The Sisters (18 page)

‘Madeline, I really can’t do that.’

‘Lucinda, please. We’ve accepted an offer for the Crystal Palace house and if everything goes ok, I’ll have my share in about 6 weeks. I promise you that if I don’t find anywhere by then I’ll go. Even if it means that I have to tell Owen that he’s going to have share a bunk bed with me for a couple of months, or God forbid I book a flight back to Ireland.’

Lucinda looked around at the kitchen that didn’t belong to her and at the woman who had decided to spill out her life story to a complete stranger. She didn’t owe this woman or her children anything. Keeping a roof over Reece and Katelyn’s head was her only priority. Not Madeline.

‘Ok,’ Lucinda said before she had a chance to do more calculations in her head.

‘What? Really?’

‘Yes, really. I need good karma. So you can stay but only for an extra three months, and after that. I’m taking my house back. Is that clear?’

‘Yes. Yes, absolutely. Thank you,’ Madeline said as she reached out and hugged Lucinda and then quickly let go as she noticed the time on the clock on the oven door.

‘Bloody hell, I better go. The kids have probably driven Owen mad by now.’ Lucinda got up and followed Madeline to the front door.

‘The estate agents are going to put this in writing. Not that I trust them to even put a poster on a wall.’

‘That’s fine. Honestly, I keep my word. Thank you’

‘You’re welcome.’

‘I bet that your sisters are really happy to have you as their sister,’ Madeline said before she turned and walked down the stairs.

‘Not really,’ Lucinda said softly as she closed the door.

‘HOW ABOUT an interview?’

‘Who with?’

‘The Daily Post, OK magazine. The Mercury. The South London Press.
The newsletter for my son’s karate club. Anyone who’s prepared to talk to you.’

‘Sal, they’re only interested because they think I’m going to give a tell-all about Jessica. That isn’t going to happen,’ Lucinda said.

‘But it’ll get your name out there again. You know how these things work, Lou. We need to raise your profile and it might be worth a couple of quid.’

‘I said no. I’m not going to talk about my family’s business for a couple of quid. What sort of person do you think I am?’

‘Fine. Fine be like that,’ said Sal as they walked together through Portobello Market which was packed with shopped and idle walkers.

‘It shouldn’t be this hard, Sal,’ Lucinda said as she stopped at a record stall and started to flick through a box of records. She smiled, as she pulled out a Jim Reeves album, pristine in a plastic sleeve. ‘Every Sunday morning, without fail, my dad would put this on. It used to drive us mad but he loves it. “The man knows how to tell a story,” Dad would always say. I could sing
Welcome to My World
in my sleep. Have you got a tenner?’ she asked as the stall owner placed the record in a bag. ‘Don’t look at me like that.’ She held up the bags of food she was holding in her canvas tote bags and tried to wave them in front of Sal’s face. ‘I’ve spent all my cash and he doesn’t take cards.’

‘Nah love. Hard cold cash for me,’ the stall owner said as he handed the plastic bag to Lucinda.

‘I hope you’ve got something to play it on?’ Sal said as he pulled a crisp ten pound note from his pocket. ‘I can’t remember the last time I saw a turntable.’

‘So, what’s the plan?’ Lou asked as they walked through the market and turned right onto Kensington Park Road where Sal had parked his car.

‘I thought the newspaper interview was a good plan but…’

‘No Sal, not unless they want to pay me more than just a couple of quid to talk about me and me only. I don’t need the headache.’

‘But you need the cash right? Look Lou, this game is hard. Times of austerity and all that crap, and no disrespect but you’re a bit too old to think that you can upload a video of you singing on YouTube in the hope of a record company throwing money at you.’

‘I wouldn’t even know how to start uploading a bloody video and it’s not about the money…well it is, but it’s more than that.’

‘Well, whatever it is you need to stop being so bloody stubborn. Swallow your pride a bit. The Lucinda I knew from back in the day would have done anything, within reason, but you’d worry about your pride and what people thought later.’

She said nothing as she noticed someone familiar crossing the road towards her. ‘I’m not being stubborn. I just need to do this the right way. I don’t need to be adding anymore drama to my life.’

‘Speaking of drama. How’s Jess doing? I texted her the other day but I haven’t heard from her.’

‘You’re better off asking Beatrice.’

‘You and her still not good?’

‘Far from good.’ She stopped as the person she’d seen crossing the road appeared at her side. ‘Hello Owen. You’re not going to start shouting at me in the street again are you?’

Owen began to visibly redden. He rubbed at his beard and smiled embarrassingly. ‘No. I’m not. I’m sorry about that.’

‘Everything all right, Lou?’ Sal asked with one hand hovering on the door handle of his Jaguar.

‘Yeah, everything’s fine. There’s nothing for you to worry about.’ Lucinda said as she kissed Sal on both cheeks.

‘Ok then. Well, let me know if anything isn’t fine,’ Sal said as he opened the driver’s seat and got into the car. ‘By the way, I’m going to email you the details of another producer. I’ve managed to talk him round to meeting you.’

‘Talk him round? I don’t want to work with someone who you’ve had to talk around.’

‘Stop being stubborn. Give him a go. You’re both just as pretentious as each other. You might actually get on,’ Sal said as he revved the engine and drove off.

‘Interesting guy,’ Owen said

‘That’s a polite way of putting it. So, can I help you with anything or are you just in the habit of following people?’

‘I wanted to say thank you for what you did for Maddie. I mean, I acted like a bit of a git…’

‘As I said, that’s a nice way of putting it.’

‘I know. I’m sorry. It’s just that she’s my little sister and she’s…’

‘She’s been through a lot. I know, she told me.’

‘She did?’ Owen asked, surprised. ‘She’s not one to open up to strangers. She’s a bit of a closed book, my sister. Anyway, I had no right to behave the way that I did. I’m sorry. It’s your house and you can do with it what you want.’

‘Apology accepted. Your sister is a nice woman. I hope that everything works out for her.’

‘Me too. She’s had it hard but you made her day. Even if you’d told her to pack her bags and go right now, you’d have still made her day. I remember having to take her and her mates to Tower Records in Piccadilly to pick up tickets to one of your concerts.’

‘Did you now?’

‘Yeah and my dad made me take her to the concert as well. Thought they were too young to go on their own.’

‘So you weren’t a fan then?’ Lucinda said.

‘Not really. It was a good show though and I’m not just saying that. Anyway, I’m sure you’ve got things to do.’

‘Just cooking.’

‘You cook? I thought you’d have people to do that for you.’

‘I don’t know why everyone thinks that I have
people.
I’m more than capable of cooking myself, thank you very much.’

‘Sorry, no offence. I’m sure you’re a very good cook but I’m better.’

‘You’re really full of it aren’t you?’

‘Just a bit. Look, I was a prat to you before. Bang out of order as Madeline keeps reminding me. So as a thank you and an apology I’d like to invite you to have dinner with me at my restaurant tomorrow night.’

‘Dinner. With you?’

‘I promise you it won’t be that painful. I mean I’d understand if you said no.’

Lucinda thought about it for a minute. Since she’d been home she’d done nothing except run around London trying to put her life in order. There had been no fun, so she surprised herself by saying, ‘No. I mean, yes. Dinner would be great.’

‘Oh, ok then’ Owen replied, equally surprised. ‘Tomorrow at eight. My restaurant is called…’

‘I know, Geraint’s kitchen.’

‘That’s right. It’s just at the end of Portobello Road, the Enbridge Road end. Is that ok for you?’ Owen said with a smile.

‘That’s fine.’

‘Great. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow.’ There was an awkward pause as they tried to work out the appropriate way to say goodbye. Instead they both nodded at each before Lucinda turned and walked through the park. She started to smile to herself, as she knew he hadn’t moved and was still there watching her.

‘Fans were left devastated after it was announced that the lead singer of Euterpe, Lucinda LeSoeur has left the group just three months after entering the American Album charts at number one with their second album “Second Strike.” Lucinda LeSoeur issued a statement saying that she had left for professional reasons only but that her sisters supported her in her decision and that they remained as close as ever. The remaining band members, Jessica and Beatrice LeSoeur were unavailable for comment.’

Jessica moved the curser to the beginning and watched the newsreader deliver the bad news again. She didn’t know what had possessed her to start googling old videos of Euterpe. She was hoping that they’d have been forgotten, but she’d been surprised as she clicked on numerous fanzines’ sites and Twitter accounts dedicated to her old life. They had been the top feature on the nine o’clock news that Sunday night. Jessica and Beatrice had watched the news in a Paris hotel room with Sal, not quite believing that Lucinda had so abruptly pulled the brakes on their career. Jessica still had trouble remembering what she’d done after she’d stormed out of the hotel room. It had infuriated her to hear the newsreader say, “the sisters remained as close as ever.” What a joke! The only thing that she could remember was that she’d booked a flight to Ibiza and had gone on a three-day bender with a DJ friend of hers. Ironically, when she’d returned home, their last single, which had dropped down to number 46, in the charts, had climbed back up and was number one for six weeks. It’d been years since she’d stood on the periphery of fame and scandal, but Lucinda had made sure that she’d placed her back on the cliff edge again. Somewhere in the back of her brain she knew she was blaming the wrong person for what was going on in her life but it was easier to use her as punching bag. She’d happily project her anger at Andrew but she still had no idea where he’d disappeared to.

‘Why aren’t you at work?’ Lena walked into her mother’s bedroom and looked around. The shutters were closed despite the fact that at nine in the morning it was already 25 degrees and the sun’s rays were hitting every window on the south-side of the house. It was a good question. Jessica was never late for work and had never taken a day off, not even when she was ill with bronchitis and could barely walk 10ft without stopping for breath and wheezing like an old man.

‘When did you get in?’ Jessica said ignoring the question. Lena pulled open the shutters and opened the windows, letting the sun’s rays hit almost every surface in the room. She looked over with a look of disgust when she noticed the light spattering of dust on the dressing table.

‘About half an hour ago. Auntie Lou dropped me…’

‘She did what? Why was she dropping you off? You were supposed to be staying with your dad.’

‘Mum. Your fight with auntie Lou is not my fight. It’s nothing to do with me or Katelyn or Reece. Just because you two are fighting doesn’t mean that I can’t go over there.’

‘You were supposed to be with your dad. That was the agreement. You wait until I speak to him,’ Jessica said unconvincingly.

‘Why aren’t you at work?’ Lena asked again.

Jessica didn’t answer as she got out of bed and started to straighten the duvet. Lena looked down at her mother’s feet, walked over and picked up an empty wine bottle that had been poking out from under the bed.

‘At least Auntie Lou isn’t drinking herself into oblivion every night. I’m not surprised that Andrew left you,’ Lena said angrily.

‘How dare you talk to me like that! What exactly has that woman been filling your head with?’ Jessica shouted at her daughter.

‘She didn’t fill my head with anything. I’m the one who lives with you. Just because I’m 16 doesn’t mean I’m stupid.’

‘I never said you were stupid.’

‘Well, you’re treating me like I am and you make Auntie Lou out to be a really horrible person, but she’s not. She cares about you.’

‘Lena, stop talking and get out of my room right now.’ Jessica grabbed the wine bottle out of Lena’s hand. They stared at each other. The same defiant look in their eyes.

‘You’re so busy blaming everyone else for what went wrong that I bet it hasn’t occurred to you that the only reason I went to stay with dad is that I didn’t want to be around you.’

Lena stormed out and slammed the door behind her. Her daughter was the last person she ever thought would talk to her like that. How dare she question her, criticise her and take Lucinda’s side over her? Jessica threw the wine bottle and watched as it smashed against the pale blue walls. A small trickle of red wine began to snake its way down the wall before it settled into a small teardrop pool on the skirting board. She just wanted silence. To be able to hide away from it all like last time, but Andrew was making it impossible. £25 million! She knew she had to get herself together. She’d spent literally the rest of the weekend on the sofa watching bad movies and drinking. The only thing that she’d eaten was half a Chinese takeaway. Things had to change, but right now she could only take one step at a time. She had go to work but first she had to sort out a new phone because from memory it was still in pieces on the kitchen floor.

‘It feels different when it’s happening on your own doorstep. Look at them. Blood thirsty parasites,’ Meghan said as she leaned over the wall and looked down at the paparazzi outside the agency’s front door. Emma looked across at her friend who’d dragged her out to accompany her on her cigarette break. They were both on what was laughingly called a roof garden. There wasn’t a pot plant or any decking on site but there was a bench and a table and chairs, which some of the staff members had nicked from the skip when the cafe next door had been doing their renovations.