janet maple 05 - it doesnt pay to be bad Read Online Free Page B

itself and we still didn’t see everything there. And then there was the d’Orsay, and the Eiffel Tower—”
    “Did I mention we climbed to the very top of the Eiffel Tower?” Dennis cut in.
    “That must’ve been so exciting,” Mrs. Chapman gushed.
    “It was,” Janet confirmed. “And Dennis enjoyed it too—the view was breathtaking.”
    “As was the climb,” Dennis wouldn’t relent.
    “Says the guy who can run five miles hardly breaking a sweat,” Janet countered. “Just think of walking as a workout.”
    “I prefer to limit my workouts to the gym, thank you very much,” Dennis shot back. “By the time we reached the top, I had holes in the bottoms of my shoes.”
    “I think Dennis has discovered a talent for comedy during our honeymoon,” Janet said. “And he just won’t stop.”
    “You got me.” Dennis held up his hands. “I’ll admit it. It was nice and I enjoyed every bit of it. How could I not with my wonderful wife by my side?”
    “Oh, how sweet you two are!” Mrs. Chapman cooed.
    “You’re too kind, Mrs. Chapman.” Janet paused—truth be told, she did enjoy the back and forth bickering with Dennis because she knew it was never serious. “Antibes turned out to be such a quaint little town,” Janet continued. “We found the most delightful art gallery there where we bought a wonderful painting. The owner didn’t want to sell it to us at first, but then he changed his mind and we got it.”
    “How exciting—I can’t wait to see it.” Mrs. Chapman’s eyes gleamed with curiosity.
    Janet rose from the couch and went to get the carryon case with the painting. “Here it is,” she said as she began to open the zipper. “I fell in love with it the moment I saw it.” She carefully removed the painting from the case and propped it on the reading table, holding it up with her hand.
    “Oh, my!” Mrs. Chapman exclaimed. “The sea looks absolutely dazzling.”
    “That’s what I thought. We’re going to hang it up above the couch,” Janet said.
    “The perfect spot for it.” Mrs. Chapman rose from her seat to take a closer look at the painting. “Who’s the artist?” she asked.
    “An unknown,” Dennis said. “But he did a good job.”
    “That he did,” Mrs. Chapman agreed. “And the frame is very lovely too. It looks old—it could be worth quite a bit on its own. You might want to take it to an antiques specialist to learn more about it.”
    “I was thinking about that too,” Janet said. “Not that we’d ever sell it, but maybe there’s a story behind it. I’d love to know what it is. The shop where we bought it was most peculiar.” Janet proceeded to tell Mrs. Chapman about their visit to the art gallery.
    “That sounds like an adventure in its own!” Mrs. Chapman gushed after Janet finished her story. “You’ll have to tell me more about the rest of your trip later. I’m afraid I must run now,” she added, glancing at her watch. “I have a date.”
    “He’s a lucky fella. If your date isn’t being a perfect gentleman, you just give me a call, Mrs. Chapman, and I’ll straighten him out,” Dennis added in all seriousness.
    Mrs. Chapman waved her hand demurely. “Oh, I think I’ll manage. I appreciate the offer though. Now, you two, unpack and unwind.” Mrs. Chapman headed for the foyer.
    “Mrs. Chapman, wait a minute.” Janet followed after her. She reached down and picked up one of the bags from the duty free shop. “We got this for you,” she said, handing Mrs. Chapman the bag.
    “Oh, you shouldn’t have,” Mrs. Chapman said modestly.
    “It’s a bottle of cognac,” Janet said. “The same we just had.”
    “In that case you should have.” Mrs. Chapman smiled. “I’ll save it for special evenings.”
    “Enjoy.” Janet knew they’d gotten the right gift for her neighbor—if there was one thing Mrs. Chapman enjoyed, it was a good nightcap. “Thank you again for taking care of Baxter.”
    “Don’t mention it, dearie. We take care