CHAPTER 34 - THE PICTURES THAT STARTED THE FIRE

LINDSAY'S APARTMENT - AN HOUR LATER

HALLWAY

LINDSAY

I stare at him in shock. “What are you doing here?! How did you get my address?!”

“I want something from you, and I will stay until I get it.” Hobbs replies. 

“How did you get my address?!” I repeat.

“I gave it to him.” Millicent Foster-Brown comes through the open door. “On the proviso that I would accompany him for this little tete-a-tete.”

I scramble for my phone, thankful that I had just put it in my pocket. “I am calling the police!”

“Fine. Do that.” He leans against the wall, whilst she smiles thinly, which gives me pause.

“Well, what do you want, Hobbs?” I demand.

“Before saying anything Christopher.” Millicent looks around. “Well, you have landed on your feet here, haven’t you, Lindsay? I suppose it makes a change from landing on your back.” Hobbs chuckles. “Or your knees. Now, Christopher, you were saying.”

“I want an apology from you.” His eyes are colder than both Poles.

“For what?” I sneer at him, at both of them. “You were hiding in the closet. Although I despise the man, at least he was braver than you!” 

“So was it immediate, or a slow burn?” Hobbs asks; I frown. “Millicent and Debs have been filling me in, so what did it start off as?”

“What did what start off as?” I retort.

“I am going to go with pity, but you decided to also reap the benefits of Justin’s infatuation as you saw it.” His smile is sly. “But you didn’t factor in one little thing…and that was to paraphrase Debs, ‘that that persistent little kid would get under the wire’.” He straightens up before putting his hands in his pockets. “And thus began the many slights and insults that Justin instigated.” He chuckles softly. “But, the most jarring of them came from Brian. When you realised that he believed in Justin and his talent, much more than he believed in you and yours.” 

“That’s ridiculous! Biran has always…” I begin.

“Ah, there’s the tell, which Mel mentioned. Whenever someone hits the mark, you say ‘ridiculous’. Now you and your mother know how much of a...now what did Zee call me again?” Millicent’s eyes burn into my soul. “Ah, yes, a long-gamer I am. We will stay here until you apologise!” 

“Fine! I apologise for the problems my words caused you, but I did not make you take the bat to prom and bash Justin! And if they are stupid enough to forgive you, then more fool them, for I will never forgive the man that almost killed Gus’s father! Now get out!”

“I didn't attack Brian, I attacked Justin, but I suppose, in a way, I did almost kill Brian.” Hobbs looks thoughtful. “God, you should’ve seen them on the floor. With hindsight, it was beautiful, honest and brave.”

“You got what you wanted, Christopher?” Millicent asks, whilst I begin to doubt her sanity.

“Not quite. I also want her to admit it, admit who the real person she was punishing is.”

“The real person?” Millicent echoes.

“Yes, Marc is a very curious man, so he read the court papers. Said it never made sense that she kept coming and coming, and then it hit him. I suppose him siding with Mel was the last straw.” Hobbs regards me scathingly. How dare he?!. “So I want you to admit that it was Gus you were punishing, because you were, and still are, jealous.”

“Punishing him?! Jealous of what? He was my child, until his head was turned! I did what I thought was best. Yes, I went around it the wrong way, and in time I hope he will…”

“Forgive you? Fuck no!” Millicent scoffs. “Gus has never been happier ever since you were booted into touch. He’s got two mothers who truly love him. Mel always did, of course, but Leda, now she adored him from the moment she met him. Helps that they are both petrolheads.” She chuckles. 

“As I said…” I grit out. “...I did what I thought was best, but in the…”

“He wouldn’t take the picture.” Hobbs cuts across me. “No matter how much you demanded it.” 

“Picture? What picture?” I fume. “I don’t know what you are blathering on about....”

Start of flashback

BRITIN - THREE MONTHS AFTER JUSTIN RETURNS FROM NEW YORK FOR GOOD

STUDIO

LINDSAY 

“These are just exquisite!” I murmur looking at the paintings leaning against the walls. Putting my glass down, I head to the open crate and pull another out. “Just beautiful. I knew I did the right thing.” I rest it against the wall; really taking in the greens, the golds and the oranges. “Shame, he didn’t stay longer.”

“Mom?” I turn to a confused looking Gus. “Did you ask Papa if you could be in here doing that?”

“I don’t need to ask.” I smile at him, which he doesn’t return. “What’s wrong, Lambskin?”

“Please don’t call me Lambskin. As for what’s wrong, you do have to ask. You can’t just railroad yourself in as and when you please. Especially here. This is our thing, mine and Papa’s, so…” He gestures towards the door. I blink in surprise. “...Mom, you need to leave.”

“Are you...are you throwing me out?” I gasp.

“No. I am asking you to leave. Dad or Papa, if they find you in here, will throw you out. Other than him, it’s only Dad and I that are allowed...” 

“Allow…” I protest.

“Lindsay, what are you doing in here?” Brian demands. “Gus, you know the...”

“I just found her, and am trying to get her to leave! I wouldn’t…”

“I know, Sonny Boy, I’m sorry. Come on, Lindsay, let’s go.” Brian’s firm grip on my elbow stops any objection. My irritation spikes when I hear the door being locked. I am surprised when Brian guides me to our bedroom, closing the door behind us. He pinches his nose before sighing. “I need you to listen to me. Are you listening?” I reach up to tuck my hair behind my ear, but he stops me. “Quit that, you’re not a sweet 16! We don’t want you in there. That is his studio, not a gallery. You are not welcome. Now go downstairs.”

GUS’S ROOM - EARLY EVENING

“May I come in?” I ask as Gus surveys his room; he sighs then nods. “Gus, you hurt my feelings…”

“No I didn’t.” He interjects. “I was honouring the wishes of my fathers, Papa especially. You spent the rest of the day sulking because you didn’t get your own way.”

“Gus, you will apologise for your rudeness!” I order.

“I wasn’t rude, I was stating the facts as they are.” Once more, he sighs before putting the large canvas on the bed. “Mom, this is their home, and sometimes mine, but most definitely not yours. Please respect the rules of the house. I mean, they stick to those you impose. The primary one, quite frankly, I think is silly since they have been together so long.”

“I am not comfortable with...”

“They are in a long term relationship…” He scratches his head. “...why can’t they sleep in the same room?”

“Gus…” I move the canvas so I can sit down. “...obviously I have known your father longer than you, and…” I pause in my lecture as the painting’s beauty catches my eye. “Where did you get this?”

“Papa gave it to me. Majestic, isn’t it?” He replies, leaning it against the wall. “Not sure where to put it though.”

“How about in your room?” I suggest, my heart racing. “As in the one in Canada.”

“Maybe.” He mumbles before yawning. “Look, I am going to hop into the shower. See you in the morning. What time’s our flight again?”

“Half one. Sleep well.” I kiss his cheek whilst planning exactly where that is going to hang in our home!

DINING ROOM - NEXT MORNING

“That was delicious!” I sigh, before looking at my watch. “Okay, we need to finish our packing.” 

“So when are we next back again?” Jenny asks, pinching the last bit of bacon off of Ben’s plate, he just smiles.

“Summer.” Brian replies as he feeds Justin the remains of his brioche bun. “You like?”

“Oh yes, you can make those again.” Justin grins.

“There’s more in the oven.” Brian leers. “And homemade butter. Want a bread basket?”

“Absolute…”

“Can you stop doing that in front of the children?!” I glare at them, they both just stare back. “If you can tear yourself away from Brian for a few minutes, Justin, can I have some tape and wrapping, please?”

“Sure, but what for?” 

“For the painting you gave Gus. I think it...”

“Mom, I said I would think about taking it back to Canada...”

“I know that, but think how great it would look in the lounge.” I cajole. “Just above the fireplace...”

“Suppose it would look nice there, but I would hang it in my room, as I…”

“Good. In your room it is, for now. So Justin, the tape and wrapping, please.”

Justin grips his glass. “Lindsay, this is Gus’s painting, so he makes the decision where it goes without coercion from you. Gus, do you want to take it back to Canada with you?”

“Of course he…”

“Lindz.” Mel interrupts. “As Justin said, it’s Gus’s painting, so the decision is his. And that decision is final.” The room goes quiet, all eyes are on Gus. “So do you?”

“No I don’t.” Gus retorts, before holding up his hand. “Sorry, Momma, didn;t mean to snap. But I think having the picture in Canada will cause more problems than it currently is.”

“I agree.” Brian smirks at the pinched look I feel on my face. “Are you going to get it framed? If so, can you get his first masterpiece done as well? Having been apart so long, we got a little carried away last night, then this morning, and ended up knocking it over.”

“Brian! TMI!” Mel chides, with laughter in her voice, which grates so much. “Besides, you were just down the hall from each other.”

“For three nights!” Justin exclaims. “We had a lot of time to make up for!”

“I am confused. What ‘first’ masterpiece are you talking about Brian?” I look around the table, it seems, judging by that smirk, that Gus is the other one in the know. “Gus, what is…”

“The first piece I ever sold. You know, at the GLC show?” Justin beams so I nod. “Brian bought it.”

“Brian bought it.” I blink rapidly, he never said a word!

“And Papa drew one for me, to show me what Dad looked like to him then.” Gus pipes up, I blench as I remember the picture he drew of Brian in all his glory! “Mom, you okay?”

“Justin. I cannot believe you did that!” I spit. “That is not the kind of thing…”

“Just his face, Mom!” Gus declares. “Papa would never do that! Unlike you, he knows boundaries!” He drains his juice before glowering at me. “In answer to your question, Dad, yes, I will be getting it framed. But not in the summer, when I’m down for fall, on my own, that way we can do our thing uninterrupted.”

End of flashback

CHRISTOPHER

I watch her face twist and twitch. “And the reason for the fire in your belly, which still burns, is because from that point onwards, Gus showed that he loves and respects his fathers more.”

“Of course!” Millicent crows. 

“The only reason, he ‘loves and respects’ them more…” Peterscum rails. “...is because of the spoiling treatment, his dear darling fathers heaped upon him! The amount of times I had to curb the attitude he displayed when he came back from his solo visits with them!”

Millicent sighs. “That was you, you spoiled him, you spoiled his love for you by trying to get between him and his fathers. As for the attitude, there was none. He came back the same Gus as he went.”

“With all due respect, Millicent…”

“Which you don’t mean, and I don’t want.” She interrupts. “Come on, Christopher, you’ve gotten something out of this.” 

“True…” I smile at her. “...when did you say he was coming back?”

“He got here this morning.” Millicent replies. “I should imagine he’s been sleeping it off. Are you nervous?” Millicent frowns..

“A bit, but Brian and Justin have explained everything to him. I am just glad he said yes to seeing me. Is it at the diner again?”

“No, at Jennifer’s.” 

“Who and what are you talking about?!” Peterscum demands. 

“Will Zaden be there, locked and loaded?” I gulp.

“Oh she doesn't need to be.” Millicent titters. 

LINDSAY

“I asked a question!” I shout at them.

“Which we aren’t answering.” Hobbs drawls before opening the door and following Millicent out.

I blink for a few seconds, trying not to let the resentment boil over, but there is too much! For that basher is right! I wanted to make Gus pay for what he did to me! How could he love that bastard more?!!  

I storm into the lounge and slop some vodka into a tall glass. “Not one!” I shout at the ceiling. “Not one compliment or words of encouragement! Anytime I offered him my art, he said he preferred the clean lines with no clutter!” I pace, smirking as I remember the miserable expression that Brian sported for months after Justin left. Oh how I soothed and comforted him, telling him that Justin would be back, but being determined that he would not be. “At least had him miserable, them miserable as Mel put it, for three years. But it wasn’t three was it? It was two! Brian had to save him again by lying to me about Chicago!” I top up my glass before calming down.. “Right, finish this, call a cab and go pay a visit to Grandmom Jen!”

JENNIFER’S HOUSE - TWO HOURS LATER

LOUNGE

GUS

“How are you feeling, sweetheart?” Grandmom Jen asks, handing me a glass of wine. “Did it go as you expected?”

“Yes and no.” I reply. “Yes, because it is finally over, we all have closure. He seems an okay guy now, he just acted in the heat of the moment. He’s a lot smaller than I had him built up in my head. As for the ‘no’; it’s because it’s opened another gateway to hell.”

“Linds…” I clear my throat. “...sorry, Peterscum.” She corrects herself. “I don’t think…”

“I know her. She will still be plotting and planning. Her oft trumpeted mantra after she got Momma to back down was ‘ praeda victoris pergit’, which means…”

“To the victor goes the spoils.” She squeezes my hand. “Do you miss her? Truthfully, do you?”

I take a sip and gather my thoughts. “No. When I saw her at the club, part of me was pleased, but then I saw how she was with Uncle Faal, and I knew she hadn’t changed. In fact, having heard everything, she’s gotten worse.” I top both of our glasses up. “But now I know that it is me she is coming for, let her come. I will take great pleasure in showing her what a bad idea that is!”