The Sisters (16 page)

As soon as Jessica had put the phone down on Elizabeth Chandler it was as if all hell had broken loose. Emma had come running at full pelt into the conference room almost immediately after Jessica had put her phone down, having received her own phone calls from The Daily Post
, Evening Standard and Grazia
magazine. One by one the rest of the staff members followed.

The story had already made the online edition of The Daily Post and would be in the paper edition the following morning. It’d already been discussed on Sky News Press Preview.

‘So how much do you reckon Lou is worth then? Forty or fifty million?’ Jake asked as he continued to swipe through The Daily Post article on his iPad.

‘I have no idea how much Lou is worth. It’s not my business to ask,’ Beatrice said as she sat at the kitchen table with a large glass of water. ‘But there’s no way Jess’s business is worth £25 million. From what Jess tells me it’s probably worth about twelve to fifteen million.’

‘Twelve to fifteen million. You say that as though you’re talking about a hundred quid. I mean what’s our net worth, Bea?’

‘God I don’t know.’

‘I’ll tell you what it is. About £12.50, a bag of Doritos and the 6 pack of Kronenburg in the fridge.’

‘Things aren’t that bad.’

‘Oh yeah. We’ve got the kids. How much do you think we’ll get for that bunch of rug rats upstairs?’

‘Who’d want them? They’d ask for a refund.’

‘So where has this figure of £25million come from?’

‘The business, her houses, savings, the office building, royalties…’

‘Hold on, royalties? They can’t be that much. You get the odd cheque every couple of years but it’s hardly enough to keep me in converse trainers for the rest of my life.’

‘You’re such a comedian Mr.Ashcroft. Have you ever considered stand-up? Jess and Lou’s royalty cheques are a lot more substantial than mine.’

‘Why is that? Look babe, I’ve never pried into what happened financially and I never thought that you’d made enough to sit on your arse forever, even though it’s a very nice arse indeed,’ Jake said as he leaned over and squeezed Beatrice’s bum.

‘You’re such a perv.’

‘And you’re an amazing singer, baby cakes.’

‘Yeah, but I didn’t write the songs. I just provided the oohs and ahhs in the right places. I wasn’t sitting up night after night writing lyrics and composing musical arrangements. That was Jessica and Lucinda, and to be honest I wasn’t really interested, so it’s not as if I’ve been robbed or anything.’

There was nothing said for a while as outside rumbled with the sounds of thunder and a few seconds later, the kitchen lit up as lightening struck. Both Beatrice and Jake held their breath and watched the video baby monitor but with the exception of baby Sam kicking up his legs, it barely bothered him. The heavens above suddenly opened and rain began to fall signalling a temporary break in the heat wave. Beatrice watched the rain fall outside the kitchen window suddenly taken back to when she was 15 years old and she stumbled upon her two sisters in the so called
good sitting room.
Lucinda was on the piano and Jessica on the floor with a notepad scribbling down lyrics. Even though she’d loved listening to them, she’d never had the same passion as them.

‘Do you miss it?’ Jake asked, recognising that far-away look in his wife’s eyes.

‘I probably missed performing more than anything and it was glamorous, to a point. But the truth is that I travelled the world and I never really saw it. I don’t have any stupid pictures of me standing on top of the Statue of Liberty, or sitting under the Eiffel Tower. We spent years travelling in the back of coaches and sleeping in hotels. I was scrutinised over my weight, my clothes, and my hair. Don’t get me wrong, there were some amazing times but you spend your life living in a bubble and permanently on show, like a moving goldfish bowl. I don’t think that we would have survived if we’d carried on.’

‘So you’d never want a reunion?’

‘God no. I honestly think that Lucinda doing a runner was the best thing that ever happened to us. Can you imagine if we’d carried on? I doubt that I’d have had the life that I have with you now, and to be honest, I wouldn’t change that for the world, even if we’re only worth a bag of Doritos and a six-pack of beer.’

Jake leaned over and kissed his wife. ‘I don’t know. I could get used to being a celebrity husband like David Beckham. Staying at home whilst you sing for our supper and follow you around with the kids, smiling politely at the cameras.’

‘Shut up. You would have hated it. Sleazy men ogling me whilst I withered about on stage.’

‘Bea this was the nineties, I’ve seen the videos and you never withered.’

‘Yeah but if I was still in the game I’d have to compete with Miley Cyrus and Rhianna. Can you imagine me sitting naked on a bloody wrecking ball?’

‘Yes, I can see you sitting you naked…’

‘You’re obsessed. At least there were still some rules when we were around. It was look but don’t touch. But now, it’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, which I just don’t get. If we were still in the game they’d know what colour my knickers were before I’d even put them on.’

Jake laughed and got up to close the kitchen doors. ‘I was thinking of taking the twins to my mum and then go into the office tomorrow.’

‘Do you mean your shed in the garden or the real office?’ Beatrice always found it funny when her husband said that he was going to the office because as far as she could work out he spent his working day drawing and writing comic book scripts and his office attire consisted of jeans, trainers and an assortment of t-shirts. She’d only seen him in a tie on three occasions, their wedding, his nan’s funeral and the twins’ christening.

‘Don’t mock the shed. I’m going to the real office so taking them to my mum’s and giving you a break seems like a good idea to me. You could go shopping or something.’

Beatrice tried to hide her surprise at the suggestion. Jake’s relationship with his mum was delicate, made even more so by her leaving his father and his younger brother, Daniel when they were 14 and 9-years-old. ‘I’m trying babe. She can’t make it up with me but she wants to try with the kids, so…’

‘Speaking of work,’ Beatrice said as she followed Jake into the living room and onto the sofa strategically placed in front of the 50 inch television.

‘What about it?’ Jake replied as he flicked the channel until he came to Sky Sports News.

‘I spoke to Anoushka about coming back?’

‘What now? Sam is not even six-months-old yet.’

‘I know and it kills me to have to leave him but I’m only on full pay for 6 months and then it’s reduced by 20%.

‘We have savings and it’s not as if we have a mortgage to pay.’

‘And I want them to remain as savings, Jake.’

‘You can always jump on a wrecking ball.’

‘Enough with the wrecking ball. I’m serious. I’m going mad at home. I want to pick up a bag that isn’t filled with baby wipes. I want to wear beautiful clothes. I want to speak to grown up’s Jake.’

‘I thought you loved being at home with the kids.’

‘I do but…I’ve never been one to just sit at home and there’s more to me than just being a mum. Anyway, we still have bills to pay. You can’t afford to keep us’

‘I may not be able to drag a wild boar through the house every night for dinner but I try.’

‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings but you know what I mean.’

‘You didn’t hurt my feelings. I would have made a rubbish hunter. But what about Sam? I’m not happy about putting him in a nursery when he’s still so young.’

‘Well, Sam has to go to nursery at some point and I was thinking that maybe your mum could help out a bit. Don’t look at me like that. You didn’t think twice about dropping him off two minutes ago.’

‘I know. Fine. I can hardly stop you.’

‘Thank you, sweetheart,’ Beatrice said as she kissed him on his cheek. ‘It’ll only be part-time at first.’

‘Are you going to represent Jessica?’

‘I wasn’t even thinking about representing her.’

‘Bea, come on. This is me you’re talking to.’

‘Fine. I can’t let that bastard take her for everything she’s worked for. I just can’t Jake.’

‘Even so, don’t let her walk all over you Bea. It wouldn’t be the first time that Jessica has made you do something that you didn’t want to do.’

‘Jake, I do know how to stand up for myself.’

As if on cue, Beatrice’s phone began to beep signalling the arrival of a text.

‘I know you do,’ Jake said as he picked up her phone. He shook his head as he read the name on the screen. ‘I just want you to remember that you’re not in Euterpe now and the world doesn’t revolve around your sisters. This is real life Bea and you’re allowed to say no.’

‘LOU, CAN you hear me properly?’

‘I can hear you perfectly but it’d help if you actually turned your video on. Bloody hell, even my gran can use Skype and she’s 84,’ Lucinda said as she stared at her iPad and waited for her best friend to appear on screen. For someone who was fiercely bright she was amazed at Harrie’s inability to master technology.

‘I hate Skype. I don’t know why you can’t pick up a phone.’

‘A phone isn’t free.’

‘Can you see me now because I can see me and I’m not looking so hot in Technicolor. God, I can see my roots. Hey there you are. Hi honey.’

‘Hello sweetie.’ Lucinda settled back onto the bed and lifted up her glass of wine to salute Harrie.

‘So how are you? How’s London?’

‘London is unbearably hot. Can you hear that noise? That’s a fan, Harrie. No one has air-con.’

‘Good God no. How do you cope?’

‘With ice cold Sauvignon Blanc.’ Harrie laughed and gave two thumbs up.

‘So give me the news. How are the twins?’

‘They’re really good. Once they realised that their summer holidays had started early they loved it even though I did get them a tutor just to shut my mother up…and the news is that I’ve signed up with my old manager.’

‘Well that’s progress.’

‘And I’ve been writing again.’

‘Oh my God. Really? Actual song lyrics.’

‘Yes. Harrie. Actual song lyrics and music too. This house actually came with a piano. It’s been really good for me, even, cathartic. I just need to get into a studio. For some reason the record companies aren’t interested in a forty something woman from an old girl group from yesteryears.’

‘Please girl. They know nothing. There’s a market for everybody.’

‘And Paul called me.’

‘What the hell for?’

‘Wanted to know why I sold the house, and when I was coming home.’

‘But no sign of a cheque. Well, I wouldn’t feel too sorry for him. For someone who’s supposed to be on skid row he’s been running around town acting like he’s won the goddam lottery. It makes me sick to my stomach. I haven’t had a chance to tell him though. Every time he sees me he runs off quicker than Usain Bolt. The wanker.’

Lucinda laughed out loud. Harrie had declared “wanker” to be her favourite word the first time that she heard Lucinda use it.

‘Anyway,’ Harrie continued. ‘I wouldn’t get too excited about him running around as if he’s got access to the federal reserve. Remember what I always say about New York City.’

‘Smoke and mirrors honey. Smoke and mirrors,’ Lucinda said.

‘How are you doing for money?’

‘I’m doing ok. There are less people to impress here. But I won’t lie, Harrie. It’s hard. The money from the house will only last so long. I have to find something quick. Things will be a little better when I get into my house but that won’t be for another two months.’

‘Like what? I mean from what you’re saying no one is prepared to invest in you and put money into an album.’

‘Thank you for your bluntness.’

‘I’m sorry hun, but at a time like this you need someone to be blunt.’

‘I even asked Sal about Celebrity Big Brother.’

‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’

‘Nope. Desperate times call for desperate measures. But apparently I’ve already missed the boat on that one.’

‘You’d do that? A reality show, warts and all.’

‘Harrie, I’d do anything.’

They talked about other things, New York social gossip, Lucinda’s family, and Harrie’s surprise pregnancy, and then they told each other ‘I love you’ and ended their Skype call before Harrie saw the tears that were falling from Lucinda’s eyes. She missed her best friend who was the closest thing she had to a sister. She’d lost count of the amount of times that she sat in this house wondering if she’d done the right thing taking the children away from everything they knew. As she walked into the hallway, she saw the glow coming from under her son’s bedroom door and heard a series of explosions, followed by the sound of his voice barking orders into a headset as he played Black Ops on his Xbox. Next door, her daughter’s bedroom door was slightly ajar and she stopped as she heard her daughter’s own voice sounding like hers as she sang along to Nina Simone. She was always amused by her daughter who from an early age had dismissed the bubble gum pop in favour of her mother’s music collection resulting in more than one scratched record in her vinyl collection, which was currently being stored in the garage. She briefly wondered how much the collection was worth. She knocked tentatively on her daughter’s door.

‘Hey baby girl. Can I come in?’

‘Sure mom.’ Katelyn lowered the volume of her iPod dock and shifted along the bed as her mum sat next to her. She was still only 14 and when she wasn’t throwing a teenage tantrum about something insignificant, she was a sweet, soft natured, intelligent girl.

‘What are you doing?’

‘I was talking to Janis on Facetime. She said that you were on Skype with Auntie Harrie.’ Janis was Harrie’s oldest daughter. She was only a few months younger than Katelyn and they were as close as Lucinda and Harrie were. ‘Did you know that Auntie Harrie is having a baby?’

‘I did.’

Katelyn wrinkled her nose at the thought. ‘You wouldn’t do that, would you? Have another baby?’

‘With who? Believe me, having another baby is the last thing on my mind. Anyway, I didn’t come in here to talk about babies. I just wanted to see how you are. And to ask you if you’re happy?’ Katelyn looked at her mum quizzically for a moment and then squinted her eyes in the same way her mother did when she knew that there was something more behind the question