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‘I prefer Christmas Presents,’ Merry joked ‘Or even Christ for the year’
‘Done for the year?’ Clara asked incredulously ‘Have you forgotten the Harrisons’ New Year’s Eve Charity Gala?’
Merry rolled her eyes ‘As if I could Who really needs that much caviar anyway?’
‘Two hundred of London’s richest, most famous and most influential people’ Twenty tables of ten, at ten thousand pounds a plate, with all proceeds going to the children’s charity the Harrison faest child, who’d died ten years ago from a rare type of blood cancer
No one else would have dared to hold such an important—and expensive—fundraiser on New Year’s Eve The one night of the year when everyone had plans and people they wanted to be with But the Harrisons had the money, the influence, the charm and the celebrity to pull it off Especially with Perfect London organising everything for them
Clara had been nervous when Melody Harrison—activist, author and all-round beautiful woman—had approached her The Harrisons were possibly the nisable family in London: the epitoanise the most important charity event in their calendar
‘You did such a beautiful job with the True Blue launch event,’ she’d said ‘I just know Perfect London is the right fit for our little charity gala’
‘Little’, Clara had found out soon enough, had been the biggest understatement of the year Possibly of the last decade
But they’din extra staff for the event andwas in place aswith their s Clara planned to take Christ Day off entirely to spend the time with Ivy Her own perfect little family
It was natural for Ivy to be curious about her dad, Clara knew But she also knew, deep in her heart, that they were better off with just the two of them They were a team A duo They didn’t need anyone else, people who could walk out at anybetter or more important to focus on
Right now, Ivy knew she was thein herto risk ruining that
‘You’re staring at the tree again,’ Merry said ‘It’s getting creepy What’s got you all pensive? Christ about your ex?’
‘Sort of, I suppose’ Clara busied herself, tidying up the wrapping paper and ribbons As much as she loved Merry, she really didn’t want to talk about Jacob
Merry, apparently, didn’t get thathim?’
‘No,’ Clara said firuilty about it? Yes Did she wonder what ret How could she regret the life she had noith her daughter? ‘But I guess I’ some closure, you know?’
‘You knoould help with that?’ Merry said ‘An actual divorce Honestly, it’s been, what, five years?’
‘It’s not like I haven’t asked for one Repeatedly’ But Jacob had money and, more important, better lawyers If he wanted to stall, they knew all the possible ways to make it happen And, for soh
‘Yeah, but it’s not like you’re even asking for anything from him Not that it wouldn’t have been a help at the start’ Merry still hadn’t quite got over the fact that Clara had walked out with nothing but the clothes on her back and a ss But she had wanted to leave that whole part of her life behind, and taking money from Jacob would have tied her to him
Although, as it turned out, she’d walked aith so than money Even if she hadn’t known it then
That here the closure came in It wasn’t just about theoing back when she’d discovered she was pregnant? At the time, she’d been so sure Jacob hada faether And she’d wanted her baby so desperately, in a way she’d never realised she would until the nant appear on the test
But, every now and then, she couldn’t help but wonder what ht have happened if she’d told him
‘I don’
t knohat goes on in my ex-husband’s brain,’ Clara said ‘I never did If I had known, maybe we’d still be married’
‘And then you wouldn’t be here with et all about him’
‘Good plan,’ Clara agreed, relieved ‘Besides, I need to talk to you about the decorations for the Colemans’ house’
The Christth of the trendy London street, illulittering brightness Jacob Fosterconspicuous in his lack of shopping bags, lists and most of all haste, even in the cold winter drizzle
It wasn’t that his errand wasn’t urgent He just wasn’t all that keen to jump into it Especially since he had no idea hoas likely to go He’d been trying to think his way through it for the whole journey there; which approach had the best chance of success, what he could say to get her to say yes He’d still not come to a final decision
He still wasn’t coht be the worst idea he’d had since he was sixteen He’d spent five years putting distance between the he needed was to let Clara in again
But he was doing it anyway For fa that had happened between theiven to anybody but family
He turned down a small side street lined with offices and within reen office with the words ‘Perfect London’ e time was up
He paused, his hand on the door ready to push it open, and stared for a eThere she was Clara
Her dark hair hung down over her face as she leant across a colleague’s desk to point at so on a computer screen It obscured her eyes but, since that meant she couldn’t see him, Jacob supposed that was for the best