Compared with the oil paintings in the Louvre Museum's collection, whether watercolors or gouache paintings, they all looked somewhat "shabby."
But if the painting outside had been rendered in oils, it would certainly have been astonishingly heavy.
After avoiding the others, Matilda brought them to an empty room.
It truly was an empty room. Aside from two chairs, there was nothing there—except for the polished wooden floor, the chandelier overhead, and the decorations.
When Lannes served as commander of the Imperial Guard, he had misappropriated public funds to renovate his new house. He had chosen a Baroque style, and once the porcelain and furniture were added in, his savings from many years were no longer enough.
His wife's family owned a bank, but what sort of "man" would let his wife pay for decorating their new home?
The "favorites" did not lack that little bit of military pay. After attending the Easter ceremony held at The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, they even joked with their former commander.
"Madam, what would you like to hear?" Matilda asked after they were seated.
"Go ask whether anyone can sing Handel," Georgiana said.
Matilda left to carry out the order.
"Who is Handel?" Mr. Martin asked in a very low voice, though there were only the two of them in the room.
"Handel was a German who became British. He excelled in the Baroque style," Georgiana said softly. "Do you know Italian?"
"Of course," Mr. Martin said.
"Then that is perfect. I do not. Later, tell me what they sang about," Georgiana said.
Mr. Martin laughed.
Just then, Matilda came in, followed by an actress.
"What would Madam like to hear?" Matilda asked.
"Choose whatever you like," Georgiana said to the actress.
"No accompaniment?" Mr. Martin asked.
"Handel's songs are all sung unaccompanied," Georgiana said.