dish of olives and Bella’s tea in a Snoopy mug. Accepting it reminded Bella that she needed to confess to her breakage.
‘I owe you a mug. I’ll get you a new one tomorrow.’
Lottie shrugged. ‘Mugs come and they go. Don’t worry about it.’
She flung herself down on the armchair and rested her feet on the smart brass fender, watching Bella sip her tea.
How is it?’
‘Blissful.’
‘How was your day?’
Bella made a face. ‘I’ve had better.’
‘I can imagine.’ Lottie hesitated. ‘Want to talk about it?’
‘We went on one date. What’s to talk about?’
‘You looking like you’ve gone ten rounds with Lord Voldemort, for a start.’
Bella shifted her shoulders. ‘Probably too many changes all coming on top of each other. Or, like my mother would say, me making a fuss about nothing.’
Lottie snorted.
Bella shook her head. ‘No, she’d be right in this instance. Richard and I …’ She swallowed. It was the first time she had said it like that, coupling their names together. ‘Richard and I didn’t even know each other.’
Lottie sucked her teeth. ‘That wasn’t how it looked last night.’
‘Then looks were deceiving.’
‘And he called you his Dream Girl.’
‘That was just a silly joke.’
‘People who share jokes know each other. I rest my case, m’lud.’
Bella smiled unwillingly. ‘You’re too clever for me. OK, there was something.’
‘Not enough?’
Bella put the mug down and hugged a cushion to herself. ‘I don’t know. I suppose I’d been drifting along rather. I mean, I didn’t know he was a blasted Prince for so long, I’d never really taken it in. I was just thinking we could go out a bit, see if we liked each other, that sort of thing. But he said it wouldn’t work. He said he was public property.’
‘Ah. I wondered if it was something like that.’
Bella nodded. ‘I suppose you think I’m an idiot.’ She was used to Lottie’s robust opinions.
‘No, I don’t,’ her friend said, surprising her. She laughed at Bella’s expression. ‘Don’t forget, I’m in PR. I’ve seen a lot of people get hit by celebrity. It’s fine for people who have some skill, or role, or talent or something. But if you’re just famous for being famous, it can be a terrible curse. Especially if you don’t enjoy people staring at you and asking you intrusive questions. And you’re not really a girl for the spotlight, are you? You’re always bouncing off things.’
Bella had to admit it.
‘Shame, though. He seemed a real sweetheart.’
‘Yes,’ said Bella sadly. ‘Yes.’
Lottie didn’t mention him again. For the rest of the week she talked about her work, the contract she had failed to nail and the next one she had in her sights, and about easing Bella back into a social life. Bella did her best to respond in kind. But she begged off the social life until she had collected some of her things from her old room at her mother’s house.
She went down on Friday night after work. She had bought herself a little weekend bag by then. She knew her mother would not appreciate the backpack. She wouldn’t like most of Bella’s charity-shop clothes either. Fortunately the new silk kimono ought to hit the spot.
Kevin met her at the station, which surprised Bella, and when they got home, her mother flung open the front door and seized her in her arms, which surprised her even more.
‘Let me look at you. You’ve lost weight. But your skin looks good, and I love your hair.’
I do wish that the first thing she did when she saw me wasn’t always to make an inventory of my personal assets, thought Bella, sighing inwardly.
Aloud she said, ‘Lottie sent me to her hairdresser, Carlos. Do you remember him from uni? Lottie says he’s going to be very successful.’
Her mother feathered Bella’s newly trimmed blonde locks against the light. ‘Well, he’s done a lovely job on you,’ she said approvingly. ‘Come in, darling. Come in. You know the Nevilles and the Jackson-Smythes …’
It set the tone for the weekend. There were to be guests for every meal, and even more for drinks before the meals. Janet had always been hospitable but since she’d married Kevin she seemed to have grown absolutely feverish about it, thought Bella. It was as if a meal didn’t really happen unless there was an outside witness to it, preferably with a title and an important job in the City.
But there was no doubt her mother was struggling to be proud of her this weekend. She introduced Bella to everyone as ‘my clever