by Caragh Bell
Justin adored Aurora. Not only was she the daughter of the renowned Henry Sinclair, she was also the daughter of the famous Grace Molloy. His mother Caroline had often told him of Grace’s talent, having seen her on the West End stage. Then, to her fans’ chagrin, Grace swapped the lights of London for her native country. At the peak of her career, she had left for Dublin. The theatre world had been shocked at this; no one quite understood why this talented young actress left a promising career in the one of the biggest cities in the world. People had said that she would return, bigger and better. However, fate’s tragic twist put an end to that.
Aurora, like her mother, had great presence on stage and effortlessly morphed into whichever character she was playing. Her depiction of Clara-Mae in Georgia had wowed critics and her next role as the daughter of a French aristocrat, Antoinette Travere, was equally as good. She was Justin’s muse, just as Grace Kelly was to Alfred Hitchcock and Maud Gonne was to W.B. Yeats. When he wrote a scene, he pictured her in it, with her long hair flowing down her back and her clear voice delivering the lines. He also admired her work ethic and her calmness in the midst of his melodrama. She never complained nor did she criticise. She was his dream woman.
Did he fancy her? Of course. Any man would. She was the epitome of beauty and elegance. His mother Caroline would be thrilled if he presented Aurora at home. She was the spitting image of her famous mother. He desired her, but something always held him back. He was old enough to realise that business and pleasure do not mix. If their relationship didn’t work out, he would lose her forever. Something told him that she was the key to his success: she was his lucky charm.
The door of the theatre slammed shut and a breathless Aurora rushed onto the stage. ‘So sorry I’m late,’ she said, her cheeks flushed. ‘The shop was so busy and Marianne couldn’t manage and –’
Justin put his fingers to his lips. ‘No more talk of the real world. You are now Elise Sloane. You are no longer Aurora Sinclair.’ He walked towards her, not taking his eyes off her for a second. ‘Forget the shop, forget who you are. Give me everything you’ve got.’
Aurora let him mesmerise her. His voice demanded obedience and she succumbed right away. His blue eyes were trained on her brown ones; his strong arms were now holding her shoulders. There were a few inches between them and the world stopped. He always got the best out of her. With his blond good looks and his tall athletic frame, any girl would kill to have him. However, he had never made a move. Not once.
Did this irk her? Slightly.
She never had a problem attracting the opposite sex, but she kept her distance. Having spent her life immersed in romantic novels and poetry, she had high expectations when it came to the opposite sex. She knew that men found her alluring, but she didn’t exploit it. Justin’s position of power in her life was definitely attractive, but she understood that a relationship could ruin everything they had worked for. Her career was her love interest; she dreamed of making it. That fuelled her ambition and encouraged her to work as hard as she could. Justin was her ticket – she didn’t want to jeopardise anything with him.
The next day, William was lying on the couch when Aurora arrived home. She kicked open the living-room door with her foot as she was laden down with her suitcase and bags from an impromptu shopping trip to Oxford Street. She dumped everything near the Christmas tree and flopped down on an armchair.
‘Where’s Daddy and Gloria?’ she enquired. The sitting room was festively decorated with tinsel draped on the picture frames, candles on the mantelpiece and a large tree in the corner with twinkling lights. A plate with a half-eaten beef sandwich lay discarded on the coffee table and Jamie Oliver was on the TV making gravy.
William yawned and stretched. ‘I think they went to Waitrose. Mum wants to make the stuffing in the morning and she was all out of thyme.’ He turned to face her. ‘Any scandal?’
Aurora suppressed a giggle. ‘You haven’t seen Laura yet, I take it.’
‘No,’ he replied brightening. ‘Have we news? Anything that I can blackmail her with?’
‘Yep, it’s pretty good, I have to admit.’ She put up her hands. ‘I’m sworn to secrecy, Will. You’ll have to wait.’
‘Dish it,’ he commanded, swatting his blond hair away from his eyes. ‘If Lolly has done anything remotely scandalous, I deserve to know. Remember how she shafted me that time I sneaked off to Glastonbury with Nigel? She told Gloria right away. Or that time I smoked weed at Ella’s leaving party and vomited?’ He scowled. ‘She’s always landed me in it. It’s your duty to tell me.’
Aurora paused. He would know in a few hours anyway …
‘Right, I’ll give you an inkling but you’re not to tell Gloria.’
‘Hand on heart,’ he said solemnly, making a cross on his chest. ‘I’ll just take the piss out of my dear sister incessantly. Surely that’s allowed?’
‘Of course,’ conceded Aurora. ‘Well, it seems our sister has fallen in love …’
‘Bollocks,’ he interrupted scornfully. ‘Are you making this up?’
‘No, I swear to you. I met her last night at a wine bar in Soho and she told me all about it.’
William sighed. ‘This so-called scandal is lame, Aurora. Honestly, you’re wasting my time. Gloria will relish the fact that her glacial daughter has finally found some poor bloke to boss around.’
‘That’s not all,’ she continued, her eyes gleaming. ‘He’s not your average guy.’
William perked up again. ‘What are you saying? Is he unsuitable?’
‘Well …’
‘How bad are we talking?’ he pressed on.
‘He’s fifty-three and soon to be her best friend’s father-in-law.’
‘Are you having a laugh?’ He snorted. ‘There’s no way Lolly would date a geriatric.’ He took a bite of his abandoned sandwich and chewed loudly. ‘Unless …’
‘He’s rich?’ she finished helpfully. ‘Well, I can confirm that he’s not short of a few pounds.’
‘Bloody brilliant!’ He whooped. ‘Revenge is mine. Gloria will have a canary when she hears about this.’
‘Wait for the best part,’ she went on in her soft voice. ‘She’s bringing him home for Christmas.’
William almost choked. When he had recovered, he sat back, a broad smile on his face.
‘This is shaping up to be a right laugh. Bet you ten quid Gloria flips.’
‘Maybe not,’ she mused. ‘Laura is an adult. She can choose whom she dates.’
William rubbed his hands together gleefully. ‘One hundred per cent, she’ll flip. Let’s make sure that we have front-row seats.’
Gloria plonked the big casserole in the middle of the table. ‘Help yourselves,’ she ordered, walking back to the kitchen to get the bowl of buttery mashed potatoes.
Henry was seated at the head of the table with his half-moon glasses perched on his nose. William and Aurora were on either side of him and Gloria sat in her usual spot at the other end.
It was seven o’clock and there was still no sign of Laura. William kept looking at the door, willing it to open. He couldn’t wait to see his mother’s face.
‘How’s the new play coming along?’ he asked Henry conversationally.
The old man shrugged. ‘Slow, to be honest. I just find it hard to concentrate these days.’ He sprinkled some salt on his dinner and smiled as Gloria filled his glass with red wine. He was almost seventy-three and had begun to slow down. Aurora would often find him asleep on the sofa in the afternoon, dozing by the fire with a book on his lap.
His last three plays had been huge successes. One had even been snapped up by a film company which was eager to adapt it. His agent was in talks with Hollywood and a deal was on the horizon. The film company wanted complete control of the script but Henry wouldn’t allow it. He didn’t want a sub-standard film released associated with his name. Cinema spoke to the masses whereas plays reached a smaller number of fans. If Henry Sinclair was to go global, then he would supervise it.
The front door banged and Aurora’s eye met William’s in excitement. The time had come. She could imagine Laura in the hall, taking deep breaths and smoothing down her hair. How would she introduce her older lover? The word boyfriend seemed too juvenile for a man like him.
William sat back and crossed his arms. ‘Showtime,’ he whispered loudly.
They could hear some scuffling outside before the kitchen door swung open. Aurora inhaled sharply, waiting for her first glimpse of the mysterious Christian. However, instead of Laura and her new beau, James stood in the doorframe with a small woman by his side.
‘James!’ gasped Gloria, dropping her fork with a clatter and jumping to her feet. ‘My darling! I didn’t expect you until tomorrow!’ She rushed over to her eldest son and smothered him in kisses. ‘Oh, James, I’m so happy you’re here and safe.’
William saluted his brother and winked.
Henry got to his feet and shook his hand. ‘Good to have you home, son,’ he said warmly. ‘What has it been? Six months?’
Aurora’s eyes sparkled as she regarded her stepbrother. It had been so long since she had last seen him and even then it was fleeting. She sidled up shyly and hugged him close. ‘Merry Christmas,’ she whispered in his ear. ‘Long time no see.’
‘Merry Christmas,’ he said. ‘Good to see you, Borealis.’
He rubbed her cheek fondly and she beamed up at him. He looked the same with his warm brown eyes and hint of stubble. The world always seemed calmer when he was around. It stemmed from her childhood: he had looked after her and spoiled her. She counted on him more than anyone else.
Stepping backwards, he pulled the girl by his side into view. ‘Everyone, I want you to meet somebody.’ He paused. ‘This is my fiancée, Claire.’
The small girl smiled and waved, clearly uncomfortable at being introduced so bluntly. She had short brown hair and large brown eyes. Her petite frame was clad in jeans and a check shirt and she wore hiking boots with laces. Blushing, she lifted her left hand upwards to reveal a small gold ring with a tiny diamond in the middle.
No one reacted for a few moments.
Gloria opened her mouth and shut it again. Her James, her darling baby boy, was engaged to be married? Who was this girl? Where did they meet? Was she a suitable match? She felt her chest tighten. James was always so sensible. It just wasn’t like him to behave this way.
William took a gulp of wine and stared at his older brother. He had been so looking forward to Laura’s bombshell and now Jiminy Cricket had ruined it all by stealing the limelight completely.
Henry clapped his hands in joy and was the first to congratulate the happy couple. ‘Wonderful news,’ he enthused, ‘just wonderful!’ He patted James on the back and kissed Claire on the cheek.
Aurora was another story. The world had slowed down as the words came out of his mouth.
Fiancée? What?
She shrank back, unable to believe her ears. James was getting married? To this girl? He had never mentioned her before. He had always claimed that he had no time for love. Yet now he was standing in front of her proudly, holding this girl’s hand tightly. She didn’t know why, but something knifed her heart. Was she being selfish? He had always given her his full attention. Now, she would have to share him with someone else.
She had never been good at hiding her emotions and she could see James looking at her in concern.
Pulling herself together, she walked up to him purposefully and gave him a brief hug. ‘That’s great, James, I hope you’ll be very happy.’ Then she turned to the girl. ‘Congratulations,’ she said softly, kissing Claire’s cheek. ‘You’re a very lucky girl.’
‘Oh, I know,’ agreed Claire. ‘This guy is the best.’ She smiled at her warmly and moved closer to him, nuzzling her face in his arm.
Aurora smiled and retreated to the table.
James pulled out a chair and motioned for Claire to sit down. Then he took a seat next to her, opposite Aurora.
‘So, where did you two meet?’ asked William, voicing everyone’s thoughts.
‘Claire has been in Aleppo for the past few months. She’s a doctor with MSF …’
‘MSF?’ repeated Gloria. ‘Whatever’s that?’
‘Médecins Sans Frontières,’ explained Claire in a soft voice. ‘I’ve been with them for two years now.’
‘Wow,’ said William in admiration. ‘You’re very brave to face out there.’
‘Not really,’ she blushed. ‘I was working for the NHS and suddenly I realised that I could give so much more. My talents could be used to help those in dire need.’ She took James’ hand. ‘We both feel this way. I guess that’s what brought us together.’
‘Well, there’s that and the bomb,’ said James with a laugh, accepting a glass of wine from Henry.
‘The bomb?’ squeaked Gloria, fanning her face. ‘Oh, James.’
‘We were bunking in the same hotel the night of the air raid.’ He looked grim for a moment. ‘Everyone was told to go downstairs to the basement as it was a makeshift shelter. That’s where we met: huddled under the ground floor of a dingy hotel.’
Claire smiled and it lit up her whole face. ‘Not the most romantic of encounters but here we are.’
‘I suppose, the circumstances were so extreme and our lives were hanging in the balance.’ James looked stricken for a moment. ‘The most natural thing to do was to be together. Now, I’m the happiest man alive.’
Aurora had stopped eating, her appetite gone. She couldn’t identify the emotions flooding her very being, but she felt uneasy and out of control. It was similar to the day Henry had announced that they would live in London. A huge change was coming and she didn’t want it. She liked things just the way they were.
‘Would you like some casserole?’ asked William politely, helping himself to a second plate. ‘Gloria, you outdid yourself this time.’
James shook his head. ‘This is a flying visit, I’m afraid. We’re going to Claire’s place tonight. I have yet to meet her parents.’
‘Claire’s place?’ echoed Gloria. ‘And where’s that?’ She plastered a smile on her face.
Claire smiled. ‘We live in Richmond. Not too far from here, in fact.’
‘Will you be there for Christmas?’ Aurora blurted out.
James shook his head and winked at her. ‘No, Borealis. I’ll be back tomorrow. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me for the big day.’
Aurora visibly relaxed and sat back. She could see that Gloria felt the same way. This was all so new: James had a fiancée and new allegiances. It was unnerving to think that he was slipping away even further. She watched Claire smile at Henry. She was pretty in an under-stated kind of way. She guessed her age to be about thirty, only a couple of years younger than James. Like Gloria, she was anxious to know more about this girl. What was her background and how had she bewitched her stepbrother?
‘Claire, do you have a big family?’ Aurora asked in her clear voice.
Claire turned around and shook her head. ‘Just my parents and one sister: Melanie. She’s an accountant with Deloitte.’ She looked at James lovingly. ‘They’ll be as shocked as you are, trust me on that. I guess, I want you all to understand that we are happy. It may be unconventional and spontaneous, but why wait?’ She leaned over and kissed James tenderly on the lips. ‘He’s everything I want.’
Aurora’s phone buzzed on the table and she jumped. Glancing at the screen, she could see Laura’s name. Nudging William, she accessed the message.
It read: FIVE MINUTES. GET GLORIA DRUNK!!!
William guffawed out loud. ‘Could this evening get any better?’ he whispered.
Aurora nodded numbly, trying to engage with William’s banter. She found herself looking at James with a strange feeling in her heart. She should be delighted for her brother but instead she felt like she had been punched in the gut.
Laura paused outside the front door. She had her key in her hand but it was shaking so much she couldn’t insert it into the lock.
What the hell was wrong with her? She had always been so self-assured and confident. Her mother would come around, she always did. The bottom line was that she was blissfully happy. Christian Jacob, Attorney-at-Law, was everything she wanted in a man.
It all began when her close friend Lydia had invited her to Ireland for her baby Sienna’s christening. She and Lydia were close since the Paris days. Together they had worked in the same restaurant and had often sipped wine late into the night. Both had tried to escape reality for a while, but that brief interlude had run its course after a few years. Laura had returned to London and started working for a PR company. Lydia had returned to Cork and resumed her love affair with Luca: Christian’s only son.
Luca, however, was married and so much drama ensued. He and Lydia had had a rocky start to say the least. Missed opportunities and lies had kept them apart, but after the birth of their child and the finalisation of his divorce, things seemed to be back on track. Laura knew that her friend needed support at the christening so she had dutifully flown to Cork, unaware that it would change her life forever.
It was there, at a hotel in a small West Cork town called Skibbereen, that she had encountered Christian for the first time. He had flown in for his granddaughter’s day, along with his wife, the famous artist Tara Jacob. The attraction had been instantaneous and, horrified, Laura had tried to ignore it. He was off limits; there was no way she could go there. The devil on her shoulder whispered in her ear, pointing out that his marriage was on the rocks. That was all very well, but she didn’t want to be the catalyst. After two months of texts and flowers, she succumbed to his advances and had never looked back. Despite being in the throes of a messy divorce with Luca’s mother, he still made time to be with her. He had changed her life completely.
Christian walked up behind her and kissed her neck softly. His iPhone was in his hand – he had just finished talking to Josephine, his secretary in New York, about an important ongoing case.
