“We’re with Venetia Carter now,” I say obstinately. “It’s all signed and sealed.”

“Oh well, darling. If you’re sure. What’s that, Janice?” There’s another scuffling at the other end. “Janice says, was it Halle Berry you met?”

“No, it was the new one. The blond Rollerblade champion. Mum, I’d better go. I’ve got a call waiting. Give my love to everyone. Bye!” I switch off the phone, and a second later it rings again.

“Bex! I’ve been trying you all day! How was it?” Suze’s excited voice peals down the line. “Tell me everything. Are you having the Thai water birth?”

“Maybe!” I can’t help beaming. “Oh, Suze, it was fab! You get massage, and reflexology, and I met a Bond girl, and there were paparazzi waiting outside and we got photographed together! We’ll be in Hello!”

“That’s so cool!” Suze’s voice rises to a squeak. “God, I’m so jealous. I want another baby now, and have it there.”

“You don’t actually have it at the center,” I explain. “You have all the appointments there, but she’s linked to the Cavendish Hospital.”

“The Cavendish? The one with all the double beds and wine lists?”

“Yes.” I can’t help a smirk.

“You’re so lucky, Bex! And what’s Venetia Carter like?”

“She’s fab! She’s really young, and cool, and she has all these really interesting ideas about childbirth, and”—I hesitate—“and she’s Luke’s ex-girlfriend. Isn’t that amazing?”

“She’s…what?” Suze sounds like she can’t believe her ears.

“She’s Luke’s ex. They went out at Cambridge together.”

“You’re having your baby delivered by Luke’s ex-girlfriend?”

First Mum, then Suze. What’s wrong with everyone?

“Yes!” I say defensively. “Why not? It was years ago and it only lasted about five minutes. And she’s attached to someone else now. What’s the problem?”

“It just seems a bit…weird, don’t you think?”

“It’s not weird! Suze, we’re all grown-ups. We’re all mature, professional people. I think we can get past some old, meaningless fling, don’t you?”

“But I mean, she’ll be…you know! Poking about.”

This thought had crossed my mind. But then, is it any worse than Dr. Braine poking about? To be honest, I’m in denial about this whole birth business happening at all. I’m half hoping they’ll invent some new labor-substitute device by the time I reach my due date.

“I’d be paranoid!” Suze is saying. “I once met this ex of Tarkie’s—”

“Tarquin has an ex?” I say in astonishment, before I realize how this sounds.

“Flissy Menkin. Of the Somerset Menkins?”

“Of course,” I say, as though I have a clue what the Somerset Menkins might be. They sound like china pots. Or some kind of galloping disease.

“I knew she was going to be at this wedding last year, and I practically spent the whole week getting ready. And that was with clothes on!”

“Well, I’ll get a really good bikini wax,” I say airily. “And maybe I’ll have a cesarean. And the point is, she’s the top baby-deliverer in the country! She should be used to it by now, don’t you think?”

“I s’pose.” Suze still sounds doubtful. “But still. Bex, if I were you, I’d steer clear. Go back to your other doctor.”

“I don’t want to steer clear.” I feel like stamping my foot. “And I totally trust Luke,” I add as an afterthought.

“Of course!” says Suze hastily. “Of course you do. So…did he chuck her, or the other way around?”

“I don’t know,” I admit.

“Hasn’t he told you?”

“I haven’t asked him! It’s irrelevant!” Suze is starting to rattle me with all her questions. “Guess what? I got Crème de la Mer in the welcome pack,” I say to distract her. “And a voucher for Champneys!”

“Ooh!” Suze perks up. “Can you take a guest?”



I’m not going to let Suze and Mum freak me out. They don’t know anything about it! Luke and I have a totally stable, trusting relationship. We’re having a baby together. I feel totally secure.

On the way home that night I pop into Hollis Franklin quickly, just to look at baby linen. Hollis Franklin is such a gorgeous shop, it’s got a Royal Warrant and apparently the Queen herself shops there! I spend a happy hour looking at different thread counts, and by the time I arrive back home, it’s seven. Luke is in the kitchen, drinking a beer and watching the news.

“Hi!” I say, putting down my bags. “I got the baby some sheets from Hollis Franklin!” I pull out a tiny crib sheet embroidered with a tiny crest in each corner. “Isn’t that adorable?”

“Very nice,” says Luke, examining it. Then he catches sight of the price tag and blanches. “Jesus. You paid that for a baby sheet?”

“They’re the best,” I explain. “They’re four hundred thread count!”

“Does the baby need four hundred thread count? You realize it’ll throw up on these sheets?”

“The baby would never throw up on a Hollis Franklin sheet!” I say, indignant. “It knows better than that.” I pat my bump. “Don’t you, darling?”

Luke rolls his eyes. “If you say so.” He puts the sheet down. “And what’s in the bigger bag?”

“Matching sheets for us. The duvet cover’s coming separately, and the pillow shams as soon as they’re in stock—” I break off at his appalled expression. “Luke, we’ll have the crib in our bedroom! We have to coordinate!”

“Coordinate?”

“Of course!”

“Becky, really—” Luke’s attention is drawn to the TV screen. “Hold on, it’s Malcolm.” He turns up the volume and I take the opportunity to shove the Hollis Franklin sheets behind the door, where Luke might forget about them.

Malcolm Lloyd is the chief executive of Arcodas, and he’s being interviewed in the business slot about why he’s planning to make a bid for some airline company. Luke watches intently, beer in hand.

“He should stop doing that jerky thing with his hand,” I say, watching the interview too. “He looks really awkward. He should go on media training.”

“He’s already been on media training,” says Luke.

“Well, it was rubbish. You should get someone new.” I take off my jacket, dump it on a chair, and massage my aching shoulders.

“Come here, sweetheart,” says Luke, noticing me. “I’ll do it.”

I pull a chair over and sit down in front of him, and he starts kneading my tight muscles.

“Luke, that reminds me,” I say, still watching Malcolm. “Does Iain always talk to you like that?”

Luke’s fingers stop moving briefly. “Like what?”

“The way he did in the car yesterday. He’s so unpleasant!”

“That’s just his business style. Arcodas has a different working culture.”

“But it’s awful!”

“Well, we’re just going to have to get used to it.” Luke sounds a bit defensive and snappy. “We’re playing with the big boys now. Everyone’s just got to—” He stops himself.

“What?” I twist my head, trying to see his expression.

“Nothing,” says Luke after a moment. “Just…thinking aloud. Let’s turn this off.” He kisses me on the top of my head. “Shoulders feel better now?”

“A million times. Thanks.”

I get up, pour myself a glass of orange-cranberry mix, and flip the TV over to The Simpsons. Meanwhile, Luke picks up the Evening Standard and starts leafing through the pages. A bowl of olives is on the counter, and we pass it back and forth between us.

There now, isn’t this nice? Just a nice quiet evening at home. Just the two of us, relaxing together in our stable relationship. Not thinking about old girlfriends or anything like that.

In fact, I’m so relaxed, maybe I will bring the subject up. Just in a casual way. To show I don’t care one way or the other.

“So…that must have been weird for you,” I say lightly. “Coming across Venetia again after all those years.”

“Uh-huh.” Luke nods absently.

“Why did you and she break up?” I say, still lightly. “Just out of interest.”

“God knows.” Luke shrugs. “It was a long time ago.”

You see? It was so long ago, he can’t even remember. It’s ancient history. I really don’t care what the gory details were. In fact, let’s talk about something else. Current affairs or something.

“Did you love her?” I hear myself saying.

“Love?” Luke gives a short laugh. “We were students.”

I wait for him to expand on the subject, but he turns a page of the paper and frowns at a headline.

That is not an answer. “We were students” is not an answer.

I open my mouth to demand “What’s that supposed to mean?” Then, after a moment’s thought, I close it again. This is ridiculous. I’d never even met Venetia Carter till yesterday — and already Mum and Suze have made me all paranoid. Of course he never loved her.

I’m not going to ask him anything else about their relationship. I’m not even going to think about it. Subject officially closed.



SHORT QUIZ FOR LUKE BRANDON


1. How would you describe the relationship you had with your old girlfriend Venetia?

a) Passionate Romeo/Juliet-style romance.

b) V. boring relationship.

c) I never really liked her.

d) She stalked me.


2. In general, do you prefer girls’ names that begin with

a) R

b) B

c) V

d) Don’t know.


3. Have you ever been in love? If so, with how many people?

a) Your wife and only your wife, because she taught you what love really is.

b) Your snooty girlfriend Sacha, the bitch who stole the luggage.

c) Your student girlfriend Venetia, with whom you had a brief fling but never mentioned her, so how could you have been in love with her?

d) Other.


4. What do you think of long red hair?