He should have been angry with her. The pointed comments that she seemed unable to stop herself making, over and over. That stubborn defiant streak that she couldn't seem to shut off around him. And for a moment he wondered what it would take. When would she realise that he was trying for one reason alone, that this stupid ridiculous truce could not have held him, but for her. That the weakness he had shown to the world, the allowances he'd made. Those were all, every one, for her. Friendless and alone he may be but he didn't care. He had never cared. Until her.
"Perhaps the paintings are more honest." he said simply in response before staring at the next one, the bright jarring shades.
Oh he wanted her to follow the love of art he knew she had. Oh she had other wants too of course, but she had an eternity. And what better way to open those doors to the world than through the paintings that spanned the centuries. Caroline could already see the truth in artists work, and that was the first hurdle to study.
"As I remember, things were getting interesting in Europe. He did a few of these over the decade, not that you'll see a lot of them, got destroyed in the 30's, but the colours are the tell. Where do you think our brave painter spent more than a few of his formative years considering his earlier subject matter and the fact he spent much of his time in what became Germany."
He glanced across to Matt, almost curious to see what the boy who had never amounted to much would decide.
"You can do better than interesting mate? Give it a proper look"