"see you soon, ven." luke kisses venetia. "thanks very much."

"bye, becky." venetia gives me a warm, friendly smile. "oh, and i nearly forgot. i don't know if you'd be at all interested, but a journalist from vogue called me up yesterday. they're doing a big feature on london's yummiest mummies-to-be and wanted me to put forward some names. i thought of you."

"vogue?" i stare at her, frozen.

"you may not be interested, of course. it would involve a photo shoot of you in the baby's nursery, an interview, hair and makeup.... they'll provide designer maternity clothes...." she gives a vague shrug. "i don't know - is that your kind of thing?"

i'm practically hyperventilating. is it my kind of thing? is having my makeup done and wearing designer clothes and being in vogue...my kind of thing?

"i think that's a yes," says luke, looking at me in amusement.

"great!" venetia touches him on the hand. "leave it to me. i'll fix it up."

rebecca brandon 37 maida vale mansions

maida vale

london nw6 0yf

18 august 2003

dear fabia,

i just wanted to say how much we love your gorgeous, beautiful house. it's the kate moss of houses!!in fact, it's so stunning, i think it deserves to appear in vogue, don't you?

that reminds me of a teeny favor i wanted to ask. coincidentally, i am being interviewed by vogue - and i wondered if i could use the house for the photo shoot?

i also wondered if i could put up some personal props and say that luke and i live there already? after all, we will by the time the magazine comes out...so it makes sense, really!

in return, if there is anything i can do for you or any fashion item you would like me to track down, i will be only too glad!

with very best wishes,

becky brandon

not in size, obviously.

fabia paschali

date: 19/8/03

to: rebecca brandon

becky,

1. chloe silverado bag, tan

2. matthew williamson purple beaded kaftan top, size 6

3. olly bricknell princess shoes, green, size 39.

fabia

33 delamain road, maida vale, london nw6 1ty

oxshott school for girls

marlin road

oxshott

surrey

kt22 0jg

from the school librarian

mrs l hargreaves

23 august 2003

dear becky,

how nice to hear from you after all these years, and i do indeed remember you as a pupil here. who could forget the girl who started the "friendship handbags" craze of 1989?

i am delighted you are to appear in vogue - and it is, as you say, a surprise. though i must assure you, the teachers did not sit in the staff room, saying "i bet becky bloomwood never makes it into vogue."

i will be sure to buy an issue, although i think it unlikely the headmistress will sanction buying an official commemorative copy for each pupil, as you suggest.

with very best wishes,

lorna hargreaves

librarian

p.s. do you still have a copy of in the fifth at malory towers? there is a rather large fine on it.

nine

i'm going to be in vogue! last week martha, who is the girl writing the yummiest mummies-to-be feature, rang up and we had the most brilliant long chat.

maybe i did make up a few teeny things. like my daily exercise regime. and having freshly crushed raspberries for breakfast every morning, and how i write poetry to my unborn child. (i can always get some out of a book.) plus i've said we already live in the house on delamain road, because it sounds better than living in a flat.

but the point is, we will be living in it very soon. it's practically ours already. and the girl was really interested to hear about the his and hers nurseries. she said she thought they'd be a highlight of the shoot. a highlight!

"becky?"

a voice cuts into my thoughts and i look up to see eric heading across the floor toward me. quickly i hide my lists under a maxmara catalog and scan the shop floor to make sure there isn't some lurking customer i've missed. but there's no one. trade hasn't exactly picked up in the last few days.

truth be told, we've had yet another disaster. someone in marketing decided to start a "word on the street" campaign, hiring students to talk about the look and hand out leaflets in cafes. which would have been great if they hadn't handed them to a gang of shoplifters, who proceeded to come in and pinch the entire range of benefit cosmetics. they were caught - but even so. the daily world had a total field day, about how "the look is so desperate, it's now inviting in convicted criminals."

the place feels emptier than ever, and to cap it all, five members of the staff resigned this week. no wonder eric looks so grumpy.