking to her aunt? Wait, she's the one who sold your mom 'our' Council of Elrond dining set?" *
"The very one." Darcy answered. "Wanna meet me in Old Town tomorrow at 9or so?"
Las Posadas: en dot wikipedia dot org/wiki/Las_Posadas
Tamales are corn husk wrapped masa (a type of ground corn meal) encased pocket of goodness.
Ponche is a fruity punch with alcohol.
Biscochios/ Biscochitos are delicious spice cookies.
Old Town in Albuquerque is from the Spanish Collonial era.
Luminarias/ Farolitos are traditionally candles sitting in sand inside paper bags lining buildings, etc. It may sound mundane but it is - forgive me- warmly luminous.
*my fanciful name for a territorial/old world style dining room set like this:
www dot accentsofsalado dot com/RusticFurnitureTraditionalSpanishDiningChairs dot html
I have some chairs similar to this and think they bear a resemblance to the Lord of the Rings Elven furniture- in fact that is why we own them- and we call them our Council of Elrond chairs!
And So Is Love
When the bell tinkled that new customers arrived at Toltec Tokens, Lena answered instantly without turning her head. "Good afternoon Fitzwilliam and Charles."
"How can you do that?" Charles asked incredulously. Darcy only smirked.
"I suppose you have come to what little senses you have and want to ask my advice", she countered." And I don't mean about furniture. Unless, by furniture, you intend to ask my advice on how to move a certain trailer of furniture in my garage into your house? If you are here about that, I can help you, but only if you listen to me and do what I say."
Charles gaped. "How did you know that?"
She continued to work while talking, "It's not hard to figure out. The trailer is very big and easy to see. And the HOA*, they complain."
Charles figured she wasn't going to let him in on her uncanny abilities of discernment, so he decided to take advantage of her offer of advice about Jane. "What do I do? I totally fucked up".
At this she turned around and held up a scolding finger, "Ah! Ah! I am very aware of how you so cruelly exposed one of my dearest ones to the scrutiny of the world but there is no need to use such language here. I am a lady."
Charles slumped further. "Yes ma'am."
Tia Lena nodded in satisfaction. "That's better. I am glad you realized that you were an asshole. Now, before I go on, can you promise to me that you won't screw up ever, ever again?"
"I'm afraid I can't. But I'm willing to learn, and to do what you say." He looked earnestly at the fearsome woman.
"Smart man. You are going to screw up again and you might as well start getting used to listening to a Gardiner woman to fix it. Alright, then. My niece is crying her eyes out at my house this very minute. She was given a very stern interrogation involving the livelihood of her boyfriend and the ethics of her major and chosen profession. Do you have any guesses as to WHY, Charles?" Her arms were crossed and head tilted, expectantly.
Doing his best not to squirm, Charles answered, his voice shaking; "Yes ma'am. She let me take photographs and paint portraits of her in… varying… ah… stages of um….un- … undre-e-ess…"
"What kind of a man are you to stutter at what you've done when you were man enough to do it?" Her voice was stern.
He cleared his throat and attempted a better answer. "Obviously not a very good one, ma'am."
"Well, knowing is half the battle. Since she also made such a stupid decision to pose for you.. and I suppose there was no contract? She mentioned none."She raisedher brows expectantly, and, receiving no answer, continued.
"Don't even answer me, you stupid boy. I can tell by your face. If you plan on making it right, you should equally benefit from your mutually stupid decision. Share equally in your royalties, without assuming she will want to share your life. It's logical really. Haven't you always paid your models well? She can take her share and go wherever to rebuild her life now that she feels uncertain about her major." Tia nodded her head once as if the matter was settled and turned to resume her work.
Charles just stood, frowning, "But I thought you said you'd be able to get rid of Jane's furniture… I thought that meant…"
She turned around again, "You thought it meant I was going to tell you how to woo your angel back. Well, You two stupidheads will have to figure that out on your own, but I know my nieces and the last way to do that is if you tried to play Mr. Prince and carry her off on your white horse. She may be a princess but she hates that shit- she's a rodeo princess after all and she's got her own horse. Now, go talk to her and make her feel good about the stupid things she's done. That's the way young love works."
She turned her back and resumed making a display of textiles and bubble glass.*Darcy couldn't help but snicker and immediately regretted it. "Ai, you're one to laugh. When you're ready to fix your mess and deal with your own Gardiner woman, come back." Both men decided to leave while they had a chance.
Charles and William parted ways and Charles took Lena's advice. Initially one of Lena's daughters, Lettie, answered the door and told him that Jane said to tell him she wasn't home. The house phone rang just then and Lettie went to answer it.
Lettie returned and said, "My mom said that you are not to believe me if I tried to say Jane isn't home, and to apologize for lying. She said that you are to wait here until I get Jane and that if Jane doesn't come down, I'm supposed to call her and give the phone to Jane. She said that if you guys start yelling and throwing things to call the police." Charles didn't know whether to be amused or scared, but before he could decide, Jane was before him.
Apparently she had gotten a similar message. "I was told that to listen to you or get kicked out of my own Aunt and Uncle's house. Here I am." Her eyes blazed in defiance but Charles could tell that they were also puffy from recently shed tears.
"Jane, I don't know what you are ready to hear. But, seeing as how I have allowed something private and sacred between us to be carelessly displayed and exploited, I think, I feel, I must address that first. I know that my carelessness may have resulted in your inability to continue in your career, in your chosen major. I never had you sign a contract because it was always to be between us.
Because, in my naive stupidity I let a photographer friend take pictures the night of the party, thinking that a locked door would be enough of a message to keep him out of my studio, but it wasn't. Your image, your deepest secrets in a way, are out in pubic now. I can't take those pictures back. But I can at least help you have another life with them. Whether or not I'm included in that life is up to you. Jane, I'm being given the opportunity to sell those portraits for tens of thousands of dollars.
That is exponentially more than I have EVER sold my paintings or photographs for. One buyer is offering for one painting as much as I've made in 3 months! And that's just one-I've not sold any but if you allow them all to sell, and we split the profits, it would enough to finance school or whatever other plans you have to make now, with or without me." He had measured his words and after finishing, held his breath for her answer.
After what seemed an eternity, she spoke, "Well, for now, as much as part of me misses you, I hate you. I hate what you've done!"
He quickly agreed, "I hate what I've done!"
"But I don't really have much of a choice, do I? I suppose in a way your offer is generous, but it doesn't make up for the very high risk of having to change my school and career plans again. This is the second time my fucking body has made me change my plans. I hate it!" She broke down but refused Charles the comfort of hugging her.
He was forced to stand there awkwardly and watch. "I hate what I've done. But I'll never stop loving you, your inner and outer beauty, no matter what becomes of us. And I'll never sell your paintings if you say the word. I'll write a retraction to the magazine if they let me print it. You're welcome to contact me, or have your lawyer contact me, or your aunt. Whatever can possibly be done to bring you any hope or comfort that is in my power, say it, and I will do it."
He hesitated in the doorway for some time, watching her cry, not knowing whether to stay or go. Finally, Charles realized that he was not wanted or needed. Broken, he went home to await any word, any decision.
It had occurred to him to call Caro and rail at her for defying his orders not to get into his studio the night of the party. He did and she swore she did nothing of the kind. She was so terrifying and vehement in her answer, Charles almost left it at that, but if he had to anger his sister to keep Jane, so be it. He asked her to at least make inquiries about how this mistake could have occurred. He knew he had locked he studio. Caroline curtly agreed she would try and hung up.
Not an hour later, she called back reporting that "F*ing Mike let the photographer in! I'm going to kill them both!" Charles had no doubt that she would now let loose her fury on behalf of little brother, at least insofar as it wouldn't hurt her own career. Satisfied at this answer to 'how', he still knew the bulk of blame fell to himself for not protecting the work further by a contract and putting it away. At least he could tell Jane what happened, if she even wanted to know, wanted to talk to him again.
*HOA- home owners association- for those of you living in places where they don't exist or have other names- a neighborhood association that sets rules such as not being able to park certain things on the street like a trailer.
I hope this is right (fingers crossed).
The modeling thing is what I checked on and I believe it to be realistic from my research. I think there are those of you out there who might tell me for sure if this is accurate/realistic or not.
more to come this weekend