Chapter 67

Chapter 67
Sophia's POV
Two days left.
I'd spent another sleepless night poring over my makeshift study materials, but every article I read just made it clearer how hopeless this situation was. Art therapy resources could only take me so far. I needed real knowledge, the kind that came from years of study.
There has to be someone in this house who can help me.
That's when I thought of Mrs. Henderson. The Romano family's head housekeeper had been with the family for over thirty years. She'd served Vito's mother, had attended countless social events, had probably seen more art auctions than most collectors.
She might know enough to help me survive this.
I found Mrs. Henderson in the main drawing room, carefully dusting the family portraits that lined the walls. She looked up when I entered, her weathered face breaking into a kind smile.
"Good morning, Mrs. Romano. You're up early today."
"I couldn't sleep," I admitted. "Mrs. Henderson, I was wondering if I could ask you for some help."
"Of course, dear. What do you need?"
I took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to phrase this without sounding completely ignorant. "The charity auction on Saturday. I'm supposed to provide commentary on the art pieces, and I want to make sure I represent the family well."
Mrs. Henderson's eyes lit up with understanding. "Ah, yes. I remember when Mr. Vito's mother used to do those events. Beautiful woman, she was, and so knowledgeable about art."
Perfect. She definitely has experience with this.
"I was hoping you might be able to share some insights about what these events are like, what kind of things people expect to hear."
"Well now, that's thoughtful of you to ask." Mrs. Henderson set down her dusting cloth and settled into one of the chairs. "I attended quite a few auctions with Mrs. Carmen Romano over the years. Lovely events, they were."
I sat across from her, pulling out my notebook. "What should I know about the process? How do these auctions typically work?"
"Oh, it's quite formal, really. The auctioneer presents each piece, gives some background about the artist and the work's significance. Then the bidding begins." Mrs. Henderson's voice took on a nostalgic tone. "Mrs. Carmen had such a way with words. She could make even the simplest painting sound like a masterpiece."
That's exactly what I need to learn how to do.
"What kind of background information do people usually want to hear?"
"Well, the basics, of course. When it was painted, what period or movement it represents, any interesting history about the piece or the artist." She paused thoughtfully. "Mrs. Carmen always said the key was to help people understand why the piece was special, what made it worth collecting."
I scribbled notes frantically. "What about technical terms? Are there specific words I should know?"
"Oh my, yes. You'd need to know about things like brushwork, composition, color palette." Mrs. Henderson warmed to the subject. "And the different artistic movements, of course. Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Cubism, that sort of thing."
My heart sank. These were exactly the kinds of details I knew nothing about. "Can you tell me more about those movements? What makes them different?"
Mrs. Henderson looked pleased to share her knowledge. "Well, Impressionism came first, in the late 1800s. Artists like Monet and Renoir, focusing on light and color rather than precise details."
I wrote furiously, trying to capture every word.
"Then came Post-Impressionism, which was a reaction against Impressionism. Artists like Van Gogh and Cezanne wanted more structure and meaning in their work."
This is helpful. I can memorize these basic facts.
"And Cubism?" I prompted.
"That was much later, early 1900s. Picasso and Braque, breaking everything down into geometric shapes." Mrs. Henderson chuckled. "Mrs. Carmen never cared much for the Cubist pieces, though the family collection has a few."
The family has a collection? "The Romano family collects art?"
"Oh yes, dear. Quite an impressive collection, actually. Mr. Vito's grandfather started it, and Mrs. Carmen added many beautiful pieces over the years." She gestured toward the hallway. "Most of them are in the private gallery upstairs."
There's a gallery in this house that I didn't know about?
"Perhaps I should familiarize myself with the family's collection," I said carefully. "In case anyone asks about our artistic interests."
"That's a wonderful idea. Mrs. Carmen always said a woman should know her own collection inside and out."
We spent the next hour going over basic auction terminology and procedures. Mrs. Henderson explained the difference between reserve prices and estimates, how bidding increments worked, and what kind of behavior was expected from the presenter.
This is actually manageable. I can learn enough basics to get through this.
But then Mrs. Henderson started talking about specific artists, and I realized how much trouble I was still in.
"Of course, you'll want to be able to distinguish between early and late period works," she was saying. "Take Picasso, for example. His Blue Period pieces are completely different from his Rose Period or his later Cubist work."
I nodded and tried to look knowledgeable, but inside I was panicking. Picasso had different periods? How many? What were they called?
"And then there's the matter of authenticity," Mrs. Henderson continued. "So many forgeries in the market these days. A trained eye can usually spot them, though."
How am I supposed to spot forgeries when I can barely identify the real artists?
"What should I look for?" I asked, hoping she could give me some simple guidelines.
"Oh, it's quite complex, dear. Brushstroke patterns, canvas age, pigment analysis. That's why provenance is so important."
Provenance. I've heard that word before.
"Right, provenance," I said, trying to sound like I knew what I was talking about. "The history of ownership."
"Exactly. And of course, you'd want to know about the artist's technique. Take someone like Caravaggio, for instance. His use of chiaroscuro was revolutionary for its time."
I had no idea what chiaroscuro meant, but I nodded and made a note to look it up later.
"Speaking of technique," Mrs. Henderson said, "I've always been fascinated by the way the Impressionists handled their brushwork. Van Gogh's impasto technique, for example, compared to Monet's more delicate approach."
I should probably know what impasto means too.
I was starting to feel overwhelmed again. Every answer Mrs. Henderson gave me revealed ten new things I didn't know. But I had to keep trying.
"What about modern art?" I asked. "Contemporary pieces?"
"Well, that's trickier territory. Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Minimalism." Mrs. Henderson shook her head. "Mrs. Carmen preferred the classics, though she did acquire a few Warhol pieces in the eighties."
Warhol. I think I've heard of him. The soup can guy?
"Warhol is Pop Art, right?" I said, hoping to sound informed.
"Oh yes, absolutely. Though his earlier work was quite different from his later commercial pieces." Mrs. Henderson paused and looked at me curiously. "But surely you studied his development at Juilliard? His transition from commercial illustration to fine art is fascinating."
Shit. I just revealed that I don't know basic information about a famous artist.
"Of course," I said quickly. "I was just... testing to see how much you knew about him."
Mrs. Henderson smiled, but something in her expression had changed. "You're very thorough in your preparation, dear."
Does she suspect something?
We continued for another half hour, but I could feel Mrs. Henderson watching me more carefully now. Every time I asked a question that should have been too basic for someone with an art degree, I saw a flicker of confusion in her eyes.
Finally, she started talking about the French Impressionists, and I made a critical mistake.
"I've always admired how Monet captured the water lilies in his garden," I said, trying to contribute something to the conversation.
"Yes, his garden at Giverny was beautiful. Though of course, he painted the water lilies during his Realist period."
That doesn't sound right. "Actually, I think Monet was an Impressionist, not a Realist."
Mrs. Henderson stopped mid-sentence and stared at me. "Mrs. Romano, Claude Monet was one of the founding fathers of Impressionism. That's very basic art history."
My stomach dropped. I'd just corrected her on something she was right about, revealing that I didn't know one of the most fundamental facts about art history.
"A woman who studied art at Juilliard would certainly know that Monet was an Impressionist," Mrs. Henderson said slowly, her voice carrying a note of confusion. "How could you not know that?"
I'm caught. I'm completely caught.
"I... of course I know that," I stammered. "I was just distracted, thinking about something else."
But I could see in Mrs. Henderson's eyes that the damage was done. She was looking at me like she was seeing me for the first time, trying to figure out who I really was.
"Perhaps we should continue this later," she said diplomatically. "You seem tired, dear."
"Yes, that's probably best." I gathered my notes with shaking hands. "Thank you for your help, Mrs. Henderson. This has been very... educational."
Educational and disastrous.
As I left the drawing room, I could feel Mrs. Henderson's puzzled gaze following me. I'd gained some useful information, but I'd also created a new problem. Now someone else in the household was questioning my identity.
How many people have to suspect me before this whole thing falls apart?