Page 8 of Clara's Secret Garden
She sighs. ‘Sorry. And you’re right. I used to lovepainting.’
‘Why not get back to it? Show Ronnie that you don’t care andyou’re getting on with your life perfectly well without him? The scumbag thathe is.’
Lois nods, liking this idea. ‘Well, maybe I will.’
‘Your work is good enough to sell.’
‘No, it’s not.’
‘Yes, it is. That picture of boats in the harbour is so gorgeous.Every time I walk through the hall, it makes me smile.’
She snorts. ‘Yeah, butyoudon’t have a life.’
‘Well, you’ve got a point there. But I’m serious, Lois. Ibet if you took a stall at the autumn fair, you’d make money from yourpictures.’
‘How much money would she make?’ asks Bertie, lookinginterested.
‘Ooh, I don’t know. Butyoulike her paintings, don’tyou?’
He nods.
‘Well, if people like something, they’ll pay money for it.’
‘CouldIpaint pictures and sell them? I could get anew wheel for my bike.’
‘Erm...’ I glance at Lois, hoping shewon’t laugh.
But she shakes her head and answers him seriously. ‘You needto find out what your talent is first, Bertie Wooster. Work out what you’regood at.’
I smile at Lois’s affectionate nickname for our littlebrother. ‘Bertie Wooster’ is a character in the Jeeves novels of P G Wodehouse.Irene thinks it’s weird but I happen to think it’s quite cute.
‘Lois is right, Bertie. Everyone has a special talent. Justlike Lois isgood at paintingand is going to get back to itverysoon.’ I grin at her.
‘Oh, give it a rest, Clara.’ She heaves a sigh. ‘You shouldwrite one of those sick-making books on boosting your self-esteem and gettingmotivated. Honestly, it would be a bestseller.’ She clatters her spoon into herdish and scrapes back her chair. ‘I’m going upstairs.’
‘Don’t you want to watch a film with Bertie and me? You canchoose.’
‘Nope.’
‘At least put your dish in the machine?’
But she’s already gone. And seconds later, her music blastsout from upstairs.
I paste on a smile and turn to Bertie. ‘So...what film shall we watch?’
He shrugs. ‘I need to get my bike fixed.’
‘But we will. I promise.’
‘I need it tomorrow. We were going to have races.’
‘You and Luke?’
‘But we won’t be able to because of that stupid wheel. AndMum’s never here and I can’t ask her.’ His eyes fill with tears but he brushesthem away angrily. ‘I hate her.’
‘Bertie! Of course you don’t.’
‘I do! She never does things like Luke’s mum. Luke’s mum takeshim to Spain, and she makes him special meatballs and pasta and plays Xbox withhim sometimes.’
