No. 3 of 50 · Kentucky

Horse + Whiskey

Equestrian Portraits · Bourbon Still Lifes · Blue Plaid

Wellington Hartley Beaumont III was not invited.

He never is. This has, to date, not been a deterrent. He arrived before the first guests, found the bourbon without assistance — he has a talent for this — and took a seat that was not his. It was not an accident. Nobody said anything about it.

Cordelia arrived at the correct time, in the correct dress, with the correct posture. She acknowledged the room with a slight nod. She did not acknowledge Wellington. She positioned herself near the florals, which were well-arranged. She did not say this. She did not need to.

Horse + Whiskey is Paperfinch's Kentucky collection: cream and brown and the deep, specific blue of a plaid that has been in this house longer than anyone has been keeping track. Equestrian portraits with fully formed opinions. Bourbon still lifes at peak amber. Green rolling landscapes that go all the way to the horizon before they decide to stop. The horseshoe above the door has been there since before anyone remembers who put it up. The seat at the table is always taken. The bourbon is always already found.

Art prints, coasters, tea towels, ornaments, mugs, stickers, cards, pouches, and magnets — each piece carrying the visual language of Wellington's world, from the blue plaid on the tablecloth to the amber in the glass to the paddocks that have been green since before anyone thought to remark on it.

Wellington is at the table. Cordelia is near the florals. Nobody leaves early.