Page 35 of The Cottage in the Highlands

Orion ignored Athena’s thunderous expression. “You need to see this. I’ve just received an email from two women who were at Tilly Crabtree’s launch. They’re members of staff at Saskia’s department store.”

“Yes? And?”

“They both volunteered to have one of Tilly’s makeovers too, using her new Glorious foundation.”

Athena flapped one hand, irritated. “Well, spit it out, whatever it is.”

“Both women’s skin flared up within ten minutes of it having been applied. Just like Leonie.”

Athena’s gaze hardened but she said nothing.

“And before you ask,” said Orion calmly, “they’ve both just emailed me photographs.”

Athena barged past Orion and out of her office. “Show me.”

Orion curled up her lip in an exaggerated Elvis style at Athena’s back and returned to her PC, with me following. “Here.”

She clicked on each of the images of the aggrieved women and two photographs shimmied up on screen, showing both of them with the same patchy rash as I had across their cheeks. “Both of these women saw and overheard Leonie talking to Ms Crabtree, found out Leonie works for Goddess, and decided to contact us.”

Athena continued to hunch over Orion’s screen, her jaw jutted out. I noticed her cheek throb with tension.

“It would not be ethical or proper to write a positive review after this,” I maintained. “Imagine if we did. We would be putting ourselves and the magazine in a very difficult and dishonest position.”

Athena ground her capped teeth together. Her right foot tapped in her pointed kitten heels while she mulled everything over.

She manoeuvred the PC mouse and straightened up. “I’ll speak to Tilly. Explain the situation and smooth things over.”

She raked me up and down. “I will also suggest she goes back to the drawing board with Glorious.”

Orion and I watched her stalk back towards her office. Then she whirled round. “I do hope you are as diligent and take as much interest and care with the Avanti feature. I’m expecting great things from you, Leonie. Don’t let me down.”

That was a passive-aggressive threat if ever I heard one.

I had now been employed at Goddess for three days but it felt more like a painful and joyless six months.

Orion had confided in me about Athena’s act of nepotism and I wasn’t prepared to betray her trust. From what we could see, no one else appeared to know that Kerry was Athena’s niece. Or if they did, they were too frightened to challenge it or say anything.

I carried this piece of information around with me, trying not to let it fester and build into a towering wall of resentment. That wasn’t who I usually was and I didn’t want to morph into someone like that.

Kerry seemed pleasant enough, if rather clueless and overawed. She spent most of her time cocooned in the Mother Ship (which was my collegues name for Athena’s office) than anywhere else.

And as for this beauty feature featuring the three amigos, it was sitting there, growing larger and more prominent; more ominous.

Athena had asked for an update about the feature on Wednesday morning and I had reeled off more ideas but she had batted away my latest suggestions of a space-themed photoshoot and a 1970s disco vibe. “Classy, Leonie. We stay classy.”

Does staying classy include employing your own niece too? I thought to myself, sinking back into my chair.

I was so relieved when my first week at Goddess limped to a close.

It had disappeared in a sea of reviews and exclamations about everything from anti-aging toothpaste to the latest in Red Sea salt deodorants.

I collected Harley and fobbed off my parents about why I was so subdued. I didn’t want to conduct a post-mortem about why I felt such an idiot for jumping into a job I wasn’t cut out to do.

The memories of working on The Silver Ness News, writing about people’s lives, their achievements, the fight to keep Silver Ness library open, made me want to weep with nostalgia.

I promised to ring my mum and dad later, after dinner, keen to escape from their concern and interrogations.

Once I’d changed out of my fitted shirt and flared pinstriped trousers, I located some salmon in the fridge. My latest copy of Media World, a monthly magazine detailing the latest news and job moves in the media industry, had been delivered.