Let The Story End

By R Donaldson

Following on from Let the Story Continue…, Edward, Lottie and their growing young family enjoy their privileged lifestyle full of unconditional love. Edward is content that his need for personal dominance is under control, however this need for control still consumes him. He knows that over the past few years it could have led him to have lost everything. Edward has to keep control to ensure the ones he loves all remain safe. He receives some news and, once again, he fears that his past could destroy his future. He would give anything to avoid this, including his own life. He finds himself having to accept the truth and understand the beginning of the story, to let the story end…

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brown Dog Books
• Release date: Nov 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9781839525773

R Donaldson

Victoria Pollak I have multiple sclerosis. I always wanted to be a teacher and teach in public and private schools. I decided to be a teacher in fourth grade. But when I fell in the classroom my career was over. Being a teacher, I wanted to share with others who have chronic disease the trials and tribulations of my everyday life. I have written articles and short stories and a book about what we, handicapped individuals, face each and every day. Why is the handicapped stall the last one in the row? My co-author and I have never met face-to-face. We have worked on this project for the past several months through the Internet and phone. We have inspired each other because he also faces some medical challenges. He has taught me one thing that is dear to my heart. You must find moments of joy every day and in everything you do. I, like many of my readers, have chronic diseases that are heartless and cruel. It is our hope that this project will help guide them through the difficult times. Ron Donaldson Mr. D, as his students called him, taught for 30 years. He has since become a writer and a grandfather. He grew up and still lives in Central Washington and has five children, all grown, and ten grandchildren. During his extended illness he wrote a book of humorous short stories to entertain himself and acquaintances. He is currently working on a mystery novel and this project. He and his wife enjoy travel and golfing.

Book preview

Prologue

Edward stormed around the sofa. He could not hear any more. Why was his life turning upside down and why could no one control the direction it was heading?

He was right: this was the price of having it all. There was so much to lose and he was losing it faster than he could cope with.

He wanted to scream, wake up from this nightmare, but the reality of holding his wife in his arms confirmed to him that this was real. His feet were rooted to the spot and he knew he had to hold her to make the pain he was feeling go away, but he was not sure it would, or ever could.

Chapter 1

The room was quiet as the afternoon sun shone through the large windows that faced the garden.

Sat at his large, wooden office desk in his dedicated study, Edward Dean looked again at the laptop screen in front of him. No new emails had come in since the last time he had looked from the required sender. He took in a breath. It was the same today as it had been every other day in the three weeks that had passed since they had had the mystery visitor in Kent.

In the time that had passed, Pete and the rest of the close protection team had been working on whatever they could to find out the identity of the caller. Though with nothing to go on, as Pete had explained several times to Edward, they were stabbing in the dark and truly were looking for a ghost.

‘Mr Dean,’ Pete had explained within the first few days, ‘the only thing I have to go on is the fact that he knew where you lived. The taxi that brought him here from the station was a dead end. The driver was insistent that he had picked him up sometime after the last train had pulled in.’

‘And did any CCTV from the station show the pick-up?’ Edward had asked, though he already knew the answer.

‘I have looked at every angle. Nothing.’ Pete still had a lot of connections that allowed him to do his job for Dean Incorporated. He was able to call on old pals from his time in the armed forces and then in the police force in the later years before he started to work for Mr Dean. ‘Mr Dean, I even tried a photofit from the image of him that I remember, but still nothing.’

Edward’s attention was taken back to the room as a small person opened the door brandishing a football. He looked up and met his son’s blue eyes. Charlie did not smile: his face was very solemn and almost slightly mad.

‘Charlie?’ Edward asked, pressing the laptop firmly down and standing. It was a question to his son, though he was very sure he knew why his little mini-me was standing in the doorway, now with his spare hand on his hip.

‘Poppa, you said, like an hour ago, you would come out and play football.’ He held the round leather object up as proof of the statement that was made the last time he had come inside and visited the room. Edward’s smile increased at the little face. He had asked Charlie to give him five minutes as he had been looking at the computer the last time he came in, but he was sure that he had not even walked back out into the garden before he had returned to make the request again.

‘Gerald is with Mrs B making our supper, and Mummy said that you would have time for me to kick around before we are eating.’

‘And young man…’ Edward had made it now to his son’s side. He picked him up into his powerful arms with ease. Charlie was growing and at times hated the fuss he was given as a child, but he allowed his father to pick him up and plant a kiss on the side of his cheek.

‘As always, Mummy is right. I have got all the time in the world for you, and I always will. But I really don’t think it has been an hour, do you?’ he asked his son as they turned around to leave the room and head towards the large, green expanse of lawn at the back of the Kent property. ‘Charlie?’

‘Well, it must be because it felt like it!’ He started to blush on his little chubby cheeks. ‘Let me look at your clock?’ He grabbed at the wrist that was holding him fast and Edward changed the weight to his other arm to allow the gold watch face to glow in his son’s eyes.

‘Is it a clock?’ Edward corrected him.

‘No, Poppa, it’s a Rolex.’ Edward shook his head. He had to agree at this moment in time with his wife that they really must not spoil the children as much as they did, and they had to know the real cost and value of money.

‘It’s a watch, Charlie.’ He was still walking towards the back of the house to access the garden. ‘And what time does it say?’

The little face looked closer at the diamond-encrusted timepiece and then took a moment to think.

‘Four hours and five minutes past,’ he said almost in triumph that he had worked it out.

‘Is that how we say it, though? You are right with the time, but it is five past four.’

Lottie looked up at her husband as he walked through the external door onto the large, paved patio. She was already sitting outside, close to the building, giving her some protection from the light wind, and taking advantage of the suntrap. She relaxed on a lounger with her young son soundly asleep in her arms. Charlotte and Chelsea were sitting on a rug not too far away with dolls spread out around them, though it was only Charlotte who was playing with them. Chelsea was trying to get the sand out from between the paving slabs, but then each time she noticed it made her hands dirty she squealed and wiped them on her twin sister’s dress.

Lottie looked at her approaching boys and smiled. They were deep in conversation, something about the time was all she could hear, guessing that Charlie had now forgotten about playing football, as her husband was trying to keep the item balanced in his arms. Two chubby hands were firmly clenching the gold band around his wrist, making the ball game a long-forgotten memory.

Edward looked over to her and smiled. She met his blue eyes and felt the shiver run through her body. She would be sure that when they had met, this was a shiver of lust. It seemed now, as the years moved them on, it was a shiver of pure love, though the feeling in her sex did still remind her that he had a hold over her that she hoped would never fade.

Though the birth of the infant in her arms had not been hard, she had felt a feeling that was not normal for her, a darkness that seemed to dwell.

Through the loss of her parents, and close friends over the years, she had felt sadness, but this feeling was somehow different. Although she was happy, it would at times drive her to a place in her mind where she was so depressed she found it very hard to function sometimes for days. She had not wanted to share this with Edward, or any of their friends, but it had been noted by Liz as early as their first visit to the country to see them. Liz had found time to speak to her away from her own husband and their son. It was maybe that she had felt a similar darkness that she had recognised it so easily. She had asked Lottie to speak to someone, as it was not a good thing to hold such feelings inside. She had been reluctant to do this but had given in after a bad night’s sleep – not due to her new son not sleeping through, but vivid dreams of Caroline and the shooting had started to come back.

The doctor had said it was baby blues that she would be able to get over. He had offered her some counselling but Lottie had refused, knowing that Edward would be monitoring her moves and need to ask why she was going into town to see a doctor again. She was sure that, as time moved on and she was able to get back to normal and work again, she would not have time to feel sorry for herself in this way. Sitting outside and taking regular walks, without the children and very often with Apollo, seemed to be working so far.

‘Mummy!’ A small female voice broke into her head and she blinked. ‘Dirty!’ Charlotte had stood up to now notice that her sibling had been wiping her hands on her dress and this upset her. She was close to tears as she wiped her own hands over the cotton, realising that it was not coming off. ‘Mummy, ’elp,’ she asked again and walked closer to the lounger, where Lottie was now trying to sit up without waking her serene son.

With the speed of a hurricane, Charlotte turned around and pushed her sister who was applying another layer of dirt to the material, knocking her off her feet, planting her bottom on the floor very firmly. This resulted in another scream, though Chelsea seemed to be louder now, but unhurt. Standing up, her son had not even stirred, and she placed him down in the small Moses basket that had been at her side. By the time she got to the young ladies they were tugging at each other’s dresses, frustration and irritation on both of their faces.

‘Come on now, you two,’ she said, kneeling by their side. It was easy to separate them as they were still small, and she continued wiping at the dirty dress. With the attention focused on Charlotte, who was the elder by a mere ten minutes, Chelsea screamed even louder for more attention, and this she got.

Edward had looked over at the first scream, and now seeing that Lottie had moved he felt that he had to assist.

‘Hang on, Charlie. Let’s go and help Mummy.’ His son was standing in the middle of the lawn awaiting his father to kick the ball back to him.

‘But…’ Charlie was about to protest but knew that it was futile. Edward was already striding fast in their direction so he ran to the ball and kicked it back into the unmarked net. ‘Goal!’ he shouted, running around in a small circle. The game was better now his father was not in the way: it was the first ball he had been able to get in the net without his father as the obstacle.

‘Hey, little ladies, timeout!’ Edward swooped in and took Chelsea off her feet, choosing to keep her at arm’s length because her legs were still kicking out. ‘Hey, hey,’ he said, lifting her effortlessly above his head and pretending to drop her. He knew she loved this, and on cue it worked. The malice towards her sister had instantly stopped and she was now squealing for him to do it again.

Lottie had been able to wipe some of the dirt off Charlotte’s dress, though this had only stemmed the flow of tears: she was still whimpering and gasping for breath in between.

‘Let’s go and find Mrs B, there must be something ready for tea,’ Lottie said, walking back towards the house knowing that even if there was nothing ready to eat yet, Mrs B may have some magic water to remove some of the offending marks on the once clean, crisp dress.

Edward continued to toss his daughter in the air, but was slowly making his way to the Moses basket to ensure that he could also see his younger son. The other he could see scoring more goals and celebrating his victory, this time with his T-shirt over his head. Family crises over, he thought.

Lottie had not been gone too long when she stepped back out. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath as if it was an escape. Mrs B had of course taken the infant, and with a biscuit and a clean cloth silenced her within a moment’s breath. She just had the knack.

Lottie was so pleased that she had everyone around her to help, and that fact itself made her wonder why, as with now, she could suddenly feel so overwhelmed. Overwhelmed so much she could just run and not turn back. Gentle laughter made her open her eyes. Edward was sitting on the lounger, his son using him as a climbing frame and his daughter being assisted to also sit on his shoulders. She could feel the smile on her lips: for now the dark cloud was lifting and she knew that as quickly as the feeling came, it would go. She started to pick up some of the toys that littered the ground and as she walked towards the grass to continue her task, Charlie ran to her side.

‘I can help,’ he said, picking up the basket that some of the toys were stored in.

‘Thank you, Charlie, that’s really nice.’ She smiled at him and he hugged her leg.

‘You’re welcome!’ he said. ‘Poppa is still busy, so I will do his job!’ He proudly walked to the next item and placed it in the basket. Now Lottie knew her smile was the real thing. He was her big little man.

Lottie was brushing her hair at the dressing table as Edward walked back in. She looked over through the mirror at him and the feeling she had in her stomach whirled. He looked so perfect in his joggers and the white T-shirt, though be it a little wet on the sleeve. She had heard the crying from the girls as he had taken them off to bed, but his return confirmed his job was completed and they had both gone down, for now anyway. Having them both in the same bedroom was good for putting to bed, but if one woke, it was sure to start the other off as well. So they had their own rooms, even though they were so small. It was a compromise that the rooms were side by side and there was a connecting door, which was always left open.

He placed the monitor on the bedside table on his side of the large four-poster and walked over to her, offering out his hand for the brush to be given over. She smiled at him and passed the item up.

‘She has been a little headstrong madam all day, so adamant she did not want to go to sleep.’ He referred to Chelsea as he started to brush his wife’s long hair.

‘I wonder where she gets that from?’ She looked him in the eye and bit down on her lip.

‘Mrs Dean, I do not know who you are referring to.’ He moved closer to her neck and stopped his grooming to lightly kiss her soft skin. ‘Did I just see you biting your lip at me?’ he asked as she turned her face round to meet his.

His breath moved the fine, downy hair on her cheek. ‘Might have!’ she replied to him, resisting the urge to kiss him.

‘I thought as much,’ and he moved his mouth to hover closer to hers. He placed his mouth over her top lip; instead of kissing, he sucked at it, grazing his tongue over the inside of her mouth. Once he was happy he had taken his revenge on the offending lip he worked his mouth down her neck, licking her skin, tasting the unmistakable scent of her shower gel. He felt his dick stir in his loose joggers. He was desperate to take her, feel her skin all over him and him inside her.

Since Paris had been born, he found he needed to hold back somehow. Though Lottie had responded to his touch and they had made love, he felt she needed some time. Most nights he found her asleep before he had got into their room and did not have the heart to wake her. Most mornings she was awake, feeding or soothing one of the children, and had already left their bed as he woke. He had asked if they could take a few days away, just the two of them, but Lottie had not wanted to leave the children for that amount of time. In fact, she had not left the house other than for a walk or a run without having one of the family with her, and he thought that this must be why she was so exhausted.

He made his way back up to her face. She had her eyes closed and when he stopped kissing her, she took a moment to open them.

‘I love you,’ he said, his perfect white teeth showing through his now swollen lips from her skin.

‘I love you, too,’ she said back, meeting his deep pools with her own. He knelt in front of her and ran his finger along the top of her shoulder, over the smooth silk of the light nightdress strap, leaving it in place and then brushing down her upper arm.

‘You’re going into town on Friday.’ He started the conversation and Lottie was slightly surprised he had brought this up without any notice. Not that Lottie had a busy diary: they did still talk at the start of the week to outline each other’s plans. Edward was usually the one popping into town, as he would call visiting London or attending a meeting. Lottie caught up with the music school, or her scholars online, via Zoom or some other electronic media.

Other than to agree who would take Charlie to pre-school, it was the only thing that could change on the day, usually if the other children needed her time, and waiting for his mum would make him late, Edward would step in at short notice.

‘Well, why don’t you leave Paris here, go for lunch with Liz, or pop in to see Mum?’ She looked quizzingly at him and he noticed. ‘Just thought you could have a day without us all.’ He lightly kissed her shoulder awaiting her reply.

She felt a heat grow in her chest, and then it must have been as if her skin was on fire as she felt her cheeks grow hot and her breathing speed up. It was not his touch, it was the thought of being alone, away from the house, without her family. It was panic.

‘Lottie.’ He looked at her now and he could see a darkness in her eyes. ‘Baby girl, what is it?’

She could feel a heat in her eyes and she knew that they were filling up with tears. God, what was wrong with her? She was a doctor, she was a professional, but this simple gesture of allowing her time for herself sent her into a blind panic and she had no reason to know why her brain was acting in this way. She could see her former self arguing with Edward about this very thing, but now it was the complete opposite. How, when they had first met, he had to control her every move. The need to be controlled in some way by him. She had begged him for her own space.

She knew the years of them knowing each other, all they had been through, the conversations they had had on this topic, were all over. But now it seemed that she could not cope without him being there; she needed him so much that the thought of being out of her comfort zone shook her to the core.

‘Lottie, tell me what it is. I know there is something.’ He noticed the rogue tear that had escaped from her watery eye and he wiped it away with his finger. He knew she would tell him – well, he hoped that she would.

She took a breath. She could hear Liz in her head now urging her to say something to him, explain how she was feeling. But how could she tell him how she was feeling when she did not know herself.

‘Oh Ed,’ she started, not sure that sitting at her dressing table was the right time to get some of her feelings out. ‘I’m, I…’ she stuttered.

He held fast, his stomach desperate now for her to explain. He held her eyes as if this was the draw to get the information out. Would he dread what she was about to say? Did he want to know what was wrong? Shit, he had not thought of that. Luckily for him, she began to speak again.

‘I keep getting these feelings, I can’t explain them, but they are so dark sometimes. Since…’ She paused. How could she blame Paris for this? He was so very perfect in every way. He never demanded anything from her other than her love. ‘The past few weeks seemed to get worse,’ she continued. ‘I have everything I ever need. You are all fit and healthy, we have all this.’ She waved her hand around. ‘But I just feel like I need to run away.’ She paused and could now see the panic arrive in her husband’s face. ‘I don’t mean run away. Oh, I don’t know what I mean.’ She stood up and he hesitated to let her go, but she needed to move towards the window to get some air. ‘I don’t mean away from you all, just the opposite. I am scared of being away from you all and them not needing me, but when they do need me, like today, I go into some sort of panic.’ She turned around to see him, confirm he was still there, which of course he was.

Only one step away, within her touch, but it was he who reached out for her and she turned to take the arms that were outstretched for her. ‘I have been out running and feel on top of the world. Then I hear a twig break, or I think I see someone in the trees, watching me, looking at the house from the fields and I start to panic that I am so far away that I cannot get back to protect them. Protect you, all of you. Once I am back and everyone is loud and happy, I panic again. Feeling like the walls are closing in on me and I just have to get back outside.’ She gave a small laugh. ‘Am I going mad?’

‘Shush,’ he said, holding her in his arms, his eyes full of water that he quickly blinked away. ‘Why have you not said anything to me before?’ He moved the hair from her shoulder so he could see the side of her face. ‘Have you told anyone?’ He was slightly hurt that if she had, she had still kept this from him. He felt her head move as if she was nodding and the words, the doctor and Liz came out in an almost silent confession. ‘And what did they say?’ he gave as his reply.

It took a moment for her to gather her thoughts. She pushed herself slightly back so she could see his face. ‘It’s my hormones. Apparently. I never felt like this with Charlie or the twins.’ She wiped her own face with the back of her hand and Edward could have laughed aloud as she looked just like her daughters when they were upset and unhappy. But this was not the occasion to laugh; in fact, seeing her like this hurt like hell. To see this pain inside her killed him: he could do nothing to ease her pain, her hurt, and he felt something he had not felt for some time. He felt out of his depth. He hated himself for this next question, but he had to ask it.

‘Why did you not say something to me before?’ He did now break into a smile and lifted her chin so that she knew he was there for her.

‘Because as quickly as I feel it, it goes away. Then I feel stupid, silly that it is all in my head.’ She sniffed again. ‘If I don’t know why, then how do I expect you to?!’

‘You don’t have to expect any of us to know, but you need to know that we are all here to help you. I love you so much and you know that I will do anything.’ He paused.

‘I know and that adds to the confusion of why I feel like this, and the not sleeping and the nightmares are back, none of it helps.’

Now he did need to know. She had not mentioned anything about nightmares and he had not noticed. Years ago, after the shooting, she would often wake up in terror, and quite rightly. What they had been through took a long time to put to rest, so why now had it come back?

‘What are your nightmares of?’ You fucking twat: why did you ask her that? Like she wants to bring them up, he said to himself. But to his amazement she came straight out with it.

‘Losing you, the children: they have all gone and someone takes them. Sometimes I see Mitch, Caroline. Which I know is the most ridiculous thing because…’ She paused. ‘See, I’m going mad!’ She placed her head on his forehead and there was a small silence for them both to regroup their thoughts. Lottie broke the pause. ‘Will you come to the therapist with me? The doctor recommended one but I did not want to go. That seems silly now because I did not want you to know. I thought I would work it through myself but it seems not.’

‘You don’t even have to ask. When can we see them? I will drop everything and we can go tomorrow.’

These were almost the last words on the subject for the night. He held her in his arms until he was sure she was sleeping, and then he dared not to close his own eyes unless the conversation brought on any of the nightmares she had spoken of. His own mind was going around, thinking of everything they had done in the past few weeks. Feeling he had let her down because he had noticed something in her, but he never knew it was running so deep.

Why did she mention the shooting? Caroline and Mitch? Could her hormones really bring up all the past memories that had somehow been locked away in her head. He needed to find out: he knew himself how his mind had played on him when he lost his brother. How deep the brain could hide things away, just waiting for that something to bring it all back out. He had felt this when he was younger, too. The boys that picked on him at school, the trouble they had caused before he met Alex. He knew his own mind had been evil and he was, for sure, going to make sure hers did not do the same to her. They would get through this: it would just take some time.

Chapter 2

The summer nights had now given way to the autumn. It was getting noticeably darker and fully dark before Edward was able to sit down with Lottie and enjoy a glass of wine.

He took in a deep breath, not of exasperation, but to relish the silence.

‘Um, this is a nice wine, one from the last online order?’ he asked and Lottie looked up from the book she was reading. She nodded and he took another mouthful. ‘What you got there?’ asking about the text that she was reading.

‘It’s a new book from the Prof,’ she said, turning the back page round so that he could see the photo of the author on the back. He raised his eyebrows.

‘There is a section on the work that the Prof and Todd worked on and it is fascinating.’ She closed the page. ‘Sorry, I will put it down,’ knowing that since she had been seeing the therapist, in the last three months they had made this time for each other a priority. No other distractions.

‘You can keep reading if you want to.’ He sat closer to her on the large leather sofa. ‘Or read it out to me if you want. I am interested.’

If this was to humour her it worked. She sat upright as if she was about to start a bedtime story to the children, and started to read from the page she was on. She felt the need to add some of the information from the previous pages to give him a better idea on the subject matter. He was nodding on the outside, though felt lost in the words and terms she used if he was truthful.

He had been quite concerned that Lottie had been in touch with the DuPont Centre at the start of the month. They had a case and the Prof had reached out for her to help. Edward had expressed that he was worried about her mental health, even though she had found the medication and the sessions had put her in a better place. The conversations about her nightmares and what triggered them were still playing on his mind. Adding more death and misery was the last thing that he wanted to do, but it had the opposite effect and she was really finding that getting back into this work was helping her.

She continued to read out of the book and then mentioned Todd again. This then got Ed’s attention as she noted that he was coming back to the UK to help sell the book and work further with the Prof.

‘Is he coming over on his own?’ Edward asked, referencing and enquiring if he was coming over with his new wife.

‘I think so. He was sure she would not be able to get the time out of work, but I hope that she can make it over, as he is planning to be here for a few months.’ She smiled, thinking how nice it would be to see Todd again. They spoke on the phone and also had Zoom calls, but she felt safe knowing he was going to be here in person somehow. ‘This is so cheeky and he may not want to.’ Again she paused. ‘Can he stay at the London house? There are enough rooms: even if we all go over, the attic apartment is spare.’

She was asking, not because Todd had asked, and not because Todd could not go to his sister’s, or the fact that this was a money-saving thing. He was doing really well for himself. His new wife Pollyanna was the daughter of a wealthy businessman from Texas, and she was a fashion model, often in the big, glitzy magazines. She wanted to ask him to stay so she knew he was safe while he was over in the UK.

‘Ed?’ she asked again as he had not given a reply. ‘I wanted to call him in the next day or so, I can ask him then?’

Like Edward was given a choice. The look on her face was making this an already done deal. He knew that as much as Todd was just a friend, he would never forget that once he had been her lover. Way before they had met, so it was in the past, years before, but he recoiled that another man knew her in a way that a lover should and it would never sit well with him that he could still see the love between them whenever they met. Lottie would convince him that this was the love for a sibling, but Edward could always see it was more, much more. The guy had a tattoo on his arm clearly stating that she was the love he had lost and that nothing could replace her. His mind wandered to how his new wife felt about this, as she must look at it and have the same feelings that he did.

‘Edward,’ she said again to bring him back to the room.

‘It’s not just my house, baby, you know that.’ He smiled at her even if he protested; he knew she had already made up her mind. Her friend was staying so this was futile. ‘Just let the team know so that the rooms can be aired.’ He took in a breath and then asked, ‘I guess we will go over to say hello as well, so you had best warn him it will be a full house.’

She gave a little clap and smiled. He was convinced that even this news made her happier than sitting in the room, child-free, with him. The green-eyed monster had really never gone away where Todd was concerned.

‘I will give him a call in a bit: they should be getting up around now. The work that they have done on the cell disruption method is really great.’ She was referring to the page that she had been reading from, and Edward seemed to shut back off again to the subject, but just warmed to the voice of his wife as she spoke. She seemed happier in herself, and this news lifted her spirit further.

The next day, Liz and Phil dropped over to Kent. Liz and Lottie had a meeting and the men took the time to also catch up.

Liz sat in the day room, which Lottie used as her office more than anything. They looked through some new designs, and Liz opened the laptop to get the latest figures and customer information for her. Lottie had remained just a silent partner in the business, funding it at the start, but now it was holding its own really well. She had offered for Liz to buy her out so that the business was all hers, but she had insisted that Lottie had been there at the start and she wanted her to be a partner, as she valued both her opinion and her name!

Lottie looked through the private client list. ‘This is impressive, Liz.’ She continued looking at the names: some she recognised, others she did not.

‘Lady Bennington.’ She looked again at the required field for design. ‘Maternity wear, so the papers have got it right, then. They are expecting again.’

‘Yep, it seems so and she has already asked for the newborn range so I am not sure how long before the patter of tiny feet.’

‘It was such a loss for the family when Lord Bennington senior passed. I know Edward felt the loss, and not just for the charity. He was such a gentle man. I remember dancing with him, quite the charmer. The new Lord is just as generous, though it is a big title to hold. They did struggle to have another child, so maybe this is a consolation for their loss?’

She carried on looking through the names. There were more from the US and Australia. ‘So these are the private clients. What about the outlets?’ Liz leant over to find the other spreadsheet; the two women continued to talk business.

It was a few hours before the ladies left the room and joined the men. With it being damp and cold outside, Edward had been keeping the children amused in the large, open-plan conservatory which came off from the side of the kitchen. As they walked through, Lottie looked over to see the male version of a crèche and she smiled. Phil was rocking his young son, who had developed an impressive set of lungs. The girls running around, with Gerald trying to ensure that Apollo did not knock any of them over. He was bouncing up around Charlie and, even though his father was trying to keep control, from the outside it looked like total chaos.

‘So, no movement on the nanny front, then?’ Liz turned and asked Lottie.

‘Nope. He says he can cope so it has not been discussed again,’ Lottie replied.

‘I have to say it was the best thing that we did. I know it is a big expense but it allows us to work and have time on our own. Of course, whenever we can we have him, and from the look of my husband he needs as much bonding time as he can get.’ She looked at Lottie who was reluctant to go any further into the room and remained out of view of them. ‘How are you doing anyway?’

Lottie freely gave over the information on how she felt: it was something she had promised to do to those who cared about her. They walked into the sitting room so that they could continue the conversation, and as if the request had been silently made, Mrs B walked in to offer tea.

‘It may be safer for you to stay in here, ladies.’ She smiled. ‘Nice to see the men taking some sort of control!’ She wandered back to arrange the drinks that had been requested.

‘You don’t have to get a female nanny, you know! We have not. Ian is awesome.’ Liz giggled. ‘Not that you need a distraction with such a hunk, of course – you have Edward!’

‘Oh, I could see that going down like a lead balloon. Ed sees the green mist if I stop to talk to the butcher in the village.’ She thanked Mrs B as drinks and some cakes were left on the table in front of them. ‘Though I do have to say, he has the most amazing lips!’ She smiled and the two ladies laughed as the continued squeals and giggles came from the room opposite.

‘No harm in looking every now and then!’ Liz took a sip of her coffee. ‘Though I would not swap mine. He is such a gentle giant.’

Lottie looked towards the room where her husband and children were situated. She knew that any conversation about another man was only in jest. She would not swap what she had, and at every opportunity she had vowed to tell him.

After a light supper was served to them all, Edward passed the girls to Mrs B who had offered to bathe them. Gerald was deep in a game of Jenga with Charlie. Paris, as always, was no trouble to anyone. He was sound asleep in his room.

‘You and Liz look as if you covered a lot of work today.’ He kissed Lottie on the head as she sat in the living room, her head again in her book. He placed the monitor on the table and looked at the screen to confirm all was still quiet in the nursery. The room was large with several sofas, but he chose to sit as close as he could to his wife.

They chatted for a brief time about the day, and he was really pleased Lottie seemed keen to go into London the next week to see the new workshop for the fashion house, and also to keep an appointment at the music school.

‘So, Todd is coming over as well for Friday. I wondered if we could stay over. I spoke to Mum and she would love to see the kids. We could make it a long weekend away if you wanted?’ he asked. ‘And help Todd settle into the house.’

When the twins had been born, and they moved full-time to Kent. They had talked about putting the penthouse on the market. It did not lend itself well to their family, and they looked for a house with some outside space. During a Sunday lunch Alice, Edward’s mother, had mentioned that her housekeeper had asked to retire and she was not looking forward to being in the big, large Georgian house in Belgravia alone. Though no one can remember how the decision was made, it was agreed that they would simply swap. Edward owned both properties, so it was just a case of moving his mother into the penthouse and doing some renovations to make the townhouse accommodate them all.

Alice found that the penthouse was still too big, and advertised for a housekeeper. Lottie was amazed when Alice had called to say that their old friend Bella had applied for the position.

Bella had become a good friend of the family after Lottie met her years before. She was a personal shopper at Harrods, and they hit it off from day one.

Many of the events and occasions they had arranged Bella and her husband would attend. Lottie had asked her to be Chelsea’s godmother, a task that she was overwhelmed to agree to. Sadly, only a year after she had left work, she had lost her husband. She found that working at the well-known high-class department store, where she had spent most of her working life, was just not the same.

It took no negotiation for Alice to agree to the appointment of her new housekeeper. In fact, she never called her the housekeeper because they had become great friends, though Bella did keep house for her. They holidayed, went to social functions together, and lived more as relations than employer and employee.

So, when Edward mentioned the weekend in town, she knew that it would not just be Alice who was pleased to see the children. Bella, too, would be in her element.

‘Great, I will let Pete and Mrs B know. I am sure that they will love some time off.’ He got up to find the team and explain the plan. Lottie was not surprised when he came back a short time later and said that Mrs B had asked if she could also come along. Edward had insisted that she needed some time for herself, and Mrs B said that was what she intended. Alice, Bella and Mrs B – a formidable shopping party indeed. It would be a full family outing and, even though they had the