A Model Mother

Chapter 4

“Will you be at home all day tomorrow?” Helen decided she would move fast before Rose had second thoughts,

“I can be,” responded Rose. “I will be working from home in the morning whilst my sister looks after Lloyd and then I will have him in the afternoon. He tends to have a nap at about 1pm and goes to bed at about 7pm ish.”

“OK, I’ll be there tomorrow,” Helen was decisive, “and I promise you that I won’t be recognised. Let me give you my mobile number in case anything crops up.”

At 2pm the next day, Rose jumped when the intercom rang; it was George, the Concierge.

“Afternoon Ms. Pendry. I have a Mrs Helen Wood here to see you; she said she’d like a quick word with you before she comes up.”

“Thanks George, please put her on.”

Rose heard Helen’s voice at the other end,

“Hello Rose, its Helen, is it ok for me to come up?”

“No problem, just hand me back to George and I’ll confirm.”

Rose heard the lift smoothly slide up to the 7th floor and stop. The heavily carpeted corridors prevented footsteps being heard and very quickly the doorbell chimed at her penthouse flat.

Lloyd, exceptionally sociable even at nine months old indicated his excitement at the thought of yet another adoring visitor by crawling at a fair lick towards the door. Rose scooped him up and held him on her hip whilst she checked the spyhole. It was indeed Helen, although in a very strange looking cap and uniform, and she was alone. She opened the door and was immediately enveloped in a hug by the older woman.

“Oh Rose, I’m so happy you agreed to let me visit.”

Rose remembered Helen’s soft, soft skin as her cheek was pressed against hers and the gorgeous understated scent of a Guerlain, one of Helen’s favourite perfumiers.

However, as was the wont these days, Rose was almost immediately upstaged by her son who produced the most enchanting of toothless smiles for his Grandmother and delighted her by immediately making a grab for her pearls and then charmingly submitting to being held by her in order to examine them more closely.

Rose took the opportunity to close and lock the door and took the parcels that Helen pushed at her so as to release both her hands to hold Lloyd. Helen gazed at her grandson adoringly and made comforting cooing noises which he seemed to perfectly understand, adding a few “ga, ga gas” of his own.

Rose tried not to stare at Helen’s outfit, which if she was not mistaken was indeed an actual uniform; it looked very similar to the one that George wore. She had to admit that the peaked cap hid Helen’s features well, particularly since she had pulled back her normally chic blonde hair into a tight bun and substituted her trademark elegant court shoes with a pair of flat pumps, navy to match the uniform. Helen caught her looking.

“I borrowed it from a friend of mine; she runs the recruitment agency that recruits for ES Security; I told her I needed it for a practical joke, I’m not sure if she believed me, but I’m certain she will never guess the real reason! I told George that you had hired me as part of your additional security - he seemed to accept it, but you may need to confirm the details with him!” Helen’s eyes twinkled. Rose thought that Helen seemed to be enjoying the deception and in fact, she was enjoying it too.

Helen nodded towards the parcels, “please do open them, I’ll explain them as you do; the box is for Lloyd; the softer one is for you; the small one is for your sister.”

Rose was touched that she had thought to bring a present for Nathalie, whom she had never even met before. Rose led the way into the sitting room, a large and airy room with multiple floor to ceiling windows that gave first class views over Hyde Park and which led out onto a 100ft long covered balcony. She had had the balcony firmly baby-proofed whilst still pregnant and in any case never let Lloyd out there unaccompanied. However, she had decided that she would probably move as soon as Lloyd was able to walk as she would be constantly terrified of him trying to scale the balcony.