You meantrain to be an accountantto gain my qualifications here? Ellena gasped, suddenly starting to see light, unexpected, wonderful light, after the darkness of recent months.
Apparently, that was exactly what Mrs Keytewho was later to invite Ellena to call her Andreadid mean. It will mean a lot of hard work, she cautioned. Study in the evenings when youd probably much rather be out with your boyfriend.
Ellena didnt have a boyfriend. What time did she have? Before her parents deaths shed spent evenings and weekends either swotting over homework from school, or on some mad adventure with them. Since their deaths, Justine had taken precedence.
I can do it, she said eagerly. I know I can do it.
It will take all of five years for you to be ready to take your finals, Andrea had warned.
I want to do it; I really do. Ellena, fearful that her employer might change her mind, promised this earnestly.
Then you shall.
And she had. It had not been easy. Left alone to cope with the work and the studying, Ellena knew she would have coped with only minor panics. But, in avowing, I know I can do it, she had not taken Justineor rather Justine finally coming to terms with the loss of their parentsinto consideration.
By the time Justines sixteenth birthday had approached, it seemed she was close to being expelled from school again.
Id better find time to go and see if your headmaster will overlook your truancy one last time, Ellena stated when, having arrived home from the office with a load of studying to do, Justine owned up to not having been to school for a while.
I shouldnt, if I were you, Justine grinned, Ive no intention of going backeven if theyd have me.
Justine!
Dont go on, theres a love. Ive been awfully good today.
Ellena did not trust the word good. Good, as in...?
As in, Ive been and got myself a job in a boutique. I start tomorrow.
Youre not sixteen yet! Ellena gasped.
I told them I was. And I will be, by the time they find out I wasnt. She laughed. She was infectious. Ellena remembered she had laughed too.
Dear, dear Justine, she couldnt be dead! Ellena choked on a sob of sound, and caught Gideon Langfords sharp glance on her from across the aisle. She hastily turned to look, unseeing, out of the aircraft window at the night sky.
He looked pretty bleak too, she realised, and strangely felt she wanted to help his suffering in any way she could. She realised her sensitivities at this dreadful time must be bouncing about all over the place, and strove again to calm her emotions. She had no idea what lay before themit could be the best or the worst of newsso she must gather what strength she could.
Determinedly she pushed the weakening worst thoughts from her. Concentrate on the good things, she instructed herself. That time Justine... Her thoughts were at once back with Justine: Justine laughing, Justine crying; Justine bringing her first boyfriend home, the great unwashed group of her friends who hadto the dismay of their neighboursalmost camped on their doorstep; Justine starting new jobs, lasting a day, a weekmiracle of miracles one job had even lasted three months! Justines taste in boyfriends improvingher boyfriends starting to look as though they bathed and changed their clothes regularly.
By the time Ellena was twenty, and their finances were at last buoyant, however, shed had enough of chasing halfway around London on what transport she could find, looking for Justine when she didnt come home at night. Ellena had found time to have driving lessons, and bought a car. Shed had many qualms about letting Justine have driving lessons as wellshe was hard enough to keep tabs on. But, as ever, her soft heart had won over her sensible head, and Justine learned to drive tooand Ellena bought her a car also. Then Justine fell in loveand the man she fell in love with seemed equally fluffy-minded.
Kit Langford wasnt too keen on work either, by the sound of it. What does he do? Ellena had asked.
Do? Justine seemed to have no idea what she meant. Oh, you mean work! Oh, hes not working at the moment; hes having too good a time spending the money he came into on his twenty-first birthday from his fathers estate.
Ellena was sorry that Kit was without a father too. But she couldnt help but feel responsible for her younger sister. Does he live at home with his mother? she asked.
His mother remarried a year after his father diedshes living somewhere hotthe Bahamas, I think.
So where does he live?
Hes got a flat; his brother bought it for him when he booted him out of his house.
His brother...
Well, it was rather a riotous party, and Gideon was away. But we did try and clear up all the mess.
Justine had no need to go on. Ellena saw the picture quite clearly. She had herself come home from a late evening office function one time to find all hell had been let loose in her absencemusic blaring and all sorts of people, no two with hair the same colourpinks and greens all competing. Justine had decided to have a party. It had taken all of a week to restore the flat to good order, and a month to be on speaking terms with the neighbours again.
When Justine had fallen in love with Kit, though, no one else seemed to exist for her but him. Gradually Ellena had learned a little more about Kits family. They were well to do, by all accounts, though Justine had never met either of his brothers. Kit saw his eldest brother occasionally, and there were frequent phone calls between the two, but Gideon Langford had a busy life on all fronts. Kit, who seemed as besotted with Justine as she was with him, wanted to spend all his time with her.
They had been going out with each other for quite some while when, as happy as you please, Justine had come home, holding a bottle of champagne aloft.
Ellena had broken off from her studies. Were celebrating? she teased, joy in her heart that, by the look of it, her little sister had just become engaged.
She should, shed later realised, have known not to prejudge anything where Justine was concerned. For, grinning madly, and obviously delighted, Were pregnant! she announced.
Ellena was studying hard for her finals just then, though, had she thought that being pregnant might calm Justine down to lead a quieter life, she discovered she was much mistakenJustines relationship with Kit entered a stormy phase. And while Ellena had been mentally adjusting to the fact that her sister might soon be leaving to set up home with Kitof that there had been no sign.
Justine still met Kit occasionally, but, more often than not, would come home needing to be soothed. When Ellena wasnt calming Justines agitation, she was coping with her being unwelland wondering what to do for the best. Her tenancy agreement stated definitely, no children. By the look of it, they would have to find somewhere else to live.
Then everything seemed to be happening at once. Ellena took her final accountancy examand with joy and not a little astonishment learned she had passed with an exceptionally good mark. But, even while she was relaying this news, Justine went into labour.
I want Kit! shed cried.
Ellena contacted him and was warmed by his caring. He must have broken all recordshe was at the hospital only minutes after Justine and Ellenashe didnt know which of the three of them was the more panic-stricken.
Then everything seemed to be happening at once. Ellena took her final accountancy examand with joy and not a little astonishment learned she had passed with an exceptionally good mark. But, even while she was relaying this news, Justine went into labour.
I want Kit! shed cried.
Ellena contacted him and was warmed by his caring. He must have broken all recordshe was at the hospital only minutes after Justine and Ellenashe didnt know which of the three of them was the more panic-stricken.
Kit stayed with Justine when the time arrived, and Ellena paced the waiting area fearing she was going to break down in tears and disgrace herself at any moment now if she didnt hear something soon.
Then Kit, his grey look gone, grinning from ear to ear, was coming to find her. What do you think of Violette Ellena? he askedand, uncaring that she might disgrace herself, Ellena waited only for him to add that mother and daughter were doing fine before she burst into tears.
She had thought Kit seemed to grow up a little then. In any event he wouldnt hear of anything, other than Justine and their daughter moving in with him. In the short time Justine was in hospital he turned his spare bedroom into a babys room, complete with crib and fluffy toys.
Justine was the happiest Ellena had ever seen her. She was but a few weeks away from her twentieth birthday. You feel all right about moving in with Kit? Ellena felt she had to ask. You neednt. If youre worried about our tenancy agreement, we can look for...
Im very all right about it, Justine answered, and it was clear that such a small thing as having a landlord come down on them like a ton of coals for breaching their tenancy agreement had never for one moment bothered her. I want to live with Kit.
In that case, since youll have enough to do looking after the baby, Ill pack your clothes and
No need to bother with that, Ellena-Ellen, Justine interrupted sweetly, using a pet name for her sister she always used whenever everything in her world was rosy. Itll take a little while for me to get my shape back, I expect, so Ill have to manage with a couple of these tents you bought me! But, as soon as my inheritance comes through, I intend to dump my old wardrobe and buy new clothes.
In Ellenas view, Justine had some lovely garments in her wardrobe and it would be a sin to throw them out. But Justine had just been a very brave girl, and had presented her with a most beautiful little niece. Justine could do no wrong. Even when, as the weeks went by, she spent money like it was going out of style.
Kit had a single bed fitted into the minute box-room in his flat. It came in useful when, more and more frequently of late, they asked Ellena to come and baby-sit her niece.
Ellena had babysat the adorable scrap a week ago last Saturday evening. But it was on Sunday morning, as she was preparing to return to her own home, that she learned that Justine was as irresponsible now as she ever had been.
Ellena said goodbye to Kit, cooed a bye-bye to the wonderful little girl who had so soon won her heart, and was about to make her farewells to her sister when Justine said shed come out to her car with her.
Oh, dear, knowing her of old, Ellena suspected Justine had something to say which she feared she might not like to hear. Shed had an hour in which to say somethingyet she was leaving it until Ellena was on her way out!
Were going away tomorrow, Justine announced as they walked to the parking area. Wellerprobably be away for a month or so.
Given that it was January, and had seemed a long winter, a month somewhere warm might do them all the world of good. Where are you going? she asked, her thoughts on Violette and how they would have to guard her. You dont think you should wait until the babys a little older? she queried. She didnt want to put a damper on their plans but, apart from the time factor, and what would be involved in getting any vaccinations donewasnt Violette a little young for such treatment?
Oh, were not taking her with us! Justine answered blithely. While Ellena was starting to be concerned that there was no way she could look after baby Violette for probably a month or so and at the same time do her job, Justine was going on: Kits heard of this wonderful place in the Austrian Alps. Were going ski-ing. And dont worry, Kits brothers going to mind the baby while...
His brother! Gideon? The one who, according to reports, works all day and parties all night? Ellena exclaimed aghast.
No, not him! Kits other brother.
Ellena was only marginally relieved. Russell, the married one?
Mmm, Russell, Justine confirmed. Kit hasnt seen him in ages, and hes a bit of a dreamwhile his wife, Pamela, shes a bit of a shrew, with a nose for money like no one youve ever met! When I mentioned Id be prepared to pay handsomelyand for the cost of a temporary nannyshe couldnt offer her services fast enough.
Apparently Kit had used up all the money left to him by his father. But Ellena didnt think she liked the sound of this arrangement at all. Perhaps she could employ a temporary nanny herself to take care of the baby during the day and look after her herself at night. But complications stirred before she could so much as voice her thoughts. Apart from the fact that children were not allowed where she livedcrying babies with massive lung power in particularsince qualifying as an accountant she was starting to take responsibility for her own clients; hers was no longer a nine-to-five job.
Butbutwhat about clothes? She was putting obstacles in the way on purpose, she knew she was, but somehow she couldnt bear the thought of them going away and leaving the baby with strangers.
Oh, heck, Ellena, Ive put on an inch or two since Violette arrived; my old salopettes were never going to fit me anyway. Besides, what are credit cards for?
By the sound of it Justine, who was still replenishing her wardrobe, intended to purchase all she required at her holiday destination.
Ellena knew she was on a losing argument, even as she suggested, Dont you think Violettes a little young to be left with strangers? Shes only...
Oh, Ellena! Justine exclaimed impatiently. I knew youd be like this, which is why I didnt tell you straight away when Kit and I decided to take off. Besides, Violette has met Russell and Pamelawe went there one day last week when we were wondering who best to leave her with. Ideally it would be you, but youre going up in the world with your job and, having wrecked your social life over the yearsI know Ive been sheer murder for you sometimes, she put in, her flare of temper dying as she became love-able, charming Justine again, I just didnt want to be responsible for wrecking your career so soon after youve qualified.
Oh, Justine! Ellena said helplessly.
Austrias not the moon, Justine smiled winningly.
That had been the last time she had seen her. How glad she was now that she had asked for Pamela and Russell Langfords address and phone number, that she and Justine had said goodbye on friendly terms. She had managed to wish her a happy holiday, Ellena recalledand without realising it, took a shaky breath.
Were about to land, the stern-faced man sitting across the aisle cut into her darkening thoughts.
Thank you, she mumbled, made hastily aware that she was in an aircraft and that in the next hour or so she could be hearing news that she did not want to hear.