Saturation

Chapter 11 - A Date in France

Chapter 11 - A Date in France

It's been a week since I started college classes.  Montebeau is my main professor though I have one more for sculpting, Professor Wimble.  My first attendance in Montebeau's class was very typical, yet there was a sort of playfulness and class from the way he taught.  He always puts everyone down, but in a joking manner, and so the students know to try their best.  At least, I do.

The first day our assignment was to paint a still life of any object in the Art room, and I mean any.  One student, Missy Charade, chose to paint someone's footprint they'd left on the polished floor.  I didn't do anything so extraordinary... I chose to paint someone's shadow silhouetted on the window, which had flowers outside peeking in.  I chose a soft pastel pink, deep ultraviolet, and light greens for the flowers, mixed from ultramarine blue, cadmium red light, cadmium yellow light, titanium white, and a bit of lamp black.  It was a nice colour wheel for my palette and very simple.

Montebeau had commented on my great technique in choosing bold, fresh colours and sticking with them.  He noted that most people chose way too many colours when painting a picture and that complicated and muddled up things.  He also had said that there was a speck of vivid green right in the middle of my shadow and I had sighed, rolling my eyes.  It probably got onto my paintbrush when I was mixing the colours, or onto my fingers.  Those things happened occasionally...

"I think I'll leave it," I had said.  "It gives my painting character, does it not?"

"Oui, mademoiselle.  It's a Karmichael trademark, to find a speck of wild colour in great saturation with the rest of the painting." He'd given me a smile which I'd returned, and walked off to the other students.

Of course, by then I knew Montebeau was very aware of my colour blindness.  It was in my resume.  What was not?  My nightmares...

Speaking of which, the nightmares were constant and repeated over and over.  Grace had totally vanished for five days... Then after my last day of classes on Friday I got a folded up paper note from Montebeau telling me to meet him after all classes were over.  So I did.  I had gotten a call the day before from Sir telling me that my professor was asking permission to take me out on a date... So I knew what Montebeau wanted.

What all this has to do with my next nightmare?  We'll see soon enough.

"Good evening, Professeur Montebeau." I greeted.

His tall figure was seated at his desk in the emptied room, pouring over some two canvass sheets with a look of deep thought on his face.  He perked up when he heard and saw me, standing up immediately and gracing me with a deep bow.  "Good evening, mademoiselle Karmichael."

I smiled at his still chivalrous acts.  Funny thing, he greeted the entire class with bows every morning and evening...  Every time his eyes always met mine and I would find myself blushing.  Every time.  There was something magically charismatic about him...

"What is this very important message you have to discuss with me?" I asked, feigning oblivion.

He cleared his throat and tugged on his white shirt collar before answering.  "Well, I would like to court this beautiful young lady, as it has come to my attention her father has permitted me the privilege."

My eyelashes fluttered at his magnificent speech and I lifted my eyebrows playfully.  "Is that so?  Well, what does the lady in question have to say upon the matter?"

He took a step closer to me and matched my eyes, a knowing smile forming on his lips. "Considering that the young lady has no objections... I am hoping she will let me court her and take her out for an opera tonight, as I noticed she was staring lavishingly at the opera building last Friday morning."