Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
A quick internet search gave Lily the location of the art retreat. The basic website displayed the artwork of Gideon Rowe along with information about the retreats he ran.
Too impatient to wait for Jessica to arrive, Lily sent her a brief message telling her she’d be on her own for the morning and to remember to bring her key as the front door would be locked.
A brisk twenty-minute walk brought her to the large modern house with huge windows, surrounded by sprawling fields. Wandering along the driveway, she had her sights set on the front door, but high-pitched laughter had her detouring around the side of the house.
The woman who’d been flirting with Flynn earlier stood barefoot and swinging a skipping rope in a circular motion at her side.
Nearby, the unkempt guy she’d seen in the cafe looked on with a troubled expression.
“Not like that,” he said to the woman, before his eyes darted to Lily, then quickly away again.
“Hello!” the woman said. “Are you looking for Gideon?”
“Yes,” Lily replied. “Is he here?”
“I don’t know, but I can help you check.”
“Thanks,” Lily said while the woman passed the rope to the guy.
“He’s been teaching me flow rope.”
“Flow rope?” Lily echoed.
“Yes. It’s a sort of exercise that involves swinging a rope. Silas says it has a lot of health benefits.” She fell silent as the guy swung the rope while walking away from them. His movements were practised and graceful with the rope and his body moving in perfect synchrony.
“It’s quite hypnotic when he does it,” the woman said, then turned to Lily and thrust her hand out. “I’m Saffron, by the way.”
Lily introduced herself and glanced over at the house. “Are you here on a retreat?”
“Yes. It’s so much fun.”
“You’re an artist then?”
“Not a good one,” she said with a grin. “I just love the romance of it. An opportunity came up for the ten-day retreat, and it seemed too good to turn down.”
“Are you staying in the house?” Lily’s gaze went to the building, which was comprised mostly of glass.
“No. That’s Gideon’s studio and gallery. He also has private rooms upstairs. We have accommodation over there.” She pointed to what looked to be a converted barn. “It’s actually nicer than I expected.” Her eyes flicked to Lily. “Are you a friend of Gideon?”
“No. I don’t know him. I’m interested in looking at his artwork.” Her cheek twitched. That excuse wouldn’t get her far. “I also have a friend in London who’s thinking of doing a retreat here, so I said I’d check it out for her.”
“I can definitely recommend it. Do you live on the island then?”
“Yes. I just moved here six months ago.” Not even that long actually, but it felt like longer.
“Jealous!” Saffron giggled. “I’ll bet it’s an amazing place to live.”
“I like it.”
Saffron patted her arm. “Let’s go and see if Gideon is around. Otherwise, I can give you a tour.”
Lily followed her through the open patio door and into a huge room with white-tiled flooring, and timber support columns dotted throughout. The far end of the room was more cluttered, with cupboards and a sink, and a range of seating.
“Gorgeous, isn’t it?” Saffron said. “It’s such a lovely space to paint in. The lighting is fantastic.”
“It’s great.” Lily’s eyes went to the spiral staircase in the centre of the room.
“Come on,” Saffron said. “Gideon is probably upstairs.” She led the way up the twisting stairs to an upstairs room about half the size of the downstairs. On the far wall, paintings were stacked vertically, and on the other wall, a door was surrounded by bookcases.
“The windows are amazing, aren’t they?” Saffron said, moving to look out.
“That’s a lot of glass,” Lily remarked, marvelling at the way the slanted roof was almost entirely windows.
“This is Gideon’s personal studio. His living rooms are through here.” Darting around an easel, Saffron knocked loudly on the door.
After a moment of quiet, she shrugged. “He might have gone for a walk or something. Do you want me to show you around?”
“Please,” Lily said.
“If your friend wants to do the retreat, I should show you the guest accommodation,” she said, heading for the stairs. “It’s all on the website, of course, but the website isn’t that great. Sometimes I think Gideon doesn’t even want customers…” Her voice trailed off as she descended the stairs.
Instead of following, Lily moved to the door and tried the handle. The door didn’t budge, and Lily briefly wondered what she’d have done if it had opened. Would she really have been bold enough to trespass?
She needed her backpack, she reminded herself. If she had to trespass to get it, so be it.
“Everything okay?” Saffron called from below.
“Sorry,” Lily said, taking the steps down. “I got distracted by the view.”
Saffron showed Lily more of the room below before they moved back outside.
“How many people are on the retreat?” Lily asked.
“Four. That’s the maximum. That way, everyone has access to Gideon and his guidance with the art. And there are only four guest rooms.”
“What’s Gideon like?” Lily asked.
She lowered her voice and leaned closer. “He’s pretty grumpy.”
“Is he a famous artist, or something?”
“Yes!” She squinted. “I think so anyway. He used to have a gallery in London. I think he did really well for himself, but he didn’t like the attention, so he moved back here for the solitude.”
“Is he from here?”
“Yes. His mum was a painter too. This was the house he grew up in. He inherited it from his parents. I think that’s right.” Her eyes danced with delight. “Don’t quote me or anything.”
Lily smiled lightly. “Do you get on with the other people on the retreat? I guess that can be a bit of a gamble… it’s like being on holiday with strangers.”
“Weird, isn’t it? I love it, though. I always enjoy meeting new people. And the people here are really lovely. I can introduce you if they’re around. We’ll probably leave Silas alone.” Her eyes went to the guy with the rope, who was now swirling it at the other end of the field close to a tent.
“Whose tent is it?” Lily asked.
“Silas’s. He didn’t want to stay in the regular accommodation. I suspect he can’t afford it, but maybe he also just enjoys being outdoors. It’s probably both reasons.”
She flicked her chin towards the building across a small patch of grass and led the way.
“I can show you my room. If you want, you can take photos for your friend.” She pulled the front door open and stepped into a long hallway where the white walls displayed a selection of oil paintings which, to Lily’s untrained eye, resembled chaotic swirls of colour.
“You’ll just have to tell her to ignore the mess,” Saffron went on.
“What?” Lily waited while she opened the first door on the right.
“If you take photos,” she said with a smile. “I’m always a bit messy.”
“Right.” Lily followed her into the room with a double bed, wardrobe and desk.
“The bathroom is lovely and modern,” Saffron said, opening the door in the corner. “The water pressure is great.”
“That’s good.” Lily's eyes scanned the room for her backpack. Automatically, she bent down and peered under the bed, then opened the wardrobe door before realising how intrusive she was being. “My friend asked about storage space,” she said. “She’s one of those people who always packs too much.”
“There’s plenty of space,” Saffron said, apparently unconcerned by Lily searching her room. “But I tend to travel light. Come on, I’ll show you the kitchen and living room.”
Lily stuck her head into the bathroom before following Saffron back into the hallway. They walked past more doors before arriving at the large kitchen at the back of the house. Once again, an abundance of windows offered an uninterrupted view of rolling fields.
“It’s a lovely place to chill out,” Saffron said.
A noise from the hallway made Lily turn.
“Hi, Martha!” Saffron called. “I’m giving guided tours now. Do you think Gideon will pay me a commission?”
“I very much doubt it,” the smiley, stout lady said. She was probably in her fifties, and the soft glow on her cheeks gave her a warm presence. “I’d say you give a better tour than Gideon, though.”
Lily thrust her hand out to introduce herself and repeated her story about having a friend interested in the retreat.
“I’m enjoying it,” Martha said, leaning against a chair. “But I suppose it very much depends on the group. Gideon isn’t actually that great at bringing people together.”
“He doesn’t sound very friendly,” Lily said.
“He’s quite serious,” Martha said. “But he’s a good teacher. I really think my techniques have come on in the last week.”
“And you’re happy with the accommodation?” Lily asked.
“Yes. It’s actually nicer than the photos online.”
“Are the rooms all the same?” Lily asked, desperate to get a look in all the rooms.
“I’d imagine so,” Martha replied. “I don’t actually know.”
Lily smiled gently. “Saffron was kind enough to let me have a look at hers…”
“You’re welcome to stick your head in mine, too.” Martha shrugged. “You’ve got me wondering now… about whether the rooms are the same.”
“I’d imagine they’re identical,” Saffron said, following Martha along the hall. “We can check the empty one too – where Silas should be staying. That one would be a good one for you to take photos for your friend.”
Dutifully, Lily took photos. At least she knew no one was using the spare room to stash stolen goods. They moved from there to Martha’s room.
As soon as the door was open, Lily’s eyes roamed the space. Presumably, any stolen goods would be well hidden, and not just sitting out on display. The space wasn’t huge though - not too many places to hide a backpack.
“Exactly the same as mine,” Saffron was saying. “Except yours is much neater.”
“I’m a bit of a neat freak,” Martha said. “Sometimes I wish I wasn’t. It doesn’t seem to fit with the whole artist spirit, does it?”
Saffron leaned against the doorframe. “Maybe having a clean room leaves your mind free to be creative.”
“Maybe,” Martha said, chuckling. Her eyes went to Lily. “I was a primary school teacher for thirty years. Now that I’ve retired, I’ve decided to follow my passion for art. I’m not very good, but it soothes my soul to do something just because I want to.”
Lily nodded while her gaze darted around the room.
“Anyway, I was just going to make a cup of tea. Would anyone else like one?”
“I’ll have one,” Saffron said, then looked to Lily. “Want to join us for a cuppa?”
What she wanted was to find her backpack. Fighting the urge to ransack the building, she smiled wanly. “Yes, please.” She followed Saffron back into the hallway, then turned back to Martha. “I’m sorry,” she said with a grimace. “Would you mind if I used the bathroom quickly?”
“Oh.” Martha paused and glanced back into the room. “I suppose so.”
“We’ll get the tea going,” Saffron called to Lily.
In the bathroom, her heart thumped wildly as she pressed her ear to the door, listening for signs that the coast was clear.