The Ballroom Café (33 page)

‘Ella, we’re going to be delayed. My mom wasn’t feeling well this morning, so we’re starting off later than intended.’

‘I am sorry. Is she all right?’

‘Nerves, I would say. It may be two-thirty by the time we arrive.’

‘Drive carefully.’

Ella made her way to the kitchen. She felt cross; the dress was sticking too much to her, the brooch picking at her through the thinness of the silk. When she heard Roberta in the hallway, she pushed the kitchen door, hoping she would not come in.

Roberta checked the avenue for a car before making her way down the hall. She noticed Ella’s shoulders hunched as she stood looking out the window at the sink.

‘Are they not coming?’

Ella watched the old dog sitting whining, tied up by Iris before she left. ‘The dog is making a show of us,’ she said to nobody in particular and went out to untie it, pushing it away harshly when it jumped up on her dress, wagging its tail.

Roberta was sitting at the kitchen table when Ella came back in. ‘Is there something wrong?’

Ella took her in, noticing the new clothes, the hair brushed into a tidy bun and the drop earrings. ‘They are late.’

‘What time now?’

‘Two-thirty. I don’t want trouble.’

‘You won’t get any.’

Ella threw the last of her tea down the sink and rinsed out her cup. She was skirting past the table when Roberta spoke again. ‘Have you heard the rumour about Mary Murtagh?’

Ella stopped, the sweat pumping out of her now, squelching through the tight curls of her new perm. ‘So?’

Roberta hesitated, running her finger across the table-cloth. ‘So the American may be entitled to her claim on Roscarbury.’

Ella thumped her fist on the table. ‘She or anybody belonging to her will not have a claim on Roscarbury Hall. That is rightfully my son’s and that is the way it will stay.’

‘But if Deborah Kading is his daughter?’

‘We don’t know that. Talk is only talk. Mary Murtagh is long gone. There is no way of proving the gossip. Gossip holds no legal sway.’

‘I am glad.’

Ella, spit spilling out the corner of her mouth, sat down.

‘Debbie has passed away. I don’t know if you’ve heard.’

‘I am sorry.’

‘She had such little time.’

‘She did.’

They sat, the dog scratching in the corner the only interruption to their thoughts.

Roberta eyed Ella closely before she spoke. ‘Michael Hannigan left his fair share of pain.’

‘More trouble than he was worth; I only wish I’d known it back then.’ Ella reached for a spoon and twisted it around her hands.

Roberta picked at the tablecloth, like it was something she had to do. ‘Me too,’ she said, picking deeper.

They sat quietly opposite each other, the clock ticking on the mantelpiece and the chuntering of the hens on the back step the only sounds. Roberta got up and took the bottle of sherry from inside the tall spaghetti jar in her cupboard.

‘I told Muriel if she continued to spread gossip about Michael, I would go to a solicitor.’

‘You did?’

Roberta spun around. ‘Don’t I love Roscarbury as much as you?’

Ella shook her head, trying to dislodge the tears she felt bubbling up. ‘I know,’ she whispered.

The phone ringing in the hall prevented her saying more. As Ella rushed to answer it, Roberta poured a sherry and made her way to the library. She had settled into her chair at the window when Ella put her head around the door.

‘They have made better time than they thought. They are coming into the town. Five minutes at most,’ Ella said, her voice shaking.

Roberta did not answer immediately, concentrating instead on fixing the old blanket over her knees. ‘I will stay out of the way.’

Ella hesitated but did not answer, walking away slowly to take up position by the drawing-room window. She wanted to run to the toilet, but she knew if she did they might come and it would be terrible to have nobody to answer the door.

The sun was streaking across the gardens, dazzling around the old ash tree and making the water on the fountain sparkle. Her mouth was dry; a pain ran up the back of her neck. She felt so sick she thought she might throw up, so she squeezed the back of the old velvet chair to distract herself. When she saw the big black car turn up the avenue, she thought she would pass out. She knew her face was as flared red as the dress and she cursed her stupidity at picking such a young person’s colour.

The car moved slowly, the driver wary of the potholes. She should have had Mick Hegarty fill in the bad one, midway between the gate and the entrance, but it had never occurred to her until now.

She leaned, but could not get a glimpse of the driver. The woman in the front looked heavy and appeared to be wearing a hat. Ella patted her hair and cleared her throat; her body was stiff with expectation, her head pounding with pain. So transfixed was she watching the avenue, she did not hear the drawing-room door push open.

Roberta walked up and stood beside her sister. She was not sure if Ella noticed. The car came to a halt at the front steps, but the driver reconsidered the position and reversed slightly, so that the steps were clear. Ella gasped as the car pulled back.

Slowly, Roberta reached out and caught her hand, squeezing it gently. Ella pressed her fingers into her sister’s frail skin. Roberta did not say it hurt, nor did she pull away.

They watched in silence, holding hands as James got out of the car, looked around with a broad smile on his face, and gave a low whistle.

‘So like his father,’ Ella said, her voice faltering.

‘Yes,’ Roberta answered, squeezing her sister’s hand tighter.

‘Michael would have liked that,’ Ella said, squeezing Roberta’s hand back. ‘Shall we go and meet him together?’ she added quietly.

Roberta did not need to answer, and they walked hand in hand to the front door to greet their guests.

First published 2015

by Black & White Publishing Ltd

29 Ocean Drive, Edinburgh EH6 6JL

www.blackandwhitepublishing.com

This electronic edition published in 2015

ISBN: 978 1 84502 971 5 in EPub format

ISBN: 978 1 84502 952 4 in paperback format

Copyright © Ann O’Loughlin 2015

The right of Ann O’Loughlin to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission in writing from the publisher.

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