“Just a minute, Rainey,” he said, moving to the door. “First I want to get your brother’s photograph and your artwork.” Seconds later he returned and propped the fourteen-by-twenty inch paintings on some of the extra chairs.

Nyla and Catherine got up to study them. “I didn’t know you did full-size paintings like these for the covers,” the maid exclaimed. “They must take a long time.”

“A lot of work goes into them because I do sketches first until I know exactly what I want the finished product to look like.”

Nyla turned an animated face to Rainey. “It’s exciting to have you here. To think you’ve done all those wonderful paintings. You’re a fabulous artist.”

“You are!” Catherine cried.

“Thank you.”

“Nyla? Will you hand me the one of Payne in his office, please?”

“Here you go.” The maid removed the dishes and placed the painting in front of Diane.

She examined it for a minute, then lifted her head to scrutinize Rainey. “Did you get permission to paint this woman?”

Payne’s attorney was the person Rainey had expected to be adversarial, not his fiancée. But then Mr. Wallace wasn’t the wheelchair-bound woman desperately in love with his client.

Rainey took a steadying breath. “Yes. She’s a licensed model I’ve used in several covers. But sometimes I paint from memory. That’s how I happened to draw Mr. Sterling.”

Without preamble she spent the next ten minutes telling the same story she’d related in the courtroom. Combined with Payne’s explanations regarding Bonnie Wrigley’s testimony, they covered all the essentials.

Rainey let her see the photo of Winston. Between that picture, her brother’s photograph and Payne’s assertion that Rainey’s apartment contained a serigraph of the Nantucket Lighthouse, she hoped Catherine and Diane were satisfied.

“Because of this experience, the judge ordered that all the artists at Red Rose Romance work with licensed models from now on.”

“I should think so,” Diane muttered.

“I’m fairly certain they do anyway.”

“Why not you?”

“Because there are times when I can’t find the right model for what I want to convey. As I explained, sometimes a face in the crowd or a picture jumps out at me. I don’t even know it’s happening.”

“You mean like my fiancé’s.”

“Yes,” Rainey answered honestly.

Old fears had been put to rest. Now there was a new one.

The other woman believed Rainey was interested in Payne.

What better way to expose Rainey than force a confrontation which would embarrass her in front of him and his niece?

Little did Diane know she had nothing to fear from Rainey. Now was the time to prove it.

“Because I’m an artist, I can’t help looking at every face a little differently than most people do. Mr. Sterling is handsome in a rugged sort of way, but so are a lot of men. Some of the male models are breathtaking.”

Nyla nodded. “You can say that again!”

Bless you, Nyla.

“It’s what I read in a person’s face that makes it memorable. Mr. Sterling’s exudes character, confidence, hard work, struggle, determination, a passion for life. All those qualities combine to make him stand out as a heroic figure, artistically speaking.”

“Whoa! Uncle Payne-” Catherine smiled at him. “Did you hear all that?”

“I did,” his voice grated.

Ignoring him, Rainey put Craig’s photograph in front of Diane again. “Take another look at your fiancé.”

Now Rainey was the one forcing his fiancée to cooperate when it was the last thing Diane wanted to do.

“See the way he’s staring at the formations above the river? His eyes appear to be looking beyond them at something else the rest of us can’t see. You can tell his mind is caught up in an inner vision. That’s what makes him an arresting figure.

“That’s why I suddenly found myself sketching him weeks later. He seemed perfect for certain novels I was sent. When Manhattan Merger came along, it was almost a spiritual mating of man and story.”

The other woman’s dark brows puckered. “When you’re such a fine artist, why do you go to so much trouble for an inconsequential romance?”

Rainey had been waiting for a comment like that to surface. It was only natural for a woman like Diane. She’d never read a paperback romance and dismissed them as so much drivel.

“Millions of women will tell you they find them irresistible. Therefore it matters to the publishing company that their vast readership keeps coming back for more.

“Speaking from a personal note, it means everything to the author that the hero and heroine on the cover do justice to her superbly crafted relationship novel.

“That’s my job.

“If I’ve done it right, the romance reader escapes even further into the story.”

“I can vouch for that,” Nyla piped up. “I still read the book if the cover’s bad, but when it’s a good one, it makes it even more exciting.”

“Especially like that novel with Uncle Payne as a Viking! It was such a good story I checked out some books at the library about the Norsemen.”

Rainey nodded. “It was written by a male author who’s a Scandinavian history buff. I did the same thing as you, Catherine, and went to the library before I started to paint.

“You’ll never know how much fun I had with that cover because the author had based Roald on a true historical figure. The clothes I put on him were the same ones on display at a museum in Norway.”

“It was thrilling all right,” Nyla murmured, “but I think I liked your cover of Mr. Sterling on The Baby Doctor’s Baby the best.”

“Oh, Uncle Payne-the little baby you were holding was so sweet.”

“Is that right,” he drawled.

Rainey forgot the promise she’d made not to look at him. Their eyes met. His were smiling. They filled her with warmth. She hurriedly glanced at Catherine.

“That was Matt, my best friend’s baby boy.”

“You just wanted to squeeze him,” Nyla said with a sigh. “I can still see those big dimples and adorable blue eyes.”

“Someday I want a baby that looks just like him.”

“Let’s make that about ten years away, sweetheart.”

“Uncle Payne-”

Everyone laughed except his fiancée whose gaze remained leveled on Rainey.

“How did you happen to end up painting covers on romance novels of all things?”

“One day while I was in the media center of the high school where I taught art, I came across a book called Writer’s World U.S.A. I started looking through the pages at the hundreds of publishing companies that use artwork.

“On a whim I sent out queries. Sometimes I got an answer back. Sometimes not. A few times I was asked for a sample of my work.

“To my delight, Red Rose Romance asked to see my portfolio. I sent in my disk and they hired me. I was hired by Global Greeting Cards the same way.”

“You’re very talented.”

Diane sounded tired. Not only of the subject, but physically worn out.

“Thank you, Ms. Wylie. Once again, I’d like to apologize for the pain I unknowingly caused you. I hope you’ll be able to get past this.”

“I already have,” she muttered. “It’s obvious you meant no harm. I wish you luck in your future endeavors.”

“I want the same thing for you. Have you set a date for your wedding?”

“August first.”

The words cut like a knife through Rainey’s heart. “That’s not far away.”

“You’re right,” Payne broke in. “Diane and I still have an important matter to decide. If you’ll excuse us, we’ll say goodnight.” He rose to his feet.

“See you tomorrow, sweetheart. That was a terrific meal.” He kissed Catherine’s cheek.

“Goodnight, Ms. Bennett.”

“Goodnight,” Rainey whispered.

“Nyla?” He patted the maid’s shoulder. “Don’t ever change.”

The second he wheeled his fiancée into the house, Catherine turned to Rainey. “If I brought you some paper, would you do a picture of Lady?”

Rainey wanted to hug her for making the request. The announcement of Payne Sterling’s imminent marriage had come as a greater blow than she would have imagined.

When Rainey got upset, she always turned to her drawing board for solace. Right now she was in agony.

“I’d be honored. In fact while we were eating dinner, I sketched her in my mind.”

“You mean it?” Catherine looked stunned.

“Yes. I’ve already given the drawing a title.”

“What?”

Nyla looked equally curious.

She winked. “You’ll see.”

Both of them smiled.

“I’ll find you some paper and a pencil!” Catherine cried.

“There’s no need for that. The art case next to my overnight bag has everything I’ll require.”

“I’ll get it!”

Lady raced after her.

“She’s a darling girl,” Rainey murmured as Payne’s niece disappeared inside the house.

The maid nodded. “You’re coming here this evening has made her happier than I’ve seen her in a long, long time.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Her younger brother, Trevor, died of leukemia last year. She took it harder than the oth-”

“Leukemia-”

“Oh…I didn’t realize you didn’t know. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised Mr. Sterling didn’t tell you. Too many similarities between the book and his life.”

“Dear God, Nyla.”

“It’s been a difficult year. First his nephew’s death, then Ms. Wylie’s horrible accident. He’s determined that she’ll walk again, but she fights him so. I’m afraid Mr. Sterling has had about as muc-”

“Here you go.”

Catherine reappeared so fast, Nyla didn’t get the opportunity to finish what she was going to say. Rainey was still so shaken by the news of another tragedy befalling the Sterling family, she felt ill.

Bonnie Wrigley wouldn’t believe it when Rainey phoned to tell her that Payne’s nephew had died from leukemia.