staring at her phone. She raised her head, her eyes lit like the Christmas tree next to her, and grinned. “We got the deal with Society. They’re going to publish our monthly curated looks.”
She flew to me, arms wide and I turned into her. Her chin rested on my shoulder as she kissed my cheek.
“That’s amazing, beautiful.” I meant it. She’d taken her company, Bless, from an idea to a force in the fashion industry. But that wasn’t what really mattered. I hadn’t seen her this excited for weeks.
“Lola spoke with them. She’s going to put things together and send them to me for approval. It will have to be a joint effort until I’m back from maternity leave,” she rattled off all the details in a hushed voice while Penny continued to sleep in my arms.
“Your mum is famous,” I whispered to Penny, and Belle smiled sheepishly, rolling her eyes.
“It’s nothing.” She shrugged and I could already sense the happiness fading from her. I wished I could find the place where it was seeping out and fix it.
“It’s everything,” I said quickly. “And you don’t have to take maternity leave, beautiful.”
She bristled and I rushed on before she could mistake what I was saying. “I’m here without any clients. We can always call Nora to come a few days a week, so we have an extra set of hands.”
Belle bit her lower lip, a battle playing across her pale features. “Penny’s too little for a nanny.”
“Not a nanny. Just some help,” I corrected her. I’d been thinking of how to bring this up for a while. “Penny could be with you while you worked and Nora could just hang out. Nora might even be an extra set of eyes for you.”
“She’s a little young to be our target demographic, but she did seem interested in Bless,” Belle said thoughtfully. “Maybe just a couple afternoons a week.”
“That makes sense,” I said casually.
Belle took a deep breath, her eyes finding the floor, before she finally lifted them and whispered, “Am I a bad mom if I miss working?”
I shook my head, sighing, feeling as though a missing piece of an unfinished puzzle had finally appeared.
“How can you be sure?”
“If I told you I needed to meet a client in the village, what would you say?” I asked.
“I guess I’d just ask when and how long you’d be gone.” Her eyebrows furrowed together. “But you aren’t taking clients.”
“That’s not the point. It wouldn’t be odd for me to ask, so you shouldn’t feel guilty for working either,” I pointed out.
“It’s not like we need the money. I should be the one home with Penny,” she continued.
“And you will be.” I turned and kissed her forehead. “If anyone can be a brilliant business woman and a super mum, it’s you.”
“Are you sure?” The corners of her mouth twitching like she might actually smile.
“I’ll always bet on you,” I promised, meaning it with all my heart.
15
Belle
“I think that’s everything,” I announced to Nora, wishing that I felt as confident as I sounded. Lola had insisted on driving the two hours from Silverstone to Sussex to celebrate the latest big milestone for Bless. I’d tried to talk her out of it, but only half-heartedly. The truth was that the idea of seeing a friend had me more excited than I’d felt since we’d left hospital with Penny. Naturally, Lola’s visit coincided with the same day the new gardener was starting on, leaving Smith and I to our first real attempt to juggle having an infant and dealing with the outside world.
Nora poked her head over the changing bag. “Do you want me to check?”
I shook my head. I wasn’t about to admit to her that I’d written out a checklist last night and memorized it. It was only her second day on with us, but I didn’t want her thinking I was completely helpless. She was an extra pair of hands like Smith had said. She was just here to make life easier, not replace me. “I think we’re ready.”
She picked it up, not questioning me more, and swung it over her shoulder. “Do you want me to carry her down?”
I nodded, passing Penny to her. “I’m just going to grab my purse.”
We were leaving with more than enough time to spare. Smith had pulled the Range Rover around to the front drive and warmed it up. The only thing left was to check my lipstick and drive into town. I couldn’t deny that despite