Family Divided

by Allen, Anne

  chatting.’ Her heart sank again. The one person she knew who might understand what she was going through

  with her writing would be too busy to meet. As a publisher Charlotte knew many authors, but could not bring

  herself to admit to any of them her sense of failure. She had her reputation, and that of her company, to uphold.

  Whereas Jeanne was detached and more likely to be sympathetic. Pity.

  Louisa pulled up near the front door of La Folie, the gothic style mansion recently transformed into a

  beautiful, up-market natural health centre. As they got out of the car, she said, ‘Paul’s gift to Jeanne when Freya

  was born was some massages and use of the pool. She’s already been and will be back soon so you could chat

  then. Molly, the counsellor you met here last time, is an old friend and babysits for her.’

  Charlotte laughed. A deep, throaty laugh as she was struck by an amusing thought. ‘I have the distinct

  impression everyone on this island knows everyone else. There would be no way of keeping secrets here.’

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  The Family Divided

  Louisa grinned. ‘You’d be surprised! Come on, let’s get you settled in and then we can head off for one of

  Chef’s fab juices.’

  The receptionist, Nadine, welcomed Charlotte with a broad smile, telling her she would be in Serenity this

  time. On her last visit her room was Peace; all the guest rooms had spiritual sounding names and Charlotte knew

  this room was the best on offer as Louisa had been installed in it when they first met. Special treatment for the

  owner’s daughter.

  Louisa suggested they meet in the dining room in half an hour and left her in the capable hands of Nadine.

  Moments later Doug, the young Canadian gofer, arrived to escort Charlotte to her room. After flashing his bright

  white smile, Doug carried her bag upstairs while asking how she was. Charlotte was touched he remembered

  her, thinking again how well trained were the staff. Malcolm Roget’s background had been in hotels, the owner

  of a luxury Canadian chain before selling up and opening La Folie at the beginning of the year. The attention to

  detail was superb; something wealthy guests like her appreciated.

  Once on her own, Charlotte immediately checked the view from the huge bay window. She had visited Louisa

  in the room on her previous visit so knew what to expect. The vista of immaculate gardens leading to the cliff

  paths and ultimately the sea, again made her catch her breath. The garden was as colourful as it had been in

  spring, but the flowers were different. Charlotte recognised, amongst others, abelia, Chinese lanterns,

  agapanthus, varieties of daylily, rose and hydrangea. Pinks, blues and reds vied with each other against the

  green of the foliage. With a sigh of appreciation she turned back to inspect the room, once again admiring the

  golden maple wood of the four-poster and other furniture, the smooth marble-like walls and the silky ivory

  bedlinen. Only the best would do for the guests of La Folie.

  She unpacked her case before changing into the loose fitting clothes more appropriate for her stay. No longer

  the publisher, she was now on retreat. As she checked her image in the mirror she saw a very different woman

  to the one who had stayed here only months before. Now, she was not only slimmer, having lost a stone in

  weight, but her eyes had more of a sparkle. Charlotte had always been considered striking; tall with glossy

  brown hair, green eyes and a creamy complexion. But being dumped by her erstwhile husband for a younger

  model had knocked her self-esteem and she had put on weight and lost her spark. She was glad to have found La

  Folie, telling herself she looked pretty damn good for a woman pushing forty. Louisa had told her how sad she’d

  looked when they first met and she was right. Charlotte had been lost but now…

  For a moment she hesitated. Although she looked and felt better, there was still something not right with her

  life. It had been liberating to make the decision to become a writer and not just a publisher, filling her with

  anticipation of a new chapter in her life. She had inherited the company from her father, Michael, and never felt

  quite comfortable with the idea she had not earned her role as editor in chief. Becoming a writer was meant to

  establish her as successful in her right, but then she had hit a stumbling block with the actual writing and had

  lost heart. She had started well but then it became harder, finding it difficult to visualise her characters as real

  people, living real lives. She could only hope it was temporary, having made the mistake, she now realised, of

  telling everyone she planned to write a novel and did not want to lose face. A thought too horrible to

  contemplate.

  Her mother’s illness also hung over her like a dark cloud. Charlotte planned to ring her soon, but their

  conversations were always strained and she knew, deep down, she was afraid of possible bad news. It was hard,

  coming so soon after losing her father, who she missed more than ever. He had been the one rock in her life.

  Thinking of him now, she had to brush away a tear.

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  The Family Divided

  Then there was the question of no man in her life. After Richard had walked out, she had forsworn men, her

  heart – and self-confidence – shattered into pieces. But there were times when she missed the company of a man

  – and the sex – and as she headed downstairs to meet Louisa could not help but envy her friend. Paul, although

  not her own type, was lovely. Surely if there were problems between them they could be solved? She hoped so.

  Charlotte found Louisa chatting to a waitress in the dining room, set in the light and airy sun room

  overlooking the gardens.

  ‘I was asking what today’s juice special was and it’s Chef’s “Energiser”. Fancy some?’

  ‘One of my favourites. Shall we sit outside?’

  They found an empty table on the terrace and Charlotte, after making sure there was no-one else in earshot

  said, ‘OK, what’s the problem?’

  Louisa shifted in her chair. ‘I think it must be me. I love Paul, I know that. But I…I’m struggling to trust in our

  relationship. As if some part of me knows it won’t last. Ever since Mum died I…I expect to lose people I love.’

  Charlotte’s heart ached for her, knowing what it was like to lose one parent with the other seriously ill. And

  to lose a husband to someone younger. She stroked Louisa’s arm.

  ‘I understand. You’ve gone through a lot these past months, but surely Paul’s not backing off?’

  ‘It’s hard to tell as we don’t see a great deal of each other except at work and then we can’t really talk. With

  Dad away I think Paul feels burdened by the responsibility of the centre, even though Dad took a back seat. At

  least when he was on the island Paul could run things past him.’ She sipped her juice and appeared to be

  debating with herself. Looking at Charlotte she went on, ‘I’m beginning to think Paul’s not as confident in himself

  as he appears. He’s never had to manage such a new enterprise before and I think he’s feeling the pressure.

  Doesn’t want it to fail.’

  ‘I see. Has he said anything to you? About the pressure, I mean.’

  Louisa shook her head. ‘Oh no. And I wouldn’t expect him to. Male ego and all that,’ she said with a wry smile.

  Charlotte took a sip of her own juice.

  ‘So you need to ask him if he’s feeling the pressure. Without sounding as if you’re judging him. Offer to help in

&nbs
p; any way you can. He might be relieved to know he’s not on his own.’

  ‘I guess. I’ll have a chat with him – if I get the chance! It’s been made worse lately cos the new yoga teacher,

  Judy, has been off sick. But she should be back in a day or two and Paul won’t need to buzz around like a blue-

  arsed fly.’

  Charlotte laughed. ‘At no time could I imagine cool, calm and collected Paul buzzing around like a fly! Is he

  running the morning yoga sessions? I always adored those.’

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  The Family Divided

  ‘Yep, at the moment.’ Louisa glanced at her watch. ‘I’ll have to love you and leave you as I have a client

  booked. How about we all eat together here tonight? Normally I’d go home and cook and Paul would either join

  me or eat in his rooms.’

  ‘Lovely. I’ll see you both later. In the meantime I need to arrange my therapies with Nadine.’

  Once her friend had left, Charlotte continued to sit in quiet contemplation of the garden. Fellow guests

  strolled along the paths and for a moment she found herself studying a lone male. Tall, good-looking and in his

  forties. In spite of her decision to avoid men, she couldn’t help but notice him. Solo men of the right age were

  conspicuous by their absence in this sort of retreat. Just as she was considering going over and introducing

  herself, a female guest came out of the dining room behind her and headed, laughing, towards him. His face split

  into a grin and they shared a hug before sauntering towards the cliff path. She might have known he was spoken

  for and it was probably just as well. It would be better to focus on finding her writing mojo and forget men. They

  were always trouble, anyway.

  8

  The Family Divided

  chapter three

  The dining room buzzed with muted chatter and laughter. Charlotte weaved between the tables to one set back

  in a corner, waved on by Louisa.

  ‘Paul won’t be long, he’s just checking all’s well in the kitchen. Which reminds me, Chef says hi and he’ll catch

  up with you tomorrow. So, how’s his book going?’

  ‘Very well. We should have it out in time for the Christmas trade. I’ve had great fun trying out all his juice

  recipes,’ Charlotte replied, wishing she was as good at writing as she was at being an editor and publisher. It had

  been an inspired decision to offer Chef a publishing deal and she was convinced the resulting book, Juice for Life,

  would be a best-seller. Juicing was becoming the buzz word in health and nutrition and she herself was both a

  committed convert and a great advert for Chef’s recipes. It was thanks to his juices and low-fat diet plan she had

  lost so much weight. ‘We managed to get an endorsement from that film star who stayed here in May, so it’s

  looking good.’

  ‘As long as Chef doesn’t let it go to his head and leave,’ Louisa said, frowning.

  Charlotte nodded her agreement, not wanting to be the cause of such a loss to the centre. Just then she felt a

  hand on her shoulder and a familiar voice said, ‘Hi, Charlotte, great to see you again.’ She stood up to share a hug

  with Paul, who beamed at her with his usual warm smile. Conscious of what Louisa had said earlier, she

  searched his face for signs of stress, noting the dark circles around his eyes. Her friend was right: Paul was

  under pressure, something she could relate to. But for different reasons.

  ‘Hi Paul, how are you? Louisa says it’s been busy here lately.’

  He shrugged, and dropped a kiss on Louisa’s upturned face.

  ‘I’m fine. But it has been hectic these past few weeks, which is great as it means La Folie’s proving to be a

  success. Malcolm should be well pleased when he returns.’

  ‘Which is…?’

  ‘Not for a couple more months at least. Last we heard he’s enjoying himself too much, staying at the top-notch

  spas of the world and he doesn’t sound keen to return anytime soon. It’s supposed to be research, but I think it’s

  more a chance to be pampered and have fun in exotic places.’

  ‘Bully for Malcolm! If he can’t enjoy himself at seventy, when can he? Why, he might even come back with a

  glamorous lady on his arm.’ Charlotte replied, with her throaty chuckle. Registering Louisa’s white face she

  immediately regretted her flippant remark.

  Patting her friend’s hand, she said, ‘Hey, I’m sorry. Didn’t mean…’

  Louisa took a deep breath and smiled. ‘It’s okay. Really. It’s just me being silly. Of course it would be lovely if

  he found someone after all those years on his own. He deserves to find happiness after…’ She fell silent and

  Charlotte saw her biting her thumb. Forcing down her own worries, she focused on her friend. It was only eight

  months since Susan, Louisa’s mother, had died after a violent burglary, and Charlotte knew the pain was still

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  The Family Divided

  raw. Although Malcolm and Susan had parted before Louisa was born, thirty-five years ago, they had each been

  the one true love of their lives.

  Paul flung his arm around Louisa and gave her a squeeze.

  ‘Whether he finds romance or not, Charlotte’s right, it’s about time Malcolm enjoyed himself. If I were rich

  and successful, I’d do the same.’

  ‘Oh, would you now? And how about me? Would I be allowed to tag along too?’ Louisa asked, sounding hurt.

  ‘Don’t be silly! Of course I’d want you with me. If only to keep the adoring females from pestering me,’ Paul

  said, with a smile.

  Charlotte watched her friend’s face slowly break into a smile and heaved a sigh of relief. My! She is touchy.

  Talk about being insecure. Which makes two of us. She decided to see if she could help.

  ‘Thank you, kind sir, for allowing me that honour, but as things are at the moment your chances of becoming

  wealthy are slim. Apart from which, you’ve always said money doesn’t interest you,’ Louisa said, giving him a

  kiss.

  ‘True, on both counts. So it leaves me with no alternative but to vicariously enjoy long foreign trips through

  Malcolm. But a long weekend would be nice,’ Paul said, sighing.

  ‘Isn’t there anyone who can cover for you? Surely you don’t have to wait until Malcolm’s back?’ Charlotte

  asked.

  ‘In theory my assistant could take over but she’s been off sick so…’ He shrugged. As if realising this was no

  way to welcome her, Paul brightened and grabbed Charlotte’s hand. ‘Enough of me, I want to know all about

  what you’ve been up to in the big smoke. Oh, and I’ve already ordered for us – Chef’s preparing your favourite

  meal and the champagne’s on ice.’

  Charlotte was touched and smiled her appreciation before chatting about her work and the latest publishing

  ‘do’ she had attended. At least she had some good things to share. The mood lifted, helped even more by the

  arrival of a bottle of Krug, triggering a laugh from Charlotte and grins from the others. Charlotte had chosen

  Louisa Krug as her pen name, partly in honour of her friend and a reference to being distantly related to the

  champagne family. She felt a quick pang at the thought of never using it. They chatted animatedly through the

  hors d’oeuvres and the seafood main course, which Charlotte declared to be the best yet at La Folie.

  By the time they were sipping herbal teas, it was clear to Charlotte from the way they looked at each other,

  her friends needed to get an early night. And with each other. She pushed down a momenta
ry feeling of envy.

  Finishing her tea, she stood up, saying, ‘I don’t know about you two, but I’m ready for bed. It’s been a lovely

  meal, thanks so much for organising it. I’ll thank Chef in the morning. Night, night.’ She kissed them both and left,

  hoping Paul would take the hint and spend the night with Louisa. Charlotte had to settle for a book.

  The next morning Charlotte caught up with Chef and they shared an animated discussion about his forthcoming

  book. A breezy Canadian named Chris, she found him a joy to work with and he seemed equally relaxed with her,

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  The Family Divided

  already planning his next book about recipes for healthy meals. The talk of books prompted her to ask Nadine to

  let her know when Jeanne next booked an appointment so they could meet. She so needed to talk to her.

  Needing to make a phone call Charlotte returned to her room. She had been putting off ringing her mother, a

  task she always dreaded.

  ‘Mother, it’s me. How are you?’

  ‘How do you think I am? All alone here and expected to carry on as normal despite…despite being on my own.

  And you never visit. I could be dying for all you care!’ her mother snapped.

  Charlotte took a deep breath. It was going to be one of those martyr calls.

  ‘Mother, I know it must be hard, but you do have the staff to help and Daddy was hardly ever there anyway.

  He was too busy running the business in London. I’m sorry I haven’t been up for a while but–’

  ‘I know you’re avoiding me. You’ve hardly been here since…since your father died.’ There was a sniff down

  the line. ‘I had to organise the village fête entirely singlehandedly this summer. You could have shown me some

  support but, no, you were too busy as usual. Playing at being a publisher. No wonder Richard left. You only ever

  think of yourself.’

  She dug her fingers into her hand, determined not to let her mother get to her. But it was hard. Her biggest

  sin in her mother’s eyes was being born a girl. Charlotte had known since a small child Lady Annette Townsend,