The Visitor_The Bell Tower 1873_1875

by Barbara Svetlick

  “I know the perfect artist for this. If you want to visit his studio after lunch, I am sure he won’t mind too much if we just drop in but I will warn you that he is crusty.” Garnett seemed to know everyone everywhere they went.

  They took the carriage to the east side of town. The streets were a menagerie of tiny shops and small galleries, carts and stands along the street selling food, colorful scarves and mittens, beaded jewelry, baskets and small trinkets. The buildings were old and close together with laundry hanging between the buildings and children playing loudly in the alleys. You could smell the oil paints blended in with the strong cooking oils. Splashes of color flowed in the signs and banners that flew over the doors to the decorations on the row houses. It seemed like everyone was an artist or was selling something they made. If she hadn’t just eaten, she would be tempted to sample some of the fare in the hundreds of little street carts. She loved the way they hawked their wares following you a few yards before moving to the next pedestrian.

  Mirisa looked up at the small brass bell as the ringing stopped. Muted light fell across the wall revealing canvases that had been haphazardly hung. Mirisa stopped and looked at a few large ones on easels before she turned to find Garnett talking to a very short man who came out from behind a curtain. The little man motioned them to come in the back and held the curtain for them. The back room was filled with natural light that came from a solid wall of dirty windows that were two stories high. There were wooden benches along one wall with paints and brushes scattered everywhere. The other wall had paintings and even more stacked along the floor. A piece he was working on was in front of the windows turned away from them. Mirisa fought the need to run her finger over the layers of dust.

  The painter was conversing with Meeks and Garnett as Mirisa walked around the room looking at his work. He kept his one good eye on Mirisa but didn’t address her. She bent down and James stood next to her as she went through some small paintings of children in the park. Mirisa absolutely loved the way he painted faces as they caught the innocence and vitality of a child. There were children flying kites, playing with frogs, sailing toy boats, sitting on the benches, eating ice cream, doing just about anything you could think of doing as a child. Her favorite was a small girl holding a little rag doll. She had large soulful green eyes and looked lost. Most of his work seemed to be in washes or charcoals but her favorites were in rich oil colors. Mirisa stood up and talked to James for a moment before she walked over to meet the painter.

  “You are interested in one of my paintings?” Mr. Clancey looked at her half cocked and she just smiled because he was very gruff. He had a paintbrush behind his ear and his hair was long and unkept with paint in it. He was probably no taller than Mirisa and had very muscular hands with stubby paint crusted fingers. In fact, there was paint everywhere on this man. He leaned his head when he talked and his left eye seemed to droop slightly.

  “I am.”

  “You like the ones in the park?”

  “I love the ones in the park. Do you have any more?”

  “Well, one would think with over thirty to choose from that you would have found one that met your fancy.” Mr. Clancey thought Mirisa was being extremely picky for having come all the way to his shop to ask for a better selection. He needed the money but he hated dealing with rich women.

  “Mr. Clancey, I am not here to buy one painting though I will probably want one for my home. Today I am looking to buy at least fifty small paintings. If these are all you have of children, I will take them all but if you have more I would like to look at them if you would be so kind as to humor me.”

  “And what are you going to do with fifty paintings? Do you own a shop where you are going to sell them?” He knew Garnett from when he worked as a young lawyer on the Eastside and he assumed the rest of them were just as influential and wealthy. He was lucky if he sold one painting a week when he set up in the park during the summer.

  “The Children’s Trust is having a fund raiser and I would like to sell them to raise money for the children. I think your work is beautiful and the small paintings of the children the perfect theme.”

  “It will cost you a lot of money for fifty of my paintings.” She looked at him and tried to assess whether or not he was going to take advantage of her to line his pockets or if he merely wanted to assure he could get through the winter. She knew it was crossing his mind but she also knew that it probably wasn't in his nature. “I will sell them to you but I want to attend the fund raiser as the artist.”

  She smiled sweetly. “That is a wonderful idea. But I also have a request.”

  “What would that be?”

  “I want a large painting of children under the Christmas tree on Christmas morning.”

  “Is this for you or the fund raiser?”

  “The fund raiser.”

  “Alright but it will cost you a lot more than the small paintings.”

  “No, I want you to donate it.”

  “Obviously, you don’t understand that I live off of my work and donating it does not pay for the firewood to keep me warm in the winter.”

  “Yes, I understand that but I plan on making you the host of the event and by donating the only large painting you will receive so much work that you won’t have time to worry about paying your bills.”

  “When do you need the large painting?”

  “The fund raiser is in seven weeks.” Mr. Clancey nodded then asked Mirisa if she wanted to look at the rest of the paintings. She spent several hours with them picking out fifty paintings. Half of them were in the park and the other half were children in different settings. His work was so magical and fun. James told him that he would come by on Monday and pick up all the paintings and would deliver them to the little shop that made frames and have them finished for hanging.

  “Mr. Clancey, I need to have the invitations made up and would like to use the theme of one of your paintings as the background if you don’t mind.”

  “Do I get paid for that too?”

  “What would you like?”

  “A new set of clothes since most of mine look like this.” He pointed to himself which was like looking at a canvas. James gave him a card and told him he’d make the arrangements for the tailor to come to him. Mirisa picked up her favorite painting of a little girl and Meeks paid for it and thanked him as they left the studio she thanked Garnett. She knew when they were finished negotiating the price of the paintings that he had upped the cost of each to cover the large painting. The boys let her handle the artist since his prices were too low to begin with and they knew that Mirisa would rather put money in his pocket then get a bargain.

  They spent the rest of the day going through the small shops along the street and she bought more artwork and trinkets that fit the theme of the paintings as well as toys for the girls. She wrote down the names of the shops and artists with each purchase so that she could include a card with each item.

  Meeks spent all day Sunday working on the invitation for the event. Mirisa gave James complete control over the food though she told him she wanted an abundance of desserts and she wanted it set up as a buffet rather than sit down formal dinner.

  “Mirisa, that’s not giving me complete control.” He put his pencil down and picked up his glass.

  “There’s only one time I give you complete control.” Meeks shook his head and told her to keep her mind on the fund raiser. She got up and pulled the sash. The maid came into the library and she asked her to bring in a fresh pot of tea and coffee cake. Garnett worked on the layout of the Christmas trees and wreaths as well as how she wanted to decorate them. She was sitting next to him on the couch when the maid placed the tray on the table. Meeks got up sitting on the other side of Mirisa as she handed him a piece of cake and poured herself a cup of tea.

  “Alexander.”

  “Anything you want.”

  “I haven’t asked yet.” She picked up her coffee and sat back. “Can I get you to design a piece for me?”
/>   “For you to wear or for the fund raiser.”

  “For me to wear.”

  “Have I been neglecting you lately?”

  “You have.”

  “Are you going to give me any hints at all or am I supposed to be able to just come up with exactly what you want?”

  “You can surprise me and tonight you can surprise me by being totally spontaneous and wickedly bad when I turn off the lanterns.”

  “I think you just killed any spontaneity.”

  “I think the fact that I love you will encourage you to surprise me as you always do.” She put down her cup. Meeks looked into her eyes as she whispered to him. “Thank you for loving me so much.” He took her hand leading her upstairs.

  James was cross checking his notes when he stopped to watch her. “Garnett would you consider that spontaneous or controlled?”

  “She definitely controlled that response. Have you noticed how much she’s changed this last year?”

  Mr. Alston arrived promptly with two associates and the maid showed them to the library where she had set the tray of hot coffee and pastries. “Mrs. Meeks will be with you momentarily.” She left the room without inquiring if they wanted coffee which they all found unusual but nothing was normal with this woman. Mr. Alston walked around the room taking inventory of the books and artwork when James walked in and welcomed them.

  “Are we working with you today Mr. Alcorn?”

  “Mirisa will be down as soon as she gets the baby to sleep.” He walked over to the sidebar and picked up the whisky. “Can I offer anyone a drink?”

  They all accepted. He sat down on the corner of the desk and made small talk with Mr. Alston. Mirisa came in wearing a pale yellow dress with her hair pulled back and braided. She looked so young. Mirisa apologized for the delay and as she crossed the room the men stood up until she sat in the arm chair facing them. “May I offer anyone coffee or something to eat?” They all declined so she poured a cup, slowly added a sugar cube and stirred it before sitting back, straightening out her skirt and giving them her attention. James thought that was probably better than batting her eyes.

  “Mrs. Meeks, we are definitely interested in what your ideas would be for the holiday fund raiser. Maybe you could give us some sort of overall view and we would determine what we can do to include it in our budget.”

  James handed him a folder. Mr. Alston looked it over briefly then sat down and went through it more thoroughly before handing it to his associate to review. “You have been very busy since we talked.” Mr. Alston sat back and sipped on his whisky. Mirisa could see the tick in his cheek that made his mustache jump and made note to watch for it when she was dealing with him.

  The youngest man in the group introduced himself as Thomas Sinclare telling her that he would be responsible for the actual planning and decorating of the Manor. “I like the theme a lot. It encompasses what the trust is about, it’s very moving and the idea of the portraits has my attention. Would I be able to look at them before making a commitment?”

  Mirisa rose and walked over to the desk brushing against James and picked up a small portrait and handed it to him. It was 6 by 8 inches, very simple subject and very good colors. He looked at the signature and passed it to his colleague. “Are they all this size?”

  “More or less and all are paintings of children. This one was my favorite.”

  “This is the same as the artwork on the invitation, correct?”

  “Yes, but the artwork on the invitation will be pen and ink engraving with no color.”

  “And what price range are you putting on the paintings?”

  “I’m not, they will be gifts.”

  “I don’t understand.” Thomas focused on Mirisa thinking she was simply attractive and probably very close to his age but maybe younger. His attention was on the movement of her body which was ever so slight like a breeze across the pond.

  “We will auction off a commissioned painting that will be about the size of the one over my fireplace.” She pointed as they all turned to the corner of the room. “The small paintings will be gifts to the fifty highest contributors at the fund raiser.”

  “Interesting concept. ” He asked if he could light a cigar and Mirisa nodded. He looked back through the folder. “This is an unknown artist? I have never heard of him. Do you think his work alone will get people to want to be a high contributor to take a painting home? When you say commissioned does that mean you have asked for something in particular?”

  “Mr. Clancey, the artist, will be the host for the evening. I believe having him at the event will encourage many people to get more out of why he paints children and the importance of the trust. Additionally, he is donating the large painting for the auction. Most of the guests are also patrons of the arts and theatre and since we can’t give them a child to take home I think a piece of art will open their pockets more than in the past. Additionally, his talent for a child in a natural setting will interest a lot of guests. I think children should look like children and not stiff like most portraits you see.”

  “Alright, even if I didn’t like the idea it surely doesn’t interfere with what we normally do at this fund raiser which is usually just a dinner and dance so it can only be a bonus. But I do find it extremely clever.” He took his cigar out of his mouth and turned the page in the folder. “I see you have created an entire menu.” He read for a few minutes then looked up. “You want to set it up buffet?” It was the same reaction that she got from James.

  “Buffet with servers as well as staff to carry the plates to the table if assistance is needed. This will allow those who want to eat a lot to do so while those who wish to socialize or drink to do that without having to sit through a long drawn out ten course meal. It will also save you a lot of money in the food which will pay for the additional serving staff. I want the dessert table to be separate and I wish to have an assortment of light and fruity wine at that table. As far as table assignments, I’ll leave that to you with the exception of a select few guests including the host. I will also instruct the staff to put out my grandmother’s best serving ware.”

  “Well, it’s not traditional at all. The menu itself is excellent and with the chefs we use should be absolutely delicious. I see you have also a list for the bar and a wine list, both excellent in choices.” He made notes. “I see no problem with the dinner.” He continued to the entertainment.

  “You have two small ensembles, one for out on the patio and one for in the main hall combining them for the dance?” He thought about this and nodded. “Decorations. You have twice as many Christmas trees as we normally use and I’m not sure our budget will allow that much less the fact that you have changed all the decorations to match the theme. I think this might be too expensive but I’ll have to do the numbers on everything before I can say for sure.”

  “Mr. Sinclare.” He looked up at her.

  “Yes Mrs. Meeks.”

  “I will handle providing the decorations if you will provide the staff to put it together.”

  “You will handle as in you will pay for all of the decorations?”

  “Yes.”

  “But we do have a budget that covers the fund raiser. I just don’t know where your figures will fall in that budget.”

  “Mr. Sinclare, I will provide you with any funds that are over your budget but if the charity comes in over last year I will expect all costs to be reimbursed.”

  “I understand.” He went back to the folder. “Now the guest list.” He took out a list and handed it to her. “Let me know if you want to add anyone that is not currently on the list. These are our regular donators and very reliable. Would you mind if I keep the folder?”

  “Of course you may.” She sipped her coffee and James just observed. “And as far as the list, I will have James provide you with a full list of people I wish invited who are not currently on your list so that you can handle ordering the food and beverages.”

  “The list is currently around one hundred.” He
turned to the other young man who had been taking notes who nodded that it was the correct assumption. “How many do you anticipate adding?” She looked over at James.

  James looked over the list. “We will probably send out between two to three hundred invitations.”

  Mr. Alston sat forward addressing James. “Are you serious? We’ve never drawn that large of a guest attendance.”

  “You will and in fact you will probably draw more than that once the invitations go out. I would order at least four hundred invitations. I’ll drop a list off to you by the end of the week.”

  Mirisa addressed Mr. Sinclare again. “Please let me know when you would like to meet me at the Manor to discuss the layout for the event.”

  “Well, with the holidays and all the events starting this week I would say that I can meet you out there after Thanksgiving. At your convenience, of course.”

  “We will be celebrating Thanksgiving at the Manor so if you would like to come out on Friday I will set aside the entire afternoon to finish up the details.” Mirisa stood up and they all rose. “Mr. Alston. Mr. Sinclare it was a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for taking time to meet with me this afternoon.” They all extended their appreciation of her time and hospitality. Mr. Sinclare took her hand and kissed it before turning to leave. James smiled to himself as he showed them to the door. He returned to the library where she was drinking her coffee and thinking. Poor fellow, Mr. Sinclare would be putty in her hands.

  James poured a shot and handed it to her. “You scare me.”

  She looked up at him. “Why is that?”