Hartley's Grange

by Nicole Hurley-Moore

  ‘Pietro could have anyone. Why would he choose that?’ the brunette said as she applied bright red lipstick.

  ‘Gee, I don’t know – maybe he loves her,’ Kate answered as she ran her hands through her tousled blonde locks. ‘As I said, she’s a nice person.’

  Seriously, Kate was Lily’s best friend ever!

  ‘Well, she should be careful, and maybe lose a bit of weight. With a catch like Pietro there would be a string of girls just waiting to steal him away.’

  Kate turned and gave Zan a dirty look. ‘God, you’re pathetic – just leave them alone. You don’t have to prove that you can win all the time.’

  ‘As if she would have a chance against me. Did you see those freckles? She didn’t even bother to try to cover them.’

  ‘Oh my God, they’re happy, so just stay away from Pietro,’ Kate snapped as she walked out of the bathroom.

  Zan gazed at her own perfection in the mirror and smiled before hurrying after her friend.

  Lily had leant back against the wall and dragged in a breath. All of sudden she felt like she was back in school: not thin enough, not pretty enough and not quite clever enough to deserve to be loved. The tears pricked at the back of her eyes as she crept out of the cubicle. She had glanced up at her reflection in the mirror. Zan was right – why would he ever want to stay with her?

  Well, Lily had finally got the answer to her question. Pietro didn’t want to stay with her and that was that. He’d made his choice, and it was a tall, skinny and scheming model. He’d made his bed and now he had to lie in it … without Lily.

  She drew in a breath as she yanked open the bedroom door. No point putting off the inevitable. Violet was already in the kitchen when she wandered into the room.

  ‘Morning!’ Violet’s voice rang out and sounded way too cheery.

  Lily headed over to the kettle but Violet shooed her away.

  ‘I’ll make the coffee, you go sit down.’

  Lily didn’t argue but followed her sister’s instruction, just as she’d done as a child.

  ‘Where’s Holly?’

  ‘She’s over at Kylie’s place with Amber. Today Meg’s taking all three of them out for a shopping trip and a movie.’

  Lily glanced up at the clock on the wall and saw that it was almost nine. ‘Shouldn’t they be in school? I mean, it’s Thursday, isn’t it?

  ‘They have a pupil-free day, so Meg decided to give them a treat.’

  ‘Oh, that’s nice,’ Lily said with a smile before she gestured towards the clock. ‘Hey sorry, I didn’t mean to sleep in. You should’ve given me a shout.’

  ‘You needed it,’ Violet said as she walked over with two bright pink mugs in her hands. ‘Here, I reckon you probably need this too.’

  ‘Thanks.’ Lily accepted the coffee then blew over the top of the mug before taking a sip. It was hot and almost burnt her tongue, but the smell was already clearing her fuzzy brain a little.

  ‘Alright, so are you ready to tell me exactly what happened?’

  ‘I’m not sure where to begin.’

  ‘I always find chronological order works best,’ Violet said with an encouraging smile.

  Lily sighed and then took a breath. ‘It all started with a couple of designs. Edwina Partell is very hands-on when it comes to most of the clothing in her line. Usually she oversees everything, but things have been going really well for her lately – she’s even opening another shop in Sydney. So she’s not at the workshop as much as usual. Anyway, every year she leaves a space in her fashion shows for a piece created solely by one of her designers. It still comes under her label, of course, but the designer is given the kudos. It’s seen as a reward, and sometimes it’s a leg-up to the next rung in the ladder. Every designer, even the junior ones, will put forward something to our boss, Sam, who shows the top three or four to Edwina. So I ran with my design and made up a sample in a burnished coppery silk. I think I told you about it?’

  ‘Yes, you did. We were in the coffee shop around the corner from your flat. It was just after I agreed to do the McKellan wedding.’

  Lily gave a grin. ‘And the next McKellan wedding is fast approaching.’

  ‘Yes, it is.’ Violet’s eyes lit up with joy.

  Lily watched as Violet stole a quick glance at the engagement ring sitting on her finger. A soft smile touched her lips and Lily wondered if she would ever be that happy. Lily mentally shook off the self-pity. She was happy for Violet and that was the truth. As far as she was concerned, she deserved all the happiness in the world and so did Mac.

  ‘Anyway, I took the dress to Sam and she thought it was good enough to show Edwina. So naturally I was super-excited and couldn’t wait for Edwina to come down onto the floor. But instead of talking to all of us, Sam hustled her away behind closed doors. They were locked away for ages and curiosity finally got the better of me so I went and hung around the front desk, and I saw them as they were walking out of the office. Edwina turned to Sam and said that the burnished coppery dress was the best thing she’d ever designed. I stood there with my mouth open and waited for Sam to deny it but she didn’t. Even when she saw me standing there, she went on to say what inspired the design. I couldn’t believe it – I was such an idiot to think that she would help me.’

  ‘Did you say anything?’

  ‘No, I was just too numb and gobsmacked. My mind wasn’t functioning. I headed back to the design room and started getting my stuff together. After Edwina left, Sam called me into her office. She said that it might have looked as if she was taking the credit.’

  ‘You think!’ Violet said with a scowl. ‘What a bitch.’

  ‘Yeah, anyway, she said that her “muse” had left her.’

  ‘So she’s going to steal yours? Unbelievable.’

  ‘Pretty much. She went on to say that I shouldn’t mind as it was only one dress. And if I let this slide she’d make sure that I’d get all the credit in next year’s collection.’

  Violet tilted her chin. ‘And what did you say?’

  ‘That she could shove her collection in the nearest orifice and that I quit. Oh, and I threatened to take the dress with me.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘Sam accused me of being childish and that working for Edwina Partell was a privilege. Apparently I couldn’t take the dress as I’d signed a contract and the material and design belonged to the company.’

  ‘Did it?’

  ‘Unfortunately, yes. I found the bolt of silk in the storeroom, I told her that she could keep the dress but that was the only design she would ever have. And then I gracefully stormed out.’

  ‘Would talking to Edwina help?’

  ‘Maybe, but she was heading straight to the airport for a flight to London after she left the workroom, so she’s probably still in the air somewhere.’

  ‘Did you talk to anyone? What about the rest of the staff?’

  ‘It turns out that none of them were surprised. Apparently this isn’t the first time it’s happened.’

  ‘You’re joking! I said it before, but what a bitch.’

  Lily nodded. ‘Yeah, she really is. Anyway, I was upset and decided that I needed to talk to Pietro and get a bit of sympathy. So I went by his studio and discovered him in the middle of a hot and heavy session with one of his models, the horribly perfect Zan.’

  ‘Bastard.’

  ‘Yep. As days go, it wasn’t one of my best. Anyway, as he was trying to do up his jeans and catch his breath, he says that it wasn’t what it looked like. I could have happily knocked him over the head with one of his bloody cameras. I spin around and head for the door and he runs after me, saying it was just a stupid mistake and that he loves me.’

  ‘The shit.’

  ‘Exactly. I pushed him off and went back to the flat, grabbed my stuff and came straight here.’

  ‘Has he been in touch?’

  Lily shrugged. ‘I don’t know, I turned my phone off. I suppose I should check.’

  ‘Maybe you should talk to him. Not
that anything excuses what the scumbag did, but even if it’s only to hear him grovel a bit more. Hey, you deserve it.’

  ‘Hmmm, I’ll think about it.’ Lily picked up the mug and took a sip. The last thing she wanted to do was talk to Pietro, but maybe Violet was right.

  ***

  Most of the morning had drained away before Lily plucked up the courage to turn on her phone.

  Thirteen messages. Twenty-seven missed calls – all from Pietro.

  She took perverse pleasure in the amount of time he’d wasted calling her. Was that wrong? Of course not – the lying snake deserved it.

  Lily tossed her phone on the bed and stared out the window. Something wasn’t quite right – not the horrible situation or yesterday’s turn of events, but something in her wasn’t right. She realised that she wasn’t as destroyed as she should be.

  Lily wandered closer to the window and took a minute to mull over that thought. Surely if you find your significant other cheating on you, shouldn’t it feel like your whole world has just ended?

  Instead, all she felt was a bit sad and headachy – which was odd, wasn’t it?

  Outside her window a big black crow stalked around the garden, picking up anything that might be edible. Lily frowned – not at the bird, but over her relationship with Pietro. It had started out all hot and sizzling, and neither of them could keep their hands to themselves. They’d met through Lily’s work; Pietro had been hired to take some stills for a magazine spread. When their eyes met, for the first time in her life Lily was overcome with lust.

  As the months went on their relationship deepened, and Lily was in a bubble of happiness. She was in love and loved in return – amazing. They spent every minute they could together, and Pietro even taught her about photography. She discovered that not only did she enjoy taking beautiful pictures but she had a talent for it.

  But as one year rolled by and then almost another, an ever-widening crack appeared between them. Their jobs often separated them and they both blamed work and the long hours they were putting in, but it was so much more. The initial burst of light had faded and both of them had been willing to let whatever they had slip into habit and complacency.

  Lily leant against the window and watched as the crow, with one last caw, fluttered up into the corkscrew willow. Perhaps her heart was made of sterner stuff than she’d imagined, or just maybe over the months she’d slowly fallen out of love.

  Wow, how sad was that?

  But that still didn’t excuse his behaviour, although perhaps she should’ve seen it coming.

  Chapter 4

  Even though in a quagmire of self-pity, Lily still managed to notice that her sister was crazy busy, running from one meeting or responsibility to another. She seemed to be juggling all her balls in the air at the same time and, even though others may not have noticed it, Lily caught a flash of strain in her eyes.

  Violet’s events and party business was taking off and had become more successful than she could have hoped. It had started small at first, a few birthdays and a couple of small engagement parties. But ever since Violet’s detailed, to-the-minute planning of the McKellan wedding, her bookings had increased. At first, she’d thought that the jobs were coming because people had seen what she’d been able to pull off for Jason McKellan’s nuptials (even if, in the end, the ceremony never happened), but there seemed to be a wider swell in recommendations and word of mouth.

  On top of her business, Violet was still a very busy mum to Holly and now, of course, fiancée of Mac McKellan. So with her work, the daily school run and looking after Holly, Violet was also trying to find time to be with Mac and plan their own wedding. Lily knew that her sister was more than capable of holding it all together and getting the job done – that’s what Violet had always done. However, she also had a sneaking suspicion that Violet may be starting to feel a little overwhelmed, especially about the wedding.

  The last week and a half had been a challenge for Lily. She’d spent the first couple of days hiding out at Violet’s and licking her wounds. It wasn’t until the third day that she’d felt strong enough to talk to Pietro. He’d begged her forgiveness and swore that it was a terrible mistake. Perhaps it was, but in Lily’s mind there was no way they could come back from that betrayal.

  He’d pleaded with her for a second chance and Lily couldn’t give it to him. Her self-esteem may have been at an all-time low, but deep down she knew that she wouldn’t give in. She was sad, even weepy, but at no point did she crumble as he pleaded with her. And that was the most telling thing of all.

  They were done and that was the end of it.

  That same day, she arranged to pick up the rest of her things while he was at work. She and Violet had driven down to Melbourne while Holly was at school. It felt weird letting herself into the flat and dismantling the life they’d made together. They packed up her books and clothes and, other than a handful of sentimental items, Lily realised she didn’t want anything else. The stuff in the flat was like Pietro: it all belonged in the past. And it was a past she didn’t want to be reminded of.

  Lily had wandered back into the lounge room of their flat and picked up the final box. Balancing it on her hip, she took one more look at the place she once called home. Turning to Violet she gave her a small smile.

  ‘Come on, let’s go – there’s nothing for me here,’ she said as they walked out of the flat. Lily shut the door firmly behind her.

  She’d spent that night wiping away the odd tear and remembering the good times she and Pietro had once shared. But Lily recognised again that even though she was sad and wallowing in a good dose of self-pity, it didn’t seem to hurt as much as it should. Would the split with Pietro cause her to die of heartbreak? Well, no. The realisation was a relief, but also kind of sad.

  On the fourth day, Lily decided that she needed to get the tatters of her life together and work out what the hell she was going to do. Lily was unemployed, homeless and single – a triple threat in the negative. No, that wasn’t entirely true: she sure as hell didn’t need a man to define her. In fact, she was swearing off them altogether for the foreseeable future; they were way more trouble than they were worth. And maybe next time she wouldn’t allow herself to be swept away by the first charming guy who turned up. Maybe she’d find someone she could not only fall in love with but could depend upon. No more falling in love with the idea of love. From now on, Lily would not fall for ‘that’ guy, the pretty, charming, exciting and sexy bad boy. Dependable and staid or nothing. But for now, all she wanted was some peace and quiet so she could work out what she was going to do next.

  Violet had already made it clear that Lily could stay with her and and Holly for as long as she wanted, and her sister had even promised her some work helping out with several upcoming events. Which was wonderful, and Lily was more than grateful, but she needed to work out what she was going to do in the long term. The problem was, Lily didn’t have any idea where she should go from here.

  She had skills – she just had to figure out how to best use them and start hunting for a job as soon as possible. She also wanted to have a talk with Edwina Partell, first to ask if she would be willing to be a referee and second to fill her in on her unprofessional supervisor. But so far she’d been unable to get in touch with Edwina. She’d rung the office a couple of times but had been informed that Edwina was still in London and would get back to her as soon as she could. Lily had her doubts: Edwina’s PA was best friends with Samantha Worth. Until she managed to speak to her in person, Lily couldn’t count on Edwina’s recommendation – whatever job she went for would be down to her.

  Lily pored over her portfolio and made sure it was up to date. The book held all her sketches, technical drawings, colours, fabric swatches and photographs of all her designs. As much as she was still smarting over the whole affair with Pietro, she had to give him credit for introducing her to photography. She had been a quick and eager student and learnt not only how to use the equipment but also about lightin
g and composition. Lily had taken photos of all her creations and was more than pleased with the results. Generally she did the makeup herself and hired Tina, the struggling actress from the flat below hers, as a model. Well, hired was a loose term – basically she paid Tina in coffee, pastries and the few dollars she could scrape together.

  Having a hard-copy portfolio was great, but she needed to create a digital version too. Lily spent a couple of days chained to her laptop as she put together a document showcasing her body of work, one that could be emailed along with any job application.

  A week and a half after she’d run back to Violet Falls, Lily finally felt that she was ready to start putting out feelers and looking for a job. Her personal life may still be in tatters, but at least she could take a hold of her professional one. Step one was a job, step two would be a place to live. She just couldn’t let herself become overwhelmed.

  In between these huge life decisions she would also need to deal with the question of her inheritance, and what she was going to do with it. The old Beckett shop was just sitting there gathering dust, which was kind of crazy when Lily could certainly do with the added income renting it out would bring in. She’d checked it out with Violet months ago but had never got around to organising the work that needed to be done to bring the old place up to scratch.

  The best thing to do was look at it again, just to confirm what needed to be done. She headed down the main street to her shop, one of the pretty two-storey buildings with wrought iron lacework and a verandah that stretched out over the footpath. It had been in the Beckett family for over a hundred years, but Lily was still surprised when her grandfather left it to her in his will.

  Lily rattled the old key in the lock and pushed the door open. She wandered onto the old shop floor and gazed around the room. There was an air of neglected gloom, but a couple of coats of paint would make a big difference to that. Lily had already decided to hire Darren Johnson – otherwise known as Johnno – and his crew to undertake some renovations, as both Violet and Mac had recommended them. From her last visit, she knew that the kitchenette out the back and the bathroom needed attention.