Chapter 61
"Monsieur Gillis asked if I could help him this afternoon. May I?" Alex asked mid-morning the following day as he burst breathlessly into my bedroom.
Had my son not stomped up the stairs like a Clydesdale, he would have startled me, but Alex had never been one to make a quiet entrance. Instinctively I reached for my mask, which was propped up against the wall as it sat on my desk, but I pulled my hand away.
"Doing what?" I asked as I perused the daily mail and newspaper. Aria batted at my hand as she lay sprawled out over my music while Bessie slept with her head on my foot. I sat at my desk, a prisoner of the dog and cat's mutual comfort.
"He did not say, but he mentioned he needed a gentleman of considerable strength to assist him." When I glanced over my shoulder, Alex pulled up his sleeves and proudly displayed his biceps.
"Where does he need you?"
Alex sighed heavily and dropped his arms to his sides. "I did not ask."
"Is Monsieur Gillis here?" I asked over my shoulder.
"No, Lissy and I saw him earlier with his friends when we were out playing, but he said he would pay a visit at one and see if I am allowed to assist him." He took a moment to catch his breath before adding, "Mother said I may help Monsieur Gillis as long as you agreed."
"I see," I muttered. How utterly convenient to leave the decision solely up to me. If I refused, Alex would undoubtedly be disappointed.
"Father?" Alex practically vibrated with anticipation of my answer.
"Have you finished your studies?"
"Yes!"
"When Monsieur Gillis arrives, have him explain to you in detail what is expected of you."
"I will!" Alex exclaimed as he turned and dashed out of the room. "Thank you!" he yelled from the stairs.
I turned the newspaper over and saw a full-page article about the gallery exhibit on the back page, complete with a picture of my brother looking as though he had been caught at the most inconvenient time as he stood beside one of his paintings.
For a long moment I ignored the text and studied the photograph. While Aria's tail swished back and forth across the photograph, I imagined being a small child beside my older brother long ago. At the age of three and in the care of our uncle, I was certain I did not wear a mask and did not know I was different from other children. My heart ached for a time when I was carefree, more intent on playing in dirt and building with rocks and sticks than hiding my appearance. I wondered if I struggled to keep up with Phelan and Joshua, if they impatiently waited for me to catch up to them in the woods as they splashed through creeks and climbed up hills in search of adventure and mischief.
There had been a different life available to me long ago, something other than loneliness and living in a constant state of anxiety as I dreaded the cellar door opening and my own father stomping down the stairs in search of me. I had not simply been kept alive, but I had been wanted and loved, a concept so foreign to me that I could scarcely believe it had happened. The very thought gave me goose flesh.
A knock at the front door pulled me from my thoughts and sent Aria scrambling off the desk and out of the room. Bessie sat up with a start, looked toward the door where the cat had disappeared, and then eased back down with a sigh and promptly fell asleep again, apparently unwilling to guard the house. With her head no longer on my foot, I stood, donned my mask, and walked out to the landing at the top of the stairs.
"I will tell him you are here, Monsieur," Ruby said.
"I'll get Father!" Alex yelled from somewhere in the house. He ran down the hall and came to an abrupt halt. "Oh. I thought you were Monsieur Gillis," my son said, making no attempt to hide his disappointment.
"How are you, Alexandre?" Joshua asked, ignoring Alex's tone.
"Fine," Alex said with an exasperated sigh. "How are you, Monsieur… do I call you Monsieur Kimmer or Uncle Joshua?"
"Which do you prefer?"
I could see Alex grin from where I stood at the top of the stairs. "Uncle," he said, his tone finally filled with its usual mirth and excitement. "Now I have two uncles!" Alex looked past Joshua at me and offered an enthusiastic wave. "Father! It's Uncle Joshua!"
Joshua turned and smiled when he saw me walk down the stairs. "I hope I am not interrupting your work. I happened to be in the neighborhood and thought I would see if you were home." There was a newspaper tucked under his right arm, which he started to unfold once I reached the bottom of the stairs. "I also wanted to let you know that it appears Phelan is still in the city."
"Who is Phelan?" Alex asked.
Joshua looked from Alex to me but didn't answer my son's question.
"A relative," I answered.
"Is he related to me?" Alex asked hopefully.
"He is. In similar fashion to Joshua."
Alex lit up. "I am going to tell Uncle Charles I have two new uncles. May I be excused?"
Before I could reply, Alex turned on his heel and bolted down the hall and through the kitchen, which elicited a scolding from Ruby as he flew out the back door.
"I wanted to apologize for the other night," Joshua said quietly once we were alone. "I know you were interested in speaking with Phelan and wanted to let you know there is still a chance for you to see him."
"I saw him last night, actually," I said.
Joshua looked genuinely surprised by my words. "May I ask where you saw Phelan?"
"Outside of the gallery. I took Bessie for a walk and our paths crossed." I gestured down the hall and Joshua gave a nod before following me toward the parlor.
"And you fortunately survived," Joshua said lightly.
"Much to my surprise, he was tolerable and we spoke for quite some time. He offered a bit of insight into our early childhood."
My cousin remained quiet for a moment as he took his seat and folded his hands. "I am glad he was civil toward you and not so...severe as he was the previous evening. He has his moments where he can be pleasant, they have been few and far between in the last few years."
"I suppose some would say the same for me."
To that Joshua grunted. "Phelan is a night owl like you."
"Julia believes we share many similarities," I said.
"I am sure Phelan would disagree, but that is simply his nature."
"It is mine as well."
Joshua chuckled to himself. "He paid me a visit sometime in the night and slid a ticket to his gallery along with a note of invitation beneath the door, but given how he behaved the other night, I am quite frankly not sure I wish to attend."
"It may not change your opinion on the situation, but Julia and I plan to attend."
Again Joshua looked surprised. "I am glad he invited you and Julia."
"Not so much invited me as we were put on the guest list by another artist by the name of Claude Gillis."
"The name is not familiar to me."
"Perhaps it will be in time. I became his patron."
Joshua smiled and gave an appreciative nod. "The elusive E.M. Kire is suddenly becoming quite prominent in Paris."
"Hardly. I have no need or desire to be prominent anywhere." I leaned back in my chair and folded my hands. "Obscurity has treated me well the last few years and I have every intention of keeping it that way."
"Phelan has had mixed feelings with his success," Joshua said. "If his photograph in the newspaper is any indication of his feelings toward the exhibit itself, he has no desire to mingle with the wealthy denizens of Paris clamoring to own one of his paintings. Personally I believe he would rather not attend at all, but his broker would be furious with him if he does not show at least for a brief time."
"Has he always been an artist?"
"Yes, for as long as I can recall his talent has been with drawing and painting."
"Does he play an instrument?"
Joshua shook his head. "You and I were the musicians, although I must say I have merely dabbled while you have truly become the master. Phelan preferred creating images whether it was on paper or simply in the dirt. My father didn't realize his talent, but once we moved here, distant relatives and friends encouraged Phelan to continue his artwork and seek an apprenticeship."
"Did your father discourage him from drawing and painting?"
"Not so much discouraged him as attempted to redirect his interests into the violin. Obviously Phelan could not be dissuaded and never took to picking up the violin."
I nodded, assuming their difference of opinion on art was part of the reason my uncle and brother did not see eye-to-eye.
"You know, there would be times when we were in our twenties and sharing a flat that I would wake up for work and he would still be up painting or cleaning his brushes. The whole flat smelled like coffee and turpentine on most mornings," he said with a chuckle. "Quite frankly I have no idea how he stayed awake all night and finished a full day's worth of work before he returned in the evening and resumed his art."
Yet another similarity between Phelan and myself. There had been countless times when I poured myself into my music and had no idea how much time I put into my work. Typically it was Madeline's visits that made me realize what I thought was eight hours toiling over my opera was much closer to eighteen. The thought of Phelan lost in his paintings made me smile inwardly. We could not deny the call of our creativity.
"The two of you lived together here?" I asked.
Joshua readily nodded. "Up until I asked Marianna to marry me. Of course I did not think we would continue to share a flat once I was married, but Phelan abruptly gathered what few belongings he possessed and moved out one day when I was preparing the final details of our wedding. He left money for that month's rent and no explanation of where he was going or why."
"Did he attend your wedding?"
Joshua shook his head and frowned. "It was almost six months before I saw or heard from him again, and consequently I learned he had moved to Belgium from a mutual friend. That was the first time I recall him disappearing for a length of time, and even some twenty years later, I am still not accustomed to him disappearing on a whim. It worries me greatly when he leaves without saying a word."
"I see."
My cousin offered a wan smile. "Please understand that I do not wish to keep secrets from you, but I must also respect Phelan's desire for privacy. I am confident that he will tell you more about himself when he is ready."
That was not the response I desired, but I nodded nonetheless. "What time will you be at the gallery this evening?" I asked.
Joshua furrowed his brow. "Unfortunately I have other commitments for the evening, so I intend to stop by when the gallery opens, give Phelan my best if he has arrived early, and perhaps stop by at the very end if I miss him at the start of the show."
"Does he typically arrive at the start?"
"There is nothing typical when it comes to Phelan," Joshua said with a laugh. "He will either walk through once at the very beginning and take a handful of questions, abruptly appear in the middle of the show and not a say word to anyone, or arrive as the gallery is closing and leave his guests scrambling for a moment of his time. Personally I think that is what intrigues people the most about your brother; they want to see him, but they don't know why as no one truly knows him. Honestly, I don't think I know him either anymore."
"What do you think of his work?" I asked.
Joshua opened his mouth and promptly closed it. Taking a deep breath, he rolled his tongue along the inside of his cheek and thought a moment.
"It is less destructive than other behaviors, I suppose," he offered. "A better, safer outlet."
I started to ask my cousin what he meant when Alex ran into the house through the backdoor and abruptly stopped in front of the parlor entrance.
"Carrying canvases and paints to the park," he blurted out as he appeared red-faced and out of breath. "That is what Monsieur Gillis asked if I could do this afternoon. May I?"
"As long as your studies are completed and you return home by three," I said as I glanced at the clock.
"May Lissy accompany us? Monsieur Gillis said she could pose like a tree for his next painting. I am going to be a mountain goat."
"If your mother agrees."
"She did!" Alex exclaimed. "And Ruby made us a basket to take the park since mountain goats are ravenous."
"Home by three, is that understood?"
"Yes, Father!"
With that, Alex took off down the hall, thanked Ruby, and slammed the backdoor with such force both Joshua and I jumped.
"I should be on my way," Joshua said. He grimaced as he stood and folded the newspaper once more. "Ah, these joints are screaming that there will be rain today."
"There is not a cloud in the sky," I said as I glanced from him to the window.
"My joints are never wrong," Joshua grumbled as he clapped me on the back. "Hopefully I will see you and Julia at the gallery. I gather Lissy and Alex will not be in attendance?"
"As much as they would both love to attend an art show, I am not certain how I would introduce them to Phelan or describe his work."
Joshua nodded as we walked toward the foyer. "There is no need to rush, I suppose, although he is surprisingly good-natured with children."
"Does he have children? He told me he is not married, but was he married previously?"
Joshua inhaled and turned the paper over in his hands. For a long moment he studied Phelan's photograph staring up at him. "He was married briefly. They met at a gathering for patrons at the start of theater season in 87' and began a brief courtship. Much to my surprise and everyone else in the artistic community, they married without telling anyone and three months later had a new baby girl. They kept from announcing the birth to avoid scandal, as one might imagine, given that Phelan is somewhat known in the artistic community and his former wife was quite the socialite, but even a simpleton knew the child's father could not possibly be Phelan's as they had only met seven months earlier."
I did nothing more than blink at Joshua. I had not known what to expect of my brother's personal life, but a sudden marriage and birth of a child months later was certainly not an idea I had entertained.
"I'm afraid their divorce was widely publicized in the spring, as was the siring of the woman's daughter. Phelan returned to Belgium and I rarely heard from him. I wanted to visit, but he said he did not wish to entertain guests. I suppose I do not blame him."
"I had no idea. I don't recall reading anything of the sort in the paper."
More than likely I had glossed over any mention of my brother's name in the newspaper and his public scrutiny in favor of scouring for information about Christine's return. Most of the articles I'd saved for more than a year had been discarded, but I was certain at least a handful of old newspapers remained fully intact and tucked within the study or the bottom drawer of my desk.
"Yes, well, that is probably for the best. And a bit of advice to you, Cousin. It is best not to bring it up."
