Relations and Galleries
On the same weekend as Beats and Elliott attended the production of The Mikado, Peter was actually away from home, staying in Allentown. Constance had finally told her aunt that Peter was back in her life, as a friend, and the older lady had asked to meet him. He had been very nervous about it, but within an hour of being there, he quickly concluded that he need not have been. Her aunt Caroline was the polar opposite to her parents, being as much of a confirmed atheist as they came, only pretending she was not when she was in the presence of her sister and brother-in-law, otherwise her niece would never have been allowed to live with her.
Caroline and Peter did have a long chat in private; when she had asked for it, Peter had paled, thinking it would be full of unveiled threats. Instead, she had asked about him, and had been more concerned for his welfare than anything else. The fact that he had paid her a visit also made it clear that he would have to extend an invitation to her to come and meet his parents properly before the college term began…
That meeting was duly arranged, but the prospect of it, which had already been bad enough, was made worse for Peter when his grandfather arrived at the front door, unannounced, just half an hour before the invited guests were due to appear. The oldest of the Smythe men was now officially retired, and spent most of his time at his home in the Virgin Islands; he had not been to visit his either of his sons since the previous summer. He had intended to come for Christmas, but a last minute viral infection had left him unable to travel, and had exhausted him so much that he was not able to come later in the season. As a result, he had heard nothing of his grandson's brief period of impending fatherhood….
It was clear to Julian and Peter that this state of affairs could not be sustained when it was likely that it would be brought up in conversation by the invited guests, and it was unthinkable to ask the older man to leave and come back at a more convenient time. Julian was prepared to be the one to tell his father, but Peter refused to allow him to do so on his behalf; in a few minutes, he found himself alone in his father's study with his slightly confused grandfather. Peter sat the older man down, and proceeded to tell him the entire sorry story, not once being interrupted, which came as a surprise to him. There was silence when he finally finished, and he feared the worst from his grandfather.
"Well," the older man said eventually, "they do say that history constantly repeats itself, and it certainly does seem to do so for the Smythes. I am truly sorry that you had to suffer such a loss, because it is only after such things that you truly realise just how frail we humans are. What does please me is the maturity you showed in how you dealt with it all, and how you have stayed as the kind young man I know so well. I know that when it happened to me, it changed me, and left me hard and ruthless…"
He paused, noting the shocked look on his grandson's face. "The truth is that your father is my second child; his mother miscarried the first child that she was carrying, and that loss made me the ignorant, angry idiot of a man that my other sons would have to cope with. I have never told your father this, and maybe now it is time that I did. I will need to speak to his mother, and see that she agrees before I do though, so say nothing. For now, I am looking forward to the prospect of meeting your young lady…"
The revelation that his father could have had an older sibling left Peter stunned, but he had no time to contemplate on it, or ask his grandfather questions as he heard the sound of a vehicle drawing up outside. He headed back to the hallway, and found his father and stepmother waiting there already, with no idea what to expect from Constance's Aunt Caroline. Isabelle had, of course, seen her parents from afar, and part of her was expecting the woman that would be coming to the door to be as straight-laced and dull. It was therefore a shock when Peter opened the door, and brought in a willowy blonde in a very fashionable ensemble beside his former girlfriend…
"Ms Wright, it is a pleasure and honour to meet you," were the first words she said. "I have been a subscriber to Vogue for more than two decades, and I am loving your current focus on the older groups; those articles are inspirational."
Isabelle blushed, and replied, "Thank you, and can I just congratulate you on your own taste and style. I loved that particular jacket when it came out because of its flattering lines and timeless look. Now, may I introduce my husband Julian…"
Hands were shaken, and then the focus of the conversation for Caroline turned back to the young man that she had only met once before. "Your son is a credit to you both, and although my niece's parents will never say it, he is exactly the kind of young man that Connie needs in her life…"
"Now, ma'am, we must not embarrass the youngsters too much," came a voice, and then Julian found himself introducing his father to Caroline.
"Yes, you are right, but seeing the two of them together, I cannot help but think what a handsome couple they make. In fact, I think even her parents would be hard pressed to deny that."
"Looking at them together, I do concede that you have a point," said Mr Smythe.
It would go on to be an eventful evening after the initial red faces caused by the remarks about the couple faded. Mr Smythe and Constance's Aunt Caroline hit it off at once, and would talk animatedly about various issues through the evening, things on which they shared a common viewpoint, and that allowed the two youngsters to talk more to Julian and Isabelle. It was also the first time that Constance had met Peter's little sister Sienna, and the two of them had an animated chat about the merits of various dolls before it was time for her to head to bed.
It was only then that the talk in the room turned back to the subject of family again. "Is Julian your only child?" asked Caroline of Mr Smythe. "I have often felt that it benefits children to have a sibling or two…"
"I have another son, Sebastian. You might have heard of him…"
She gasped, and then said, "Wait, you don't mean…"
"The Broadway star? Yes, that is my other son, and quite different to me in every way. I have to be honest and say that I was not the best of fathers by any means to either of my sons. When Peter came along, my reaction to Julian was uncalled for, and caused a rift between us that lasted for a decade. Both of my sons have forgiven me, and allowed me back into their lives, which is more than I deserve in all honesty. They have both also grown up to be far better parents than I ever was, and I hope that, when the time is right, Peter will take after them as well.
"From what I have heard of his reactions at Christmas, I think there is no doubt of that," replied Caroline. "As for me, I was not blessed with children of my own, but I do hope that I have been a supportive substitute for Connie in the last few months…"
"You have been," replied the young lady in question. "I doubt I would be here now, about to start college, if you had not been there for me, never judging me for what happened, and supporting me every step of the way since…"
Mr Smythe would announce that he needed to head back to his hotel shortly after that moment, and as he left, he took a moment to hug his grandson, and after asking if it was okay, the young lady that he sensed would end up being a very fine addition to the family in due course. He also took time to say a fond farewell to her aunt, and Caroline was the one that offered him her phone number. That moment was overheard by Julian, who blanched, knowing his father well. He had a vision then of the future, and wondered how it would be if his son's future aunt-in law also happened to be his own stepmother…
Then he heard something that left him relieved. "I'm not in the market for a boyfriend, and never have been, so please don't worry that I might have those kind of designs on you. The truth is that I am always looking for new friends with whom I share interests and viewpoints; the sort of people I can enjoy a stimulating conversation with. I think that you might be perfect in that respect."
Mr Smythe laughed, then replied, "Well, the good news Caroline is that I am not in the market for a girlfriend either. I have three ex-wives as it is, and the last thing that I need is another one! I have reached the stage of a man's life when I can appreciate the company of a lady without the need for the physical. It was certainly an unexpected pleasure to meet you, and it would be a great pleasure to meet again."
"I agree, although I have my doubts that you are a regular visitor to Allentown."
"Alas, no. Since I retired for good, I have spent most of my time in the Virgin Islands, and when I am in the country, it tends to be either in New York or New Jersey. We could arrange to meet up when I am here, if that suits?"
"Or I could book a vacation," came her reply, and that made him grin; then his eyes finally noticed Julian was present, and the look of horror on his face made the older man laugh out loud. It was the fact that they had both stated they just wanted to be friends, and nothing else, and still his eldest looked sick that made him howl. Then, in a moment of wickedness, he said, "My place in the Virgin Islands is quite large, and there is a guest suite, so all you would need to do is book a flight." The fact that his son looked even less comfortable after that was something the wicked side of the Smythe genes enjoyed…
As all of that was playing out, Peter and Constance found themselves left alone for a moment, as Isabelle had been distracted by an urgent e-mail from work. "Well, that went well, just as I hoped," said Peter with a smile, and she answered him with a nod. "I think however that my grandfather might be a little bit taken with your aunt…"
"Oh, he was, it was obvious. From all that you have told me about him in the past, I should probably be worried, and I would be concerned if it wasn't for the fact that my aunt has never been interested in men in that way…"
"Oh, to be honest, I did wonder about that when I met her first, but I didn't like to presume," replied Peter.
"It is not exactly an open secret in family circles, and is just another justification for her reputation as a black sheep in family circles. My mother knows, but my dad certainly doesn't, or there would have been no way that he would ever have permitted me to stay with her for the last few months. I think that there might have been a special someone in her life once, but not whilst I have known her… Anyway, she and your grandfather do seem to share a point of view on a lot of topics, so I am expecting them to become close friends, and in time, our biggest cheerleaders…."
Peter chuckled, then in a more serious tone said, "I agree, although had they met a decade ago, it might well have been a very different story. Uncle Sebastian tells me that he was extremely homophobic back then, and not the nicest of people to anyone, especially not his family. What changed was that he saw the world change, and then there was the earthquake. He suddenly realised that he could have lost me from his life without having ever met me; couple that with finding that his previous attitude was not going to get him the advances he wanted in life any longer, and he changed. He, my dad, and Uncle Bazzy have buried the hatchet, and forgiven each other for the worst things they said and did to each other… On the latter note, I'm sure my uncle won't mind if I tell you a little tale involving seafood…"
Constance and her aunt would head back home the following day, but after brunch, which was another lively affair. Plans were made for a fortnight's time, when it would be time for Constance to move to New York to begin the next stage of her education. Isabelle had not forgotten her promise of a visit to the legendary closet for Caroline of course. Now that she had met the lady, and managed to find out both her dress and shoe sizes, along with her dress style in person, she would now be able to sort through the newest arrivals with confidence to have a selection of appropriate items waiting for her. The fact that she was wearing the scarf that Constance had taken to her from her own visit was a gesture of thanks in the eyes of the Vogue editor in any case.
The dorm that Constance had been assigned to was just a block or so from where Peter would be living. The two blocks both were single sex, and had strict rules on visitors, and a curfew, something which did not concern either of them greatly. They both agreed that their studies had to come first, and in any case, they were content to just be friends for now.
Peter had been given the option to move in earlier than Constance, and he had taken it up, meaning he would be moving in the following weekend. He wanted the time to familiarise himself with his surroundings and find out where everything was without large crowds. He also had no intention of pledging to a fraternity either, as they did not really appeal to his nature. His uncle had not pledged to one, and his college career had been fine. His father had, but that was all that he was prepared to say on the matter, and as far as Peter was aware, he was not in contact with any of his 'brothers' now. In any case, he already was a member of the bird brotherhood of Dalton, which had to be better than any organisation which used Greek letters as its name…
With the school year now once more underway, Jeff found himself with more free time during the day again, Wes no longer at home most days, and needing to be provided with something more interesting to occupy his time than merely sitting in the corner of his papa's studio, reading a book, or folding paper. Whereas those activities had been enough to keep him happy before, the older child needed something more stimulating. Along the street, Drew had been faced with the same issues with his daughter. He was fortunate enough that he had a job where he could work from home, but he knew now why so many parents were keen to dispatch their children to summer camps for at least part of the long vacation…
He was fortunate too in having Jeff willing and able to share the childcare duties when he did need to go into the office, and he reciprocated happily. On top of that, although he was quite a bit older, Ty was also happy to spend time with his two younger neighbours, and that added Elliott into the childcare mix. Then there was Dante, still willing to help out the three fathers, although not as often now, as he prepared for college, and wanted to enjoy his summer with Lachlan at his side…
With school now back in session, all of that had ceased, and there was only the rota between Jeff and Drew as to who would collect Wes and Evie from school to worry about. That meant that the artist could now start to prepare properly for his new solo exhibition. He had sorted out which of his more recent works would form the centrepiece of the exhibition without too much problem, and what the theme would be. He had resisted the temptation to call the exhibition Modern Families II, and instead it would be called Icons & Landscapes, which reflected the fact that those drawing and sketches he had done of the famous, both on Broadway and more internationally, would sit in the show alongside his works that depicted the places he had visited.
There would also be some more personal items. He had done a series of sketches of Seth during the time that he had been living in the city, the last one only days before he had left for good, and they would reflect the toll that his condition had taken upon him, and mark his existence. Jeff knew though that the most popular works he would show would be his sketches of Caleb.
He glanced then at the cat in question as he slept in his usual sunspot in the studio, and sighed quietly. He had carried his pet up the stairs to that spot this morning, as he was no longer willing to charge up all of the stairs in front of him when he headed to work. He knew that in truth, that was because he was no longer as able, understandable really when he considered that had Caleb been human, he would now be in his sixties, and things were inevitably slowing down. He had discussed the issue with Tina in the early spring, when he had been forced to take his pet to her surgery when he had been off his food. Since those words, he had begun to carry Caleb up, and that was no issue for the cat in question at all. The truth was that he also knew that he was aging, and that the process could never be reversed…
Once he had selected all of the items that he wanted to display, all that remained for him to do was find a suitable gallery space. He had spoken to a few gallery owners, and had decided that it would be best to return to the place that he had staged his first exhibition. However, he was stunned one morning to receive a call from the manager, who informed him that a new owner had taken over the space, and he had another artist, an up and coming one that he championed, who would be taking the gallery when Jeff had scheduled to use it. The fact that said artist was willing to pay big bucks for the space had been the key factor, the manager said, and that was why they were handing in their resignation…
Jeff was mature enough that he did not see what had happened as a slight, or a comment on his work. In the end, he had his own opinion of the artist in question, and he was certain his work was better, and would stand the test of time far longer, having seen some of their pieces himself. He had chided himself for those thoughts at first, as it was rather judgmental, but he realised that what he was seeing was a poor copy of work that had been done before. It was also true that they worked in different mediums, but whereas he produced drawings that resonated strongly with the public, the other artist produced works that Jeff was sure had to haunt people's nightmares. He kept that opinion to himself though; a true artist never criticised the works of their fellows, however poor they might be…
It would be on the Monday after the Smythes had hosted Constance and her aunt that Jeff would stumble across his new venue. Having taken Wes and Evie to school, he had decided to enjoy the warm sunshine and take a stroll along the High Line. He allowed himself to amble, looking at the world around him for inspiration. It was just after he passed the old Nabisco factory that he glanced down to the street below and saw what he was looking for. He hurried to the nearest set of steps down to ground level, and soon found himself in the relatively busy Chelsea street, and looked through the window of the gallery he had no idea existed until now…
It was more or less empty, and a sign in the window stated that it would be opening to the public soon. That sign looked a little faded though, as if it had been there for a while, and that intrigued the blond. Looking in the other direction inside, he spotted a figure sitting at a desk, staring into space, and he realised that he knew them. It was one of his tutors from college, a woman that had been his constant champion, and had told her classes often that her long term ambition was to open her own gallery…
He realised that he had been staring for too long when she got up and approached the window quickly, an angered expression on her face at first, but that softened when she saw who he was. A smile replaced the look of annoyance, and she pointed along the building in the direction of the door. He walked quickly in that direction, and when she opened it for him, he stepped swiftly inside…
"Well, this is a delight! It is so good to see you Jeff. You always had such a great talent, and you have used that individuality in art to great effect to make you a star. I mean, one of my students drawing the Queen of England, no less! It is wonderful to see that at least someone's dreams have been realised…"
Jeff could sense from her body language that she was troubled, and he smiled wanly back at her. "I guess that I have been fortunate in that, but a lot of it was down to chance. If Nick, my husband, hadn't been working for the UN, and hadn't been sent to live in London for a time, then there was no chance that I would ever have met the Duchess of Cambridge, and well, my career would probably be a lot less glittering and exciting. Luck was on my side, because I always thought that it would be Nick that would have the important career and all of the recognition."
"Yes, there is a lot to be said for fate," came his reply. "Alas, it can also work against us. We roll a dice, take a chance and hope; sometimes we don't have the success that we imagined. I thought that being my own boss, running my own gallery would allow me to achieve all of the things that I wished for, but it seems that despite the fact that this city and this area in particular have a thriving arts scene, not all galleries and their owners are given the support they expected."
"Oh," said Jeff, understanding what she meant. Looking around him, he said, "You have such a beautiful space here too, in a perfect location. I can't understand why it wouldn't be, well…"
"…a big success? I have wondered the same, as has my bank manager. The problem is that people like names, the big galleries run by the big players. I believed, perhaps stupidly, that I could find a niche in that market, and so I invested my life's savings in this place, and gave up my job at Columbia to run it. Even with that, I had to mortgage myself to the hilt, and now…" She sniffed then, then chuckled as Jeff held out a packet of tissues. She took one, dabbed at her eyes, and then blew her nose.
Looking up, she saw that Jeff had moved away from her, and was now inspecting the gallery space, looking thoughtful. Then, with a grin on his face, he turned back to her and said, "Sometimes fate throws us a lifeline just when we are at our lowest ebb. You were always so kind to me when I was at school, and now I am able to return the favour. I am planning to hold a second solo exhibition, and I am searching for a venue to host it. I went back to the first venue, and they accepted me, but they have just informed me that they are now giving the space to someone else, a wunderkind that is edgy, hip and trending… So, given that this place is the perfect size, and in the right location, how would you feel about hosting my new show instead?"
There was a moment of silence then, followed by the words, "You are being serious, you want me to host your new show here?"
"Yes, because unlike the owners of the other galleries, you are someone that I know I can trust and rely upon. You would really be helping me out, and vice versa…"
"It would certainly put this place on the map… When did you have in mind?"
"Would it be too soon to have it in November?" replied Jeff with a smile.
After her initial shock, the struggling gallery owner said it wouldn't be, and then she and Jeff began to make plans. The blond had a reasonable budget for setting up costs and the hire of the gallery space, and he refused to accept any discount when it was offered. "The fact of the matter is that Nick and I budget as a couple, and it would actually make an issue for our finances if I now spent less, because it would alter all of our tax bills, and give Nick a lot of work sorting it all out. That is also why I will keep the 20% of all sales as your payment," he said firmly, a stern look on his face that he rarely used, only brought out when he was not willing to negotiate or argue his position, or on a few occasions when Wes had been particularly naughty.
"I'm not sure that I entirely believe all of that, but I will admit that the extra budget will allow me to ensure you have the best in publicity, and it will also let me take care of a few outstanding payments in the meantime," came his response.
Although nothing was said, Jeff was pretty sure those payments would be the rent, taxes and utility bills on the gallery. "So, the way that I worked last time worked well, so it seems silly not to do the same again. So I will advance 50% of the budget to you right now so that we can hit the ground running, with the rest in regular instalments in the run up to the opening and then during the exhibition. I was thinking we could run from mid-November to mid-February? Those quieter months of the year always seem to attract the out of town visitors, and they will be an important part of our audience."
Jeff then began to explain the concept of his new show, and the kind of pieces he intended to show, whether it was for sale, or just for viewing. "I have been given permission by the palace to exhibit a facsimile of both of my royal portraits, along with a few other sketches of the family, not that any of them will be for sale, obviously."
"It will be a great joy to see them, and the majority of the art critics will feel the same."
"Then there will be a new set of Broadway sketches, along with those of family, friends, and of course, Caleb…"
"Your cat. He was definitely one of the subjects that I particularly loved seeing in your first exhibition."
"And finally, there will be a lot of landscapes and townscapes from both home and abroad. Hopefully there will be something for everyone to enjoy."
"It certainly does sound like that. Of course, this time I will be lucky enough to see a preview as we set up."
"Of course. Finally, there is one further thing. She has expressed an interest in being able to see my new exhibition, so if it all pans out, you might even get the opportunity to meet the Duchess of Cambridge…"
Jeff allowed himself after that to get caught up in the prospect of his new show, and had he not been reminded that it was time for the school day to end by his former college tutor, he might well have ended up leaving Wes and Evie standing at the door of the school. She could only smile as he raced away, recalling what she had been told by both the security guards and the custodians back when he was one of her students; that he was always the last person to leave the building, often on his phone, and talking rapidly and apologetically to someone…
She had met his husband, Nick, on three occasions in those college days, and on each time she had been struck by two things; firstly, how tolerant he seemed to be of his husband's sense of time; and secondly, by the way that he looked at the blond like he was the centre of his universe. Of course, like everyone else at Columbia at the time, she had known nothing of their traumas in the years beforehand. It was only when she had heard their names in connection to a film that she discovered the full extent of what they had endured. That Jeff's art was full of joy and not tortured due to the horror he had endured was a shock, but then she remembered that he also had a constant and infectious smile…
As for herself, the dark mood that she had been in that morning was now dispersed, the future much brighter. She recalled that the gallery that had hosted his first exhibition had been put on the map by it, and now it was the turn of her establishment to shine out amongst the many venues to be found in the streets of Chelsea. They would still have to fix an official opening date, but that would be possible in the next week. Then it would be all systems go, with notices in all forms of media, and more importantly for her, signs in the windows that had been empty for too long. In fact, she realised, she could start that right now; the sign that would proclaim there would be a major exhibition in November….
