He
knew his sums all right, Sarah thought sourly. He could see dollar signs as far as Richard was concerned. Sarah was no fool. She knew.
She’d warned Richard. But would he listen?
Well, he was sorry now that he hadn’t taken his mother’s advice. All this nonsense about being a homosexual was just that . . .
nonsense
. If he had a proper wife
there’d be none of that. How could he want to have marital relations with a woman who was a hardened drinker? It was quite understandable that he’d be repulsed. A drunken woman was a
deeply revolting sight. Sarah gave a little shudder. And even if she’d stopped drinking as she’d claimed to, the damage was done.
But it was too late to be crying over spilt milk. He’d made his bed and he could lie on it. They’d have to get on with it. That was the trouble with young people today. They gave up
far too easily. This divorce business was all
her
idea. Sarah knew it. Whatever hold she had over Richard, he jumped to her every whim. Well, this was one whim where Caroline Yates was not
getting her own way, Sarah decided as she dabbed Max Factor’s
Twilight Glow
over her reddened cheeks.
Caroline had a hold over Richard all right. And Sarah was going to use that to her own advantage. She snapped shut her compact, dabbed some
L’Air du Temps
on her wrists, traced
some Coral Rose across her thin lips, ran her mother-of-pearl-handled comb through her fine white hair and nodded at her reflection in the mirror. She was a lady to her fingertips. Something Madame
Caroline would never be. Today was a day for her fur, she decided. There was nothing as intimidating as fur to little hussies who came from nowhere and thought they were someone.
‘Mrs Gleeson?’ she called. ‘Get my fur and my Chanel handbag, quickly if you please. I’m ready to leave.’
‘
Oh are ye, yer ladyship, yer Royal Highness,
’ the housekeeper muttered
sotto voce
down in the kitchen as she shook a fist skywards and made a face. It would be a
happy day when she could tell the old bat to stuff her job but the money was good, higher than the odds, probably because Sarah Yates was such a briar to work for. Hannah shook her head
sorrowfully. Her daughter’s husband had left her with a small baby, to shack up with a slag with margarine legs and Hannah needed all the money she could get right now to help out. But the
day would come and she’d let rip on Sarah Yates before she went.
‘Coming, Mrs Yates,’ she said in her best-butter-wouldn’t-melt voice as she hurried to do as she was bid.
‘I’d love a girls’ night, Devlin. I’ve loads to tell you. If you’re off to Galway on Monday I won’t see much of you at work, so tomorrow
night’s fine. Is it OK for Maggie?’ Caroline doodled on a pad as she spoke to her best friend.
‘I’m trying to get her. The answering machine’s on at home and I keep getting divert on her mobile. Anyway even if she can’t come, you come and we’ll have a good
natter. Luke’s flying to London tomorrow evening because he’s got to be in Brighton early on Monday so he won’t be able to slag us about our gossiping.’ Devlin laughed.
Caroline smiled. Luke was always teasing them about their capacity for gossip. He was so different from Richard. So secure in himself. So loving to Devlin. Would she ever find a man like that? A
man who would love her completely. Depression hovered. ‘Well, I have some news for you that will give the gossips a field day,’ she said, keeping her tone light.
‘Oohh . . . don’t keep me waiting. Tell me,’ Devlin reproached.
‘It will keep. See you tomorrow then.’
‘That’s cruelty. I’ll see you around seven. Bye Caroline,’ Devlin hung up.
Caroline replaced the phone gently in the cradle. Devlin sounded so bubbly and happy. She envied her deeply. Not in a nasty way. She loved Devlin. It was just that her friend’s happiness
and joy in her marriage showed such a lack in her own life. She’d married
knew his sums all right, Sarah thought sourly. He could see dollar signs as far as Richard was concerned. Sarah was no fool. She knew.
She’d warned Richard. But would he listen?
Well, he was sorry now that he hadn’t taken his mother’s advice. All this nonsense about being a homosexual was just that . . .
nonsense
. If he had a proper wife
there’d be none of that. How could he want to have marital relations with a woman who was a hardened drinker? It was quite understandable that he’d be repulsed. A drunken woman was a
deeply revolting sight. Sarah gave a little shudder. And even if she’d stopped drinking as she’d claimed to, the damage was done.
But it was too late to be crying over spilt milk. He’d made his bed and he could lie on it. They’d have to get on with it. That was the trouble with young people today. They gave up
far too easily. This divorce business was all
her
idea. Sarah knew it. Whatever hold she had over Richard, he jumped to her every whim. Well, this was one whim where Caroline Yates was not
getting her own way, Sarah decided as she dabbed Max Factor’s
Twilight Glow
over her reddened cheeks.
Caroline had a hold over Richard all right. And Sarah was going to use that to her own advantage. She snapped shut her compact, dabbed some
L’Air du Temps
on her wrists, traced
some Coral Rose across her thin lips, ran her mother-of-pearl-handled comb through her fine white hair and nodded at her reflection in the mirror. She was a lady to her fingertips. Something Madame
Caroline would never be. Today was a day for her fur, she decided. There was nothing as intimidating as fur to little hussies who came from nowhere and thought they were someone.
‘Mrs Gleeson?’ she called. ‘Get my fur and my Chanel handbag, quickly if you please. I’m ready to leave.’
‘
Oh are ye, yer ladyship, yer Royal Highness,
’ the housekeeper muttered
sotto voce
down in the kitchen as she shook a fist skywards and made a face. It would be a
happy day when she could tell the old bat to stuff her job but the money was good, higher than the odds, probably because Sarah Yates was such a briar to work for. Hannah shook her head
sorrowfully. Her daughter’s husband had left her with a small baby, to shack up with a slag with margarine legs and Hannah needed all the money she could get right now to help out. But the
day would come and she’d let rip on Sarah Yates before she went.
‘Coming, Mrs Yates,’ she said in her best-butter-wouldn’t-melt voice as she hurried to do as she was bid.
‘I’d love a girls’ night, Devlin. I’ve loads to tell you. If you’re off to Galway on Monday I won’t see much of you at work, so tomorrow
night’s fine. Is it OK for Maggie?’ Caroline doodled on a pad as she spoke to her best friend.
‘I’m trying to get her. The answering machine’s on at home and I keep getting divert on her mobile. Anyway even if she can’t come, you come and we’ll have a good
natter. Luke’s flying to London tomorrow evening because he’s got to be in Brighton early on Monday so he won’t be able to slag us about our gossiping.’ Devlin laughed.
Caroline smiled. Luke was always teasing them about their capacity for gossip. He was so different from Richard. So secure in himself. So loving to Devlin. Would she ever find a man like that? A
man who would love her completely. Depression hovered. ‘Well, I have some news for you that will give the gossips a field day,’ she said, keeping her tone light.
‘Oohh . . . don’t keep me waiting. Tell me,’ Devlin reproached.
‘It will keep. See you tomorrow then.’
‘That’s cruelty. I’ll see you around seven. Bye Caroline,’ Devlin hung up.
Caroline replaced the phone gently in the cradle. Devlin sounded so bubbly and happy. She envied her deeply. Not in a nasty way. She loved Devlin. It was just that her friend’s happiness
and joy in her marriage showed such a lack in her own life. She’d married
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