deal
from me. I know nothing about her past, not even about her student days.’
She noticed the way the couple looked at one
another. It was the kind of look that said they weren’t sure if they should be the
ones to divulge anything.
‘I’m not looking for a complete
biography,’ Eva added quickly. ‘Just a few little stories. There’re so
many people here that I don’t know. Did Andrew call you all about Mum?’
‘He called me,’ Lauren said.
‘I think I’m the only one of our student group that Flora kept in touch
with. Even that wasn’t much, just a few words on a card at Christmas really. I
rang around the other people, and we all came today because Flora had a special place in
our hearts.’
‘That’s a nice thing to
say,’ Eva said. ‘But why?’
‘For many reasons; because she was
such fun, so very talented, and because she gave us so much encouragement when she
became successful.’
Eva was puzzled at that.
‘Successful?’
‘Surely you know your mother was a
very good artist?’ Jack sounded surprised that she didn’t appear to know.
‘She was selling her work when the rest of us were just dreaming about
it.’
‘She was?’
‘My goodness, she really did keep you
in the dark,’ Lauren said with a nervous giggle. ‘I know she gave up
painting, and I never understood why, but I didn’t imagine she wouldn’t tell
her kids about those days.’
‘I was surprised to see only one of
her paintings here,’ Jack said. He pointed to the Cornish beach scene on the wall.
‘That’s a very early one. I remember her working on it, she said it was a
beach near to where she grew up. Are there any more in other rooms?’
‘No. That’s the only one,’
Eva said, looking round at the picture. It had been hanging there in the alcove by the
chimney for as long as she could remember – just sea, beach and rocks, nothing in it
that had ever made her ask questions about it. But looking at it now, as if for the
first time, she could see that it really was a very good painting. The light,clouds and the texture of the rocks were so realistic it could almost
have been a photograph.
‘She would paint birthday cards in
watercolours for friends and for us, but she never used oils or did any big pictures.
But if she was so good, why did she give it up?’ she asked.
Lauren reached out and took Eva’s hand
in hers. ‘Maybe it was because when she had you three children, she didn’t
feel the need to paint any more.’
Eva nodded. ‘I can understand her not
keeping it up when we were small, but it seems strange she didn’t start again once
we were all at school. She never worked, you know, and it wasn’t as if she was
that house-proud.’
Jack smiled. ‘She used to be the
untidiest person I knew,’ he said. ‘She always claimed she was born to be
waited on.’
‘She said that to me once too.’
Eva smiled back at him. ‘I think she only kept the house perfect because Andrew
insisted that she must. She didn’t do it when he was away –’ She stopped
short, suddenly aware she shouldn’t tell people such things.
Lauren took her hand again, perhaps guessing
what had cut her short. ‘It’s OK, Eva, you can talk about it, especially to
us. I bet the last couple of weeks have been a very lonely time for you? My mother died
when I was just a bit older than you. I felt so confused, angry, sad, every kind of
emotion, and I had no one I could talk it over with. How’s your dad been? He was
very curt on the phone, I didn’t dare ask him anything more.’
‘He’s been struggling with
it,’ Eva admitted. ‘But then he would, just like all of us. We didn’t
see it coming. But there is one thing I’d like to ask you. Mum’s studio, do
you know about it?’
‘Well, yes, of course I do,’
Lauren replied. ‘She bought itwhile we were all still sharing a
house. That’s where I babysat you.’
‘She never said anything about it to
me, and apparently she’s left it to me. That’s caused
from me. I know nothing about her past, not even about her student days.’
She noticed the way the couple looked at one
another. It was the kind of look that said they weren’t sure if they should be the
ones to divulge anything.
‘I’m not looking for a complete
biography,’ Eva added quickly. ‘Just a few little stories. There’re so
many people here that I don’t know. Did Andrew call you all about Mum?’
‘He called me,’ Lauren said.
‘I think I’m the only one of our student group that Flora kept in touch
with. Even that wasn’t much, just a few words on a card at Christmas really. I
rang around the other people, and we all came today because Flora had a special place in
our hearts.’
‘That’s a nice thing to
say,’ Eva said. ‘But why?’
‘For many reasons; because she was
such fun, so very talented, and because she gave us so much encouragement when she
became successful.’
Eva was puzzled at that.
‘Successful?’
‘Surely you know your mother was a
very good artist?’ Jack sounded surprised that she didn’t appear to know.
‘She was selling her work when the rest of us were just dreaming about
it.’
‘She was?’
‘My goodness, she really did keep you
in the dark,’ Lauren said with a nervous giggle. ‘I know she gave up
painting, and I never understood why, but I didn’t imagine she wouldn’t tell
her kids about those days.’
‘I was surprised to see only one of
her paintings here,’ Jack said. He pointed to the Cornish beach scene on the wall.
‘That’s a very early one. I remember her working on it, she said it was a
beach near to where she grew up. Are there any more in other rooms?’
‘No. That’s the only one,’
Eva said, looking round at the picture. It had been hanging there in the alcove by the
chimney for as long as she could remember – just sea, beach and rocks, nothing in it
that had ever made her ask questions about it. But looking at it now, as if for the
first time, she could see that it really was a very good painting. The light,clouds and the texture of the rocks were so realistic it could almost
have been a photograph.
‘She would paint birthday cards in
watercolours for friends and for us, but she never used oils or did any big pictures.
But if she was so good, why did she give it up?’ she asked.
Lauren reached out and took Eva’s hand
in hers. ‘Maybe it was because when she had you three children, she didn’t
feel the need to paint any more.’
Eva nodded. ‘I can understand her not
keeping it up when we were small, but it seems strange she didn’t start again once
we were all at school. She never worked, you know, and it wasn’t as if she was
that house-proud.’
Jack smiled. ‘She used to be the
untidiest person I knew,’ he said. ‘She always claimed she was born to be
waited on.’
‘She said that to me once too.’
Eva smiled back at him. ‘I think she only kept the house perfect because Andrew
insisted that she must. She didn’t do it when he was away –’ She stopped
short, suddenly aware she shouldn’t tell people such things.
Lauren took her hand again, perhaps guessing
what had cut her short. ‘It’s OK, Eva, you can talk about it, especially to
us. I bet the last couple of weeks have been a very lonely time for you? My mother died
when I was just a bit older than you. I felt so confused, angry, sad, every kind of
emotion, and I had no one I could talk it over with. How’s your dad been? He was
very curt on the phone, I didn’t dare ask him anything more.’
‘He’s been struggling with
it,’ Eva admitted. ‘But then he would, just like all of us. We didn’t
see it coming. But there is one thing I’d like to ask you. Mum’s studio, do
you know about it?’
‘Well, yes, of course I do,’
Lauren replied. ‘She bought itwhile we were all still sharing a
house. That’s where I babysat you.’
‘She never said anything about it to
me, and apparently she’s left it to me. That’s caused
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