A Trick of the Light (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #7)

by Louise Penny

“Lillian didn’t like it. My stuff was too weird for her. She felt it reflected on her, and said people thought that if she was my muse then my paintings must be about her. And since my paintings and other pieces were so strange, then she must be strange.” Clara hesitated. “She asked me to stop.” For the first time she saw a reaction from Gamache. His eyes narrowed just a bit. And then his face and demeanor returned to normal. Neutral. Without judgment. Apparently. He said nothing. Just listened. “And I did,” said Clara, her voice low, her head down. Speaking into her lap. She took a ragged breath and exhaled, feeling her body deflate. That was how it had felt back then too. As though there was a small tear and she was deflating. “I told her time and again that some of the works were inspired by her, some were even a tribute to our friendship, but they weren’t her. She said it didn’t matter. If others thought they were that’s all that mattered. If I cared about her, if I was her friend I’d stop making my art so strange. And make it attractive. “So I did. I destroyed all the other stuff and started making things that people liked.”