bra lady, Michelle Mone, turning down an invitation to the Palace? But then I bet they both have nannies to fall back on and that their husbands don’t have to do two-bit discos for the princely sum of fifty quid a night.
I pull on my dress and turn to offer the zip to Olly. He zips me up, but rather crisply. Slipping on black velvet gloves that were my mum’s and black patent kitten heels at the same time, I check myself in the mirror.
Suddenly, Olly is still. All the fight goes out of him. ‘You look sensational,’ he says softly.
‘Thanks.’ Now I feel ashamed for shouting. For the first time in my life I’m torn between duty and ambition.
A car pulls up outside the house and I hear the hoot of a horn. This is more than likely my ride.
‘Go on,’ Olly says. ‘Have a wonderful time.’
Perhaps it’s also due to the fact that I’m driving off into the night with a rather fabulous man to a rather fabulous do. I’m sure I’d feel put out if the boot was on the other foot.
‘What about Petal?’
‘I’ll sort something out,’ he says. ‘Don’t you worry. Just go and knock them dead for the team.’
‘I’ll try to.’ I go and kiss him. ‘This is all for us, you know.’
‘Sometimes I have to remind myself of that,’ he says.
Petal comes in, the cartoon-on-television babysitter clearly having finished its shift. ‘Were you shouting at Daddy?’
Ah. I’d hoped the noise of the telly might cover that. ‘No,’ I tell her. I flash a glance at Olly. ‘We were just having a grown-up talk.’
‘Well, you were making too much noise.’
I kneel in front of Petal. ‘Mummy’s going out now. Give me a kiss.’ My daughter hugs me and I have the urge to never let her go.
‘I don’t know how late I’ll be,’ I say to Olly. This feels weird because I could count on one hand the amount of times I’ve been out in the evening without Olly in the last five years.
He comes and winds his arms round my waist. ‘I’ll be here,’ Olly says. ‘Whatever time it is. You know that.’
Tod toots his horn again. I pick up my handbag and blowing a kiss over my shoulder, I rush out of the door.
Chapter 25
We speed down to London in Tod’s car. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a vehicle so plush. I have no idea what it is, but the soft-leather seats mould around you and it whooshes when every other car I’ve ever been in rattles. There’s some sort of soft jazzy music on the stereo, which isn’t really my kind of thing, but tonight it hits the spot. If there was a drinks cabinet in here with a bottle of chilled white wine in it, I would be in seventh heaven. I sink back into my seat with a shuddering sigh.
‘Nervous?’ Tod asks.
‘Terrified.’ I’ve never been to anything like this before and don’t know what to expect.
‘No need to be. You’ll be fine. The Prince’s Trust has helped hundreds of businesses just like yours get off the ground. Plus, I hope we’re going to make some important contacts tonight. All you need to do is be charming and keep your fingers crossed.’ He casts a glance at me. ‘Loving the look, by the way.’
‘Thanks.’
Tod doesn’t look too shabby himself. He’s wearing a dinner jacket with a Nehru collar and it has a dragon embroidered in black thread on one side. Out of the blue, I think that we fit well together. Discomfited, I wonder where that thought came from.
‘What was your news?’
‘Oh.’ In the excitement I’d forgotten all about that. ‘I’ve organised myself a market stall. I start next week.’ It hardly feels groundbreaking now that I’ve said it out loud.
‘That is good news,’ he says with a smile. ‘Well done. Great initiative, Nell.’
I love the way that Tod is always so encouraging. I don’t, however, tell him that I was spurred onto it because of the lack of enthusiasm from Betty.
‘I’ll give you any help that I can.’
It feels good to know that Tod has got my back.
Before long, we sweep up the
I pull on my dress and turn to offer the zip to Olly. He zips me up, but rather crisply. Slipping on black velvet gloves that were my mum’s and black patent kitten heels at the same time, I check myself in the mirror.
Suddenly, Olly is still. All the fight goes out of him. ‘You look sensational,’ he says softly.
‘Thanks.’ Now I feel ashamed for shouting. For the first time in my life I’m torn between duty and ambition.
A car pulls up outside the house and I hear the hoot of a horn. This is more than likely my ride.
‘Go on,’ Olly says. ‘Have a wonderful time.’
Perhaps it’s also due to the fact that I’m driving off into the night with a rather fabulous man to a rather fabulous do. I’m sure I’d feel put out if the boot was on the other foot.
‘What about Petal?’
‘I’ll sort something out,’ he says. ‘Don’t you worry. Just go and knock them dead for the team.’
‘I’ll try to.’ I go and kiss him. ‘This is all for us, you know.’
‘Sometimes I have to remind myself of that,’ he says.
Petal comes in, the cartoon-on-television babysitter clearly having finished its shift. ‘Were you shouting at Daddy?’
Ah. I’d hoped the noise of the telly might cover that. ‘No,’ I tell her. I flash a glance at Olly. ‘We were just having a grown-up talk.’
‘Well, you were making too much noise.’
I kneel in front of Petal. ‘Mummy’s going out now. Give me a kiss.’ My daughter hugs me and I have the urge to never let her go.
‘I don’t know how late I’ll be,’ I say to Olly. This feels weird because I could count on one hand the amount of times I’ve been out in the evening without Olly in the last five years.
He comes and winds his arms round my waist. ‘I’ll be here,’ Olly says. ‘Whatever time it is. You know that.’
Tod toots his horn again. I pick up my handbag and blowing a kiss over my shoulder, I rush out of the door.
Chapter 25
We speed down to London in Tod’s car. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a vehicle so plush. I have no idea what it is, but the soft-leather seats mould around you and it whooshes when every other car I’ve ever been in rattles. There’s some sort of soft jazzy music on the stereo, which isn’t really my kind of thing, but tonight it hits the spot. If there was a drinks cabinet in here with a bottle of chilled white wine in it, I would be in seventh heaven. I sink back into my seat with a shuddering sigh.
‘Nervous?’ Tod asks.
‘Terrified.’ I’ve never been to anything like this before and don’t know what to expect.
‘No need to be. You’ll be fine. The Prince’s Trust has helped hundreds of businesses just like yours get off the ground. Plus, I hope we’re going to make some important contacts tonight. All you need to do is be charming and keep your fingers crossed.’ He casts a glance at me. ‘Loving the look, by the way.’
‘Thanks.’
Tod doesn’t look too shabby himself. He’s wearing a dinner jacket with a Nehru collar and it has a dragon embroidered in black thread on one side. Out of the blue, I think that we fit well together. Discomfited, I wonder where that thought came from.
‘What was your news?’
‘Oh.’ In the excitement I’d forgotten all about that. ‘I’ve organised myself a market stall. I start next week.’ It hardly feels groundbreaking now that I’ve said it out loud.
‘That is good news,’ he says with a smile. ‘Well done. Great initiative, Nell.’
I love the way that Tod is always so encouraging. I don’t, however, tell him that I was spurred onto it because of the lack of enthusiasm from Betty.
‘I’ll give you any help that I can.’
It feels good to know that Tod has got my back.
Before long, we sweep up the
Similar Books
