Ladies in Lavender #VisualRetelling #AU

CHAPTER SEVEN

A month later, Janet had an inspiration. "If Dr. Mead and I play the piano in the drawing room with the windows open it can be heard clearly in the spare room."

"Oh yes but if Jakob does not like it," cautioned Jill, "we should shut the windows."

"Of course, he's been confined to the guest room for weeks now, he's in need of some diversion dear," said Janet. From his daily visit's Jan Pendered talked of his time in the navy. It was his experience that different peoples and cultures shared a fondness for music.

Jill who could not play the piano sat happily by Jakob's bed, which had been wheeled to the open floor to ceiling windows so he could hear the planned musical.

Jill picked up her knitting and began to turn the heel of one of the socks. Jakob's opaque blue eyes followed her every move. Having swapped the fiery bombardment of the frontlines for one of relative peace, Jakob let the anguish of losing his family wash over him. His loneliness was eased by the happy company of soft fingered, well meaning and independent ladies in lavender.

Jakob had found ways of expressing gratitude. With unused canvas brought down from the attic, he painted flattering watercolours of Janet and Jill. Paintings that now hung alongside the prominent portrait of their father.

He painted a life like portrait of Janet, and wrote the word Engel, which the vocabulary at the end of Otto's German grammar translated to the similar sounding Angel; making her blush quite prettily.

Jakob painted a portrait of Dorcas with her five sons using the various photographs she had of each son. "My family is together again even if it is only on canvass." Dorcas said hugging Jakob, with tears of gratitude in her eyes. She had lost sons to the sea and Jakob had in a way fulfilled her greatest wish. He had reunited her family with his brush strokes.

Jakob playfully painted Jill as an alluring siren of the sea. Jill blushed scarlet at the painting that hinted at their meeting and the forbidden pleasures they indulged in every night.

Having completed the knitted cap and scarf, Jill held up her latest challenge which took on the distinct shape of a sock, and beamed a smile. Jakob leaned forward planting a passionate and bruising kiss on Jill's full lips.

Dr. Mead who was about to check on his patient, backed away from the half open door. The newly qualified doctor felt displaced by the attention Jakob was getting from both the Widdington sisters. He turned scowling with displeasure at Dorcas who joined him.

"The next things to be washed ashore will be Jakob's monkey and organ," he mocked quietly not to be heard by the couple.

"The police said a passenger on the Queen Anne was reported as having fallen overboard the night before Jakob washed ashore. He escaped the merciless storm." Docas crossed herself and kissed the crucifix hanging on her neck in memory of her sons before continuing. "We've grown rather fond of Jakob. He paints, repairs household items and I admit, I'd clean forgotten what it was like to have a man in the house." At this she winked rather mischievously. "Rather than being jealous, make the most of your daily visits with Miss Janet now that Miss Jill is not always at her side."

Dorcas had a way of cutting to the heart of the issue. Embarrassed, Wilfred Mead apologised, as the two of them walked away from the guest room.

"What about you and Jan Pandered," teased Dr. Mead.

"He comes to make sure that Jakob does not pose a threat to any of us."

"Does he?"

"The only thing under threat here is Jill's heart but not her head I wager."