Barbara Leahy: Rembrandt’s Promise

“An orange sun burns low in the sky. I fold my arms on the sill, cup my elbows. Pink clouds streak a horizon of rooftops, spires, the sails of distant windmills. Soon the master will be home. Last night, I made him doubt me. This time, I will make him certain.”

Still grieving the deaths of her husband and stillborn son, Geertje soon bonds with her infant charge, Titus. She makes new friends and her confidence grows. After Rembrandt’s wife, Saskia, dies, Geertje grows close to the ardent but volatile painter, despite her loyal cousin Trijn warning her to leave his house. Realising she has idealised her late husband, Geertje begins a passionate affair with Rembrandt.