Page 94 of Kate and Clara's Curious Cornish Craft Shop
‘Hang on a minute,’ Jack says, ‘Why wouldn’t I know?’
‘No reason,’ I say, extracting the felt from my bag and laying it on the easel.
‘Did you think he wouldn’t tell me because of my background, is that it? We do have gay soldiers in the army, you know?’
‘No, that’s not it at all. Sometimes parents are the last to know in my quite limited experience of these things.’
Jack still doesn’t look convinced. ‘Did you think I wouldn’t accept a gay son, is that it? I know I can be a bit stubborn sometimes and set in my ways, but—’
‘Jack,’ I interrupt him. ‘Please stop putting words in my mouth. I thought none of those things. I’m pleased you have such a great relationship with Ben. We’re both very lucky with our children. Now, shall we get on with the reason I’m really here?’ I gesture towards the easel.
Jack still looks at me suspiciously, but he nods.
‘Good.’
‘Ben can talk to me, you know?’ Jack says, still not happy he’s convinced me. ‘When he told me I didn’t go off on one, or make a scene. I was quite relaxed about it. Just pleased he’d confided in me.’
‘Wonderful,’ I say, turning towards the easel.
However, Jack’s not finished: ‘You seem to be under the impression that I’m some sort of Neanderthal who can’t accept anything new or unusual?’
‘Where is all this coming from?’ I ask, turning towards him. ‘I never thought any of those things. Yes, you’re stubborn and you’ve got a bit of a quick temper on you, but—’
‘I haven’t got a temper!’
‘What about the alarm incident?’
Jack looks puzzled.
‘Don’t you remember the first night I was here with you looking at the pictures and your shop alarm went off? You had a right go at me, and you never did explain why?’
‘Ah, that.’
‘Yes, that.’
‘It wasn’t you I was cross with that night. It was myself.’
‘Explain.’
‘I was cross because I had to come down the stairs and you had to see me like that. I didn’t want you to see me compromised – I hardly knew you then.’
‘But I didn’t see you as compromised at all. If anything the complete opposite. I saw a strong, capable man, who was using his strength and ingenuity in the best way he could. You might not think it, but traversing those stairs like that is pretty impressive. It hadquitethe effect on me.’
‘Really?’ Jack asks, suddenly much more chipper.
‘Yes, now if you’ve quite finished fishing for compliments, shall we continue with our pictures? Or do you want to throw your line out a bit further?’
‘All right, let’s get to the pictures. You haven’t got the felt lined up quite right though,’ he tells me. ‘It needs to go a tad to the left.’
I sigh and shake my head, but I move the felt a little and suddenly we’re ushered back to the enthralling story of Clara and Arty once more …
St Felix ~ Summer 1958
Clara sighs as she stares at the beautiful sunset in front of her.
‘Isn’t this simply gorgeous?’ she says to Arty, as they sit next to each other on the clifftop overlooking St Felix Bay.
‘Nature at its finest,’ Arty says, and he squeezes Clara’s hand. ‘I don’t know whether I want to paint it or photograph it, it’s so beautiful.’
