Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic 5-Book Bundle (140 page)

“For
nothing
?” says Luke, incredulous. “Becky . . . just take a look at what you’ve done.” He gestures at the throng. “Look at all these people. I’ve heard how you transformed the campaign. Not to mention the village . . . and this party you’re throwing . . . You should be proud of yourself. Hurricane Becky, they’re calling you.”

“What, I leave a trail of devastation everywhere?”

Luke looks at me, suddenly serious, his eyes warm and dark. “You blow people away. Everyone you meet.” He picks up my hand and looks at it for a moment. “Don’t be like Jess. Be like you.”

“But you said . . .” I begin, then stop myself.

“What?”

Oh God. I was going to be all grown-up and dignified and not mention this. But I just can’t help it.

“I overheard you talking to Jess,” I mumble. “When she was staying with us. I heard you say . . . it was difficult to live with me.”

“It
is
difficult to live with you,” says Luke matter-of-factly.

I blink at him, my throat a little tight.

“It’s also enriching. It’s exciting. It’s fun. It’s the only thing I want to do. If it were easy . . . it would be boring.” He touches my cheek. “Life with you is an adventure, Becky.”

“Becky!” calls Suze from below. “The party’s starting! Hi, Luke!”

“Come on,” Luke says, and kisses me. Over his shoulder I see Edie nudging Lorna and pointing to us, agog. God, I’m going to have to put them all straight. Otherwise they’ll think I’ve been unfaithful to my husband with the evil Arcodas man.

“Let’s get you off this ladder.” Luke’s strong fingers weave round mine, and I squeeze them back.

“By the way, what did you mean just now when you said you were frugal?” he asks as he helps me edge down the steps. “Was it a joke?”

“No! I’m frugal! Jess taught me. Like Yoda.”

“What exactly did she teach you?” says Luke, looking a bit wary.

“How to make a water sprinkler out of a milk carton,” I say proudly. “And gift wrap out of old plastic bags. Also, you should always write a birthday card in pencil so the person can rub out your message and use it again. It saves ninety pence!”

Luke looks at me wordlessly for a few moments.

“I think I need to get you back to London,” he says at last, then helps me down the stepladder, holding my crutch under his arm. “Danny called, by the way.”

“Danny called?” In my excitement I miss the last step of the ladder. As I land on the grass, everything goes a little swirly.

“Ooh!” I clutch on to Luke. “I’m all dizzy.”

“Are you OK?” says Luke in alarm. “Is it the concussion? You shouldn’t have been climbing ladders. . . .”

“It’s all right,” I say, a little breathless. “I’ll sit down.”

“God, I always used to get like that!” says Suze, passing by. “When I was pregnant.”

Everything seems to empty from my mind.

I dart a startled glance at Luke. He looks equally jolted.

No. I mean . . . I couldn’t . . .

I couldn’t be—

All of a sudden my brain is doing frantic sums. I haven’t even
thought
about . . . But the last time I . . . it must have been . . . It’s been at least . . .

Oh my God.

“Becky?” says Luke in a strange voice.

“Um . . . Luke . . .”

I take a deep breath, trying to keep cool.

OK. Don’t panic. Do
not
panic. . . .

WEST CUMBRIA BANK

45 STERNDALE STREET
COGGENTHWAITE
CUMBRIA

Ms Jessica Bertram
12 Hill Rise
Scully
Cumbria CA19 1BD

12 June 2003

Dear Ms Bertram,

I was surprised to see today that a sum of one thousand pounds has been taken from your account.

This is most unusual activity for your account and for this reason I am contacting you to ensure that a mistake has not been made.

Yours sincerely,

Howard Shawcross
Customer Account Manager

WEST CUMBRIA BANK

45 STERNDALE STREET
COGGENTHWAITE
CUMBRIA

Ms Jessica Bertram
12 Hill Rise
Scully
Cumbria CA19 1 BD

22 June 2003

Dear Ms Bertram,

I was shocked and grieved by the tone of your last letter.

I do “have a life” as you put it.

Yours sincerely,

Howard Shawcross
Customer Account Manager

Rebecca Brandon
37 Maida Vale Mansions
Maida Vale
London NW6 0YF

Manager
Harvey Nichols
109α25 Knightsbridge
London SW1X 7RJ

25 June 2003

Dear Sir,

I am doing a piece of hypothetical research. I was wondering whether it is true that if you give birth in Harvey Nichols (accidentally, of course!) you are entitled to free clothes for life.

I would be very grateful if you could let me know.

Obviously, as I have mentioned, this is a completely hypothetical inquiry.

Yours sincerely,

Rebecca Brandon (née Bloomwood)

Acknowledgments

Hugest gratitude to the endlessly wise and supportive Susan Kamil, to Irwyn Applebaum, Nita Taublib, Barb Burg, Sharon Propson, Susan Corcoran, Cathy Paine, and Margo Lipschultz.

Thanks as ever to the fabulous Araminta Whitley, Celia Hayley, Kim Witherspoon, and David Forrer. A special thank-you to Joy Terekiev and Chiara Scaglioni for a wonderful welcome in Milan and some essential Italian!

Thanks to the members of the Board. To Henry, for everything. To Freddy and Hugo for suggesting I write about pirates instead (maybe next time).

And a big thank-you to my parents for taking me in off the streets so I could finish writing this. . . .

Also by Sophie Kinsella

CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC

SHOPAHOLIC TAKES MANHATTAN

SHOPAHOLIC TIES THE KNOT

CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET?

SHOPAHOLIC & BABY

SHOPAHOLIC & BABY

A Dial Press Book / March 2007

Published by

The Dial Press

A Division of Random House, Inc.

New York, New York

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved

Copyright © 2007 by Sophie Kinsella

The Dial Press is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc., and the colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kinsella, Sophie.

Shopaholic & baby / Sophie Kinsella.

p. cm.

1. Bloomwood, Becky (Fictitious character)—Fiction. 2. Pregnant women—Fiction. 3. Triangles (Interpersonal relations)—Fiction. 4. Shopping—Fiction. I. Title. II. Title: Shopaholic and baby.

PR6073.I246S557 2007

823’.92—dc 22 2006031793

www.dialpress.com

eISBN: 978-0-440-33671-6

v3.0

For Oscar

KENNETH PRENDERGAST

Prendergast de Witt Connell Financial Advisers

Forward House

394 High Holborn

London WC1V 7EX

Mrs. R Brandon

37 Maida Vale Mansions

Maida Vale

London NW6 0YF

30 July 2003

Dear Mrs. Brandon,

It was a great pleasure to meet you and Luke the other day, and I look forward to taking on the role as your family financial adviser.

I am in the process of setting up banking arrangements and a trust fund for your unborn child. In due course we can discuss what investments you and your husband might make in the baby’s name.

I look forward to getting to know you better over the coming months; please do not hesitate to contact me on any matter, no matter how small.

Yours sincerely,

Kenneth Prendergast

Family Investment Specialist

KENNETH PRENDERGAST

Prendergast de Witt Connell Financial Advisers

Forward House

394 High Holborn

London WC1V 7EX

Mrs. R Brandon

37 Maida Vale Mansions

Maida Vale

London NW6 0YF

1 August 2003

Dear Mrs. Brandon,

Thank you for your letter. In answer to your question, yes, there will be an overdraft facility on the baby’s bank account—although, naturally, I would not expect it to be used!

Yours sincerely,

Kenneth Prendergast

Family Investment Specialist

KENNETH PRENDERGAST

Prendergast de Witt Connell Financial Advisers

Forward House

394 High Holborn

London WC1V 7EX

Mrs. R Brandon

37 Maida Vale Mansions

Maida Vale

London NW6 0YF

7 August 2003

Dear Mrs. Brandon,

Thank you for your letter. I was intrigued to hear about the “psychic message” you recently received from your unborn child. However, I’m afraid it is impossible to access the overdraft facility at this stage. Even if, as you say, “the baby wishes it.”

Yours sincerely,

Kenneth Prendergast

Family Investment Specialist