able to. It was all so very long ago . . .
Adele walked into the house and threw her bag down on the hall table.
‘I’m back!’
Silence. Everyone was obviously out. Damn. She so wanted to tell them all about it. She went into the kitchen, filled the kettle, stared out at the tiny garden, smiling. Then she turned round and jumped.
‘Lucas! I didn’t see you. Didn’t you hear me come in?’
‘Of course. But I was busy.’
‘Yes, I see. Going well, your essay?’
‘All right.’
She sighed inwardly. Then, ‘I’ve just come from the palace.’
‘Oh yes?’
‘We were being briefed about the Coronation. It’s going to be so wonderful, Lucas. I still can’t believe it. We have the most marvellous access to everything, both inside and outside the Abbey. It’s going to be such a wonderful day, Commander Colville, he’s the Press Officer, says we must all pray for good weather, but I can’t believe it will rain on such a day. It’s June after all, and—’
‘Mother, I’m sorry, but I really am trying to work. Perhaps we could discuss the Coronation later.’
Adele sighed. ‘Yes of course. Sorry Lucas. You must get on.’
She went upstairs with her coffee, tears rising absurdly in her eyes. He had such capacity to hurt her. What was she going to do with him? What?
‘That is terrible news,’ said Jay, walking back into the board room. The other two looked at him. There was no need to reply.
‘I just don’t understand it,’ said Giles finally. ‘Why’s he done it?’
‘Oh Giles,’ said Venetia impatiently, ‘it’s to get at Mummy of course. It’s all he can do. Apart from refusing to see her or talk to her.’
‘But she’s gone,’ said Giles, ‘it’s a meaningless gesture. That’s what’s so odd about it. Everyone will think he’s going because she won’t be here any more.’
‘Not meaningless to him. He won’t care about what everyone will think. It’s her he wants to hurt. He knows she’ll be upset. Which she will be, with him walking out on the family firm. And anyway, she hasn’t gone. She’s still got her shares.’
‘I suppose so,’ said Jay, walking over to the drinks cabinet. ‘But – it’s not straightforward, is it? She might even be pleased. Think he’s the first in a long line of authors walking out. That Lyttons can’t go on without her. Venetia, drink?’
‘Yes, please. Gin and tonic.’
‘Same for me,’ said Giles. ‘Jay, she can’t think that.’
‘Of course she can. She knows Lyttons won’t be the same without her. She is Lyttons. She embodies it, its style, its history. And now it will change.’
‘I trust it will. It has to. We have to move with the times,’ said Giles stiffly. ‘Our mother was fairly adept at not doing that.’
‘That’s not fair,’ said Venetia. ‘I can still remember raging rows with Daddy when she was trying to persuade him to go into paperbacks, to take on popular authors, to recognise changes in public taste. She was marvellous at moving with the times. And so was your mother, Jay, to a lesser degree. I can still hear Daddy saying “not you as well, LM” when she took Mummy’s side. Not that it did either of them any good. If anyone was stuck in the past it was Daddy.’
Giles said nothing, drained his glass.
‘I do fear that people might take their cue from this,’ said Jay soberly, ‘and what about the authors she did edit, Lady Annabel, for instance, Sebastian of course—’
‘Sebastian won’t go,’ said Venetia firmly. ‘I know he won’t. He feels part of Lyttons too. He’s an honorary Lytton, always has been.’
‘Have you talked to him about it? After all, Celia has always edited him.’
‘No,’ she said, sounding slightly less confident.
‘I think you should.’
‘Shouldn’t you? You’re the editoral director.’
‘Possibly,’ said Jay with a sigh. ‘I’ve been putting it off.’
‘Well anyway, Kit is going,’ said Venetia, ‘and it’s bad. He’s always
Adele walked into the house and threw her bag down on the hall table.
‘I’m back!’
Silence. Everyone was obviously out. Damn. She so wanted to tell them all about it. She went into the kitchen, filled the kettle, stared out at the tiny garden, smiling. Then she turned round and jumped.
‘Lucas! I didn’t see you. Didn’t you hear me come in?’
‘Of course. But I was busy.’
‘Yes, I see. Going well, your essay?’
‘All right.’
She sighed inwardly. Then, ‘I’ve just come from the palace.’
‘Oh yes?’
‘We were being briefed about the Coronation. It’s going to be so wonderful, Lucas. I still can’t believe it. We have the most marvellous access to everything, both inside and outside the Abbey. It’s going to be such a wonderful day, Commander Colville, he’s the Press Officer, says we must all pray for good weather, but I can’t believe it will rain on such a day. It’s June after all, and—’
‘Mother, I’m sorry, but I really am trying to work. Perhaps we could discuss the Coronation later.’
Adele sighed. ‘Yes of course. Sorry Lucas. You must get on.’
She went upstairs with her coffee, tears rising absurdly in her eyes. He had such capacity to hurt her. What was she going to do with him? What?
‘That is terrible news,’ said Jay, walking back into the board room. The other two looked at him. There was no need to reply.
‘I just don’t understand it,’ said Giles finally. ‘Why’s he done it?’
‘Oh Giles,’ said Venetia impatiently, ‘it’s to get at Mummy of course. It’s all he can do. Apart from refusing to see her or talk to her.’
‘But she’s gone,’ said Giles, ‘it’s a meaningless gesture. That’s what’s so odd about it. Everyone will think he’s going because she won’t be here any more.’
‘Not meaningless to him. He won’t care about what everyone will think. It’s her he wants to hurt. He knows she’ll be upset. Which she will be, with him walking out on the family firm. And anyway, she hasn’t gone. She’s still got her shares.’
‘I suppose so,’ said Jay, walking over to the drinks cabinet. ‘But – it’s not straightforward, is it? She might even be pleased. Think he’s the first in a long line of authors walking out. That Lyttons can’t go on without her. Venetia, drink?’
‘Yes, please. Gin and tonic.’
‘Same for me,’ said Giles. ‘Jay, she can’t think that.’
‘Of course she can. She knows Lyttons won’t be the same without her. She is Lyttons. She embodies it, its style, its history. And now it will change.’
‘I trust it will. It has to. We have to move with the times,’ said Giles stiffly. ‘Our mother was fairly adept at not doing that.’
‘That’s not fair,’ said Venetia. ‘I can still remember raging rows with Daddy when she was trying to persuade him to go into paperbacks, to take on popular authors, to recognise changes in public taste. She was marvellous at moving with the times. And so was your mother, Jay, to a lesser degree. I can still hear Daddy saying “not you as well, LM” when she took Mummy’s side. Not that it did either of them any good. If anyone was stuck in the past it was Daddy.’
Giles said nothing, drained his glass.
‘I do fear that people might take their cue from this,’ said Jay soberly, ‘and what about the authors she did edit, Lady Annabel, for instance, Sebastian of course—’
‘Sebastian won’t go,’ said Venetia firmly. ‘I know he won’t. He feels part of Lyttons too. He’s an honorary Lytton, always has been.’
‘Have you talked to him about it? After all, Celia has always edited him.’
‘No,’ she said, sounding slightly less confident.
‘I think you should.’
‘Shouldn’t you? You’re the editoral director.’
‘Possibly,’ said Jay with a sigh. ‘I’ve been putting it off.’
‘Well anyway, Kit is going,’ said Venetia, ‘and it’s bad. He’s always
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