A Model Mother

Chapter 3

The security phone rang in Rose’s flat and she buzzed to let in one of her closest friends, Delma. She and Delma had first met in secondary school, in South London. Delma had been the academic one whilst Rose had always preferred the creative route, opting for art, drama and design. However both had shared a love for reading and out of school they played tennis and shopped, used to hearing comments about their contrasting appearances. Rose tall, blonde, fair skinned with huge khaki eyes and sooty lashes, Delma petite and dark haired with an elfin look and the fair skin betraying her Irish ancestry.

Rose had been snapped up by a model agency whilst still in her teens, whilst Delma had carried on her studies at University, completing a business degree, followed by an MBA in America and a coveted position in a London based HR company. Recently she had started working freelance which had allowed her some flexibility to help out Rose.

 Delma hugged Rose closely.

“You look worried, has anything developed?”

Rose’s voice had a slight tremor in it when she responded,

“I haven’t heard anything at all from Miles or his representatives. Carl is pursuing Pink! and has made clear we will be suing for unauthorised publication."

Rose frowned,

“I am scared Delma, you know how much Lloyd looks like Miles. Miles can’t deny now that Lloyd is his son and I’m certain he’ll insist on intervening in Lloyd’s life.”

Her eyes filled up slightly, “Once the Setons bring their millions into play how will I be able to maintain my situation, they are so powerful. Miles is used to getting what he wants and his money and his legal team ensure that he always does.”

Delma stared at her friend’s face, pinched with worry and far too thin. Boy could she punch that Miles Seton for what he had done to her.

“OK, let’s talk. Where’s Lloyd?” Delma asked.

Rose’s face softened immediately when she thought of her baby son.

“He’s having a nap upstairs, we have about 45 minutes until he starts wailing for me, but Nathalie is with him.”

Delma felt an immediate relief, Nathalie was Rose's younger sister, she would be good support for Rose and Lloyd adored her.

“Coffee?” asked Rose, and they both laughed. Delma was addicted to coffee, always had been. Originally addicted to any type of coffee, instant, ground, powder, cheap or expensive, her tastes had adapted to her earning power and palate and now it had to be Kenyan, 100% Arabica and freshly ground. Rose always had beans ready for grinding in her kitchen and was an expert in Delma’s addiction.

Both women went into her compact and spotless kitchen, no less stylish for the addition of LLoyds bottles, bottle warmer, steriliser and the other 1001 modern day must haves of homes that had babies. Delma perched on one of the bar stools and rested her elbows on the counter whilst Rose made coffee for Delma and ginger tea for herself.

“Have you heard anything from any of Mile’s camp?” Delma asked, determined to keep Rose focused and planning for all eventualities.

“No, but I am certain to hear from someone soon."

Delma agreed.

“Who do you think will make the first move?”

“Formally – I think I’m bound to hear from Miles’s lawyers. I suspect they will use the first contact to check on Lloyd’s safety and whether I need financial help to pursue the papers and tighten up security.” Delma nodded again, she agreed with Rose’s analysis and was thankful that she was still able to think rationally about her situation. God knows she could be forgiven if she had just stayed in bed and pulled the duvet over her head.

“Informally I’m not so sure,” Rose mused. She sighed, lost in thought momentarily.

“I guess that the Miles that I thought I knew would be round at the drop of a hat, desperate to see his son and give him a cuddle. I think he will be still desperate to see Lloyd but of course he doesn’t want me around.”

Delma felt that urge again, to punch Miles and indulged herself mentally, for a couple of minutes. The man was Neanderthal, and to think that she had actually liked him and had encouraged Rose to see him.

“What about Max? Helen?” Delma suggested. She had liked Francesca when she met her, had thought her kind, but there was always the issue of Miles having dumped her for Rose which made it a teensy bit unlikely that she would be used as a mediator.

Rose nodded slightly, “I have had a feeling for some time that Helen may try and get in touch. I got on really well with her and I think she liked me too. She will of course support Miles one hundred  per cent, but Lloyd is her first grandchild….” she tailed off.

“OK, let’s get this in order,” decided Delma.

By the time Lloyd let out his first wail Rose, in collusion with Delma, had made some decisions. She was going to stay in London in her flat and would ask Nathalie to move in permanently with her for the summer before she started college in September. She would pay her a weekly allowance to look after Lloyd for part of each day, which would allow Rose time to spend some time working each day as she could not afford to lose her business, particularly with the security and legal costs mounting up. At the same time she would ask one of her Managing Directors, Maggie, to take on more of Rose’s work.

Both women had discussed the possibility of Miles offering to pay for additional security and dealing with the media, Delma was worried that Rose would run herself ragged trying to do it all herself. But Rose was determined that Miles would have no financial input, she saw it as the thin end of the wedge to Miles getting custody of his son and Delma could not change her mind.

Rose would play it by ear when Miles got in touch, saying little until she knew exactly what Miles proposed. She would not stop him from seeing his son, but never without her present and preferably on neutral ground. The flat was her and Lloyd’s precious private space; she didn’t want it spoilt by Miles.

Delma stayed long enough to say hello to Nathalie, a younger more gangly version of Rose, on the verge of shedding the braces on her teeth and blooming from anxious teenagerdom into becoming a striking looking young woman and Lloyd who was his usual smiley and gurgly self as soon as he was in his Mum’s arms and held out his own little pudgy ones to Delma who had been his number one adoring fan from the moment his head had popped out into the world.

As soon as Lloyd had had enough of dribbling on his Auntie Delma’s shoulder she safely restored him to Mum and made her way out of the building. As Delma hurried along the pavement towards the tube station, her eye was caught by a large, sleek, black merc which had slowed down and was cruising slowly past to her left, the passenger window open and revealing a familiar face that was scrutinising the building she had just left. It was Miles and seeing him made Delma stop dead in her tracks.

As if sensing her presence, Miles glanced in her direction and the two locked eyes, Delma glared angrily at him and without blinking she instinctively reached for her ‘phone, made sure he could see it and started to call Rose. If the car stopped, Delma would return. But instead, Miles looked away, the window was drawn up and the car moved swiftly on.

Delma found she was shaking as she spoke to Rose, briefly letting her know that she had seen Miles but that he seemed to have been just doing a check on her address. At least they now knew that he was indeed in London. She made her friend promise that if he contacted her she would immediately call Delma.