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Chapter 146 — Life Lessons (part 1)
Lull.
Mary and Mason finally able to enjoy their now uneventful life, and Christy and Jimmy almost never left Jean Do as if they're trying to make the old mansion belong to them.
But the idyll was marred by CC and Sophia’s disagreement. Older children become so far distant from the family that they found out the parent's quarrel only the week after, just one day before Eden and Cruz’s return from their honeymoon.
"Mason, do you know that what’s happened between them?" Kelly restlessly strokes her ??hair up.
"No, I don’t," he shook his head.
"Have you seen the father?"
"He threw me out of the company. I thought you knew that."
"What have you done now?" Kelly narrowed her eyes and frowned.
"Yes, I did the terrible and horrible crime. I did help Gina to go to the court and regain custody of Brandon."
"The father could not--"
"Of course, he could! Little sister, you still not realized? He is obsessed with revenge. I guess that Sophia also did something against his liking and he decided to punish her."
"Mason, but the father did not expel her! Right?"
"No, he did not. Kelly, leave it alone. They’ll sort out."
"Why my mother took Charlie along? I do not understand--"
"Me too."
"I need to talk to the father!" Kelly jumped up. "I knew you have old scores with the father but I do not believe he could just kick my mom out. He must have a good reason!"
"I thought you were always on Sophia’s side."
"I do not want them to break up. Mason, please, help me!"
"I know nothing."
"And I think that you know more then that. Is it because of your little brother?" Kelly blurted out and immediately bit her tongue. "I'm sorry."
"He's your half-brother as I’m."
"I know, I know. Just--"
"Just when we say Charlie we mean Pamela."
"I did not say that."
"But you thought. Kelly, I really do not know what’s happened and how my mother was involved if she was."
* * *
"What do you want?" Sophia looked up her husband who’s standing in the doorway.
"I suggest you stop to acting a farce and back home," the patriarch’s eyes were icy.
"This is not a farce. I'm sorry that you’re not understood yet."
"Sophia, who is it?" Charlie jumped out of the bedroom and froze at the sight of his father.
"I need to talk your dad. Go up Orient Express, they have the delicious ice cream."
"Y-yes, I know. Eden's taken me over there."
Charlie cautiously glancing at his father and slips out the door.
"Tomorrow Eden and Cruz are back from their honeymoon," CC hissed.
"Yes, I know."
"Why did you leave? I do not believe that it's because my youngest son."
"It's because all of that, CC. In the last month you become the different person. A kind of a cruel, icy man. I've never seen you like this."
"Nonsense."
"You're changed. You do not want to hear me anymore."
"I do not agree with you that do not mean that I'm not hear you."
"So you just lie to me now. We're already discussed Charlie's future earlier and I knew that you thought otherwise just some month ago."
"As soon as I change my opinion as you just left me!"
"I already said you it's not about Charlie."
"So we hit the point. About what then?"
"I just said. You'd changed. This touch not only Charlie's doing. Mine also."
"I'm the same person who you were married."
"No, you are not. You've always had the difficult character but now everything changed much more than I am able to agree. I'll not back to you. At least until something changes for the better."
CC Capwell had the stone face when he's goes out the door. Sophia sadly lowered her hands. Everything was falling apart before her eyes... But she could not go back. Not now.
* * *
Not without difficulty finding her younger brother, Kelly returned to his father's house and they both tried to talk to him. But CC replied that it was Sophia's choice.
"I do not believe it! Mom could not leave like that just because she wanted!" Ted angered. "Especially since she took Charlie with her. What you done to her?"
"Nothing!" CC barked already beginning to losing patience. "And she took Charles imagining that she knows better what my son needs."
"So," escaped from Kelly. "It's about Charlie."
"She denies it," the patriarch said.
"What's the point of your conflict? If Charlie did something wrong?"
"No," CC sighed wearily. "Your mother does not like my decision to send your youngest brother to the boarding school."
"Maybe she's right," Ted put in. "Why he must go away? He can live at home and go in the school."
"Because Charles needed the good discipline. He's presumed too much and has a bad influence on Brandon. In any case I'm his father and I'm deciding where and with whom he can live."
"Dad, I think you're too hard on both of them. I think mom has her reasons," Kelly replied.
"Its have nothing to you, kitty. We work out."
"We can see. Mom already left home."
"I did not make her leave," CC pursed lips. "And I asked her to return. But she does not want."
"And you did not make Mason leave too?" Kelly asked.
"Dad, did you kick Mason out?" Ted surprised. "What's he done?"
"I do not want to hear about him! He went against our family!" CC Capwell flushed with indignation at the thought of his eldest son. "He took Gina's side with her claim about the custody!"
"And you threw him out of the company?" Kelly shocked. "By the way I can agree with Mason. I hate Gina but Brandon actually suffered without her. You even do not let them to meet to each another."
"I know better what the best is for Brandon! And for Charlie too. You'll understand more when you'd have your children, kitty."
"I think I'm beginning to understand why everybody wants to leave this house," Ted said. "If you're so hard with my mother too, it is full understandable why she left--"
"Your mother just confirmed me today that it's not about my youngest son!" CC lost his patience.
"I see," Kelly nodded. "The point is your way, is not?"
"She thinks I've changed a lot. I do not understand why she does."
"Lookers-on see more than players," Kelly sighed. "Come on, Teddy. He does not want to listen to us."
Siblings left and CC Capwell upset stared after them. What's the hell they think they are!
* * *
Mason ended the conversation with Eden and hung up. At least someone in the family still enjoys his life. Though not for too long. Tomorrow his sister's back and find out how things turned out during her absence. He knew she'll upset. Eden could not stand when her parents were quarrel though she was openly against the return of her mother not too long ago. Mason was not worried because the trouble marriage of his father but there was Charlie. He promised Pamela to take care of him--
Mason picked up the phone again intending to call Kelly, but instead of beep he heard Mary's voice: "... as we agreed. At three o'clock. I will definitely come." Click.
His heart filled with unpleasant suspicion. With whom she meets? And why she did say nothing him? Although it probably was something to do to a charitable foundation. He tried to throw Mary's words out of his head. He's not go to be mortally jealous of Mary! However... however--
However an hour later he heard Mary explains Mrs. Rold that she is going for the lesson in drawing at three hours. He was relieved. This is just art lessons--
* * *
In the next day Eden and Cruz returned to Santa Barbara. And the parents quarrel became a severe blow for Eden. She could not understand why CC and Sophia's relationships become so aloof but all her attempts to find out where is a point were met by silence from both sides. Neither her sister nor brothers could help her. Returning home she burst into tears in the arms of Cruz.
"I cannot understand!" She repeated. "They were so good! Just one week and they behave like strangers."
"Your parents are complex individuals. They will work out--"
But days passed and nothing changed. The school must be start soon and Sophia decided to find a new proper house for her and Charlie. They cannot live in the hotel for ever--
CC not visited them anymore as if he forgot about existence of his wife and youngest son. Meanwhile Charlie began to thaw. And he stopped to get in troubles. May be he afraid to break a delicate balance or may be he just did believe that now he was protected. Anyway he began to behave like a normal child. And even in some way younger his age.
Found out about her mother's searching for a new house Eden realized that time's running out. If Sophia and CC will break up now their separation would stay for long time if not forever.
So she returned to Capwell's house and found her father in his study. They talked about the affairs of the company and then Eden changed the subject to Brandon's.
"I bought a bunch of gifts for him from Hawaii. Today he spends the night at one of his friends?"
CC irritably winced.
"He's at Gina's."
"What?" Eden was amazed. "I thought you did not want he would be with Gina."
"It's the decision of the judge. By the grace of your older brother the judge though that Brandon was suffering when he's living in my house and made the decision about joint custody."
"I'm sure that Gina does not hurt Brandon. And it would be redounding to advantage of Brandon if he can live with his mother."
CC said nothing but took off his glasses and leaned back in his chair.
"You do come not for the talking about Brandon."
"Mom is going to look for a new house for her and Charlie."
CC jump up to feet.
"Daddy, don't! Why are you so angry at her? What for?"
"Honey, she's portraying me like a monster for all of yours. I just want to take care about my son."
"May be she wants the same thing? Why do not you listen to her? Why Charlie must go away again if he already spent most of his life in boarding schools?"
"Because he needs the discipline. I cannot see why nobody wants to hear it! He lives in Santa Barbara just a few months and looks how many mischief he's done! Also I'm not going to send him to some horrible place like The Great Valley School. This is the good boarding school with the excellent reputation."
"Do you blame yourself for sending Mason there?"
"Well..." CC pursed his lips but then still accepted: "It's not my best decision. I think Mason was too young for any boarding school then. I overestimated his maturity."
"And almost destroyed his life," Eden concluded. "Dad, do not you think that your pressure makes Charlie behave not in the best way? He lives with my mother for almost three weeks and does not give her any problems."
"All the better. So he will not have any difficulties to coping with school discipline."
* * *
With her drawing lessons three times a week Mary spends in the studio almost all of her free time. Mason felt abandoned and even when they were together he often had some feeling that she's thinking about his canvas and paints but him. And the most importantly she did not allow him to see her paintings. He always has been heard the same answer "I'll show you when I finish."
He managed to restrain his curiosity for some time but then he finally gave up. Using a moment when Mary was busy with Mickey he went up the studio. The easel was empty but it was not difficult for him to find the canvas on which she worked so hard now. The painting stood in the corner, its closed oiled canvas. He picked it up, put on the easel and slowly removed the cover canvas.
At first he even did not process what he sees.
"My God," Mason gasped with pain and terror. And with anger.
"Mason, I'd asked you don't look!" Mary briskly walked in and curtained the unfinished painting.
But Mason already do not need to. The portrait was branded on his mind for ever.
"Why?" he finally asked and angrily looked up Mary. "What the hell did you do that?"
"What's the matter?" She felt the change in him but did not understand the reason. "What's happened?"
"And you even have nerves to ask?"
"Of course I see that you're upset though you did not care about my request not to look until I finish."
"Finish what?" Mason blankly asked. He's feeling that he had been betrayed, he's dizzy. "This is the monster?"
"Where is the monster?" Mary gave the shocked and frightened look at the canvas. But there was still the same thing — the portrait of Mason on the background of the distant moon. "What do you mean?"
"Stop it!" Mason comes off. "Stop!
"Mason," she cautiously approached him and touch his forehead.
Mason jerks away.
"Do not touch me!"
"Where are the monsters? You see something in this room?"
"You decided to make fun of me? You drew me as a vicious caricature and now pretend something?"
"A caricature? Where did you get it?" She looked at her picture again. "Yes, I drew your face and chose it because I know it better than others."
"That's for sure," Mason smiled painfully. "Only you could draw me like this--"
"Mason, probably I'm worthless artist," Mary's finally beginning to understand. "But I never tried to express anger into you. And in first place because I do not see it into you. Bitterness — yes. Regret — maybe. Love — of course. But your anger has always been... superficial. It has never been an essential part of your character. Believe me," she put her hand on his shoulder. "I really cannot understand why you're angry."
Mason silently put Mary to face to the portrait.
"What do you see?" He asked abruptly.
"I see... the man," Mary remembered how his art teacher has been taught her to describe the paintings. "He stands at the window; there are dark sky and bright full moon in distance behind his back."
"What is he thinking?" It seemed to her that Mason's voice become sound a little calmer.
"He... is tense and worried. His past left scars on his soul and the desire to repay the offenders. But there's almost visible overwhelming love in his eyes."
"Where do you see a love? Look how his brow mockingly up. How he smugly grinning, ready to walk over corpses? How he does not care everybody but himself?"
"It's in his eyes. He frowns but he has a warm, loving look. Yes, he raised the eyebrow but it's not evil but as if he'd say "Well, well, what you still come up with?" Yes, his credo is irony and cynicism but he's too tense to be one like you're telling. Those persons who do not care about the others usually are easy and relax. They do not being worried and do not think about others after all. I tried to paint the leery, conflicting person. Perhaps I just did not work out--"
Without saying a word Mason walks out of the studio.
Mary looks at the portrait but no matter hard she's trying she could not see what apparently saw Mason. She just was not able to see with his eyes--
She remembered how Mr. Leon had warned her. "You run the risk, Mrs. Capwell. The art of painting is not only a given talent but also a dangerous weapon. Others rare see us in the same way we can see ourselves." The old artist must have a gut feeling. But she still could not understand why Mason reaction was so painful. Seems the portrait caused him almost physical pain and broken something in their relationship. But it's her fault so she must restore it.
That night Mason did not come in the bedroom. In the morning Mary realized that he slept on the couch in the living room and apparently immediately gone out because he never appeared at the breakfast.
* * *
Mason felt that he's a mess. He felt a little better when he realized that Mary did not understand what she had done. But... what was done cannot undo. He could not and did not want to talk to anyone about. And he could not cope. He's feeling like his whole soul turned inside out and put on display.
Sitting in the gazebo of his father's house Mason's sips the brandy and smiles wryly. God, he always had been a clown and never does shy. But a buffoonery was not his normal part, it's just a mask behind he's cozy hidden. And now--
How she did it? How she can able to paint the bitter truth and even does not see it after all? "An overwhelming love." What nonsense. A cynical, heartless satire.
He gasps and admits to himself that the point was not only the portrait. He just was not ready to see the truth entirely. Sometimes it's easier to close your eyes and think about yourself better than you actually are.
He closed his eyes for a moment and remembered Mary's sight. Honest, open... bewildered. She saw the inside of his monster core which he even does not dare to look.
Mason suddenly realizes that the worst thing already was happened — it's something that he was so afraid most of time. But the world did not collapse. And Mary's not rejected him but on the contrary she even tried to defend and comfort him.
He starts to feel that his pain slowly gives way to relief.
Mason put his tumbler down on the table and quick steps toward the door. He just wants as soon as possible to see Mary's face and make sure everything is exactly like he thinks.
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