Moving On

Daughters

Daughters

WHEN LEO TURNED FORTY-SIX HE ACCEPTED A redundancy package his bank was offering, and set himself up as an independent financial advisor. Thanks to his years of experience and network of contacts he quickly built up a client base, and soon he was spending most of his time making house calls.

Ellen asked why his clients couldn’t come to him. ‘You could make an office out of the small bedroom – or we could extend. We have the space.’

He shook his head. ‘Someone willing to go to them is what they want. It’s paying dividends – I have a waiting list.’

‘That’s good, but your hours are so long. You’re hardly ever home before the girls are in bed.’

‘It’ll be worth it, wait and see. Just have faith, Ellen.’

Yes, having faith was the way to go. She must keep the faith.

‘Thank you,’ she said.

‘For what?’

‘For making it easy to come back.’ For not doing what your mother said you’d do. ‘Claire said I have the perfect life,’ she added with a laugh.

‘Claire said that? When was this?’

‘Oh, ages ago. That day you took the girls to Brighton, and she came to see the house. I thought it was funny.’

‘You don’t see her much any more,’ he remarked.

‘I don’t – we mostly talk on the phone. She’s always so busy.’ She said nothing about Claire not wanting to meet him; that would be cruel. ‘I feel sorry for her, not having anyone special. I thought she sounded a bit envious of me and my perfect life.’ She looked at him teasingly, but he gave just the briefest of smiles before getting up.

‘I told Maman I’d give her a ring. Better do it’ – and he was gone. As little interested in Claire, it seemed, as she was in him.

In August, Ellen and Joan agreed to put the family home on the market. The tenants they’d found for it had handed in their notice, in the process of buying another house, and both sisters felt the time had come to sell. The thought of letting it go didn’t faze Ellen. For a long time she’d felt no connection with it.

In September, they tried again with Grace and the crèche, and this time Leo brought her, and after another few iffy days she settled, much to Ellen’s relief. At Juliet’s parent–teacher meeting in October, Ellen and Leo were told that she showed artistic leanings.

‘I think she’ll become a brilliant painter,’ Ellen said on the way home. ‘People will pay millions for her works.’

Leo laughed. ‘And Grace?’

‘She’ll take after you, and become a successful businesswoman.’

‘Poor thing.’

In November, Joan rang with the news that someone had bid the asking price on the house. ‘Are you happy to say yes?’

‘Absolutely,’ Ellen said.