Chapter 16On the morning of St. Stephen’s Day, the traditional day for gift-giving, the three of them convened in the drawing-room to exchange a few presents before Mrs. Jones got to grips with preparations for some Christmas delicacies before embarking on cooking the main meal of the day.
Joshua received some new paintbrushes from his mother and a credit note for a highly reputable London framer from Frank. “I hoped it would go towards the painting you choose to exhibit,” he said gruffly as Joshua exclaimed at his generosity.
In comparison, Joshua was uneasy that his gifts might seem paltry. But his mother exclaimed at the delicate watercolour of one of Sir William Hamilton’s exquisite Greek vases, depicting the Three Muses.
“Oh, Joshua, that’s marvellous!” she exclaimed, looking aroun
