2 Months Later
Molly's POV
There was a loud knock at the door and I started down the stairs but I saw my dad open it. He was just in his underpants so I prayed that it was just Nan.
"Well, I guess I should be grateful you're not completely naked." A familiar voice said almost laughing. All I could think of was when I came out of the tent at Bastion ahead of my first Captain James PT session and he had made a rude remark about being grateful I wasn't in stilettoes. I couldn't help but giggle all the same. I ran down the stairs and pushed past my dad. Pippa stood on the balcony, her long dark brown hair blowing in the wind. She looked a million times better than the last time I saw her because even though she'd tried at Barracks, she had been completely drained and I don't think she had properly showered since getting back from Afghan! She stood there now in skinny jeans and a grey military coat that came to just above her knee and was tied tightly around her slim waist. She wore black ankle boots and I noticed that she had a full face of make-up on for the first time ever. A large black bag hung on her shoulder. I guess I was surprised at how glamourous she was, the Pippa I remembered was tired and slumped in a hoody and jogging bottoms, I had caught a glimpse of her chicness at Barracks but now she really was something else. "Do you want to go shopping, Molly?"
"Sure!" I smiled. "Let me get my coat." I grabbed my purple duffle coat and slid my feet into some ballerina flats, hooking my bag over my shoulder as I ran out of the house. I followed her down and we walked to the tube station.
"I was so worried I'd get the wrong house! Smurf told me which one it was but I don't trust that cockmuppet as far as I can throw him!" She admitted and I laughed. "What's so funny?"
"Cockmuppet! The Boss says that!" I grinned and she smirked. "How is he? I don't have his number so I couldn't ask."
"He's getting better. He's just about walking."
"That's fantastic!"
"He has this stupid boot thing, I take the piss out of him all the time. Well, I say all the time, I've only seen him about five times since I saw you last."
"Really?"
"Well, he's over at my parents' in Bath and Liam and I are in Aldershot so it's a two hour drive which Liam doesn't want me to do too much."
"Why?"
"It's tiring and I need to try and keep at my peak…or something." She seemed annoyed by the whole thing, as if he was controlling her and she didn't want to be controlled. "He wants me to keep away from him because he's trying to persuade me take another tour."
"What? Did they didn't kick you out?" I gasped and she waved her hands.
"My behaviour was unprofessional but they did take into account the fact that it was for compassionate reasons. I was so lucky but one of the people at the court-martial had been in a similar situation with their brother and he said that although he had left his brother in the hands of the medics, he could see why I would have done what I did. I haven't been given the final decision but if they don't dismiss me then I'll take another tour."
"I didn't even get told off for what I did, I guess Lady Luck was smiling on me." I said and she smiled smugly. "You had something to do with it didn't you?"
"I might have done." She grinned. "Anyway, it's my mum's birthday tomorrow and we're having this meal at this ultra-posh place in Bath, then my dad is taking her to Lake Garda. Charles is a bit down and I squared it with my dad, you can come, as a surprise, as Charles' plus one because he will look so stupid on his own."
"Are you kidding?"
"Nope! Liam and I are staying at my mum and dad's so you can too, Charles is at his at the moment because Rebecca is in Vegas for her best friend's hen party and she said it would be too unsettling for Sam to live at my parents for like two weeks so that's that."
"I can't believe it! That's so kind of you. Thank your dad so much! I don't have anything to wear though!"
"Why do you think we're going shopping? I don't have anything either!"
We got off at Bond Street Underground Station and I was curious as to where we were going. She led me down the street to Alexander McQueen.
"Shittin' hell. I thought we was going Topshop!" I joked and she smiled.
"My mum's sister is quite high up so all I have to do is say the name and we get a 50% discount. I don't come much but I thought I'd treat you." She explained.
"Wait. No! You are not buying me like hundred pound clothes."
"Seriously, Molly! I get paid way too much and besides, it's not all my money, my dad gave me a few thousand and said to get some nice clothes for us. He wants my mum to like you."
"Wow!" I cried almost crying with excitement.
"I might even take you into Jimmy Choo for some shoes, I have one pair already and I adore them!"
"No fucking way!"
"It's so exciting! We could run riot and buy up half of London!"
"Me and you are gonna be proper mates!"
"I hope so. I thought when Charles married Rebecca it would be like getting a sister…it wasn't but I think it will be different with you." As the words left her lips, I was filled with happiness, she was speaking as if it was certain that I would be marrying Captain James. We went inside Alexander McQueen and sure enough, when she said that she was Philippa James, niece of Charlotte Chapman-Nichols, they ushered us into a room at the back where a woman that looked very like Pippa's mum came rushing out. "Aunt Charlotte! I didn't know you would be here!"
"Philippa, darling, I'm always here, if I'm not in New York, or Milan, or Paris." The woman laughed. "Who is this beautiful girl you've brought with you? Is she in the army too?"
"Yes this is Molly. She's Charles's new…well you know."
"Really? Well, she's better looking than Rebecca but that's not hard."
"Don't be harsh, Becky's pretty."
"In her own way, darling. In her own way."
"So I guess you're here for your Mother's birthday. Are you having a party?"
"Yes but nothing big, just Mum, Dad, Charles, me and then Liam and Molly, obviously."
"No Sam?"
"Oh, actually, I have no idea because Charles is looking after him while bitch face is off in Vegas with her girlfriends."
"Oh how tacky, how tacky. How come your Liam's going? Last I heard you two were getting a divorce!"
"We were but then I decided to try a bit harder and it seems to be working."
"So now you're home from the war for good can I expect another great niece or nephew sometime in the future?"
"You'd have to ask Liam." All of a sudden Pippa was very different, more like when she'd gone for Rebecca on the phone.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, it doesn't seem to be my decision so I'd talk to him about it."
"Right, well we'll find some nice dresses for you two to wear tomorrow." Charlotte changed the subject realising she'd struck a nerve. She disappeared into a little room and came back with a rack of about fifteen dresses.
"Molly needs two, I need one." Pippa said and I was shocked. Why did I need two? Charlotte made us take off our coats and stand by the window while she held up dress after dress. Eventually she handed Pippa a black and purple pencil dress and sent her behind a curtain to try it on. She came out and Charlotte nodded.
"You want some black Lottie Jimmy Choos and that outfit is killer, darling. That Pandora you were wearing at your wedding and the silver locket you have on now, simple but beautiful. Now, Miss Molly." She handed me a white dress with gold detailing and a black and white dress with some pale shade of green. "White and gold first." I took the dresses behind the curtain and put on the white and gold dress. It had long sleeves but it was above my knee and very low cut. Nevertheless, it was beautiful. I walked out and Pippa leaned over and kissed her aunt's cheek.
"I am so glad you were in town!" She beamed. Charlotte nodded.
"Right, Philippa, listen and remember. Anouk gold and white crystal Jimmy Choo pumps. I'm going to get some jewellery." When she came back, she put a long gold chain with a jewel encrusted sphere charm around my neck, she slid a matching ring onto my finger and a matching bangle onto my wrist. She stepped back. "Now, Philippa, tell me your mother got the brains."
"She definitely did not!" Pippa laughed and gave me a thumbs up. Charlotte took the jewellery and put it in a box. I went to swap the dresses. The next dress was slightly longer but had no sleeves. It had a high neck but looked really good. I walked out and Charlotte smiled.
"Definitely Tallows also Jimmy Choo." She dictated to Pippa who had been scribbling down the names of the recommended shoes. "I'd say keep it minimal on jewellery with this one. Do you have like a gold locket or just a gold necklace?"
"I've got like a gold 'M' but that's about it." I said and she wrinkled up her nose.
"Philippa, do you have time to go to Tiffany's? I have a great idea."
"We can make time to go to Tiffany's." Pippa sighed and laughed shaking her head.
"Great. Get a gold olive leaf necklace, it's beautiful, honestly you'll love it. Then the olive leaf bracelet and ring. Do you have your ears pierced, darling?"
"Yeah." I replied.
"Right Philippa, get the earrings as well. With the first dress she should wear some gold twist knot studs, you can get them at Tiffany's I think and you, Philippa, should have those silver Chanel earrings that Charles got you for your twenty first. They go so well with the Pandora." Pippa nodded mockingly trying to take in all of the instructions and then followed me back behind the curtain to get back into our casual attire.
"I'm sorry." She whispered, pulling on her jeans. "She's so bossy and she has such expensive taste. But she is a genius, I've never let her dress me and regretted it." I laughed.
"What was that?" Charlotte called.
"I was telling Molly that you dressed me for my wedding." Pippa lied.
"That I did. You looked so fabulous that day! You had that gorgeous dress I asked them to design for you and then we did it all traditional. Something old, that was your locket that my mum left for your wedding day. Something new, that was the white Jimmy Choos. Something borrowed…what was that?" She trailed off as we came out from behind the curtain.
"It was that hair thing." Pippa reminded her.
"Ah yes! I lent you that hair pin!"
"What about something blue?" I asked and Pippa shook her head.
"One word, darling. Lingerie." Charlotte smiled. "It was beautiful lingerie though! Do you still have it?"
"Yes." Pippa sighed. "Liam won't let me get rid of it."
"Why do you want to get rid of it?" Charlotte demanded.
"Well it's no use to me in Afghan!"
"You and your brother are so similar! Living out of those backpack things, that's all you want. Your poor mother must despair with her two only children as war hungry maniacs."
"We're not war hungry maniacs! We feel that we can do good over there but we can't as much over here."
"Well look where it got your brother, he's nearly dead!"
"He's fine!"
"Well, I don't think you should go over again. Try something new." Charlotte lectured her niece and put all of the items that she had picked out into boxes and large Alexander McQueen bags. She handed them to Pippa who went into her bag to get her purse. "Don't be stupid! These are on the house!"
"Thank you Aunt Charlotte!" Pippa beamed and hugged her Aunt before picking up the bags and we left the store. "Stroke of luck that she was there."
"Completely! If we'd paid, how much would that have cost?"
"I don't know, four maybe five thousand."
"Bloody hell!"
"I know! Right first to Jimmy Choo to give them her ladyship's recommendations, then we'll go to Tiffany."
We walked across town to Jimmy Choo and when we arrived Pippa said something to one of the people about her aunt from Alexander McQueen sending them. She handed over the bit of paper that she'd scribbled everything down on and the man asked our sizes before going off and coming back with three shoe boxes. I opened the first box and was completely flabbergasted at the sight of the beautiful 'Anouk' shoes. I had never seen anything so sparkly! I tried them on and they were a perfect fit. I put them back in the box and opened the next one – the 'Tallow' style, they were also beautiful. They fit so well and I felt like Cinderella. Pippa seemed to like hers as well and we put them back into the boxes and handed them to the man. We put our own shoes back on and walked over to the desk.
"We'll call it £1,500." The man said.
"What? That's easily £3000!" Pippa protested.
"Charlotte Chapman-Nichols directs so many people over here, McQueen even do shoes but she sends them here! If you're her niece then I will gladly give you her discount!"
"Well, thank you, sir. I appreciate it!" She smiled and paid. We left the shop and she hailed a taxi. "We can't walk to Tiffany's with all this."
We drove to Tiffany's and she bought all the jewellery that her aunt had told her too before we got a taxi to a large car park. She got some keys out of her bag and walked up to a sleek black BMW. She signalled me to get into it and I did while she put the bags into the boot. She got into the driver's seat and pulled out onto the road. She told me about how she had planned to get the tube back to mine but she'd forgotten about how many bags we'd have. We drove to my house and she told me to pack for a few nights as we climbed the stairs. When we arrived I went upstairs and I could hear my mum chatting her ear off. I grabbed all my stuff and ran downstairs.
"So you two are off to Bath then!" My mum smiled. "What are you going to do there?"
"Everything, absolutely everything!" Pippa laughed and my mum brought her a coffee. She sipped it looking guilty for some reason. My mum looked at the two gold rings on her finger.
"Are you married?"
"Yes, I am." Pippa sighed and flexed her fingers. "Speaking of my husband, do not tell him I was drinking this, Molly!"
"Why? Does he not let you drink coffee?" My mum inquired and I nudged her. "Sorry."
"No it's absolutely fine. He says there's too much caffeine and that will…well, he doesn't want me to have too much caffeine." She said suddenly looking uncomfortable. I drank some tea and she finished her tea before we were waved off by my mum and set off for Aldershot.