In the Stars

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A Ship to Wreck

The bright light of the next morning taunted Charlotte. Under her cozy duvet, all she wanted to do was pretend she was a turtle and hide from the world. Until it decided to right itself.

But turtles must eat.

The thought of a full English breakfast finally got her to pop her head out of her cocoon. Seeing her face in the mirror propped in the corner, she grimaced as her pillow wrinkles and red, weepy eyes came into focus.

"Ugh!"

She wasn't a seasoned drinker, so it didn't take much to make her feel as if she was inside out, her cells grumbling as they each made their complaints known. A shower made her feel more human. A set of clothing that didn't smell like cigarette ash, and a large mug of coffee, were the final touches to her "day after" ensemble.

She was to meet Leighton at the Columbia Road Flower Market. As it was the last thing she wanted to do, she dragged herself out of her townhouse.

Her townhouse. It sounded odd, even in her head.

Walking towards the Hampstead Heath Overground station, she looked around at the affluent houses lining her street, their brown facades like distinguished matrons, fluffing their Greek cornices. It was the last place she thought she'd end up.

Growing up with her adoptive parents, Charlotte had felt love and stability. Cecilia and Benjamin Fletcher hadn't been the most demonstrative with affection, but their devotion to their daughter was felt in other ways. Astrophysicists teaching at MIT, they had supported her dreams, encouraging her when she decided to study art history. They didn't know Da Vinci from Dada, but they wanted their daughter to reach for the stars. Their only requirement was stay close to home.

"Boston has a fine museum. I'm sure you could get a curator position there. We have contacts- we can put in a good word for you."

Cecilia had that look in her eyes. The one that said she was pleading her case.

"But I'd get more experience if I go somewhere else. Like New York. My advisor knows someone at the Met. They could get me a job at The Cloisters."

This had been Charlotte's dream job. To work at the branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art that specialized in medieval art would've been like having a job eating ice cream at Disneyland.

"New York?" Cecilia's face scrunched up at the suggestion. "No, no. That's too far away. Why don't you start out somewhere safe? That way you'll get some references under your belt."

Charlotte was well aware that her mother would've loved for her to stay right there- make Boston her home forever. After all, it's what she had been groomed to do.

She'd wanted to attend Brown University in Providence, but Cecilia had convinced her it was more financially prudent to stay close to home. So she attended Harvard, staying at the family row house in Beacon Hill instead of getting a dorm room.

Then there was the matchmaking. All eligible sons of their associates were targets. She was forced into one too many dances at society functions. Charlotte was convinced her mother would've been perfectly happy for her to get married right away, even have a few kids to solidify her roots.