‘What about green?’ asked Rupert.
‘From red, blue and yellow you can make any colour.’
‘Really?’ said Felicity, genuinely surprised.
Louis coughed with disbelief and Felicity, worried he had a tickle, gave him a sensitive pat on the back.
‘Yellow and blue make green; red and blue, purple; yellow and red, orange.’
‘Yeah,’ said Lianne, ‘but what are the other colours for?’
‘They’ll lighten and darken the colours you mix. But don’t worry about it right now, I’m going to talk you through step by step.’
‘What a relief,’ sighed Rupert.
‘Ahhh,’ squealed Lianne, ‘ahhh, ahh, ahh. There, there, there.’ She was pointing down the bank, turning her head away from whatever she’d seen.
Shane was finding the whole episode very funny.
‘Good god,’ shouted Jane. ‘It’s a rat.’
Everyone other than Minty rushed to take a look.
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ said Rupert, peering over the edge.
‘Yeah,’ said Giles. ‘That’s not a rat.’
The thing plopped into the water and out of sight.
‘None of you can be sure,’ said Jane, ‘now it’s disappeared.’
‘I’m sure,’ stated Giles.
‘Lianne?’ I called. She was heading round the side of the hut.
‘I’m off to be sick.’
Shane laughed again.
‘No, no,’ said Giles. ‘Honestly, come back, it wasn’t a rat.’
‘What was it then?’ Lianne turned around. ‘A water vole.’
‘A mole?’ said Rupert.
‘A water vole.’
‘Silly me,’ he muttered, ‘too much shooting’s made me deaf.’
‘We’re very lucky to see one. They’re a protected species these days.’
‘Whatever,’ said Shane.
‘This one must be lost,’ said Rupert.
‘Why?’ I asked.
‘They live by slow-moving water. Very odd to find it here.’
‘I see. Okay now, back to painting.’
‘Great,’ Louis was full of enthusiasm, sounding genuinely pleased we weren’t going to talk about voles any more.
‘I’d like you to do a rough drawing of the scene you’ve chosen.’
‘With a pencil?’ asked Felicity.
‘Yes. Just a quick light sketch, it doesn’t have to be accurate. You’ll have plenty of time to change it when you start painting. Go on, do it now.’
I stood looking down at the gushing water. Scottish rivers really are beautiful. This one has carved a dramatic channel through the rock and as I took in deep breaths of cold, damp, fresh air I thought, I’m so happy to be away from home. I feel I deserve a break. I finished a commission of two cats last week – beautifully patterned marmalade pussies – and there’s more work in the pipeline when I get home.
The initial melancholy I’d picked up on at Auchen Laggan Tosh seems to have sunk behind the homeliness of having people fill the rooms. The atmosphere has softened and I’m beginning to enjoy being part of the Muchtons’ life.
I think Zoe’s enjoying having me around too. She took me aside after lunch and let me in on a family secret. Apparently Ewen often mocks Fergus and she’s worried about how he’ll behave tonight. ‘My husband’s so wet,’ she admitted, ‘he never stands up for himself. He’s full of guilt at having inherited all this.’
You don’t say, I’d thought at the time. I’ve heard stories of jealous younger siblings causing havoc and if this one has chosen to live on the back drive, hang around and taunt his brother, he’s obviously got a plan up his sleeve – some way of benefiting from his brother’s bounty.
It’s all beginning to make sense why Louis didn’t let on that Ewen was his friend. But I’m excited about meeting him tonight, being in with a chance of working him out. I bet you he’s charming. Younger siblings often are and if Zoe likes him that says a lot.
I’m pretty well practised in drawing people out. It comes from painting commissions. One has to get under the skin of the client, understand what makes them tick in order to produce a picture that’ll strike a chord. So, I’ll be all eyes and ears at dinner tonight and here’s hoping I end up sitting next to Ewen.
Zoe had apologised for opening up. ‘I shouldn’t be so indiscreet about the brothers,’ she’d said, ‘but I don’t often have women of my age around.’ I’d empathised; it must be difficult being an English bride in rural Scotland and no doubt it will take time for Zoe to find friends.
‘Susie,’ said Jane, ‘I’m done drawing so I suppose you want me to paint now?’
‘No, no. It’s best to do the mixing first. Colours change depending on what colours they’re next to, so it’s much easier to mix them all and line them up. That way you’ll avoid having to remix and reapply.’
‘What a top tip,’ said Louis, mocking me from under the peak of his flat cap.
‘You’re going to have to tell me how it’s done,’ said Jane, as her arms dropped to her side.
‘Start with the lightest colour, the froth. A bit of zinc white and a tiny bit of raw umber. Then the grass, lemon yellow, a tiny bit of cobalt blue and raw sienna. After that, look and see if you need to add anything to burnt umber for the water.’
‘But Miss,’ whined Shane, ‘it’s effing freezing.’
Jane tut-tutted, Louis laughed and Felicity said, ‘It’s not how I would have put it but I do agree.’
‘Susie,’ said Rupert, ‘I think we should all stretch our legs, get the blood moving and then come back to this?’
‘Okay then, let’s all warm up.’
‘Great,’ said Minty, Giles too, and we all took off on a quick short stomp downstream. I fell into step with Rupert who unleashed a jeremiad on having recently ‘got the boot from work’.
‘How awful. I’m so sorry for you.’
‘It’s a right bugger, Susie. I’ve been a land agent for thirty-five years. To be made redundant in your early sixties is the pits. I have three children still financially dependent on Jules and me, two dogs, I’m part of a shooting syndicate, member of a golf club and would hate to have to give up
