Stand by Me (59 page)
‘Greg!’ exclaimed Brendan as he caught his brother by the arm. ‘For God’s sake!’
The three men stared at each other, the air between them crackling with tension and anger.
And then Emma walked into the room carrying a tray of sandwiches, followed by Dominique with the pot of tea.
Chapter 31
The two women immediately sensed the suppressed aggression in the room.
‘What’s going on?’ asked Domino.
‘Everything,’ said Greg. ‘The shit has finally hit the fan.’
‘Huh?’ Dominique put the heavy teapot on the low glass table.
‘It’s all out in the open, Domino. Emma’s sordid secret. Her night of passion with Gabriel. Don’t tell me you hadn’t guessed that they’d slept together?’
‘You what?’ Dominique looked at Gabriel in shocked disbelief. ‘You actually slept with Emma? When?’ And then she turned to her sister-in-law. ‘Is this what you wanted to talk to me about? To tell me that I was right all along?’
Emma’s grip tightened on the tray she was holding, although everyone could hear the rattle of the cups against the saucers as her hands shook.
‘You’ve been talking about it?’ she said to Greg, her voice barely above a whisper. At the same time, Gabriel took the tray from her before she let it drop. ‘In front of Brendan? How could you?’
‘You were the one who brought him into our house, Emma. You knew what would happen.’
‘I can’t believe you’d betray Greg like that.’ Brendan stared at her.
‘Oh, you can talk about betrayal all right, Brendan Delahaye!’ Emma’s voice was stronger this time. ‘When you’ve betrayed everyone in the entire family!’
‘What I did was completely different,’ said Brendan. ‘I know it was wrong, but . . . God Almighty, Emma - sleeping with Domino’s brother!’
‘You never strayed yourself?’ asked Emma. ‘All those times you were away from home being the big important businessman? And these last months, while you were globetrotting? There was never a girl waiting for you in a bar somewhere ready to offer a bit of comfort in a foreign country?’
Brendan looked furiously at Emma while Domino watched him carefully.
‘There were no women,’ he said. ‘I promise you, Domino.’
‘And you believe him?’ asked Emma. ‘He has form, after all.’
‘Emma ...’ Dominique looked helpless.
‘You cheated on Domino, didn’t you?’ Emma shot at Brendan. ‘So you’ve got a damn nerve being critical of me.’
Dominique exhaled sharply.
‘You told her about that?’ asked Brendan. ‘You shared private things about our marriage with someone else?’
She looked at Greg, and then at Emma. Greg must have told her, because Dominique hadn’t ever discussed Brendan’s affair with her sister-in-law. It hadn’t occurred to her that he would share something so personal about her life with his wife, although she knew she wouldn’t have kept similar information from Brendan. And he hadn’t told her about Emma sleeping with Gabriel. She thought he’d told her everything. But she was wrong. Nevertheless, she wasn’t going to let Brendan know that it was Greg she’d confided in, not Emma.
Before she could say anything in reply, Kelly walked in and almost physically recoiled at the atmosphere that permeated the room.
‘What’s going on?’ she asked.
‘Family stuff,’ said Gabriel.
‘Not good family stuff,’ Kelly said. ‘I can tell that from just standing here.’
‘Stuff that maybe would have been better left unsaid,’ said Greg.
‘Stuff about my dad?’
‘No.’ Emma’s voice trembled. ‘About all of us. About things we’ve done wrong.’
‘What sort of things?’ asked Kelly.
‘They don’t matter.’ Gabriel’s voice was firm. ‘We all do stupid things, Kelly. Wrong things. You know that. But what we have to do is to forgive ourselves and forgive everyone else too.’
‘That’s convenient,’ said Greg. ‘The great Catholic get-out clause. Confess your sins, ask for forgiveness and feel so much better, eh, Brady?’
Kelly looked anxiously at him. She could hear the anger in his voice.
‘Gabriel is right, Greg,’ said Dominique. ‘We could play the blame game for ever but it won’t get us anywhere.’
‘So what’s going to happen now?’ demanded Greg. ‘A group confession and general absolution from the ex-priest?’
‘I think we’ve done the confessing,’ said Brendan. ‘We have to move on. Hard though that clearly is.’
‘Easy to say when it suits you,’ remarked Emma.
‘We need togetherness,’ said Gabriel.
‘Yes.’ Dominique nodded.
‘But there’s no togetherness any more,’ said Greg. ‘There can’t be, can there? Somehow we’ve managed to blast it all apart.’
‘I suppose this is all my fault too,’ said Brendan bitterly. ‘Everything would’ve been hidden or glossed over if it wasn’t for me.’
‘In which case, maybe you’ve done us all a favour, Dad,’ said Kelly. ‘OK, so I don’t know what grim secrets you’re talking about, although they’re probably not as grim as you think really. Things hardly ever are. But hiding them doesn’t help, does it?’ She shook her head. ‘I used to be proud to be a Delahaye. I thought it was a good name to have. But now . . .’
‘Oh, don’t you start on our good name.’ Brendan’s anger had subsided and he suddenly sounded defeated. ‘I know all about how I’ve dragged us into the mud.’
‘Maybe we let you,’ said Kelly.
‘That’s sweet of you, honey,’ said Brendan. ‘But, hell, I’ll accept the blame for everything if it makes you all feel better. For Emma and Gabriel’s problems. For Greg’s. For June and Barry and Alicia and Joanna and Mossie. For Mam and Dad, and your other grandparents too, Kelly.’
‘And Lugh,’ added Kelly. ‘He knows there are terrible things going on. He’s very upset by it all.’
‘I know.’ Emma choked back a sob. ‘We’ve been crap parents, Greg and I. We’ve probably messed up Lugh for ever and he’ll have a terrible life because of us.’
‘Blame me,’ Brendan reminded her bitterly as she walked out of the room. ‘I’m the one who deserves it, after all.’
You couldn’t live your life at high tension for ever, thought Dominique as they drove back to Dublin. Kelly had nodded off in the back seat of the car and Brendan was silent as he sat at the steering wheel. No matter how awful things were, there was always a moment when something ordinary happened and it brought you back to the fact that you had to get on with it.
The ordinary thing that had happened in the case of the Delahayes was Lugh running into the living room and asking his father if it was OK to watch
Top Gear
. They were reviewing a Lamborghini that night, he said, and he wanted to see it on the big TV. Lambos were his favourite car, he added, and it was important to hear Clarkson’s view on it. He didn’t appear to notice anyone else in the room at all.
Top Gear
. They were reviewing a Lamborghini that night, he said, and he wanted to see it on the big TV. Lambos were his favourite car, he added, and it was important to hear Clarkson’s view on it. He didn’t appear to notice anyone else in the room at all.
Greg had said that it was absolutely fine to watch whatever he liked, at which Lugh said, ‘Cool,’ and turned on the TV. Emma returned, her eyes red, and the adults looked uncertainly at each other, nobody quite sure what was going to happen next.
Then Gabriel said that it was time for him to go.
‘Where?’ Dominique asked.
‘I’ll go into the city,’ he said. ‘Get a hotel. And go back to Dublin tomorrow. After that . . . Well, I’ll be heading back to Paraguay.’
‘I’m going too,’ said Greg, without looking at Gabriel.
‘You don’t have to,’ said Emma.
‘I don’t live here any more,’ he reminded her.
‘I know. But for tonight ...’
‘No,’ said Greg.
‘Not for me,’ Emma said. ‘For Lugh. He needs you.’
Greg hesitated.
‘Please,’ begged Emma.
Greg shrugged helplessly and glanced at his son, who was absorbed in the TV programme. Then he sat down beside him.
‘Can I call a cab from here?’ asked Gabriel.
‘There’s a number beside the phone in the kitchen,’ Emma told him.
‘We should get back too,’ said Dominique. ‘We can drop you into town, Gabriel.’
‘Would you mind?’
Dominique glanced towards Brendan and Kelly.
‘Yes,’ she said.
‘We could drive you to Dublin if you like,’ offered Brendan.
‘No thanks.’ Gabriel shook his head. ‘I’d prefer to get the train in the morning.’
‘Are you sure?’ asked Brendan.
‘Absolutely.’
They picked up their jackets and left. Nobody embraced, although Kelly gave Lugh a hug. He kissed her hurriedly and then turned back to the TV, engrossed in the dream of driving a Lamborghini.
There was silence in the car as they drove to the city and left Gabriel outside a Jurys hotel.
‘I know you don’t think much of me,’ he said to Dominique as he got out of the car. ‘I never meant to hurt anyone.’
She got out too and stood beside him.
‘I once asked you if you left the priesthood because of a woman,’ she said. ‘You told me you didn’t.’
‘That was the truth,’ Gabriel told her. ‘It wasn’t because of Emma. It was because I knew I couldn’t live without that sort of closeness any more.’
‘Do you love her?’
He shook his head. ‘Which makes it all the more despicable that I slept with her.’
Dominique shrugged. ‘Loads of people sleep with people they don’t love.’
‘That’s different,’ said Gabriel.
‘I know.’
‘I thought you suspected,’ said Gabriel. ‘I thought that was why you were so anxious about her.’
‘I didn’t know you’d slept with her, but I was always afraid something might happen,’ admitted Dominique. ‘Whenever you were together . . . I could feel the tension. I was afraid of how things might turn out. Afraid you’d do something you’d regret.’
‘Of course I regret it,’ said Gabriel. ‘Although that sounds unfair on Emma. I regret being the cause of the trouble between her and Greg. I regret being weak.’
‘Welcome to the real world,’ said Dominique wryly.
‘I wanted to make amends,’ said Gabriel. ‘I thought that bringing Brendan home would make up for things, though obviously not for Greg and Emma. I’m not sure that’s exactly what you wanted either.’
Dominique hesitated, and then smiled faintly at her brother. ‘I’m glad he’s back. I couldn’t move on until he came back.’ She hugged Gabriel briefly and then opened the car door. ‘You did the right thing there anyway, Gabe.’
‘Thanks, Domino. Take care.’
‘You too.’
She got into the car and watched him walk into the hotel. Then she sat back in the passenger seat as Brendan drove slowly down the street.
Emma insisted that Lugh go to bed directly after
Top Gear
finished. He complained that his dad had let him stay up much later the previous night, and Emma told him that dads did that sort of thing but that mothers were much stricter and he had to go upstairs right now.
Top Gear
finished. He complained that his dad had let him stay up much later the previous night, and Emma told him that dads did that sort of thing but that mothers were much stricter and he had to go upstairs right now.
Lugh asked for Greg to put him to bed. When he was finally snuggled down beneath his duvet, and Greg had read him a chapter from a Young James Bond book, he yawned and said that it had been nice to have his dad and his mum both at home again, and that he knew they were getting a divorce but was it possible they could live together anyway?
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