Page 140 of A Christmas Celebration
Angus beckoned Brodie forward and as he refused to let go of my hand that meant I got pulled to the front of the crowd with him.
‘With this fine young fellow, I think,’ Angus announced. ‘He’s the reason why I came up with the idea of the celebration and I’ve commissioned him to paint something special for you, my dear.’
He stood aside to reveal a large cloth-covered canvas resting on an easel.
‘Would you do the honours?’ Angus asked Brodie.
His hand slowly released mine and he stepped closer to the work which, in so many respects, had held him captive for so long.
‘I hope you like it,’ he said, as everyone leant in closer to get the first tantalizing glimpse of whatever it was that he’d painted.
I could see his hands were shaking as he began to pull at the cloth and my heart went out to him. He might have displayed his work in a gallery in London, but that had been with the safety net of a six-figure salary behind him. At that time, it had been a hobby, but now he meant to make his living from his brushes and the pressure must have felt immense.
‘Oh, my goodness, Brodie,’ Catherine gasped, her hand flying to her chest for the second time. ‘That’s extraordinary.’
Brodie had painted the hall, but from a good way down the drive and from an elevated position, which explained his trip in the cherry picker. The aspect he’d picked meant that as well as the hall, he was also able to include the wider landscape, including the garden and woods and the far-reaching, Fenland sky. The colours he’d used were vibrant oils which gave the composition a deep warmth, encapsulating the essence of the hall perfectly.
‘This is amazing,’ said Archie, patting him on the back.
‘Look,’ said Angus, leaning right in, ‘I can even see the dogs on the drive.’
‘You can’t have Wynthorpe Hall without the dogs,’ Brodie laughed, sounding relieved that his work was being so well received. ‘And they were all milling about the place the day I came to sketch.’
‘How on earth have you painted this in such a short space of time?’ Archie asked in wonder.
That was a question I was keen to hear the answer to myself.
‘We only went up in the picker just a few days ago,’ Archie added.
‘Well,’ said Brodie, one hand finding its way through his hair. ‘I’ve pulled a few long days since then.’
‘And nights!’ came Albert’s voice from the back which made everyone laugh.
‘And nights,’ Brodie acknowledged. ‘But I’d already got lots of preliminary sketches, which helped. That said,’ he further explained, ‘I couldn’t put my finger on why, but they weren’t giving me quite what I wanted. However, when we went up in the cherry picker everything fell into place and this is the result.’
A round of applause started and Brodie turned red in response.
‘I’d really like to do four,’ I heard him say to Angus. ‘One for each season and all from the same angle.’
‘Oh yes,’ said Catherine, clapping her hands, ‘that would be wonderful.’
‘I agree,’ Angus nodded keenly.
‘Obviously it would be a passion project…’ Brodie tried to say, but Angus wouldn’t allow that.
‘We’ll discuss the details later,’ he said, as the guests began to talk among themselves. ‘You just enjoy this moment because you’ve done it, Brodie. You’ve slayed your demons and conquered your fears and there’s nothing that can hold you back now.’
‘I couldn’t have got to this point without you,’ he said to Angus, his voice choked with emotion. ‘And you,’ he added, reaching for me again. ‘And Albert,’ he beamed, as the man himself came to offer his congratulations.
All three of us had enjoyed the benefit of working together rather than struggling on alone since fate had pulled us in the same direction. We might not have been your average friendship group, but who cared about that? Somehow, we were a fabulous fit and that was all that mattered.
‘It’s your turn now, Albert.’ Angus smiled kindly. ‘Are you ready?’
Albert took a deep breath and I felt for him even more deeply than I had for Brodie. My friend had waited almost a lifetime for this moment.
‘As I’ll ever be,’ he said, taking in the hall, and the many people gathered inside it.
Angus nodded.
