# Read the first page of The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis Read the opening of The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis free, no signup. Two women, fifty years apart, at an art school inside Grand Central. - Page: https://uncovered.ink/read/the-masterpiece-fiona-davis - Genre: Historical fiction - Year: 2018 - ISBN: 9781524742966 - Read it blind (cover and title hidden): https://uncovered.ink/?b=9781524742966&s=read-page - Buy: https://bookshop.org/a/125786/9781524742966 - Borrow: https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=9781524742966 ## The opening Clara Darden’s illustration class at the Grand Central School of Art, tucked under the copper eaves of the terminal, was unaffected by the trains that rumbled through ancient layers of Manhattan schist hundreds of feet below. But somehow, a surprise visit from Mr. Lorette, the school’s director, had the disruptive power of a locomotive weighing in at thousands of tons. Even before Mr. Lorette was a factor, Clara had been anxious about the annual faculty exhibition set to open at six o’clock that evening. Her first show in New York City, and everyone important in the art and editorial worlds would be there. She’d been working on her illustrations for months now, knowing this might be her only chance. She asked her class to begin work on an alternate cover design for Virginia Woolf’s latest book, and the four ladies dove in eagerly, while Wilbur, the only male and something of a rake to boot, sighed loudly and rolled his eyes. Gertrude, the most studious of the five members, was so offended by Wilbur’s lack of respect that she threatened to toss a jar of turpentine at him. They were still arguing vociferously when Mr. Lorette waltzed in. Never mind that these were all adults, not children. Whenever Wilbur made a ruckus, it had the unfortunate effect of lowering the entire class’s maturity level by a decade. More often than not, Clara was strong enough to restore order before things went too far. But Mr. Lorette seemed possessed of a miraculous talent for sensing the rare occasions during which Clara lost control of the room, and he could usually be counted upon to choose such times to wander by and assess her skills as an educator. “Miss Darden, do you need additional supervision again?” Mr. Lorette’s bald pate shone as if it had been buffed by one of the shoeshine boys in the terminal’s main concourse. The corners of his mouth curled down, even when he was pleased, while his eyebrows moved independently of each other, like two furry caterpillars trying to scurry away. Even though he was only in his early thirties, he exuded the snippety nature of a judgmental great-aunt. He’d been appointed director three years earlier, after one of the school’s illustrious founders, John Singer Sargent, passed away. The school had increased in reputation and enrollment with each new term, and Mr. Lorette had given himself full credit for its smashing success when he’d interviewed Clara. She’d been promoted from student monitor to interim teacher after Mr. Lorette’s chosen instructor dropped out at the last minute, putting her on uneven footing from the beginning. It hadn’t helped that the class had shriveled to five from an initial January enrollment of fifteen. Ten of those early enrollees had walked out on the first day, miffed at having a woman in charge. Mr. Lorette’s dissatisfaction, and the likelihood that she’d not be asked back next term, mounted each week, which meant tonight’s faculty show would probably be her last opportunity to get her illustrations in front of the city’s top magazine editors. Since coming to New York the year before, Clara had dutifully dropped off samples of her work at the offices of Vogue and McCall’s every few months, to no avail. The responses ranged from the soul-crushing—“Unoriginal/No”—to the encouraging—“Try again later.” All that would change, tonight. She hoped. ## Books with a similar feel - [I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon](https://uncovered.ink/read/i-was-anastasia-ariel-lawhon.md) - [The Riviera House by Natasha Lester](https://uncovered.ink/read/the-riviera-house-natasha-lester.md) - [Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams](https://uncovered.ink/read/husbands-and-lovers-beatriz-williams.md) - [The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff](https://uncovered.ink/read/the-orphans-tale-pam-jenoff.md) - [The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan](https://uncovered.ink/read/the-chilbury-ladies-choir-jennifer-ryan.md) - [Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See](https://uncovered.ink/read/snow-flower-and-the-secret-fan-lisa-see.md) --- Source: Uncovered (https://uncovered.ink). A short sample shown for reading and discovery. Rights holders can request removal at https://uncovered.ink/takedown.