“You needn’t worry about him, Miss Fiona. Between myself and Mr. Roche, one of us is always there for him. He understands what he’s done wrong—in his own way, you might say—so he’ll obey any orders he’s given, even if he dislikes them. He doesn’t seem too keen on returning to his old village either.”
With no family, and his surrogate father dead, Rudolph had no place to call home. According to protocol, he ought to go to an institution or to a place like prison. Either option meant he wouldn’t be able to keep up his painting.
Giles was kind enough to let me know that they would take my statement into consideration when determining Rudolph’s sentence. I wouldn’t want to make a final decision until I had a chance to speak with the boy himself, but I do have a dream scenario for him…
“I wonder, what does Rudolph think of painting?” How did a boy who was trained in art restoration feel about counterfeits and having created them? That was what Fiona wanted to know most of all.
She had only been thinking out loud, but Dennis responded bluntly. “Oh, well, um, he says he doesn’t really care in particular,” he stammered.
“What?”
“That little urchin says he doesn’t even like art. I thought that couldn’t be, since he’s so talented at it, so I asked him again, and he confirmed it.”
“Really?”
“Yes. If you need any proof of that, he says he’s never once wanted to paint his own art.”
“Is that really true, though? Are you certain he wasn’t just putting on a front?”
“No, I don’t think he was lying. He hasn’t even made any doodles to pass the time. Though I suppose he is somewhat afraid of art being taken away from him, since it’s all he’s ever done.”
He was a once-in-a-generation talent, yet he had no interest in creating original art. He had cultivated only the minimum of talent necessary to pursue art restoration as a profession. It was difficult for Fiona to believe, but if art was a means of survival to Rudolph, then perhaps it did make sense.
Maybe that was why making counterfeits came so easily to him. But if that were really true…
Ordinarily, Fiona would have no need to worry herself over Rudolph’s future, but she was the first person to point out that his paintings were fake. Just like with Marianne, she could not turn a blind eye or pretend it did not concern her.
Noticing she had plunged deep into thought, Dennis frantically added, “I don’t think he’ll receive too harsh a sentence. He’ll probably be sent to an institution to work for a few years, though that depends on what they decide to do about his guardianship.”
His tone was casual, but it was clear just how deeply he cared for Rudolph.
“Dennis, you and Rudolph have grown close.”
“Close? Yes, I suppose we have. He can be a handful, but I just can’t let him out of my sight. Of course, I’m sure he sees me as a nuisance.”
“Oh, I doubt that.”
Dennis poked himself in the cheek and smiled shyly. For all Rudolph’s posturing, he was tormented with worry. Dennis was a great source of strength to him, and Dennis surely had picked up on that.
“I’ve been told that my opinion as to what should become of Rudolph would be appreciated,” Fiona said. “So here’s my opinion, Dennis. If it’s possible…”
Fiona told him her idea as she handed over the stack of documents and letters she had finished. Dennis’s eyes grew wide.
“…so I wanted to hear what Mr. Roche thought about that,” Fiona finished.
“Uh, well… I’m not sure how to put this, but your suggestion is, uh…” Dennis fumbled over his words, and Fiona nodded for him to continue. With great strain, he did. “Well, um, to be honest, that idea sounds very unlike you.”
“Unlike me? Really?”
“Forgive me, that came out wrong. It’s just that I assumed you would want a more lenient punishment for Rudolph.”
“Ah, like an acquittal?”
“Yes.”
“But that wouldn’t be right.”
Rudolph’s crimes had been forced upon him, and moreover, he did not know for what purpose his counterfeit paintings would be used. Combined with his status as a minor, these facts made it tempting to let Rudolph off scot-free, but that was not right.
Firmly, Fiona told Dennis that there was a line that could not be crossed. “Copying famous artists in the pursuit of learning is perfectly acceptable; you can make as many copies as you’d like, and art restorers in particular do so frequently. But what Rudolph did was plagiarism, and his plagiarized works were used to con people.”
In the art world, it didn’t matter what the circumstances were—plagiarism was the ultimate taboo. Armed robbery and assault almost paled in comparison. While the crime itself could not be seen, the reality of it could not be erased. Fiona knew that trying to protect Rudolph would have the opposite of the intended effect.
“You’re right,” Dennis said slowly. “I’m still a novice when it comes to art, but in the military, we too had a line we could never cross.”
“What I’m saying is heartless. I’m well aware of that.”
“No, you’re thinking of the future. Meanwhile, I’m actually relieved that you aren’t a just softie who shelters and indulges others. I’m glad you’re that sort of person.”
“We can’t know the future for certain, but I want to make sure he has a path waiting for him… But, Dennis, what do you mean by ‘that sort of person?’”
“I believe ‘noble’ is the word. I couldn’t be prouder.” Fiona seemed perplexed by his praise, but Dennis didn’t let that bother him. “I only started work at the gallery so I could be your bodyguard, Miss Fiona, but I’ve come to like it. I want to continue this role, so I appreciate that I got to do more on this job than my originally assigned tasks.”
“Um, but I didn’t do anything.”
“And so modest, to boot. Ah, I wish I could’ve been there to see you take Gordon down a peg. Though I did hear a great deal about it after the fact.”
Fiona shrank back, intimidated by his curiosity. She really wished people would stop using her momentary loss of composure as an amusing story. “A-about that!” she cut in. “I feel, well… I’m sorry for what I did, though I can’t promise I’ll never do it again.”
“Ha ha ha! Good for you, I say! Well, I’ll relay your thoughts on Rudolph to Mr. Roche. I’m sure he’ll be in agreement.”
With a smile and a wave, Dennis put the estate behind him.