In The Fast Lane

by Lotte Moore

  Vivi went outside to tell her sister the shocking news.

  “I think A&E would be safest,” suggested Serena. “Drop Georgie off here. She’ll be so upset seeing her Grandma like that.”

  “Yes, I’ll come now,” Vivi replied. “Good job the marquee hasn’t arrived yet. We’ll have to postpone the party for a week. Her friends can’t see her with a swollen face and one tooth missing.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that. Wow! This is going to be some cancellation. And all those expectant old guests too! See you shortly.”

  Vivi went back into the kitchen to find her daughter sitting on the floor beside Beady.

  “Poor Grandma, how did you hurt yourself?” asked Georgie tearfully.

  “I just fell on the rockery trying to pick a yellow rose,” said Beady, cross with herself.

  “Georgie darling, go and get a nightie and your school clothes. You’re going to sleep with Alicia tonight while I take Grandma to the doctor.”

  “Mummy, can’t I stay and help?” Georgie begged.

  “No, you’ll help me by going to Auntie Serena. Jago will stay here with Bella.”

  Everyone was silent in the car except for intermittent sobs from Georgie. Serena opened the car door to say hello to her mum, and Georgie rushed out.

  “Oh Lord, that does look awful!” said Serena.

  “I’ll ring you later when she’s been seen!” said Vivi.

  They spent five hours in A&E. The X-ray showed no broken bones, just bad bruising on the knee and face. One tooth would have to be replaced. They got home late that evening.

  “Would you rather sleep on the sofa downstairs, Mum?”

  “No thanks, I’ll manage. I’ve got to keep my independence; however painful it might be. Sorry, Vivi darling, for spoiling our time together.” Beady hauled herself slowly upstairs. “I wasn’t even supposed to be staying with you until next week, was I?”

  “Oh, that doesn’t matter, I’ll go ahead and turn your lights on. I forgot to tell you it’s Theo’s big night tomorrow in Moscow, I must ring him now.” Vivi took Beady’s arm as they reached the bedroom. “Shall I take your coat and shoes off, Mum? I expect you’re aching and bruised.”

  “Yes, if you would.” Beady sounded very weary. “Thank you, Vivi dear, for looking after me. You go and ring Theo. Wish him luck from me too. I want to hear all about the performance tomorrow.”

  Vivi hurried downstairs and quickly dialled Theo’s mobile number.

  “Hello, my darling,” Theo replied sleepily.

  “Have I woken you? So sorry, I was just wondering how the rehearsals went?” Vivi’s voice was trembling as the words tumbled out affectionately.

  “I’m half asleep. I want to be fresh for the great day. Oh Vivi, I wish you were at my side,” Theo whispered.

  Loving words finished their chat and after putting the receiver down Vivi felt a sudden wave of solitude. She stood, letting the darkness swallow her up.

  Chapter Thirty Three

  Moscow

  Baba slowly drew the curtains back as sun poured across Theo’s shock of blond hair.

  “This is my day!” He smiled at Baba, then stretched elegantly in bed. “I’ll stay here and relish the music deep inside me for a while.”

  “What would you like for breakfast?” she asked.

  “Just coffee.”

  “Let me cook you an omelette.”

  “No Baba, I’m full up with excitement.”

  He lay motionless looking across the rooftops, fingers moving gently across his knees.

  Two hours later, Theo arrived at the Bolshoi Theatre Grand Hall, excitement bubbling inside his cool exterior. Sergei guided him to his dressing room, then onto the stage that seemed huge.

  The vast auditorium was ablaze with golden plasterwork and red velvet seats. He went to the piano, pressed a note, then some chords, as the orchestra dribbled into their places, tuning their instruments and joking with each other.

  Murel came in and jumped onto the podium, anticipating a vigorous rehearsal.

  “Are you ready to play your heart out Theo?” He smiled as he raised his baton.

  Often, during a last rehearsal in the actual hall quite a few adjustments had to be made in various sections of the orchestra. Theo disliked the interruptions to the flow of his playing.

  During a break, Sergei brought coffee to his dressing room.

  “These just arrived.” He handed over a bunch of roses from Vivi and a drawing from Georgie.

  “Ah, my dearest girls,” said Theo, smelling the flowers.

  “What would you like for lunch? Shall I bring something here or shall we go to our café, even though it’s a bit far away?”

  “Let’s try something new,” suggested Theo as two heads popped round the door.

  “Come and join us at the Hall restaurant,” said Yan, a big, burly double bass player who always made Theo laugh. Maya, the brilliant oboist, stood by his side.

  Sergei seemed a bit put out.

  *

  The final part of the rehearsal finished around 4pm after which everyone vanished, and the hall became empty.

  Theo’s excitement was building inside him, purring in his guts. He wanted to start playing. He sat in his dressing room and listened to the tannoy, over which a hum of arriving concert goers buzzed in muffled tones. The sound rose and evolved into almost discernible chatter at the imminent début of a rising star.

  Sergei whispered, “Good luck, maestro!” just before Theo walked into the spotlight.

  The audience welcomed him with cheers. He bowed once and sat down. Murel reached the podium in a bound, raised his baton and in a second the piano exploded into a torrent of chords, Theo’s fingers racing across the keys, sweeping on the orchestra. He raised the roof as his power and brilliance surged across the audience.

  Ten minutes later, the adagio fell into a graceful gentleness, satiating the listeners with its beautiful phrasing before suddenly erupting into the third movement. Agile fingers rushed up and down the keys. Theo was Tchaikovsky rising to a gigantic climax. When he got there, hands raised from the keys, the audience stood up and cheered. Meanwhile, he stood shyly and bowed, tears in his eyes, then looked over towards Baba and blew her a kiss.

  During the interval, Sergei rushed into his dressing room and gave him a bear hug.

  “You’ve captured this audience completely. It’s electrifying out there!”

  Theo walked back on stage twenty minutes later to cheers and wild clapping. He played Scriabin’s two piano sonatas with astounding sensitivity. The audience was so silent he almost forgot they existed until the finale, when tumultuous applause burst out at the last bar.

  Afterwards, at the post-concert dinner, dumplings were handed round to hungry, eager faces. Almost the entire orchestra filled several tables at a popular Georgian restaurant.

  “Ah, Khachapuri, my favourite!” exclaimed Theo. Three scruffy male students came up to him.

  “Can we have your autograph?” one of them asked as the others watched him in awe.

  “Certainly, what instruments do you play?”

  A tall, skinny teenager replied, “The double bass. We’re in a trio at present. He’s flute and he’s piano.”

  “Keep practicing,” said Theo and the students nodded eagerly.

  The evening evolved into riotous singing, bottles clinking and feet stamping.

  Chapter Thirty Four

  Aylesbury

  “Hi, Serena love. I was ringing to see if Mum arrived safely last night?” asked Jonty.

  “Oh, my dear JJ, in all the chaos, I forgot to tell you of all people! I’m so sorry. She arrived two days early as a surprise!” Serena continued to tell Jonty the whole story, finishing up with trying to postpone the party and marquee because Beady’s face looked so battered. “So, you’ll be having her down there a bit later than planned,” she said at last.

  “Poor Mum, shall I have a chat?” Jonty asked.

  “She’s at Vivi’s,” said Serena. />
  After putting the phone down, Jonty went out to the stables to update Cheryl.

  “Just let me finish grooming this pony. I’ll meet you in the garden. Want a cup of tea?” she asked before he could do so.

  A few minutes later they threw off their anoraks.

  “What a lovely, warm, May morning,” Cheryl beamed, sipping her tea. “What’s up? You’re looking anxious.”

  Jonty relayed everything, including the ‘two days early’ surprise. “Serena sounded rather impatient about it all. She’s got to cancel fifty-two invitations, poor love. Mum’s not an easy patient and she’ll hate looking awful with a swollen face and black eye, even though she’s brave. Remember how she coped with the shock of Dad drowning? She looked almost regal at the funeral, holding her tears back, but we all know how much she must have been hurting inside.”

  “Yes, but then perhaps that was partly because of the girls? Serena was so upset and Vivi looked incredibly vulnerable. Do you remember?” said Cheryl wistfully.

  “Fancy, somebody who’d been in the Navy, ending up in the sea.” Jonty sounded forlorn.

  Cheryl put an arm round him and said, “Let’s leave memories behind shall we? I know! We can pop up to London one day to see Beady if you want.”

  Jonty cheered up. “Let’s go on Tuesday. Can you leave the riding? Jane can organise that, can’t she?”

  Cheryl nodded and they sat cosily together wrapped up in their own thoughts with the sun warming their faces.

  Chapter Thirty Five

  Chiswick

  Vivi sank into a deep sofa, having finished her morning session with clients. She always felt reluctant to see people at the weekend. It seemed an intrusion into her family life; but being alone, it somehow filled a ‘missing Theo’ void. Thankfully Bella had taken Georgie and Jago to the fair.

  Since Beady had gone back to Serena’s, their big house felt even more empty and lonely. Vivi ached for Theo—just to feel him, smell him, see him. She felt engulfed in nothingness. Despair had caught her unawares. His trips away seemed to be getting longer and busier.

  “We’re not sharing our lives any more, yet our love is so powerful when we are together,” she heard herself mumble aloud.

  After being married for nine years, family life seemed to be diminishing. The first few years had been blissful, gentle, and sensual, but Theo was only on the edge of his career then. Listening to music for hours, their arms and legs would caress each other and the centre of their souls seemed to fuse into one. Remembering this, Vivi sat in silence, while the sunlight filtered through the curtains warming her tear-stained face. A surge of wretchedness made her tremble, and then the phone rang.

  “Yes, who is it?” she whispered.

  “It’s me, Theo. You sound very distant. What’s the matter?” he asked urgently.

  “Oh, it’s nothing. How did the concert go?”

  “It was incredible. They cheered so long I cried. The Tchaikovsky went brilliantly. How I wish you’d been there.” Theo was interrupted by a sob. “Vivi my love, what is it?”

  She sighed, “I’m missing you so much. I can’t go on this way. It’s empty, like a void, when you’re away. I put on a calm face to everyone, but inside I’m churned up and wanting you so badly.”

  “I’ll be back tomorrow evening, Vivi darling,” he replied.

  “I know. I just wish you were here now.”

  “Soon my love,” Theo said.

  They said goodbye and she put the phone down gently. The long white curtains billowed out as she stood watching Jago and Georgie bounding towards the house with balloons and ice-creams, carrying their laughter towards her. Vivi ran down to greet them.

  Chapter Thirty Six

  Moscow

  Theo rang Sergei urgently next morning. “Get me a flight to London today, as soon as possible, I have to go back.”

  “But you must stay for the press interviews and meetings. Everyone is—”

  “I’m not interested,” Theo interrupted. “They can phone me for interviews. I’ve given a good performance but I have to go home before St Petersburg in a few weeks.”

  Theo put the phone down sure and determined in his decision. Sergei was stunned, unable to make sense of his protégé.

  Chapter Thirty Seven

  City of London

  Just as he was about to leave his office, Lang spotted Bob Calder walking towards him down the long corridor.

  “What a coincidence. Just the man I want to see,” said Calder, putting an arm on Lang’s shoulder and pulling him back into his plush office room. “That Trust company you brought into the firm is doing some lovely business—very impressive. But I did just have a query about some outstanding balances. Is this one something to do with you?” The Chairman held out a sheet of paper.

  Lang’s face turned white. “Don’t worry, I’m seeing to that.” He hastily took the document from Calder’s hand and put it in his pocket.

  Calder checked his watch. “Drink?”

  “No thanks, I’ve got some photocopying to do, then I must dash home and prepare for a family do.”

  They shook hands and Lang turned left onto a brightly lit corridor. He waited until he could no longer hear Calder’s footsteps before pulling out the document and staring at it with blurry eyes. He crumpled up the paper and lowered his head in his hands.

  “What am I to do?” he muttered to the empty room.

  Chapter Thirty Eight

  Kensington

  During supper that evening Serena grew increasingly concerned, “What is the matter tonight, Lang?”

  “It’s just the office and the workload.”

  His weary voice tested Serena’s patience. “I thought you were pleased to be promoted. Why must you be so gloomy? I’ve had a ghastly day, too, with three different customers complaining about the colour of carpets and curtains. I want to scream half the time, but I have to be calm and courteous instead.” She stood behind Lang, gently fondling his hair. “Talk to me about work. What’s getting you down?”

  “I can’t explain it to you. It’s too complicated,” Lang muttered.

  “Please talk to me,” Serena said softly but when Lang didn’t respond, Serena let her hand drop to her side and sat down feeling rejected.

  “Hello Lang, you have been working late,” said Beady, entering the room. “It’s almost 10pm.”

  “Yes, it’s very hectic at present,” he snapped.

  “Poor Serena’s had a bad day too. Shall I make you both a hot toddy?”

  “No Mum. In fact, would you mind just leaving us alone please?”

  Beady looked at her daughter and son-in-law, then did as she was asked. Serena watched her go, then turned back to Lang, deciding that a change of subject was called for.

  “I offered the Vicar from Madeira a bed here for the night for the big party by the way. The quartet are having a run-through in the drawing room the day before.”

  Lang sighed. “Must they? That’s all I need!”

  “Well, I’m sorry, but I’ve arranged it now. It’ll be alright on the night, you’ll see. Come on, let’s go up, shall we? I think we could both do with a good night’s rest.”

  As they entered the bedroom a smell of cinnamon greeted them. On either side table a steaming toddy sat on a saucer surrounded by bay leaves. ‘Sleep well’ written on both napkins in silver ink.

  “She just can’t leave it, can she?” Lang tutted, aggressively undoing his tie.

  “She’s being nice,” Serena retorted. “Well, I wish she wouldn’t.”

  Chapter Thirty Nine

  Chiswick

  Vivi drowsily rolled over, clutching her pillow on which Theo’s shirt was draped. Suddenly she felt enveloped. The embrace almost crushed her as she felt his mouth on her neck.

  “Oh Theo! You’re home!”

  Her body turned into his embrace. They were one again. He bent to kiss each breast, his soft hands caressing the contours of her lithe body, stroking her thighs and kissing the moist parts b
etween them. Vivi gave an ecstatic cry of pleasure as he slipped deeply into her. Their rhythms rose soaring into places they’d never been. Every part of them gave each other sublime satisfaction, finally reaching an explosion of total unity.

  The peace was disrupted by Georgie bursting into the room just after 6am with little Jago stumbling along behind her.

  “Daddy! I love this Russian doll!” she cried, bounding onto the bed and hugging Theo.

  Theo hauled Jago up for a hug. The bedroom was alive with laughter.

  Vivi watched her husband and children, crying inwardly with joy. We’re all here, she thought, stroking Theo’s face.

  Breakfast was chaotic and rowdy. Bella came in to clear the plates and plucked Jago out of his high chair. Meanwhile, Vivi got up to hug Theo.

  “I can’t believe you’re back, it’s so wonderful. You’ll be here for Beady’s party,” she said.

  “Another party?”

  “No, this is the party—for Mum’s seventieth. I did tell you it was postponed because of her accident, but perhaps you were too distracted by work. But her face isn’t swollen anymore, so we’ve rescheduled it for a few days’ time—we thought we may have to wait weeks!”

  “Well, I may be rehearsing or even doing a concert at short notice,” Theo replied.

  “Do try and be here with us all.” Vivi’s appealing eyes won him over.

  Theo practised for a couple of hours until Vivi came in and suggested a picnic. He played some songs on the piano for the children and they romped until the hamper was ready. It was a beautiful sunny morning, so everyone cycled to Chiswick Park. As they arrived, Georgie grabbed Theo’s arm and the two of them were running to a huge cedar tree when his mobile rang. He stopped to answer it while Georgie continued to run.

  “Sergei!”

  Vivi watched the excitement on his face, and momentarily felt her heart sink. She walked on and found a large grassy area among the huge cedars. As she spread out the rug, little Jago crept underneath trying to play hide-and-seek. Vivi spread out plates and cups with some wine for Theo and herself.