Page 102 of The Life Experiment
‘Are you? I hadn’t noticed.’ As Angus handed his mother her drink, they shared a smile. Going toe to toe with Gilly, Angus had learned, was a way to earn her smiles.
Standing back, he watched his mother take a drink. There was life to Gilly’s features that hadn’t been there a few days ago. Two pink splodges coloured her cheeks, a relief to Angus and his father. In fact, things with Gilly were going so well, Peter had even gone out for the day to play golf.
As Gilly took another sip of water, her eyes traced the canvas on the easel in front of her. She had been working on something all morning. So far, Angus hadn’t been allowed to look at it. It was one of the things that surprised him most after gifting Gilly the paints. In all other aspects of life, Gilly Fairview-Whitley was confident and self-assured, but when it came to her creativity, she was surprisingly shy.
When Angus perched on the edge of the dining table, Gilly set down her paintbrush. ‘Have you given Manet a run for his money?’ he asked.
‘His title is secure, but I must say, I’m quite proud of this.’
Angus’s eyebrows raised. ‘Really? May I see?’
‘I suppose you had better, seeing as I painted it for you,’ Gilly said.
‘For me?’
‘Yes, you. Don’t look so surprised, Angus. I have been known to do nice things from time to time.’
Unable to hide his smile at this unexpected turn of events, Angus lifted himself from the table. But before he could reach the canvas, Gilly put out a hand to stop him.
‘Before you look, I want to say that you don’t have to use it. I know you’ve been having trouble finding a logo for Hugo’s House, that’s all. I thought if I can’t steer you away from a life surrounded by death, then I might as well do my part. So, I gave designing a logo a go.’
If Angus thought his mother painting something for him was touching, then it being for Hugo’s House was something else entirely. Stepping closer to the canvas, he took in his mother’s creation.
A simple structure of a house, not quite cartoonish but not quite realistic either, sat in the centre of the space. With one side green and the other blue, the colours blended into each other in seamless, fluid brushstrokes to create a solid, undeniable building.
‘I used your favourite colour and Hugo’s,’ Gilly said. ‘It’s a simple palette. You can change it if you like, but—’
‘It’s perfect,’ Angus breathed. ‘You’ve brought Hugo’s House to life.’
Turning to his mother, Angus watched happiness light Gilly up from the inside, until the sound of approaching footsteps broke the moment. There was a jarring urgency to them, making Angus want nothing more than to stop whoever was coming from entering the room.
Especially once he saw who it was.
‘Jasper, Clarissa, what a pleasant surprise,’ Gilly enthused. Angus was surprised to hear how sincere Gilly sounded. The Marshall-Haiteses and Dowesses had learned of Gilly’s cancer after her infection forced Peter to come clean. Still, Angus would have thought his mother would baulk at the idea of anyone seeing her in her dressing gown near midday.
‘Lovely to see you as always, Gilly,’ Jasper boomed, striding into the space. Angus bristled as Jasper inspected the canvas. ‘Well, you’ve certainly been keeping busy.’
‘Hello,’ Clarissa said, avoiding Angus’s gaze as she smiled warmly at Gilly. ‘Mother sends her love. She’ll pop in when she’s back from Edinburgh on Thursday, if you’re free.’
‘I suppose I could make time,’ Gilly replied, but her delight shone through her haughty tone.
‘Wonderful, I’ll let her know. What are you painting?’
Angus cut in before his mother could answer Clarissa’s question. ‘What are you both doing here?’
‘Well, obviously, we wanted to visit Gilly,’ Jasper replied. ‘But also, we need to talk to you.’
Confused, Angus prepared to take them elsewhere to talk privately, but Gilly grabbed his arm. ‘Stay. It’s been so long since I’ve had a visitor. I would love to catch up with you all.’
Unable to deny her, Angus gestured to the table and chairs. Jasper and Clarissa took a seat, and Angus followed suit. As he moved, he noticed how tight Clarissa’s shoulders were.
‘Is everything okay?’ Angus asked once they were seated.
‘That depends,’ Jasper replied. ‘What’s your definition of okay?’
Angus’s lips pressed together, worried. There was a playfulness to Jasper he didn’t trust. No doubt he was there to rope Angus into some harebrained scheme or night out, but Angus hadn’t touched a sip of alcohol in days. He wanted to keep it that way. He felt clearer, sharper, more level-headed. Besides, the last time he’d had a drink, he’d been sat in a wine bar, waiting on Layla.
She’d never arrived.
