Starting Over

Chapter 21

“So what are you going to do now?” Ellen was sat opposite her sister Sara and sighed. They’d just been to see Charlotte perform an outdoor ballet in Hyde Park, now they were waiting for her in the hotel bar, sharing a bottle of wine. Sara had been dying to find out the gossip on Ellen’s abrupt return from Majorca since her mother had told her she’d arrived last week.

“I’m still hoping to find a job. I need some routine! Unfortunately I’m not getting anywhere at the moment. Saying that, I’m not desperate....yet!” She tried to break into a smile, but failed rather dismally.

Ellen was struggling to hold it together, so far everyone believed that this was her choice, that she wanted to leave, needed to get back into the real world, but it wasn’t true, every day her heart broke a little more and she really didn’t know what to do. She was financially secure for the next year or two if she was sensible, she had no commitments, she should be planning a huge trip or buying a house or car, instead, she was staying at her parents’ home, hiding her distress from them.

They’d been stunned to open the door to her six days ago, by that point she’d done all her crying, all she had now was a huge void in her life, in her heart. She told them she’d got bored of the lifestyle, wanted to settle down, get a job, and when they’d asked after Jan, she assured them he didn’t feel the same way, that he still wasn’t ready to give up on what he had.

If they were surprised they hid it well, but then all the members of her family were good at hiding things, they spent a life time controlling what the others knew about themselves, all except her father...the open book. She’d spent days talking to every contact she still had from her last job, hoping that someone would look favourably on her. But it was the wrong time for anyone to hire her, hadn’t she heard there was a recession happening?

So here she was with one of her sisters waiting for the other, bereft of her best friend and the man she loved. And not having a clue what the future held. Thankfully she had the guilt money from Richard’s partners; otherwise things would look a lot bleaker. As it was she figured she could last a year without work financially, but mentally she was desperate for something to occupy her mind.

Suddenly in a burst of attention Charlotte floated into the restaurant the epitome of all that was graceful and elegant. Despite her being only five foot two her petite stature and heeled shoes meant she carried her height well and she courted the attraction of the whole room.

“Char you were wonderful!” Ellen jumped up to congratulate her sister, Swan Lake from the centre of the Serpentine was magical, viewable from 360 degrees, the crowds were huge, the applause frenetic. Her sister was serene and the whole event was a success.

“Thanks Ellen, it was so exciting.” As she sat beside them she looked distracted.

“What is it?” Sara asked, filling the third glass on the table with the ice cold chardonnay.

Charlotte sighed sinking into her seat, “nothing, just housekeeping issues! Jean just called to tell me she can’t house sit on Wednesday. So I’m struggling to know what to do.”

Ellen wasn’t au fait with this topic, “you’re away Wednesday?”

She nodded, “We go on a US tour, doing this ballet in twenty different cities. But Jean my friend’s aunt always house sits. It’s not just the dog and cats, they’re easy, it’s Champagne, she’s pregnant, so I need someone on site to keep an eye on her. I’ll have to call the agency that Sophie uses, but I’ve only got three days.”

“Well I’ll do it! Why not? I’m at a loose end. I can still get to London if I manage to get an interview for a job, but otherwise I’m out of Mum and Dad’s hair. Isn’t that the perfect solution?”