The Perfect Mother (ARC)

by Caroline Mitchell

  regretting this.’

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  ‘He’s got a girlfriend,’ I blurted, realising how bad

  it made me look. ‘I didn’t know at the time. He doesn’t

  come home very often. I knew after it happened that I’d

  made a huge mistake.’ I had been about to say that he was

  my best friend’s brother, but then I remembered I wasn’t

  meant to have any current friends. Sheridan’s shoulders

  dropped half an inch as she relaxed. I’d given her the

  answer she wanted to hear.

  But it was all a lie. If it were Dympna’s brother, I

  might have coped. I hated lying about such an important

  thing, but the truth was too ugly to bear.

  Sheridan seemed unconcerned. ‘Come with me,’ she

  said, beckoning towards the doorway. ‘Let me show you

  around.’

  The ground floor consisted of a vast kitchen, with

  gadgets I didn’t even know had been invented yet. Every

  surface was smooth and shiny, the anthesis of my flat back

  home. The air was crisp and clean, thanks to built-in puri-

  fiers; the water was purified, too, the showers infused with vitamin C. I walked with her up the winding staircase,

  a leather-clad handrail guiding my way.

  ‘Stop,’ she said, as I turned left. ‘That’s Daniel’s wing.’

  ‘Sorry,’ I said, understanding the need for privacy.

  ‘You weren’t to know.’ She smiled. ‘It’s where he keeps

  all his Bond memorabilia. Very few people are allowed

  anywhere near it. Come, let me show you Leo’s room.’

  ‘Wow,’ I whispered as I walked inside.

  ‘This room was designed by Louis Spencer. I like to

  keep the decor gender-neutral.’

  I didn’t know the name, but looked suitably impressed.

  The room was actually a suite, almost as big as my flat.

  In the corner was a teepee, and light oak floorboards

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  complemented the natural room colouring. Cheerful

  yellow cushions and curtains added a pop of colour.

  ‘I love it,’ I said, wondering what was in store for child

  number two. There was no television in the room, but

  I saw a shelf full of books. I imagined my baby playing

  with art supplies. Would it be creative, like me?

  ‘Roz?’

  I snapped out of my daydream. Sheridan was call-

  ing my name. I followed her on to the landing, and she

  pointed to a closed door.

  ‘That’s our bedroom,’ she said, walking past without

  further explanation and moving on. ‘This will be the

  baby’s, after she has left our room. I like to keep them

  beside my bed for at least the first six months.’

  It was music to my ears. I would have been the same,

  listening for every little sniffle. Listening to the baby

  breathe. As she opened the door, I was hit by a waft of

  fresh paint.

  ‘Oh,’ I said, taken aback by the stark white walls.

  ‘It’s just an undercoat,’ Sheridan said. ‘It’s waiting to

  be decorated. Waiting for that special touch.’ She turned

  to face me, her eyes moist. ‘Louis has so many amazing

  ideas.’ She glanced around the empty room. ‘I wanted

  to work with the donor mom when it comes to picking

  colours and design. Combine our energies into choosing

  the decor, so the baby can feel our love.’ She chuckled.

  ‘You probably think I’m silly, but…’

  ‘It’s a lovely idea,’ I interrupted, feeling my emotions

  swell.

  Sheridan looked to my tummy where I had rested my

  hands, and then back to me. She was smiling, her words

  softly spoken. This was another side to her. A softer side.

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  ‘Then what do you think?’ she said. ‘Will you do it?

  Have your baby for me? I know you’ve not met Daniel

  yet, but he’s a sweetheart. He’ll love you as much as I do.’

  The contracts were already signed, but I guessed

  Sheridan wanted me to voice my approval aloud, now I

  knew who they were.

  ‘I’d love to,’ I said, without a second thought.

  ‘Excellent!’ She joined her hands, her middle fingers

  pressed against her lips, as if giving a silent prayer of thanks.

  Taking a sharp breath, she took my arm and turned back

  towards the stairs. ‘Come with me,’ she said. ‘I can’t wait to show you your room.’

  ‘My room?’ I said, following her down the stairs.

  ‘You’ve got the whole basement floor to yourself. It’s

  gorgeous.’ She checked her phone as it beeped with a

  text. ‘Good. George has collected your things from the

  hotel and brought them to your room.’

  I was speechless as I followed her down. George had

  been in my hotel room, touching my things? This was a

  woman who was clearly used to getting what she wanted.

  How did she know I was going to say yes? But then I

  remembered what George had said about my feet not

  touching the ground. Had I said no, my bags would be

  packed, and I’d be on my way home.

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  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Roz

  I looked around what would be my home for the next

  six months. It was a relief to be alone for a few minutes.

  With Sheridan upstairs, I had just enough time to gather

  my thoughts. The space was completely open plan. As my

  footsteps echoed on the wooden floor, I noticed that each

  of the living areas was cleverly defined with furniture. The space seemed vast compared to my little flat back home. I

  walked towards the sleeping area, which was yards away

  from the lift. It was dominated by a king-size bed, its black metal headboard dramatic in contrast to the white painted

  brick walls. I imagined myself lying there, switching on

  the bedside lamp to read a book. The black and white

  theme continued throughout the room, with a glossy black

  wardrobe big enough to house a year’s worth of clothes.

  This is nuts, I thought, leaving the bedroom area and walking halfway across the room. The living space was

  marked out with a three-piece leather suite, which faced

  an oversized television. On the coffee table was a remote

  control, and a floor lamp provided cosy lighting should the spotlights be switched off overhead. A deep rug softened

  the wooden floor, and I slipped off my shoes, enjoying

  its plushness beneath my toes as I explored the nearby

  bookcase. I paused for breath. Was all this really for me?

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  I walked to the beautifully tiled bathroom that housed

  both a shower and bath. The decor consisted of a functional white cupboard and glittering black tiles on the wall. After a quick pit-stop, I washed my hands before exploring the

  nearby dining space, which consisted of a small round table and two chairs. I noted the sink and mini fridge against

  the wall, but there was nothing to cook with. Was this

  because my meals would be eaten upstairs?

  They really have thought of everything, I mused,

  glancing at the treadmill in the other corner. The room

  was bathed in artificial light, given that the basement didn�
�t have windows. It felt odd that there was only a lift to take me upstairs. I looked around, noticing that I could see it

  from almost any angle of the room. My gaze rested on a

  locked door near the lift on the far wall. Were there stairs behind it? It seemed at odds with fire safety protocols.

  And as for Wi-Fi? It seemed there wasn’t any. I wondered

  how I was going to manage without my phone and laptop

  for the next few months. I snooped around the bedroom

  furniture, noting that none of it was new. Who had slept

  here before me? I pulled open the drawer of the locker next to my bed and was surprised to find an old copy of Celeb Goss magazine. It had been folded open at page twenty-one. I scanned the story, my heart faltering as I realised I was standing in the very apartment the article was about.

  Celeb Goss Magazine

  August 2013

  A BABY TO SAVE CELEBRITY MARRIAGE?

  By Alex Santana

  Rumours are rife after Hollywood star-

  let Sheridan Smith was recently pictured

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  in downtown New York browsing in the

  baby section of one of our favourite designer

  haunts. Earlier in the week she was pictured

  at a charity event, her hand resting on her

  stomach as she chatted with friends. Is there

  a baby on the way? A source close to the

  couple said that the actress has threatened to

  walk away from her marriage to hunky Brit

  Daniel Watson unless he starts putting his

  family first. Will a baby give their marriage

  a much-needed boost?

  Daniel has been hot property since appear-

  ing on the scene in Hollywood blockbuster

  Murder Game. The same cannot be said for

  his Oscar-nominated wife. A friend of the

  couple said, ‘Since offers of work started

  drying up, Sheridan has become obsessed

  with extending their family.’ But not every-

  thing is rosy in the garden for Daniel. ‘He

  is growing increasingly frustrated with the

  amount of media attention, which curbs his

  freedom. He loved riding his motorbike to

  let off steam. But now everywhere he goes,

  paparazzi are in tow. Everybody wants a

  piece of him. It’s hard to keep such a free

  spirit hemmed in.’ Sheridan must be scared

  that he will revert to his old wild lifestyle.

  But will a baby be enough to tame him for

  good?

  Sheridan is certainly doing her best to hang

  on to her man. She’s recently purchased a

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  four-bedroom apartment in mid-town New

  York. ‘The NYC pad would be an ideal place

  for them to raise a child. Daniel is committed

  to several film projects in the area. It would

  enable Sheridan to keep a close eye on him to

  ensure he stays on the right path. They would

  have the best of both worlds – work and fam-

  ily on their doorstep. A native of New York,

  Sheridan has lots of friends in the area, too.’

  She certainly won’t be short on space to

  entertain them. The $19.5 million home

  comes with herringbone floors, a white mar-

  ble fireplace and a leather-wrapped handrail

  on the stairs. Circadian rhythm lighting is

  featured throughout, as well as a home-made

  juice bar and vitamin-C infused showers in

  the bathrooms. But that’s not all. A passen-

  ger lift carries its occupants to a basement

  floor equipped with its own doctor’s surgery

  for those ultra-private health appointments.

  Who needs to go to hospital when you

  can bring the best of medical care to you?

  There is also a gaming station, gym and lav-

  ish bedroom housed in the basement below.

  Could this be a man-cave for Daniel? What’s

  in store for our favourite celebrity couple?

  Only time will tell. Our source is optimistic.

  ‘Everyone has their fingers crossed that they

  will be announcing some happy news soon.’

  I placed the magazine back in the drawer. Who on earth

  had put it there? Perhaps this had been used as a guest

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  room, and it had been left behind by the previous oc-

  cupants. There was so much to contend with. I was still

  getting my head around the fact that Sheridan expected

  me to stay with them until the baby was born. I liked

  her, having seen a whole other side to her from the one

  presented on screen. She was brave to have opened up

  about her friend’s betrayal, and her plans for the baby’s

  room warmed me from the inside out. But still, tiny alarm

  bells rang in the periphery. George was far from relaxed

  in her company. He seemed permanently on guard. And

  as for the housekeeper … she could barely look her in

  the eye. Surely the rumours about Sheridan’s marriage

  being in trouble were a lie?

  Sheridan had presence – a Hollywood starlet, she lit

  up the room when she walked in. When she’d shown

  me around the basement flat, I could hear the passion

  in her voice, the need for another child in her life. My

  baby – I caught my thoughts – no, her baby would want for nothing. And as for Daniel … my legs felt weak at the

  prospect of meeting him. I knew he would be a fantastic

  father, so charismatic and kind. I had read about his love

  for his son and how Sheridan had tamed his wild side.

  I thought of Dympna, with her trendy parents: her

  father a detective in the police, her mother flying around

  organising events. She was lucky to have a family that

  stayed together no matter what.

  At least I’d have enough money to start again. I could

  go to college, get a part-time job and still be able to pay my rent. I could make something of myself.

  I unzipped my case, too preoccupied with my thoughts

  to remember the mobile phone I had packed away. Then

  it hit me, and my breath quickened as I searched the secret compartment to see if it was still there. If George had

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  found it, there would be questions. Its presence could ruin everything. Tugging at the zip, I slid my hand to the back

  of the suitcase, sighing in relief as I felt the phone’s outline. Above me, a door creaked shut, followed by a man’s

  voice, deep and smooth. My heart flipped. It was Daniel.

  * * *

  Keep it together, I told myself. Sheridan would not want me mooning over her husband. I made a vow to appear

  immune to his charms. What would Dympna say? Pretend

  he’s your brother. I heard her advice as if it were real. Show Sheridan you’re no threat. I rolled my eyes. Who was I kidding? How the hell would I be a threat to someone like

  Sheridan? I chuckled to myself as I unpacked. Some days

  my thoughts felt like the most ridiculous things on earth.

  A whirring noise caught my attention. It was the lift. I

  froze. Who was coming down to see me?

  It was Anna, the housekeeper.

  She beckoned. ‘ !Ven acá! ’

  Given her expression, you’d be forgiven for thinking

  we were both facing the firing squad.

 
; ‘I don’t speak Spanish,’ I said, although it didn’t take

  a genius to work out that she wanted me to go upstairs.

  ‘ Vamos,’ she chided, as I took my time.

  My legs felt like lead as I followed her into the lift. It

  was controlled by a card that was pressed against a panel

  before the buttons could be activated from within. An

  added security measure, necessary for the rich and famous,

  but Sheridan had yet to provide me with a card so I could

  activate the lift myself. I inhaled a deep breath, feeling

  my panic rise. It was ridiculous, but I was scared. Daniel

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  was up there, and he was waiting to meet me. Breathe, I thought, as Anna pressed the button to close the lift

  doors. They slid shut with an ominous thunk. But as

  the lift rose, the food I had eaten threatened to make an

  appearance. Throwing up all over Daniel would hardly

  make a very good impression. Briefly, I closed my eyes

  and forced my limbs to relax. I would not meet Daniel

  Watson looking like a rabbit caught in headlights. This

  was a business deal, and I needed to be heard.

  I followed Anna into the kitchen, where Sheridan was

  drinking coffee at the breakfast bar. It was gone seven

  o’clock, but my head felt all over the place as it fought

  against jet lag. Daniel was next to Sheridan, looking

  drop-dead gorgeous in a crisp white shirt that defined

  his chiselled chest. He had a few wrinkles that didn’t

  show in the promo pictures, but they only added to his

  charm. I tore my eyes away, only meeting his eyes when

  I was introduced.

  ‘Daniel, meet Roz Foley,’ Sheridan said, her gaze

  intense as she scrutinised my face.

  ‘Good to meet you,’ Daniel said. ‘And all the way

  from Ireland, too.’

  I extended my hand, swallowing the lump in my

  throat as he took it in a firm grip. I kept my gaze steady, smiling but not falling over myself.

  ‘Hi, nice to meet you,’ I said politely, before glancing

  at Sheridan. ‘Thanks for getting my things brought over.

  The room is amazing.’

  I hoped I was not being rude, providing such a brief

  response, but I knew the importance of keeping Sheridan

  the priority in this situation. First impressions counted,

  and everything felt like a test.

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