In The Fast Lane Read online

  First published in Great Britain by YouByYou Books 2015

  This edition published in Great Britain by Hashtag Press 2018

  Text copyright © Lotte Moore 2018

  Cover illustrations © Philip Hood 2018

  Cover design © Helen Braid 2018

  The moral right of the author has been asserted

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  All characters in this book are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  A CIP catalogue for this book is available from the British Library.

  ISBN 978-1-9998053-0-2

  eISBN 978-1-9998053-1-9

  Typeset in Garamond Classic 11.25/14 by Blaze Typesetting

  Printed in Great Britain by Clays Ltd, St Ives plc

  HASHTAG PRESS BOOKS

  Hashtag Press Ltd

  Kent, England, United Kingdom

  Email: [email protected]

  Website: www.hashtagpress.co.uk

  Twitter: @hashtag_press

  Wishing all the world could go a little slower.

  Contents

  Acknowledgements

  PART ONE

  Chapter One: Kensington 1990

  Chapter Two: Chiswick

  Chapter Three: Kensington

  Chapter Four: Aylesbury

  Chapter Five: Chiswick

  Chapter Six: Kensington

  Chapter Seven: Chiswick

  Chapter Eight: Kensington

  Chapter Nine: City of London

  Chapter Ten: Kensington

  Chapter Eleven: Chiswick

  Chapter Twelve: Kensington

  Chapter Thirteen: Ascot

  Chapter Fourteen: Chiswick

  Chapter Fifteen: Kensington

  Chapter Sixteen: Chiswick

  Chapter Seventeen: Sussex

  Chapter Eighteen: Chiswick

  Chapter Nineteen: Brighton

  Chapter Twenty: Aylesbury

  Chapter Twenty One: Chiswick

  Chapter Twenty Two: Moscow

  Chapter Twenty Three: Chiswick

  Chapter Twenty Four: Moscow

  Chapter Twenty Five: Kensington

  Chapter Twenty Six: Aylesbury

  Chapter Twenty Seven: Moscow

  Chapter Twenty Eight: Kensington

  Chapter Twenty Nine: Chiswick

  Chapter Thirty: Aylesbury

  Chapter Thirty One: Moscow

  Chapter Thirty Two: Kensington and Chiswick

  Chapter Thirty Three: Moscow

  Chapter Thirty Four: Aylesbury

  Chapter Thirty Five: Chiswick

  Chapter Thirty Six: Moscow

  Chapter Thirty Seven: City of London

  Chapter Thirty Eight: Kensington

  Chapter Thirty Nine: Chiswick

  Chapter Forty: Kensington

  PART TWO

  Chapter One: Moscow

  Chapter Two: City of London

  Chapter Three: South of Naples, Italy

  Chapter Four: Aylesbury

  Chapter Five: St Petersburg

  Chapter Six: Kensington

  Chapter Seven: Chiswick

  Chapter Eight: Moscow

  Chapter Nine: Aylesbury

  Chapter Ten: Notting Hill

  Chapter Eleven: City of London

  Chapter Twelve: Moscow

  Chapter Thirteen: Aylesbury

  Chapter Fourteen: Chiswick

  Chapter Fifteen: Kensington

  Chapter Sixteen: City of London

  Chapter Seventeen: Moscow

  Chapter Eighteen: Aylesbury

  Chapter Nineteen: Moscow

  Chapter Twenty: Kensington

  Chapter Twenty One: City of London

  Chapter Twenty Two: Vienna

  Chapter Twenty Three: Kensington

  Chapter Twenty Four: Aylesbury

  Chapter Twenty Five: Vienna

  Chapter Twenty Six: Kensington

  Chapter Twenty Seven: Chiswick

  Chapter Twenty Eight: Aylesbury

  Chapter Twenty Nine: Moscow

  Chapter Thirty: Chiswick

  Chapter Thirty One: Moscow

  Chapter Thirty Two: Aylesbury

  Chapter Thirty Three: Chiswick

  Chapter Thirty Four: Kensington

  Chapter Thirty Five: Moscow

  Chapter Thirty Six: Kensington

  Chapter Thirty Seven: Aylesbury

  Chapter Thirty Eight: Moscow

  Chapter Thirty Nine: Paris

  Chapter Forty: Kensington

  Chapter Forty One: Aylesbury

  Chapter Forty Two: Paris

  Chapter Forty Three: Kensington

  Chapter Forty Four: Chiswick

  Chapter Forty Five: Kensington

  Chapter Forty Six: Chiswick

  Chapter Forty Seven: Aylesbury

  Chapter Forty Eight: Kensington

  Chapter Forty Nine: Chiswick

  Chapter Fifty: Notting Hill

  Chapter Fifty One: Kensington

  Chapter Fifty Two: Oving

  Chapter Fifty Three: Central London

  Chapter Fifty Four: Chiswick

  Chapter Fifty Five: Aylesbury

  Chapter Fifty Six: Central London

  Chapter Fifty Seven: Moscow

  Chapter Fifty Eight: Kensington

  Chapter Fifty Nine: Chiswick

  Chapter Sixty: Oving

  Chapter Sixty One: Moscow

  Chapter Sixty Two: Kensington

  Chapter Sixty Three: Chiswick

  Chapter Sixty Four: Aylesbury

  Chapter Sixty Five: Chiswick

  Chapter Sixty Six: Notting Hill

  Chapter Sixty Seven: Oving

  Chapter Sixty Eight: Central London

  Chapter Sixty Nine: Chiswick

  Chapter Seventy: South Bank

  Chapter Seventy One: Notting Hill

  Chapter Seventy Two: Oving

  Chapter Seventy Three: Princes Gate

  Chapter Seventy Four: Chiswick

  Chapter Seventy Five: Kensington

  Chapter Seventy Six: Aylesbury

  Chapter Seventy Seven: Moscow

  Chapter Seventy Eight: Oving

  Chapter Seventy Nine: London

  Chapter Eighty: Chiswick

  Chapter Eighty One: Madeira

  PART THREE

  Chapter One: Chiswick

  Chapter Two: London

  Chapter Three: Oving

  Chapter Four: Chiswick

  Chapter Five: Moscow

  Chapter Six: Chiswick

  Chapter Seven: London

  Chapter Eight: Aylesbury

  Chapter Nine: Wiltshire

  Chapter Ten: Chiswick

  Chapter Eleven: Notting Hill

  Chapter Twelve: Aylesbury

  Chapter Thirteen: Chiswick

  Chapter Fourteen: Wiltshire

  Chapter Fifteen: Madeira

  Chapter Sixteen: Chiswick

  Chapter Seventeen: Chiswick

  Chapter Eighteen: Oving

  Chapter Nineteen: Chiswick

  Chapter Twenty: Oving

  Chapter Twenty One: Chiswick

  Chapter Twenty Two: Wiltshire

  Chapter Twenty Three: Aylesbury

  Chapter Twenty Four: Chiswick

  Chapter Twenty Five: Wiltshire

  Chapter Twenty Six: Aylesbury

  Chapter Twenty Seven: Kensington

  Chapter Twenty
Eight: Chiswick

  Chapter Twenty Nine: Oving

  Chapter Thirty: Aylesbury

  Chapter Thirty One: Chiswick

  Chapter Thirty Two: Aylesbury

  Chapter Thirty Three: Oving

  Chapter Thirty Four: Notting Hill

  Chapter Thirty Five: Chiswick

  Chapter Thirty Six: Aylesbury

  Chapter Thirty Seven: Kensington

  Chapter Thirty Eight: Chiswick

  Chapter Thirty Nine: Aylesbury

  About the author

  Other Books by Lotte Moore

  Acknowledgements

  I would like to thank:

  Philip Hood for the incredible cover illustration and Helen Braid for her wonderful design work.

  Kate Turner for making the inside of the book look as good as the outside.

  Helen and Abiola at Hashtag Press for bringing my novel to life.

  Thanks also to the ladies at Literally PR, led by Helen Lewis, for their ongoing support for all my books.

  Chapter One

  Kensington 1990

  “Bye Freddie. Don’t cling to me or I’ll be late. It’s past seven. There’s a good boy.”

  Briefly pecking his wife, Serena, on the cheek, Lang closed the front door, hurried down the busy street and soon mingled with the early morning stream of commuters who surged down to High Street Kensington tube station.

  He wasn’t Freddie’s daddy any more, nor Benjie’s or Alicia’s, he was one of the ‘city suits’ anxious to reach his office where deals and finance ricocheted from wall to wall, where people became single-minded in striving to achieve targets and outsmart the opposition.

  As usual, the tube was stuffed with hands gripping newspapers, bad breath, perspiration, taut shoulders, and gritted teeth. The rush hour was in full spate. Bank tube station resembled an ant’s nest as hundreds poured out, eager to fire up their computers and check the world markets before they opened.

  Meanwhile, back home in Phillimore Gardens in West London, Serena gave a quick brush to her sleek auburn hair, then dusted Freddie’s crumbs from her colourful dress and slashed lipstick on her lips. She hugged her youngest son, Benjie, before Maggie the au pair swooped him up and led him into the kitchen.

  Serena got into her jeep with the children for a quarrelsome school run. Five-year-old Freddie was trying to annoy eight-year-old Alicia in his usual manner.

  There was a sudden screech of brakes and Serena yelled out of the window at a bus driver, “For God’s sake! You’ve shattered my headlamp!”

  The bus driver stopped and yelled back, “I haven’t even touched your fucking headlight!”

  He drove off furiously with lots of cars blasting their horns at being held up. A line of chauffeurs crawled round the school block looking for a gap to drop off their little passengers. Serena finally parked on a double yellow line and pulled the children from their seats.

  “I guess Daddy won’t be back tonight,” Alicia sighed.

  “No, he’s working on a big project, he won’t finish ‘til about ten, darling,” said Serena, whilst guiding Freddie through the school gates.

  Loud “Byes!” were issued from parents as they waved off their offspring. Serena added hers to the chorus, and then walked back to the car.

  “Oh! That’s outrageous!” She ripped off the parking ticket. “I’ve only been here two minutes.”

  “Bad luck.”

  She recognised the soft voice over her shoulder and turned. “Hello Vivi, darling, I don’t like getting cross so early in the morning.”

  “Let’s have a coffee to calm you down,” said Vivi. “Meet you at Starbucks in ten minutes.”

  Vivi’s serene nature always helped her sister wind down a bit.

  “Two cappuccinos please,” Serena ordered and then they sat down together.

  “So, how’s life?” asked Vivi, running her fingers through her long dark hair.

  Serena rolled her eyes. “Lang’s working so late every evening now. We rarely go out, but I’m having a dinner party tonight with a few friends even though he’ll be late. How’s Theo?”

  “In Moscow, of course. He’s got a new agent who’s booked various concerts in Europe. Bella’s given up turning down his side of the bed! Thank goodness I’ve got her, she’s such a help with the children” said Vivi, her warm brown eyes smiling.

  “How is Georgie, by the way?” asked Serena. “Freddie told me she sang a solo at school the other day.” Serena’s mobile rang. “Oh God, that’s this awful actress complaining about the curtains I’ve just designed. Must go. See you later darling, at school.”

  After a full day working in the office of her interior design company, Serena returned home around 6.30pm to find Maggie the au pair trying to pacify Benjie who was screaming in his cot, while Alicia slopped around in a pair of Serena’s Jimmy Choos.

  “Come on you lot. I’ve got people coming over at eight.”

  Serena hurried into the kitchen and started preparing dinner when the phone rang.

  “Hello brother dear, how are you? This weekend? Yes, that would be fun. Can’t get rid of the kids though, so they’ll have to come too. OK, Jonty, see you Saturday.”

  Serena almost hit Alicia as she turned swiftly to put a saucepan on.

  “Mummy, can I have some of yesterday’s apple pie?”

  Benjie’s screams echoed throughout the house.

  “Yes darling, get it yourself and take some yoghurt if you want.”

  Serena dashed upstairs to calm Benjie. She held him tight and he instantly stopped screaming and snuggled into her chest.

  “Here you go, darling.”

  She wrapped him in his favourite cuddly shawl and smiled when she saw his eyes flicker. Gently, she laid him down on the bed before creeping slowly out of the room.

  The doorbell rang just as Freddie kicked his ball into a vase of freesias on the hall table. Serena groaned and opened the door to the gas-meter man.

  “Can you come back tomorrow please? I’m very busy now.”

  “Oh, look at Harry, Mum!” Freddie said excitedly.

  Serena looked through to the dining room table in horror to see the hamster cage shedding sawdust as the creature whirled its wheel frantically. Serena screamed for Alicia, who rushed into the dining room.

  “Alicia, help me with the table and put that damned cage in the cloakroom. Freddie, pick up those flowers. Do not touch the broken glass.”

  “But Mum, I want to watch—”

  “Do as I say at once!” Serena yelled, returning to the kitchen where a dreadful smell of burnt fat and smoke was billowing out of the oven. The turkey was sizzling as she transferred it to a new dish.

  “All done. Do you need me to do anything else?” Alicia asked.

  “Please tell Maggie to put Freddie to bed, I’ll be up in a minute. Oh, and can you tell her to take care of the broken glass?”

  “Of course.” Alicia manoeuvred round the dining table, dominated by a large candelabra.

  “I’m coming now, Freddie.”

  Turning the oven down, Serena hurried upstairs to find water everywhere as Freddie was naked in the empty bath tub, shooting his water pistol into everyone’s slippers. Freddie was a rather hyperactive child, so she tried hard to accept his often difficult behaviour.

  Serena sighed. “You should be in bed. Come on, jump onto my back.”

  There was a squeal of delight as she ran along the passage and lowered him onto his Batman duvet. Serena then stroked his brow (which he loved) for a few moments, turned out the light and quickly went downstairs. She set the table and lit the candles, and soon the room smelt of jasmine.