CHAPTER 25
The last day of their holiday was warm and sunny and they all wanted to spend as much time as possible on the beach. Aunty Izzy and Jennifer packed a picnic basket and they all walked down together past the lighthouse and onto the sand near the water’s edge.
The twins spent their time in and out of the water and then decided to help Thierry with the boat. Uncle Bernard, he told them, was preparing the party.
Isabelle, Jennifer and Aliénor decided to go for a walk along the beach and, as they did, enjoying the warm sun on their backs, Jennifer asked her Aunt whether painting was always a mystery.
“What do you mean by a mystery?” asked her Aunt
“Well, I thought that artists would plan a painting and know exactly how it would turn out before they began, but your painting didn’t seem to work like that,” said Jennifer.
“Oh! No. It’s never like that,” replied her Aunt. “Sometimes it is particularly difficult, like this painting. I really did feel that someone was guiding me sometimes, and stopping me from continuing at other times! But usually I begin with an idea and then just let the painting develop as I am making it. The finished painting is always a surprise to me. Sometimes when I look back at it, I can’t even remember painting it. In that sense it really is a mystery.”
“Will you start another painting now?” asked Aliénor.
“I hope so. Sometimes when you have finished a painting you feel that you may never be able to begin again. It’s quite scary. But some idea always crops up and you do begin again. I’ve got the Château until November so I hope to paint many more landscapes.”
“I wish we could come back again. We have all had the best time, said Jenny.
“Well I’ll be here at half-term, but who knows, perhaps you will get a better offer.”
“I think we should all go back to the Château now and get dressed for the party,” said Aunty Izzy.