Read Online Gillespie and I by Jane Harris - Free Book Online Page A

studio, later that week. We were just finalising the details of my visit when Mabel arrived and linked arms with her brother. She whispered something in his ear and then turned to me.
    â€˜Afternoon, Harriet. Are you having a frightfully spiffing time?’
    â€˜Yes, thank you.’
    â€˜I think people should have spiffing times, don’t you, Ned?’ Mabel jogged his elbow. ‘What d’you think, brother mine? Eh, what?’
    She was making some kind of joke, I gathered, and possibly at my expense. I felt awkward, since there was nothing, really, that could be said, under the circumstances. Ned laughed, of course; no doubt, he would have missed Mabel’s mocking undertones, oblivious, as ever, to her bad manners: dear Ned always saw the best in people, and he was often completely blind to their faults.
    In extremis , I fell back upon that old friend, flattery. ‘Why, Mabel, that’s a lovely frock you’re wearing.’
    â€˜Thank you,’ she trilled, mechanically, and—although she looked me up and down—failed to return any compliment. All at once, the others descended upon us, and Elspeth began, immediately, to screech in my ear. Glancing down, I was unnerved to see Sibyl glowering at me and at my parasol. The sight of a child’s face transformed by such a baleful stare was most disquieting. I was beginning to realise that being cornered by Elspeth made one feel rather like a fly, trapped in the web of a spider: an irrepressibly cheerful and loquacious spider, but a spider nonetheless. Hypnotised by the movements of her mouth as she chattered on, I had almost convinced myself that I would soon be bound in silken threads and left—dangling—to be devoured later, when Annie bustled over, interrupting her mother-in-law with the words: ‘Where’s Rose?’
    â€˜I don’t know,’ said Elspeth. ‘Was she not with Sibyl?’
    We all looked down at the child. The baleful stare had gone, only to be replaced by a look of injured innocence.
    â€˜Where’s your sister?’ Annie asked.
    Sibyl widened her eyes, as though she had been insulted. ‘I don’t know.’
    I glanced over towards the main building. Outside the entrance, Ned and Mabel had just accosted a prosperous-looking gentleman, perhaps the person that they sought to meet. Elspeth had followed my gaze and, as though to confirm my thoughts, exclaimed: ‘Hamilton!’, and sailed off to join ranks with her son and daughter. I watched on, in the hope that Ned might be successful in his mission to have his canvas relocated. The gallery owner gave every appearance of listening intently to his former student. Unfortunately, Mabel had not had the sense to absent herself. Instead, she had adopted a rather superior stance, her eyes half closed, her chin upturned, a condescending and confrontational pose, which I hoped that the man would not find too off-putting. Beside me, Annie was scolding Sibyl.
    â€˜How many times do I have to tell you not to let her out your sight?’
    The girl pouted, and kicked at the ground.
    At that moment, from the vicinity of the stone bridge, the disembodied wail of a small child could be heard. Annie spun around with a loud cry:
    â€˜Rose? Where are you?’
    She hurried off in the direction of the river. I glanced back towards the entrance. Having heard Annie’s yell, Ned broke off from his conversation with Hamilton, and stared, with some concern, towards his wife. As I watched, he muttered something to Elspeth, who had just joined their little group, and then, leaving her with Hamilton and Mabel, he ran across the concourse, darting between the crowds, yelling as he went.
    â€˜Annie! What’s the matter?’
    â€˜It’s Rose!’ I heard her shout in reply. ‘Rose, dear—where are you?’
    And then the littlest Gillespie came into view. She was sitting on a path, near the Fire Engine, bawling, her fat apple