Changing Places (29 page)

Anna wrung her hands together as she paced the tiny kitchen. ‘I told him I’d called his mother’s but that he’d already left and he said nothing.’

Jill frowned. ‘I don’t follow?’

‘He didn’t tell me where he’d been!’

‘Why didn’t you just ask him?’ Jill followed her cousin with her eyes. ‘Oh, please sit down, you’re making me seasick.’

Anna sank on to a chair and buried her face in her hands. ‘If it was innocent he would have told me, wouldn’t he?’

Jill sighed. ‘You really have a way of complicating things, Anna. Why don’t you ring him back and ask him?’

Anna took her hands away and looked at her. ‘Just like that?’

‘Just like that.’

‘But then he’d know—’

‘That you cared?’ Jill interrupted. ‘That you were jealous? Maybe he needs to know that.’

Anna pulled her phone out of her jeans pocket and plonked it on the table.

‘Go on. What have you got to lose?’

Anna looked at her and then looked back at the phone. ‘But what if he tells me he was with her?’ she said in a small voice.

Jill’s heart went out to her cousin. She looked so small and frightened, almost childlike. ‘Then at least you’ll know for sure. You’re going to drive yourself mad if you
carry on like this.’ She ruffled her cousin’s hair and stood up. ‘I’m going to read my book until it’s my turn for the bathroom. With Rachel in there, I’ll
probably get to finish it!’

Left alone, Anna considered her cousin’s advice. Jill, as usual, was right. She was behaving like a lovesick teenager. Liam wasn’t a mindreader. ‘If you want something, Anna,
please just tell me,’ he’d begged her many times. ‘You know I’m lousy at picking up on subtleties.’

Before she could change her mind, she picked up the phone and dialled again.

‘Hello?’

‘Liam, it’s me again.’

‘Is there something wrong?’

‘Yes, yes, there is.’

‘Your dad—’

‘No, nothing like that,’ she assured him. ‘I just want to know where you’ve been.’

‘Sorry?’

Anna took a deep breath. ‘Where did you go after you left your mother’s?’

‘The supermarket, why?’

‘Nowhere else?’

‘No.’

‘You weren’t with Tara?’ She could hear Liam sigh at the other end of the phone.

‘No, love, I wasn’t with Tara.’

‘Oh, okay.’

‘I’m sorry.’

‘For what?’ Anna asked.

‘Everything.’

Anna swallowed hard. ‘We need to talk, Liam.’

‘Yes.’

‘I mean it, Liam. We need to really talk.’

‘I’ll pick you up on Sunday, okay? And we’ll come home and talk.’

‘Promise?’

‘I promise.’

She closed her eyes and pressed her lips to the mouthpiece. ‘See you Sunday.’

Jill didn’t get an opportunity to ask Anna if she’d talked to Liam, but it was pretty clear that she had. The girl was positively glowing and she was even being
nice to Rachel! Saturday turned out to be a lovely day. After breakfast on the balcony, they’d lazed around the pool, gone to Kitty’s for lunch and then while Shay went for his snooze,
the women made their way to the beauty salon for a final pampering.

Anna giggled as Steffi applied a fluorescent green face mask to her sister. ‘If Alex saw you now, he’d run a mile.’

‘You can talk.’ Rachel retorted. Anna’s mask was equally colourful.

‘You’re both gorgeous, nearly as beautiful as your mother.’ Bridie winked at Maria who was giving her a manicure.

‘Yeah, after this session, Mam, you’ll have Matt all over you.’ Anna laughed.

‘Oh, go away out of that.’ Bridie blushed.

‘He’s always fancied you, Mam.’

‘Hardly surprising, married to that old bag,’ Rachel pointed out.

‘Patricia’s not so bad,’ Bridie protested half-heartedly.

‘She’s a loud-mouthed gossip,’ Anna retorted.

‘A right pain,’ Rachel agreed.

Jill smiled, thinking how much fun her cousins were when they were getting on.

‘Now we’re not spending the whole evening with them, Mam,’ Anna warned. ‘This is our last night.’

‘I told them we’d meet up for a drink after dinner,’ Bridie promised her. ‘Then you three could go dancing if you want.’

Anna glanced over at her sister. ‘What about it, Rache?’

‘I don’t know about dancing but I suppose I could sway a little.’

Jill clapped her hands together. ‘Good woman.’

‘That’s settled then.’ Bridie sat back in her chair and closed her eyes.

‘I wish we weren’t going home tomorrow,’ Rachel said with a wistful sigh.

Anna looked over at her sister. ‘I thought you’d be dying to see Alex.’

‘Of course I am, but I’ll miss this wonderful weather.’

‘And what about me?’ Bridie asked.

‘Ah, we’ll miss you a bit too.’ Anna reached over to squeeze her mother’s hand.

‘So, Mam, when are you coming home?’ Rachel asked.

Bridie opened her eyes. ‘I told you, love, as soon as you need me. We’re moving back up into France in a couple of weeks and I thought we’d visit Lourdes.’

Rachel’s eyes widened. ‘Lourdes?’

Bridie flushed. ‘Well, I’m not the most religious person in the world but I would like to give thanks for your father’s recovery. And I’ve always wanted to see the place.
We’ll keep heading north and as soon as you call, we’ll be on the next boat home!’

‘But how can I call you?’ Rachel asked.

Bridie glanced at the clock on the wall. ‘You can reach us on the mobile that your dad is buying right about now.’

Anna grinned delightedly. ‘Oh, good on you, Mam!’

‘Yes, well, I want Rachel to be able to reach us when this baby decides to make an appearance.’

‘You’ll have to remember to charge it, Mam,’ Anna told her.

‘Now, isn’t it well you told me that?’ Bridie’s voice was loaded with sarcasm.

‘Sorry.’

‘You won’t know yourselves,’ Jill told her aunt. ‘Once you get a mobile phone you wonder how on earth you ever managed without it.’

Bridie wrinkled her nose. ‘I’ve never liked the things but I suppose it’s a necessary evil.’

Rachel smiled. ‘Thanks, Mam, it means a lot to me.’

‘That’s okay, love.’

‘We’ll have to teach you to send text messages.’ Jill winked at Anna.

‘There’s a challenge,’ Anna laughed.

‘Carrier pigeon might be quicker,’ Rachel added.

‘I hope you lot aren’t making a laugh of me.’

‘Wouldn’t dream of it, Mam!’

Jill groaned and held her stomach as the plane hit some turbulence and the seatbelt sign came on. Maybe that last gin and tonic hadn’t been such a good idea. It had
turned into a very late night and they’d only had three hours’ sleep before it was time to go to the airport. Jill was dreaming of bed and planned to crawl in as soon as she got home.
The unpacking and laundry could wait. The plane lurched again and Rachel gripped her arm. ‘It’s okay, Rache, don’t worry.’

‘Why the hell doesn’t he fly above it?’ Rachel muttered. ‘I feel sick.’

‘Me too,’ Anna said as she gazed out at the grey skies.

Jill pressed the button for the flight attendant. ‘Three brandies, please.’

‘I can’t drink brandy!’ Rachel protested as the attendant went off to fetch their drinks.

‘One won’t do you any harm. It will settle your stomach and help you doze off.’

‘Great idea,’ Anna agreed.

‘Well, if you’re sure.’ Rachel still looked doubtful as the drinks were set in front of them. ‘You take half of mine, Jill.’

‘No problem.’ Jill lowered half of Rachel’s glass in one go. ‘Ooh, that’s better!’

Rachel took a tentative sip and wrinkled her nose. ‘Ugh, it’s like medicine.’

Anna laughed. ‘My kind of medicine.’

Rachel shifted in her seat, trying to get comfortable. ‘Maybe I will try and doze for a while.’

‘You do that, chicken.’ Jill patted her arm and settled back to enjoy her drink and ponder her next move.

Excitement bubbled up inside her but she kept her feelings to herself. It was too soon to tell her cousins her plans and she wasn’t quite sure what their reaction would be. Or maybe she
was, she admitted to herself, and that’s why she hadn’t said anything. Still, it was early days and there was a lot to sort out before she’d be in a position to do anything. The
thought of all the work ahead was both exciting and scary. It would be very hard to knuckle down and concentrate at the office tomorrow. She took another sip of brandy as she imagined the chaos
that would greet her. But it didn’t matter any more, she realized serenely. At the beginning of the holiday she’d been confused and depressed as to what her future held. Now she had a
new goal, a new challenge, and she couldn’t wait to get her teeth into it.

Anna was relieved that Rachel was asleep and Jill was nursing her hangover. She didn’t feel much like talking. She was getting more and more nervous as they got nearer to Dublin. She had
pestered Liam to talk to her for weeks, but now the prospect of a frank conversation scared the wits out of her. What if she didn’t like what she was going to hear? Maybe she’d imagined
the softening in his tone. Maybe he was feeling guilty because he didn’t love her any more. God, she put a hand to her mouth, maybe he was going to sit her down and tell her their marriage
was over. Anna took a gulp of brandy and flinched as it scorched her throat and burned its way down to her stomach. Well, she told herself, there was no point in worrying about it. In less than two
hours she’d be sitting next to Liam in the car on the way home to a conversation that could very well change her future for ever.

Rachel kept her eyes shut tight. She didn’t feel like talking. Her tongue felt thick and dry in her mouth. Her stomach was fluttering with nerves that weren’t entirely due to the
turbulence and the baby was kicking her ribs impatiently, as if aware that it was going home to Daddy. Rachel knew her mother was right and that she should talk to Gary, but the prospect still
frightened her. What if he went straight up and packed his bags? Or what if he told her she was right, confirmed her suspicions and told her that the late nights at the office had actually been
spent in the arms of another woman? Rachel bit her lip hard to stop a sob escaping. God, she’d have to stop all of this bloody crying. How would she get through this if she was an emotional
wreck to begin with? She clutched her glass and forced herself to breathe slowly and evenly. If she was going to do this, and she was, she had to do it when Alex was out of the house. Then she had
to make sure Gary came home from work early. That wouldn’t be easy. She’d have to come up with some reason for him to be home that he couldn’t wriggle out of. Because if he did,
she’d lose her courage and probably let things continue as before. Quite apart from the fact that Bridie would kill her if she didn’t sort this out, Rachel knew she’d go quietly
mad if her life continued like this for much longer.

This week had taught her a lot about how much she’d changed over the last year. She was well aware that she hadn’t been the best of company, Anna didn’t hide the fact, and
being away from home had seemed to highlight her sadness. Rachel opened her eyes with a start. That was it. That summed it all up. She was sad. She was grieving for her dead marriage. Closing her
eyes again, Rachel kept her lips clamped firmly together and swallowed her tears. Though she was dying inside, there was a certain relief that she had finally come to this point. Things
couldn’t really get worse now. And no matter what happened, she realized as she cradled her bump with her hands, she still had Alex and her baby.

Bridie sat on the balcony wondering what to do. Both her daughters were in crisis and on their way home to God knows what and she was here, miles away, unable to help. When she
had left Ireland she had believed it to be the right decision. Now she thought that maybe it had been a selfish one.

Shay ambled out to join her. ‘Stop it,’ he said, lowering himself into a seat.

‘Stop what?’

‘Torturing yourself.’

Bridie blew her nose. ‘I don’t know what you’re on about.’

‘I’m not completely thick, Bridie. I don’t know what the crisis is this time,’ he held up a hand, ‘and I don’t want to know, but it’s not your
problem.’

‘Shay!’

‘No, love, I mean it. They’re big girls and it’s about time they sorted out their own problems. They shouldn’t be even bothering you with them.’

‘Of course they should – aren’t I their mother? Anyway, it’s not their fault that I worry about them. That’s just the way I am.’

He smiled. ‘Don’t I know it. But, Bridie, we thought long and hard about leaving Ireland. We weighed up all the pros and cons then, and you know that we did the right
thing.’

Bridie’s eyes met his. ‘I’m not sure we’d still be together if we’d stayed in Dublin.’

‘Don’t you think I know that? So how can you have any regrets?’

She sighed. ‘I suppose I’m feeling a bit selfish, putting us before them.’

‘You’ve put them first for thirty years,’ he reminded her. ‘Don’t you get time off for good behaviour? If they need you, you’re at the end of a phone,’
he nodded at the mobile on the table, ‘twenty-four hours a day now, thanks to that bloody thing. And they have Jill. She’s a great girl.’

Bridie nodded. ‘I think I would have been on the plane back with them if it wasn’t for her.’

Shay frowned. ‘You’re worrying me now. What is it, Bridie? What’s going on?’

She looked at him. ‘I’ll tell you if you promise not to interfere.’

‘I won’t.’

‘And don’t get all worked up, as that won’t do your ulcer any good.’

‘Just tell me, Bridie.’

‘Anna thinks Liam might be seeing someone else.’

‘No!’

‘And so does Rachel.’

‘Rachel thinks Liam is seeing someone else?’

‘No, Gary.’

He shook his head. ‘You’re confusing me now.’

‘Rachel thinks Gary might be messing about too.’

‘Gary
and
Liam? Jesus! I’ll kill the pair of them.’

‘You’ll do no such thing, Shay! You’ll say nothing because you don’t know anything about it. And besides, you promised you wouldn’t interfere.’

‘Shag that! What the hell do they think they’re playing at?’