We plunged into the crowd and spent the next hour going from stall to stall choosing tree decorations, buying and eating all manner of sweets and biscuits and deliberating over potential presents for our friends and family. I was spilling over with happiness, and might have let myself fall into it completely, had it not been for the mistake that stallholders kept making.
‘Are you getting that for Mum? Ooh, you’d better look away!’
‘Why don’t you check with your mum?’
‘Would Mum like to try something as well?’
It felt rude to correct them, although I did, and it added a certain strain to the afternoon – for me at any rate. Alexander and Theo barely acknowledged it, so I was alone in my awkwardness, not sure if I should make a joke of it or even apologise. Therefore, it was with some relief that Coco’s clear voice cut through the crowds.
‘Theo! Fallon! Alexander!’
She came through to where we were trying to choose between different intricately painted tin stars with lights inside and patterns of holes punched in them. We all hugged.
‘When are we decorating the house, Alexander?’ she asked. ‘And where is this star going to go?’
‘We’ll do it this weekend. The big tree is coming then.’
Coco turned to me.
‘It’s always fun. We all join in and it’s the perfect house for Christmas.’
Alexander decided on a star, then said, ‘I think it’s probably time to head home.’
He nodded at Theo, who I could now see was looking tired.
‘Can I squeeze in too?’ asked Coco.
‘Of course,’ replied Alexander, and we started making our slow way back to the car. We were temporarily distracted by a shop window display when Coco’s phone rang. She walked off a little way to take the brief call, then returned, rolling her eyes.
‘Is everything all right?’ asked Alexander, as they continued walking.
‘It’s Mum,’ said Coco. ‘She and Maurice are going to “drop in” for a few days, which probably means they’ll stay for a month.’
‘It’ll be good to see her,’ said Alexander, then turned to me. ‘She was married to Dad when I was in my late teens, early twenties, so she saw the worst of me and was always brilliant about it.’
‘You were a faultless big brother,’ said Coco, smiling. ‘I was so in awe of you.’
He grinned.
‘You were a pretty nice little sister yourself, even if you did make all my friends admire your Barbies with their new outfits every time they came round.’
Coco giggled.
‘Those poor dolls – thank goodness I didn’t go into fashion!’
‘Why didn’t it work out between Douglas and your mum?’ I asked Coco.
‘The lifestyle didn’t suit Mum at all,’ said Coco. ‘She hated going back and forth to London all the time and didn’t enjoy the social scene there at all. And she was never comfortable living in Blakeney Hall. When they separated, we moved to a little chocolate box cottage, all uneven walls and beams you bumpyour head on, and she was much happier. She’s still there, with Maurice now.’
‘That’s it in a nutshell,’ said Alexander, as we entered the car park. ‘Ironic though, given…’ He broke off. ‘What floor was the car on?’
As we went to look for it, I was dying to know what he had been going to say. I looked at Coco with her long, lilac hair, piercings and exquisitely pretty face and tried to imagine what her mother would be like. Very different from Jacqueline, of that I was sure.
‘I hope Mum’s nose isn’t put out of joint too badly,’ I said, as we pulled out of the garage. ‘She’s not very good when it comes to confronting anyone’s past, including her own.’
‘Well, Mum’s a huge fan ofMayfair Mews, if you think that might help? She’s dying to meet Jacqueline, which is another reason I think her “few days” are more likely to be a month.’
We all laughed.
