Chapter Twenty-Nine
Anna stood on the pavement of Watergate Street, looking in awe at her name splashed across the window of the gallery, interspersed with some of her images.
‘Wow!’ For a moment that was all she could say. She could feel the butterflies flitting around her stomach as though they were in overdrive.
‘Come on.’ Daniel placed his hand gently on the small of her back. ‘Let’s go in. I’m sure Charlotte has worked her magic.’
‘I’m sure she has.’ Anna regained her composure. ‘I wish she’d let me help with the display beforehand, though. It would stop me feeling so nervous.’
Daniel laughed. ‘That’s Charlotte for you. Complete control freak.’
The moment she stepped through the door, she was greeted by a tall, immaculate-looking man in a tailored black suit and crisp blue shirt. He held out a perfectly manicured hand.
‘Ms Wright, my name’s Andrew. I’m so pleased to meet you.’ She stalled at his name, thinking of her father, who hadn’t felt able to come to Chester. Briefly, once more, she wished she could have held this exhibition on her home turf. She remembered the glow she’d felt last time with her family’s praise embracing her. She shook her gloom off. She was here now and this was her big night.
She shook his hand, noticing how firm his grip was. ‘And I you.’ She smiled. ‘Thank you for allowing me to hold my exhibition here.’
‘The pleasure is all ours. Thank you for showcasing our beautiful city in such a stunning way. Let me show you around.’
Once again, even though she’d looked at every detail of every photograph so many times, now that they adorned the walls they were as fresh as though she’d never seen them before. Her heartwas hammering so loudly she imagined everyone could hear it quite plainly.
Daniel had his arm around her as they slowly moved through the gallery. When they returned to the open space at the front, he whispered, ‘Congratulations, my love, you’ve done it again.’
She smiled then, relaxing for the first time that evening, and took a calming deep breath in and out. Whether tonight was a success or not, she’d done her best and she was more than pleased with that.
‘Thank you.’ She looked up at him, so glad that he was by her side, and knew she would never have had the confidence to do this without him. She owed him so much for pushing her forward and reassuring her at the same time.
Charlotte breezed through the door and embraced them, then stepped back. ‘Well, what do you think?’
‘You’ve outdone yourself, as usual,’ Daniel said.
‘Thank you, Charlotte,’ Anna added. ‘You’ve done a brilliant job. The photos look stunning.’
‘Not difficult, seeing as they’re so good to start with.’
‘Yes, but the way you’ve put them together, I never would have thought of it. Next time, please, will you at least show me how you do it?’
‘What, and let you in on my trade secrets?’ Charlotte laughed. ‘I’ll think about it.’
A waiter appeared with a tray of champagne glasses and they all reached for one. Anna sipped at hers, the nerves mounting once more as the door opened and people began to trickle in.
At first she stood back, watching in awe as people commented on her work. It was one thing for her to think she’d done a good job, but something entirely different to hear words of praise on other people’s lips. Gradually, Charlotte pushed her forward and she began to mingle with the guests, blushing withpride at the compliments she received, relieved that tonight was going to be a success, and that she had nothing to worry about.
As the gallery filled up, the heat rose, and Anna was beginning to feel stifled. She wished she could pop outside for a moment just to get some fresh air, but everyone was clamouring for her attention and it would be rude to ignore them.
A cackle of laughter drew her attention away from the conversation she was having with a rather dull man who was talking to her about the English Civil War, giving her an in-depth breakdown of the siege of Chester, which had lasted for sixteen months. As she turned towards the noise, she saw a gaggle of women enter the gallery, some of them unsteady on their feet, and her body went suddenly cold. Lucinda and her cronies. That was the last thing she needed, especially as they all looked worse for wear.
Daniel was by her side, looking stricken.
‘Daniel?’ she asked quietly. ‘What are they doing here?’
‘I might have known they’d show up,’ he said. ‘But I didn’t expect them to be drunk.’ He touched her arm. ‘I’m going to go over and see if I can get rid of them. I don’t want them to spoil tonight.’
Anna nodded, hoping they weren’t here to deliberately cause trouble. She excused herself from the dreary conversation and tried to conceal herself in the shadows. It was ridiculous for her to be hiding at her own exhibition, but these women were still pressing all the buttons on her inferiority complex. As Daniel strode towards Lucinda, the group broke up and began to wander around the gallery. Their voices were loud as they commented on the pictures and, in her hiding place, Anna couldn’t help but hear them.
‘I don’t know why she thinks she’s so special. I could snap these photos on my phone.’ Anna recognised that voice as Verity, the one who’d snubbed her at the charity ball.
‘Can’t understand what Daniel sees in her. Lucinda’s far better-looking,’ her partner in crime, Felicity, agreed.
