Chapter FourIt was only when Tempera had put her stepmother to bed and was alone in the darkness of her own room that she could think clearly of what she had said to the Duke as they sat in the moonlight.
It was then, she told herself, that once again she had behaved in an extremely reprehensible manner and most of all her behaviour with regard to the picture was inexcusable. It was all so simple.
Out of his charity he had given her some canvases and he had asked in return that he should see the picture she had painted of his flowers.
Why in those, circumstances should she behave like a self-conscious, hysterical schoolgirl?
All she had to do was to leave the picture on his desk as she had intended, and if he wished to keep it was no reason why she should argue.
He had recompensed her
