Louisa gave a light shrug, still holding the paintbrush aloft..  It was the same old story, one she was sure Miss Crawley was equally familiar with.

"I don't suppose you speak..." she trailed off to squint at the portrait. "... old norse?"  Of course, reasoning with a portrait didnt always work but she couldn't try if the subject had no hope of understanding her.

"We've got our work cut out for us, eh?"  She shook her head at the viking who was looking increasingly dispondent now that it appeared Louisa had backup.  "I've got one that needs a new stretcher, two more with paint loss  still drying out, and one what had a tree branch go clean through it."

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