His Model Student: A Student-Teacher Romance

42. Discovered

[RECAP: Sera is at Mr Marek's house, on his couch for quite a different purpose than being painted...]

They lay together on the sofa for some time. Sera gazed up at the seascape on the wall. She found it both beautiful and disturbing. Haunting.

"Why didn't you paint for over four years?" she asked him.

Mr Marek didn't respond but neither did he grow tense at the question.

"Was it because of your mother?"

He turned his head to look at her, as though he were weighing up what answer to give.

Sera studied the planes of his face. The answer was in his eyes. "I do understand, you know. I lost mine as well."

Mr Marek frowned. "But you spoke of your parents?"

"I call them that. I guess they are, legally. But Marisa is actually my stepmother."

There was concern and sympathy in his eyes now. "How old were you?"

"Eight."

He lay back, looking up at the ceiling. After a long while he spoke. "My mother raised me alone for most of my childhood, it was just the two of us. My father was a political prisoner. She had no support, nothing. Her whole life was trying to keep a roof over our heads while campaigning for my father's release. Then there was the revolution and he got out and things were okay. But watching her get sick, die, not being able to do anything..."

He broke off and Sera felt his pain and remembered her own. Carrying the absence with her, no matter how long ago and how much she tried to bury it, it was always there.

She didn't need to say "I'm sorry" or commiserate, they simply understood one another. It was like being a member of the worst club in the world. A girl at school who had lost her mother in a car accident had once said this to Sera. Sera had resented it at the time and avoided her. She wanted her grief for herself. Then the girl moved schools and later Sera regretted shutting her out.

She wondered where the girl was now, if she had had a happy life. Sera's own had been reasonably happy even if she hadn't seen eye to eye with Marisa. Marisa had at least always been fair and tried to be kind. I should make more effort, Sera thought.

"I painted that while she was dying." His voice broke into her reverie. "You asked if it was a self-portrait. Now you know."

She sensed his mood change. He moved back over her, his lips on hers, moving down to her neck. "Being with you blots it out."

Mr Marek started to unbutton her blouse, kissing her stomach as he did so. He was much more tender than he had been before. He was just moving over her breast when the doorbell rang.

"Christ. I know no one in this town, are we always going to be disturbed?" He ignored it and returned to Sera who found it impossible to relax as the bell was pressed again after a few seconds. On and on.

"They must know you're in, your car's outside," she said.

Mr Marek looked exasperated. "Stay there, I'll get rid of them," he ordered her and went to get the door.

Sera reclined on the cushions, her clothes half undone, waiting for him to come back. She hoped he wouldn't be long.

Then she heard him address the visitor.

"What the hell are you doing here? Now is not a good time."

Sera couldn't initially hear what the visitor replied but she knew instantly that it was Victoria. Their voices became raised.

"Just go, will you."

"How dare you try to turn me away!"

"Victoria!" Sera heard Mr Marek exclaim and then realised Victoria had managed to force her way into the house. She sat up just as the blonde woman stormed into the room. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Sera. Mr Marek, behind her, closed his eyes.

Victoria spun around to him. "A schoolgirl, Tarquin. Are you serious?"

There was no way they could pretend Sera was just visiting, her dishevelled and unbuttoned school uniform more than gave the game away.

"It's none of your business. I'd like you to leave." A muscle clenched in his jaw.

Victoria did not leave. She was silent for a few moments, calculating. "She's not just any student, is she? She's your student. From the school you teach at."

"As I said, it's not your concern."

Victoria laughed softly, an unpleasantly menacing laugh. "Oh, but I think it's very much my concern, Tarquin darling. I wonder what the school would say? How these girl's parents might react if they were to find out?"

"Are you threatening me?" There was an even more dangerous note in Mr Marek's voice.

"I'd only be doing my duty as a concerned person to report something like this." Her smile was pure spite. Sera was starting to feel worried.

Mr Marek dismissed Victoria's words. "Sera is eighteen. No law has been broken."

"Nonetheless, I'm sure they have rules against fraternising. And how would it look? Painting your pupils - naked, I assume - and then seducing them. I can just see the newspaper headlines."

So could Sera. What would it take to make this awful woman go away?

"What is it you want, Victoria?" He sounded both irritated and resigned.

She laughed again, an artificial hollow laugh. "Why you of course, darling. Haven't I always wanted you?" Her gaze fell on Sera and her eyes narrowed. "And this little brat gone." She had nearly said another word beginning with "b" but managed to check herself.

"Neither of those things is going to happen."

"Isn't it? Let me be frank with you, Tarquin. I need a place to stay and I'm sure you have room here. If you get rid of that girl for good, I'm sure I can keep my mouth shut. Otherwise..."

Sera couldn't keep quiet any more. "You have no proof."

Victoria raised an artificially pencilled eyebrow. "Don't I? I should think the testimony of Tarquin's concerned fiancée, devastated to have caught him in flagrante with a school pupil, would be amply convincing."

Then she pulled out her trump card. Before Mr Marek could stop her she strode into the conservatory and pulled the cloth off the easel.

"And then there's this. More than sufficient evidence that very untoward relations have developed between you and your student. I must say, Tarquin, it's not your usual style. You'd be wiser to stick to seascapes now I'm here."

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