The Inheritance (6 page)

‘You’re right, London’s great,’
Emma said, raising her voice to be heard above the music.  ‘I love all the
shops for starters.  Growing up in Cornwall I was just starved for shops.  Coming
from there to London is like going to a fancy restaurant when you’ve barely
ever eaten and gorging yourself!’

Alison and Lizzie laughed and Emma
found herself warming to them already.  They talked for a while about their
lives in London, Emma’s experience of it so far and their aspirations for the
future. 

‘So what do you girls plan to do
with yourselves in London long term?’ Emma asked them.

‘Party hard.’ Alison said
grinning.  ‘Seriously though, I haven’t really thought that far ahead.  Having
studied at uni for such a long time, I just wanted to have a break from all
work.  I feel I’ve deserved it.’

‘Yeah, I agree with Ally,’ Lizzie
put in.  ‘Financially neither of us needs to rush into employment, so we feel
why not take a complete break from work for a bit.  Everything in good time I
say.’

‘Hear, hear.’ Emma said raising her
glass.  The two girls followed suit.

‘How about you?’ Alison asked Emma.

‘Same really,’ Emma replied.  ‘I’ve
come into some money and I felt I just wanted to enjoy it.  You’re only young
once.  Why not live the good life while you can?’ Alison and Lizzie nodded
their agreement.  Emma smiled.  It was so lovely to be with like-minded people
who understood where she was coming from and why she wasn’t working.

The two girls then persuaded her to
circulate around the room with them and meet all their friends.   Emma was soon
chatting to a group of young men and women all about her own age, her millionth
cocktail of the evening in her hand.  They had to shout at each other to be
heard above the music, but Emma didn’t mind.  She was enjoying herself.  But she
hadn’t kept track on how many cocktails she’d had and they were beginning to go
to her head.  She’d also forgotten all about Natalie’s whereabouts until they
were all surprised by a loud knock on the front door.  Emma hiccupped slightly
as she swallowed her drink too fast.

‘Will someone get that?’ one of the
blokes yelled.

‘OK fine, if it’s too hard for
you,’ another yelled back, slurring his words and he stumbled towards the front
door yanking it open.  Emma recognised him as Oliver, one of the residents of
the house.

By now the party guests had
gathered in the hallway or were straining from the kitchen and living room to
see what was going on.  From her vantage point halfway up the stairs, Emma
could see a couple of police officers, a man and a woman standing there with
stern expressions on their faces.

‘Are you the resident of this
house?’ the policeman asked.

‘Er…yeah…what is this about?’
Oliver replied barely able to pronounce his words properly.

‘We’ve had a complaint about loud
music,’ the policewoman said.  ‘May we come in?’

‘All right,’ Oliver replied, a hostile
expression on his face.

He stood back to let them in and
the guests parted like a wave receding on a beach. 

‘Are you the only resident here?’
the policeman asked him.

‘No.’ he replied.

‘Well we need to speak to them
too.’

‘All right.  Johnny, Pete, Ben! ’
Oliver yelled.  ‘I need you.’

The music suddenly stopped.  Emma
felt a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach.  She also felt a little sick
and hoped she wouldn’t throw up.  What did the police want?  She felt a bit
resentful that they were here, spoiling everyone’s fun.  Oliver led the police
officers into the living room and at the same time all the guests emptied from
it.  His housemates appeared as if from the woodwork and followed them into the
living room.  One of them shut the door and the guests were left wondering what
was going on.

‘What’s that all about then?’
Natalie said loudly in Emma’s ear making her jump.

‘Oh I don’t know.  Where have you
been anyway?’

‘Around.  It seems like you’ve been
having a good time, little miss life and soul of the party.’

‘I wouldn’t go that far.’

They could just about make out the
voices of the four housemates and police officers, but not clearly enough to
know exactly what was happening.  From what they could hear the four housemates
sounded petulant and complaining, and the police officers were matter-of-fact
but no nonsense.  After about ten minutes which Emma thought would never end, the
police officers and the four young men filed out of the room.

‘Remember what we said,’ the
policeman said.  ‘Turn the music down.  This is your final warning.’

The four housemates nodded
sullenly.  The police officers left but that was the end of the party.  No one
seemed to want to have fun anymore, or at least that was how it felt to Emma. 
But secretly she was glad.  Her head was starting to spin; the cocktails she’d
drunk were doing their worst.  Gradually the party goers melted away and she
heard Natalie’s voice in her ear suggesting that they go home.

When she woke up late the following
morning with the hangover from hell, Emma wondered how she’d made it home from
the party.  She couldn’t for the life of her remember how she and Natalie had managed
it.  They must have tottered back, though Emma couldn’t think how.  They’d been
so drunk.  She shrugged as she cleaned her teeth, looking at her tired face in
the mirror.  The party hadn’t been perfect but it was good enough for her.  She
was looking forward to many more.

Three months had now passed since
Emma had arrived in London.  She was really starting to feel at home here in
this huge metropolis.  Today, she and Natalie were going to visit a friend of
Natalie’s.  Natalie had told Emma to dress up, even though they were only going
for lunch.  When Emma asked why, Natalie told her that the friend – Rebecca –
was wealthy.

‘And I mean really wealthy.  We
want to at least try to look the part, Em,’ she had said.  ‘Rebecca’s become a
really good friend to me, so I don’t want my appearance to let her down.’  Emma
thought this was a bit daft – Natalie always looked great after all – but she said
nothing.  Natalie went on, ‘We haven’t known each other for long, but I feel
like I’ve known her for years.’

‘So how did you meet her then?’
Emma had asked.

‘At a party of a mutual friend. 
Oh, Em, it was amazing – I’d never seen so much wealth.  You know, I felt dowdy
in what I was wearing.’

‘You look dowdy?  It must have been
posh then because I find that hard to imagine.’

‘Yes, well I know it doesn’t happen
often.’ Natalie smirked.  ‘Anyway, despite her wealth, Rebecca and I have so
much in common; I feel like I’ve always known her.  We’re on the same
wavelength, you know?’

‘Well it’s nice for you that you’ve
met someone like that,’ Emma said trying to conceal her irritation that it
seemed she was being replaced in her friend’s affections by someone she could
never hope to compete with.

She felt envious, as if this
interloper were encroaching on her life, but told herself not to be so
possessive of her friend.  Someone like Rebecca, someone in her position, could
be very good for Natalie, help her make the right connections.  But for what?  What
exactly would Natalie need the connections for? asked a little voice inside
Emma’s head.  Emma ignored it.   

She knew that the voice in her head
was the fallout from life with her family and their constant nagging.  For too
long she’d listened to her father and sister moralising and telling her that
she should be making something of herself.  It was time for her to break free
from her past and this lunch date with Rebecca was a good way to start, which
was why she was looking forward to it so much.

‘Are you ready yet, Em?’ Natalie
yelled up the stairs.  ‘We’ve got to be there at half past one.’

Emma glanced at the shell-shaped clock
on her wall.  It was five to one.  She had got up late yet again and decided to
skip brunch, even though her stomach was rumbling.  It would take too long.  By
now she was dressed and almost ready.  All that was left to do was to finish
off her makeup which would take two seconds.  She quickly gave her eyelashes
another coat of jet-black mascara, grabbed her bag and dashed down the stairs. 
Natalie was waiting for her almost hopping from foot to foot with impatience.

‘What’s the matter, Nat?’ she
asked.  ‘It won’t take long to get there on the Tube.’

‘We’re not going on the Tube,
Emma,’ Natalie replied.  She only called her Emma when she was annoyed.

‘Why not?’

‘Rebecca has provided us with her
driver and car.  And you know what the traffic in London can be like.  So we’ve
got to go pronto.’

She steered Emma out of the front
door, slamming it shut behind her.  There was a gleaming black Mercedes on the
road outside their house, with a man in a very smart suit wearing dark glasses
and standing nonchalantly beside it looking at his watch.

‘Miss Campbell and Miss Hamilton?’
he asked formally.

‘Yes.’ Natalie replied.  Emma
nodded too, dumbstruck.  She couldn’t quite believe this was happening.  She’d
never been chauffeur-driven anywhere before.  The chauffeur said nothing more
but opened each of the rear doors for them to get in.  They headed off.  Emma
sighed as she relaxed back onto the leather seat.   

‘So what’s Rebecca’s house like?’ she
asked in a low voice.

‘It’s all right, Em, the driver
can’t hear us.’ Natalie laughed.  ‘See the screen?’

‘Oh.  Of course.’

‘I haven’t actually been to Rebecca’s
before.  But judging by her amazing clothes, the places we’ve met at and this
car I’d say her house must be stunning.  Oh, and it’s in Kensington.  Did I
mention that?’

‘No.’ Emma looked down at the silk summer
dress she was wearing.  This August had been hot and it was so cool and soft on
her skin.  She’d bought it the other day on one of her shopping trips in Oxford
Street.  It was love at first sight and she’d snapped it up immediately.  It
had felt great on her when she’d put it on barely an hour ago.  Now somehow it
felt cheap, even though she’d paid a hefty price for it.

As if reading her mind, Natalie
said, ‘Oh come on, Em, don’t worry.  You haven’t got the millions that Rebecca has. 
You look great.  Those colours really suit you.’

‘Thanks, Nat.’ Emma looked out of
the window at the passing scenery.  The buildings were getting smarter with
each street they passed through.  The London traffic was always heavy so when
the car rolled to a halt and she looked at her watch, she was amazed to see
that it was half past one on the dot.  The chauffeur got out and opened the
doors for them.

Emma saw that they were outside a large
end-of-terrace house, but not the sort of terraced house she was used to.  No,
this house was spectacular.  It was gleaming white and tall with large windows
on many levels and in the strong sunlight it almost shone.  The entrance had a
magnificent porch; although you could barely call it a porch it was so huge. 
It had two white pillars supporting it at the front, making it look like a
miniature Greek temple.  Above it was an impressive-looking balcony.

‘Come on, Em.’ Natalie’s voice
broke her out of her reverie.  ‘Rebecca’s waiting.’

Emma followed her friend up the
steps to the grand front door.  Natalie rang the large doorbell.  Everything
seemed oversized to Emma, or perhaps it was just her perspective.  It seemed an
age until the door was opened.  Standing in the hallway was a small woman dressed
in a black and white outfit that wouldn’t have looked out of place in an
Edwardian mansion.  She looked like she was from the Philippines or somewhere
in the Far East.  Emma assumed she was the housekeeper. 

‘You are Miss Campbell and Miss
Hamilton?’ she asked.  She had a thick accent which made it a little hard to
understand her.

‘Yes,’ Natalie said firmly as
though worried the housekeeper might slam the door in her face.

‘This way please,’ she said and the
two girls followed her in.  Emma tried to keep her mouth from opening like a
fish in amazement at the opulent surroundings.  The front hallway was very
grand with a patterned tiled floor.  The room seemed to go up and up, and Emma
couldn’t help but look upwards to see the large chandelier dangling delicately
from the ceiling.  There seemed to be endlessly huge rooms to traverse but
eventually the housekeeper stopped at a fancy-looking door and knocked.

‘Come in,’ a voice said and they
entered, Emma feeling a mixture of nerves and anticipation.  She was surprised
to see a girl sitting – or rather reclining – on a couch which looked as though
it were an antique from the Napoleonic era.  The girl, who she assumed must be
Rebecca, looked younger than Emma had imagined.  She could be no older than
twenty three.  Petite and pretty but not stunning, she was beautifully dressed in
a crisp white linen short-sleeved blouse, red skinny jeans and sky-high red
patent wedge heels.  Emma found it hard not to stare at her.   

‘Miss Campbell and Miss Hamilton,
ma’am,’ the housekeeper said and left the room.

‘Please sit down and make
yourselves comfortable,’ Rebecca said, gesturing to the couch opposite hers. 

The two girls sat down.  By now Emma
was even hungrier than when she’d left the house and to her mortification her stomach
rumbled.  She pretended to cough to disguise it a little, but it didn’t work. 
She felt her face grow bright red as Rebecca turned to her and said,

‘Malaya has just gone to prepare
some food.  We’ll have lunch shortly.  Now, Emma you must tell me how you’re
settling in to London life.  Natalie’s been here a while so I’ve heard all her
gossip.’

Emma thought she looked genuinely interested
to know, which put her at ease.  She told Rebecca all about life in London so
far, her trips into the heart of the city to see the many attractions, how much
she enjoyed travelling on the Tube, her nights out with Natalie at various bars
and nightclubs.

‘How fabulous!’ was Rebecca’s
response.  Emma smiled broadly.  ‘You know you must both come to Anaya.  I’m a
member so there’ll be no trouble getting you on the guest list.’

Emma hadn’t heard of this club, but
when she saw Natalie’s face light up she knew it must be somewhere special.

‘Oh that would be wonderful if you
could, Rebecca!’ Natalie said beaming.

‘Of course I can.  I’ve been a
member for ages.  They know me well.  Ah, here’s Malaya with the food.’  Rebecca
uncrossed her legs elegantly and got up from the couch to pour the tea from the
teapot Malaya had put on the sideboard along with an appetizing array of beautifully
cut sandwiches.  ‘Thank you, Malaya.  You can go now, we’ll serve ourselves.’ 
Turning to Emma and Natalie she said, ‘Please help yourselves.’

The girls began to eat their sandwiches. 
Emma had never tasted anything so delicious.  Some of the sandwiches were
salmon with soft cheese.  Others were cheese and pickle, but not just any
cheese and pickle.  Only the finest ingredients had gone into these sandwiches;
Emma could almost taste Rebecca’s wealth as she ate.  As the girls devoured their
lunch, they listened to Rebecca’s stories of a life of luxury.  Emma was a
little surprised to learn that the house they were in now was not Rebecca’s parents’
home as she’d assumed, but the ‘pad’ that her father had bought for her as a
twenty first birthday present.

‘He wanted me out of his and Louisa’s
(that’s my stepmother) hair.  That bitch!’ she said, a dark scowl clouding her
face.  ‘It was all her fault.  She never did like me and the feeling is
mutual.  I just know that if it wasn’t for her he would have let me stay with
him, maybe even given me the house, which makes this place look like a poky
bedsit.  But never mind.  Living here has taught me to be independent and enabled
me to meet different and interesting people like yourselves, which I never
would have if I had stayed with Daddy.  And anyway, so many people in the world
are far worse off than me.  I’m thinking of starting my own charitable trust to
help those less fortunate than myself.  Maybe you could help me, Emma.’

Emma was surprised.  She shot a
glance at Natalie who gave an almost imperceptible shrug. 

‘Me?  Um… yes, if you like. I don’t
know that I’d have the right experience though.’

‘Nonsense.  You’d be perfect.  In
terms of mixing with… different people you’ve seen so much more of the world
than I have, I’m not ashamed to admit it.’

‘Thank you,’ Emma replied, trying
not to laugh.

They had finished the sandwiches
and drunk the last dregs of tea in their cups.  Emma felt exhausted for some
reason and really wanted to leave.  But Rebecca got up and crossed to the other
side of the room, picking something up off the antique-looking bureau.  It
looked like a cigarette case.  Emma didn’t mind smoking occasionally, but only
at specific times.  In the past it had usually been sitting with her friends on
a cliff top looking out across the sea at a spectacular sunset.  Right now she
wasn’t in the mood, but it didn’t look as though she’d have much choice. 

Rebecca opened the case and offered
one to Natalie who took it without a word, then picked one herself.  Finally
she offered one to Emma who saw what was in the case and shook her head firmly. 
She had smoked joints a few times before, but decided a while back that she
didn’t want to again and had gone off them.  She really couldn’t stand the
smell for one thing, but also she didn’t like the way they made her feel, all
spaced out and woozy.  The effect on her when she’d had a lot to drink was bad
enough.  Emma knew her limits.  She would draw the line at taking a more potent
drug.  

‘They’re spliffs,’ she said flatly. 
‘I don’t smoke cannabis.’

Natalie rolled her eyes.  ‘Oh come
on, Em, it’s just a bit of weed.  It won’t hurt.’

Emma felt uncomfortable.  What
could she say?  She decided to make up an excuse. ‘It’s just that with drugs
one thing leads to another and…’

‘Oh that’s simply not true,’ Rebecca
said sitting down again, the case still open in her hand.  She took out a joint
and lit it.  ‘Cannabis is a naturally occurring plant and there’s no real harm
in it.  It just makes you feel happy and mellow.  Come on, why don’t you give
it a try?’

Emma shook her head uncertainly.  She
glanced at the clock on the wall.  They’d only been here an hour but she was
desperate to leave.  Maybe if she just took a puff or two Rebecca would be
satisfied and let them go.

‘All right,’ she said reluctantly. 
Rebecca handed her the case and Emma took a joint and lit it.  She inhaled the
smoke and felt it go down her lungs, trying not to cough.  The three of them
sat in silence for a while.  Emma’s mind drifted.  She could feel the cannabis
starting to take effect.  Instead of thinking about leaving, she thought about her
friends back home and how they would envy her fabulous life here.