unnecessary
expense. The problem being that by the time you got to eighty you didn’t need anything except for medical accoutrements, which hardly made for a festive feeling.
Three hours later she arrived at school, the car piled high with booty. Liberty was standing alone in the playground, her face thunderous. She made a throat-slitting gesture as Jane rushed up to
collect her.
‘Sorry darling, terrible traffic, I was doing some Christmas shopping.’
She opened the car door and Liberty climbed in, turning round to peer into the boot. ‘Did you get me a pet?’ she asked, as though hoping to see a puppy or a kitten snuggled up among
the carrier bags. It was all she wanted this year, an animal to call her own.
‘You know we’ve discussed that,’ said Jane, ‘and you agreed a goldfish would he very nice.’
‘Oh, aren’t I a lucky ducky?’ said Liberty sarcastically. She often came out of school with a new piece of posh slang. ‘Can’t I at least have something you can
hold?’
Jane did sympathise. You might as well drop a slice of carrot in a howl of water for all the reward a fish could give you. ‘Maybe next year,’ she said.
Liberty slumped back in her seat. Next year didn’t count when you were seven. ‘Are we going anywhere for Christmas?’ she asked.
‘No, we’re staying here and everyone’s coming to us.’
‘Oh. Lutetia’s going skiing, Apple’s going to Thailand. And Panda’s going on a safari.’
‘Bully for Panda. Maybe she’ll be captured and forced to live in a tree.’
Back at the house, Jane ferried in the Christmas presents and hid them in the cellar, away from Liberty’s curious gaze. The boxes of shelves she had bought at Ikea were
still sitting in the hall.
‘I’d better take those up,’ said Jane, ‘you know how Daddy can’t bear things cluttering up the house.’
‘I’ll help,’ Liberty offered. She had changed out of her school uniform and wanted to be useful.
Too heavy for you,’ Jane said, heaving the first pack onto her back, ‘but you can help me put them together.’
‘Why don’t you get Daddy to do it?’
‘He’s got a bad back, you know that.’
Jane was stronger than she looked, which was just as well, since Will was reluctant to lift things. Not that he was lazy. When he had been married to Carol, he’d done all the decorating
himself, with disastrous consequences for his back. Second time round he felt he deserved an architect. It was a measure of his success. My architect, my agent, my lawyer, my sleep therapist; it
suggested that all these people belonged to you, that you sat on the apex of an important pyramid as chairman and managing director of the large business that was your life. The architect had been
ruinously expensive. Personally, Jane would have preferred to spend the money on a cleaner, or holidays, or else put it away for school fees — his monstrous bill sat oddly alongside the
careful economies she made to stretch the household budget.
‘That’s the last one.’ Liberty handed over the final screw to Jane as she finished constructing the shelves and they admired the results.
‘Excellent work,’ said Jane, ‘you’ll have somewhere to put your fish tank now. Why don’t you come and talk to me while I get ready for this boring
dinner.’
Liberty followed her into the master bedroom and helped her lay out suitable outfits on the bed. She then produced her box of Barbies and lined them up on the floor, their dresses piled up in a
chaotic heap.
Jane frowned at the thought of the evening ahead. Dressing for supper with Will’s friends was always tricky. To be avoided at all costs was looking as though you had tried too hard; on the
other hand, she was no longer in quite good-enough shape to slouch up in an old pair of jeans. She pulled on a rather short skirt and a white shirt under the critical eye of her daughter.
‘Your arse looks good in that,’ said Liberty, nodding her approval.
‘Don’t
expense. The problem being that by the time you got to eighty you didn’t need anything except for medical accoutrements, which hardly made for a festive feeling.
Three hours later she arrived at school, the car piled high with booty. Liberty was standing alone in the playground, her face thunderous. She made a throat-slitting gesture as Jane rushed up to
collect her.
‘Sorry darling, terrible traffic, I was doing some Christmas shopping.’
She opened the car door and Liberty climbed in, turning round to peer into the boot. ‘Did you get me a pet?’ she asked, as though hoping to see a puppy or a kitten snuggled up among
the carrier bags. It was all she wanted this year, an animal to call her own.
‘You know we’ve discussed that,’ said Jane, ‘and you agreed a goldfish would he very nice.’
‘Oh, aren’t I a lucky ducky?’ said Liberty sarcastically. She often came out of school with a new piece of posh slang. ‘Can’t I at least have something you can
hold?’
Jane did sympathise. You might as well drop a slice of carrot in a howl of water for all the reward a fish could give you. ‘Maybe next year,’ she said.
Liberty slumped back in her seat. Next year didn’t count when you were seven. ‘Are we going anywhere for Christmas?’ she asked.
‘No, we’re staying here and everyone’s coming to us.’
‘Oh. Lutetia’s going skiing, Apple’s going to Thailand. And Panda’s going on a safari.’
‘Bully for Panda. Maybe she’ll be captured and forced to live in a tree.’
Back at the house, Jane ferried in the Christmas presents and hid them in the cellar, away from Liberty’s curious gaze. The boxes of shelves she had bought at Ikea were
still sitting in the hall.
‘I’d better take those up,’ said Jane, ‘you know how Daddy can’t bear things cluttering up the house.’
‘I’ll help,’ Liberty offered. She had changed out of her school uniform and wanted to be useful.
Too heavy for you,’ Jane said, heaving the first pack onto her back, ‘but you can help me put them together.’
‘Why don’t you get Daddy to do it?’
‘He’s got a bad back, you know that.’
Jane was stronger than she looked, which was just as well, since Will was reluctant to lift things. Not that he was lazy. When he had been married to Carol, he’d done all the decorating
himself, with disastrous consequences for his back. Second time round he felt he deserved an architect. It was a measure of his success. My architect, my agent, my lawyer, my sleep therapist; it
suggested that all these people belonged to you, that you sat on the apex of an important pyramid as chairman and managing director of the large business that was your life. The architect had been
ruinously expensive. Personally, Jane would have preferred to spend the money on a cleaner, or holidays, or else put it away for school fees — his monstrous bill sat oddly alongside the
careful economies she made to stretch the household budget.
‘That’s the last one.’ Liberty handed over the final screw to Jane as she finished constructing the shelves and they admired the results.
‘Excellent work,’ said Jane, ‘you’ll have somewhere to put your fish tank now. Why don’t you come and talk to me while I get ready for this boring
dinner.’
Liberty followed her into the master bedroom and helped her lay out suitable outfits on the bed. She then produced her box of Barbies and lined them up on the floor, their dresses piled up in a
chaotic heap.
Jane frowned at the thought of the evening ahead. Dressing for supper with Will’s friends was always tricky. To be avoided at all costs was looking as though you had tried too hard; on the
other hand, she was no longer in quite good-enough shape to slouch up in an old pair of jeans. She pulled on a rather short skirt and a white shirt under the critical eye of her daughter.
‘Your arse looks good in that,’ said Liberty, nodding her approval.
‘Don’t
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