Chapter 12After suffering another lacklustre and lukewarm evening meal eaten alone in the dining room, served with bad grace, Joshua enjoyed a relaxed hour or two in the tavern with John. But when Joshua retired for the night, sleep seemed elusive. He felt restless and lonely and longed to be able to slip into bed with Frank, if only for the reassurance of holding him close.
At least Frank’s health is generally improving, he thought as he tried to bash his pillow into a more pliable shape. Despite being harassed and hounded by his dependents and that scoundrel of a brother. As a distraction, Joshua closed his eyes to imagine further layers of paint on his sketches of Ponte Vecchio, built up in the way Mr. Wilson had instructed.
I should finish them in a few days. Then I can lock them saf
