Officially Cumberbatched? A sequel to 'Well and truly Cumberbatched'

Chapter 54

AN: Time Lapse- Ludovico Einaudi.

Monday afternoon.

Cancelling the incoming phone call I shoved my phone back in my pocket, having done so multiple times at Olivia's house, Merlin seemed happy enough to be somewhere new today.

"Sometimes I wish I didn't have one of these things Merly, it'd be easier to ignore the world." I uttered walking him along the quiet greens of Wandsworth Park; I've never been overly keen on South London due to a lack of being in the area but it was lovely nonetheless.

Despite the fact it'd probably be a call just to see how I was, I wasn't exactly in the mood to talk to Ben, knowing the words 'you're a fucking liar' would spit out of my mouth before my brain had a chance to kick in, before he could hopefully be honest.

It wasn't just 'a year, maybe longer'; he forgot to mention the 7 or so years previous he'd been on and off of them, including a good chunk of the time we'd been together. He'd taken them sometimes for the stress, other times for the sake of it.

I hadn't quite hit my boiling point, but it was getting close.

Closer if he wasn't going to just be honest about it.

...

Hay Hill Gallery. 35 Baker St.

"Rosie, will you answer that bloody phone or at least turn it off?" Mum hissed, clearly irritated as we viewed the works of Ilia Petrovich, the contemporary.

"I wasn't planning on answering it, don't worry it's off now anyway." I uttered, facing one of the many paintings in his 'Make a wish' collection, Merlin waited in the car with dad.

"Good, now as you know your Grandmother's quite the fan." She muttered looking over at me, a steely gaze in her eyes before she looked back at a particularly golden canvas split into three, a look of 'I want this' shone in her eyes.

"Yes she is, she doesn't buy art very often though. Prefers to create it herself. She ought to have her own works in a place like this, I wish she'd do that but she refuses. Just like Uncle Col would refuse." I said, she nodded still focussed on the colours before her; oddly enough her own ensemble of Marant and Birger seemed to match, the perfect midi skirt paired with an effortless turtleneck.

"She does, however...I want her to have this. Thoughts?"

"There I was thinking you just wanted to spend time with me, and tell me to eat my vegetables. Not to use me for my good taste." I teased squeezing her elbow, a faint smile appeared in her profile.

"Of course I want to spend time with you, if I only wanted to shop I'd have asked Alex along. We all know he's very good at getting you to spend your own money as well as his. Thoroughly spoilt boy he was." She winked, I stifled a giggle in the quiet of the room.

"True, but imagine not having someone like Alex around?" I asked, her eyes widened.

"I never could, not with any of my children. Before the entire afternoon surpasses us we'll grab some lunch after I make a quiet offer. Not to mention you look as though you need some air to clear your head. Something's troubling you but I can't quite put my finger on it." She thought aloud making a start to the small offices upstairs.

"Mothers intuition strikes again."

"I rarely get it wrong, we don't need to talk about it. Whatever "it" is."

"I know mum, anyway let's grab something to eat pronto. I hope you're paying because I'm starving." I grinned, her smile meeting mine.

"Starving? Hardly, your little face is glowing similarly to a well fed cat."