and without giving any credence to the fact that she was now on a very strict budget. She hadn’t even blinked when she booked the flights and took out her debit card to pay the princely sum of $20,000 for their business class seats, but she’d made sure that the pyjamas and luxury toiletries that British Airways provided were tucked away in their hand luggage. Beatrice took a close look at her sister standing statuesque in her Alexander McQueen heels, black skinny jeans and a turquoise blazer. There was no sign that Lucinda had just spent nearly 8 hours on an overnight flight. Her dark chocolate skin, with barely a line on it was freshly made-up and her hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail. Beatrice’s left hand immediately went to own hair and she began a feeble attempt to smooth down the split ends. There was no sign at all that this was a woman running away from financial disaster. ‘So, are you just going to stand there gawping,’ Lucinda said with a smile. Beatrice walked over and hugged her sister.
‘You look amazing, sis. How was your flight?’
‘It wasn’t bad. I have no idea how people endure that flight in economy. You’re not here on your own are you?’ said Lucinda. ‘You’ve got a driver, right?’
‘Er, no. It’s just me. I didn’t think you’d be coming with all of this stuff. I thought that you shipped nearly everything over.’
‘Bea, do you have any idea how much it costs to literally ship an entire brownstone townhouse from New York to London?’ Beatrice didn’t answer because she didn’t know.
‘Lou. I can’t take all of this. I mean have the Range Rover, but it can’t take all this.’
‘Don’t panic. I’m only joking. I’ve arranged for our luggage to be picked up and taken to the house.’
‘Thank God for that. It’s good to see you, Lou.’
‘You too. It’s been too long,’ Lucinda said as she took the baby from Katelyn. ‘He’s very cute. Come on lets go.’ Beatrice had no choice but to follow as Lucinda walked ahead leaving her with the luggage.
They’d been on the motorway for fifteen minutes before the excited chatter in the back seat died down completely. Beatrice glimpsed into the rear-view mirror and could see that her niece, nephew and son had all fallen asleep. She thought that Lucinda was asleep also but as she turned her head she could see that she was just staring solemnly out of the window.
‘Well at least you didn’t come back to pouring rain,’ said Beatrice as she took out a pair of sunglasses from the glove compartment and put them on. ‘I still can’t believe that you’re back at all.’
Lucinda didn’t reply and smiled because she couldn’t quite believe it either. The last six weeks had been so frantic that she hadn’t had the chance to fully absorb the enormity of what was actually happening to her and her family. She was uprooting herself and her children from everything they knew all because she’d taken her eyes off the ball. Laziness, complacency and arrogance had got her into this position. ‘It’s a shame that dad couldn’t come with you. You know how much he loves a trip to the airport,’ said Lucinda.
‘Well it’s a good thing that he didn’t. He’d have had to sit on the roof,’ Beatrice replied.
They made small talk for the rest of the journey. Beatrice spoke about the twins and how much she despised her local mothers and babies group. Noticeably she didn’t mention Jessica and Lucinda didn’t ask. As Beatrice drove along the A40 and turned onto the Westway it wasn’t lost on Lucinda just how much London had changed, but also how much it had stayed the same. As they turned into the familiarity of Notting Hill and drove past the large white Victorian houses the anxiety Lucinda had felt when the plane had begun its final descent overtook her again. As much as London had changed, Lucinda knew that it had an uncanny ability to show you for who you really were.
NINE
‘DAD,’ LUCINDA said as
‘You look amazing, sis. How was your flight?’
‘It wasn’t bad. I have no idea how people endure that flight in economy. You’re not here on your own are you?’ said Lucinda. ‘You’ve got a driver, right?’
‘Er, no. It’s just me. I didn’t think you’d be coming with all of this stuff. I thought that you shipped nearly everything over.’
‘Bea, do you have any idea how much it costs to literally ship an entire brownstone townhouse from New York to London?’ Beatrice didn’t answer because she didn’t know.
‘Lou. I can’t take all of this. I mean have the Range Rover, but it can’t take all this.’
‘Don’t panic. I’m only joking. I’ve arranged for our luggage to be picked up and taken to the house.’
‘Thank God for that. It’s good to see you, Lou.’
‘You too. It’s been too long,’ Lucinda said as she took the baby from Katelyn. ‘He’s very cute. Come on lets go.’ Beatrice had no choice but to follow as Lucinda walked ahead leaving her with the luggage.
They’d been on the motorway for fifteen minutes before the excited chatter in the back seat died down completely. Beatrice glimpsed into the rear-view mirror and could see that her niece, nephew and son had all fallen asleep. She thought that Lucinda was asleep also but as she turned her head she could see that she was just staring solemnly out of the window.
‘Well at least you didn’t come back to pouring rain,’ said Beatrice as she took out a pair of sunglasses from the glove compartment and put them on. ‘I still can’t believe that you’re back at all.’
Lucinda didn’t reply and smiled because she couldn’t quite believe it either. The last six weeks had been so frantic that she hadn’t had the chance to fully absorb the enormity of what was actually happening to her and her family. She was uprooting herself and her children from everything they knew all because she’d taken her eyes off the ball. Laziness, complacency and arrogance had got her into this position. ‘It’s a shame that dad couldn’t come with you. You know how much he loves a trip to the airport,’ said Lucinda.
‘Well it’s a good thing that he didn’t. He’d have had to sit on the roof,’ Beatrice replied.
They made small talk for the rest of the journey. Beatrice spoke about the twins and how much she despised her local mothers and babies group. Noticeably she didn’t mention Jessica and Lucinda didn’t ask. As Beatrice drove along the A40 and turned onto the Westway it wasn’t lost on Lucinda just how much London had changed, but also how much it had stayed the same. As they turned into the familiarity of Notting Hill and drove past the large white Victorian houses the anxiety Lucinda had felt when the plane had begun its final descent overtook her again. As much as London had changed, Lucinda knew that it had an uncanny ability to show you for who you really were.
NINE
‘DAD,’ LUCINDA said as
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