The Sisters (24 page)

‘Have you eaten?’ Lucinda asked. Felicia thought for a minute. ‘Well, I made soup for your father and brought some for your sister, but I didn’t even eat myself. What stupidness.’

‘That’s the problem with being strong. Sometimes you forget about yourself.’

‘Hmm, that’s true. I never wanted to be the strong one. I’d much rather be like your Auntie Anna and have other people be strong for her.’

‘Sometimes we don’t get a choice in the roles we’re given.’

‘I told her that you’d never do such a thing. It’s beneath you.’

‘Thank you. Mum, I won’t lie to you. The last time Jess came to see me in New York with Andrew, something did happen…’

‘I don’t think that I want to hear…’

‘No, not like that. Not even close to that. For crying out loud, I didn’t even like Andrew as a brother-in-law let alone enough to drop my knickers for him. Jess thought that something had happened when I promise you that nothing ever did. I tried to talk to Jess afterwards but she’d rather believe that idiot than her own sister.’

‘And you haven’t seen him since you’ve been back?’

‘I haven’t seen him or heard from him. Mum, the chances of that man calling me are slim to none. I don’t know why they’re getting divorced but it has absolutely nothing do with me. I wouldn’t do that to my worst enemy, let alone my own sister.’

Felicia said nothing as she absorbed what Lucinda was telling her. The historian in her wanted to probe deeper to find out what had happened in her daughter’s past to shape their present into something unrecognisable but she pushed that aside and tried to reach the side of her that she’d always fought against. That of the mother.

‘Your father is right, you know. You need to fix what’s broken.’

‘Even though I’m not the one who broke it?’

Felicia nodded. ‘You’re a fighter, Lou. You’ve never been one to sit back and see what happens.’

‘You’ll be surprised,’ Lucinda said with a huff.

‘I think I’m past being surprised and I don’t want to hide anything from your father, but…’

‘I know, what happens in the darkness and all that stuff.’

‘Just try and fix things before the light shines too bright.’

Five years ago

‘I had to literally twist your sister’s arm to get her to come here. I said to her, ‘Jess come on we haven’t seen your sister since the wedding. A week in New York isn’t going to kill us. The business isn’t going to collapse just because you decide to go on holiday.’ Andrew pushed his dessert plate aside, which had been scraped clean of its chocolate and raspberry torte, and reached for the decanter of cognac to fill his glass. Jessica took a look at her sister and shook her head as Lucinda stifled a laugh.

‘It wasn’t like that Lulu. We spent two weeks in the Maldives.’

‘That was a year ago, babe.’

‘I told him that we could take a long weekend somewhere but he insisted on coming here with me,’ Jessica said as she reached for her own glass, which her husband had just refilled with wine. She hadn’t wanted to drink that much tonight but she’d had enough of listening to Andrew tell her that she was too much of a lightweight and didn’t know how to enjoy herself.

‘Well, I’m happy to have you both here. It’s so quiet with the kids away with their dad. That’s the only thing I hate about the divorce…when the kids have to go. But anyway,’ Lucinda said as she stood up to clear the plates from the table.

‘You shouldn’t be doing that? Where’s your maid lady?’ Andrew asked as he reached into his jacket and pulled out a cigar without once taking his eyes off Lucinda.

‘She’s my housekeeper, not a maid, and she has gone home. It’s not her job to wait on us hand and foot and if you’re going to smoke that then I suggest you go outside,’ she said with a smile. Andrew removed the silver tiffany lighter from his pocket, lit the cigar, got up and walked in the direction of the terrace that led off from the dining area. Jessica got up with her wine glass and followed her sister to the kitchen.

‘I’m sorry about him. He can be so obnoxious sometimes.’

‘Don’t apologise for him. I can handle myself. Anyway, it’s only for a few more days,’ said Lucinda as she loaded the dishwasher and slammed the door shut.

‘I know but I wanted this to be our time together, you know. I mean…’ Jessica felt her tongue thicken as she tried to get her words out. It’d been a long time since she had drunk this much and it had quickly gone to her head.

‘I was so tired of being angry with you and with dad being ill, it just…’

‘Put things into perspective,’ Lucinda said.

‘I need to be less emotional. I need to be more like you Lulu and learn to compartmentalise.’

‘It’s not as easy as you think. Anyway, I was thinking of coming over to see dad but he kept telling me that there was no point, he’s doing fine and he will come and see us. Stubborn man.’

‘Daddy is doing fine. They caught it early, so he’s doing alright.’

Lucinda poured herself a glass of water. Since divorcing Paul she’d been determined to cut down on her drinking, not that she was getting obliterated every night but it’d been easier than dealing with her life falling down around her.

‘And your right. It did put things into perspective. I mean Euterpe was years ago. We were kids; we were bound to split up at some point. I think that I was just pissed that you got in there first.’

‘I thought I was doing a good thing…Look we’ve got our spa day tomorrow and we can talk about it more when you have a sober head on you.’ Jessica took a look at the glass with its velvety red liquid and put the glass down. ‘I’ve probably had a bit too much. Will you tell that husband of mine that I’ve gone to bed?’

‘Of course,’ Lucinda said as she walked over to her sister, linked arms with her and walked her towards the staircase. At the bottom of the stairs, the sisters hugged each other.

‘Love you, Lulu.’

‘Love you too, Jess.’

Lucinda went back into the dining room and cleared it of the wine bottle and glasses; she noticed that the terrace door was shut and that both Andrew and the decanter of cognac had disappeared.

‘I never thought that I’d be married to a member of Euterpe.’ Andrew was standing in the living room staring at a photograph of Beatrice, Jessica and Lucinda taken at Radio 1 studios at the moment they’d found out they were number 1. Beatrice’s face was one of shock, whilst Lucinda and Jessica hugged in that moment of pure ecstasy. Lucinda was surprised that she’d actually cried that afternoon.

‘Well, stranger things have happened,’ Lucinda replied as she sat down on the sofa, removed her shoes and turned the TV onto BBC World News. She was knackered after spending most of the day on her feet. She should have listened to Vivienne who repeatedly told her that that was the point of the help, but Lucinda wanted to do something that would make Jessica think of home and good times and not make her feel that Lucinda had something to prove. Andrew carried on looking at the pictures on the nicknamed wall of fame He touched the platinum record award for their first album and let out a low whistle before picking up the Brit award and then the Ivor Novello awards that were displaced prominently on the shelves. A strange feeling took Lucinda as she watched Andrew touch her things without permission.

‘Your sister won’t put any of this stuff up. She has it all hidden away in the back room as though she’s ashamed of it.’

‘Everyone’s different. Our dad would have them displayed in his driveway if he could get away with it, whereas mum is quite happy for them to stay in the good room.’

He walked over and sat down close to Lucinda.

‘You two aren’t that different though. You’ve both got your fiery sides.’ Lucinda shifted along the sofa as Andrew pushed his right leg towards her. ‘But I always thought that you were the sexier one.’ He put his hand on Lucinda’s bare leg.

‘What do you think you’re doing?’ Lucinda said as she pushed his hand of her leg and stood up, regretting that she’d taken off her shoes as Andrew towered over her.

‘Come on. I’ve seen how you were looking at me and couldn’t wait to get rid of your sister. Packed her off to bed like a good little girl. You’re a smart one.’

‘You’re out of your mind. I’m off to bed.’ She turned to walk away but he grabbed her arm and pulled her tightly towards him so that she could feel his erection pressing against her hip.

‘Come on. When’s the last time you’ve had some? You’re a divorcee now. You must be desperate for it.’

‘Get the fuck off me. No.’

Andrew spun Lucinda round and pushed her to the sofa. Before she could scramble back up, he was on top of her. She could feel his hot cognac fuelled breath combined with the heavy musk of his cigar against her neck as he tried to kiss her. There was nothing that she’d done to give him even the slightest hint that she was interested. She felt his belt buckle on her thigh and tried to push him away as he eased himself up to move his hands away from her breasts and under her skirt. She kicked out as she felt his hand inside her knickers.

‘What the hell is going on? Lucinda!’ Jessica screamed as she stood in the doorway. As quickly as he’d managed to get on top of her Andrew had rolled himself off and was standing in front of his wife.

‘It’s not what you think babe. Your sister…’

‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’ Jessica said as she pushed past her husband. Lucinda sat up and adjusted her clothing as she tried to stop herself from being sick, right there on the floor.

‘Jess, your husband…oh my god,’ Lucinda said as her legs suddenly gave way and she sat back down.

‘You just couldn’t help yourself, could you?’ Jessica shouted, alcohol obscuring all of her sensibilities.

‘Was that your plan, to get me drunk so that you could fuck my husband? You selfish bitch.’

‘That’s not what happened. Your husband tried to…’

‘I don’t want to hear it,’ Jessica said as she lunged at her sister in a blind fury. Andrew grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back.

‘Come on, Jess. Don’t listen to her,’ Andrew said.

‘Take your fucking hands off me. You disgust me,’ Jessica screamed in Andrew’s face.

‘You need to leave,’ Lucinda said.’ You need to get out of my house. Jess, this isn’t what you think.’

‘Don’t Jess me. I know exactly what I saw you do, you conniving dirty bitch.’

Lucinda stood up, propelled by anger and the injustice of what had just happened.

‘Your husband just tried to rape me you delusional, drunk cow.’

‘You came onto me,’ Andrew shouted back as Jessica slapped Lucinda around the face.

‘I never want to see you again. As far as I’m concerned you’re not my sister. No wonder Paul left you. I feel sorry for your kids. You’re a pitiful excuse for a mother.’

BEATRICE DIDN’T like change and she definitely wasn’t impressed that during her maternity leave Tanya has moved into her office. Beatrice felt like a visitor as she logged into her computer and she wondered if perhaps she had bitten off more than she could chew. She had chosen her outfit carefully and had even splashed out on a pair of Saint Laurent shoes but she didn’t feel as though her armour was strong enough as she left the house earlier that morning. Beatrice didn’t want to admit that she had lost her confidence as she looked down at the box of files next to her desk but it was too late to turn back now.

‘They told me that you weren’t coming back for another six months,’ Tanya said as she walked into the office and scanned Beatrice like a human x-ray machine.

Beatrice ignored her as she looked around the office that had been hers for 12 years, not quite believing that this woman had the cheek to take down the pictures on the wall and the personal items from her desk. It was as if she hadn’t left the last time she’d been on maternity leave. She couldn’t believe that Anoushka had allowed this to happen. It wasn’t that she wasn’t used to sharing an office, as she’d shared an office with her closest friend, Preena for seven years until she decided that law was no longer for her and was now charging the women of the city a ludicrous amount of money to provide them with life coaching.

‘I’ve found that women who come back from maternity leave aren’t really committed. So I’m sure it won’t be too long before you return home,’ Tanya said as she sat down on the chair, adjusted its height, pursed her thin lips together and turned her back. Beatrice resisted the urge to pick up the brown archive box and smash it into Tanya’s head.

‘Morning Beatrice. We were told that these cases have been allocated to you,’ said James, as he walked into the office carrying a box of files. Sarah, the trainee solicitor who was standing behind James, nodded meekly and put the box down next to Beatrice’s desk.

‘I supposed I was asking too much to think that I could start gently,’ Beatrice said ignoring the huff that came from Tanya.

‘Why would you want to when you’re going to be representing Simon Wilby?’ James said as he walked back out of the office and picked up a third box. He placed it on Beatrice’s desk and started to pull out the files. ‘I mean, you’re actually going to meet him.’

‘Sometimes the most famous people are the most boring. He might have the personality of a fly,’ Beatrice said.

‘That’s blasphemy,’ James said with a serious look on his face. ‘I won’t accept it. He’s a legend.’

‘Who are you working with at the moment?’ Beatrice asked, knowing how tedious it could be working as a paralegal. The moments of glamour and excitement were rare, even if you did work for one of the top family law firms in the country who had represented royalty.

‘We’re unallocated. Driftwood.’

‘Both of you?’

Sarah nodded and in a barely audible whisper said, ‘Cruella didn’t want us. Said that we were worse than frog spawn.’ James smiled and discreetly pointed at Tanya who had shoved her headphones into her ears as soon as the pair had walked in. Beatrice covered her mouth with her hand and tried not to laugh.

‘If I ok it with Anoushka, how about you both work with me? It’s the least you can do after dumping me with all of this stuff. James, you can have the honour of Simon Wilby. Sarah, I’ve got a client meeting this afternoon in the city, so you can come along with me to that. How does that sound?’