5 Peppermint Grove (20 page)

Julia’s heart sank for her friend. Maybe going away wasn’t the best suggestion after all and she wondered if she had interfered unnecessarily.

“Do you regret coming out here?” she asked cautiously.

Ruth paused. “No – Steve has helped me but he really is just a distraction and he’s so much nicer to me than Ian ever was. I do like the work and it’s good for me to have a change of scene like this. This is my life for the next two years and I’m happy about that. By the way, I might not be able to come home this year – do you know it’s 1,600 dollars to fly to
Dublin?”

“Oh, I didn’t realise!” Julia’s head switched into business mode. She wondered was there something she could do to help the Irish get home more often. Maybe a discussion with an airline and a special package could be arranged. There were always business opportunities waiting to be tapped.

“Julia, are you okay – you seem in a daze?”

Julia shook her head. “Sorry, I was just wondering if there was scope to set up a link for emigrants coming home or family visiting – it might be worth my while discussing specials with some of the airlines.” She pointed over at the unusual tables shaped from old wooden wine barrels. “Come on, let’s sit over here at one of these barrels.”

The two sat on high stools and put their glasses on Guinness beer-mats.

“You are always working, aren’t you?” Ruth giggled.

“I can’t help it – it’s what makes me happy.”

“I just want to find a Mister Right who isn’t somebody else’s!” Ruth sighed. “And I’m starting to feel my biological clock ticking frantically.”

“Ruth Travers, I never thought you’d ever say that!”

Ruth picked up her glass of Night Nurse and took a sip. “Neither did I! I guess I didn’t want to admit it but when Niall got married it hurt to think of my younger brother having a child and me in the middle with none. It was different when Kevin had kids – he was always going to have them before me!”

“I know I’m not the typical youngest child – I was always so much my daddy’s girl and I wanted to make him proud. It’s difficult now that he’s gone but I feel he’s looking down on me saying ‘good move’ or ‘invest there’! I could never find a man that I loved as much as him.” Julia looked sadly into her glass of cider and took a large gulp.

“We are two of the most dysfunctional people we know, Julia!”

Julia smiled. “I never would have agreed with you before but I think I know what you mean!”

A crowd of young Irishmen filtered in through the door.

“Howaya, girls – are yis backpackers?” asked a scruffy man who was wearing a Dublin jersey and beaming smile.

“No, she’s on holiday and I’m working in the CBD,” said Ruth.

“Arya?” he beamed. “So am I – I’m a lecky!”

“A what?” Julia asked.

“He’s an electrician,” Ruth interpreted.

“It’s a great town, isn’t it?” he said to Julia.

“It’s cool!” she smiled.

“Can I get yis a drink?” he offered.

“No, thanks, we’re fine,” said Ruth.

“Good luck!” he said and went off to chat to one of the scaldy girls.

“I told you people were friendly in here,” Ruth laughed. “And when you are feeling homesick, two hours chatting to
Lecky
there is heaven!”

“I suppose we are so used to hearing how wonderful it is for everyone who has left our little country as it sinks further into debt, that we don’t think about what it feels like to be so far away.”

Ruth took another drink. “I never gave it a thought before. And I’m lucky – I’m here through choice not necessity. I could always move back in with Mum and Dad.”

“But you are glad you came?”

Ruth nodded vehemently. “I swear I’d never have left Ian’s clutches otherwise. I guess I’m missing him too so it’s twice as difficult but now I’m on my own I realise that I never really had him. God, it’s so annoying to realise that you’ve been deluding yourself for ten years. I wonder what opportunities I missed out on while I was entangled in his web. Maybe there’s a lovely
lecky
out there that I’d be happily making the dinner for right now and feeding his sprogs!”

Julia stood up abruptly. “Stop all this morose talk. I’m getting another drink. We are – well, I am – on my holidays and we are going to have fun!”

For the next two hours they had fun with
Lecky
and his mates. They drank more cider than they should and jumped into a taxi before Julia’s jet lag saw her asleep in the corner of the bar. The
craic
was good.

Chapter Twenty-eight

The next morning Ruth came into Julia’s bedroom with a mug of tea and some buttered toast.

“How’s the head?” she asked.

“I remember now why I don’t drink cider – and we’d already had a bottle of bubbles earlier that I’d forgotten about!”

“Drink up. I’ve got to go into work for a couple of hours but we’ll be getting the ferry at three so make sure that you have your bag packed.”

“I will – or maybe I’ll just take it easy till you get back.”

Ruth smiled at her friend. She had been the Julia of old last night – the one she had been with in
New York when they were young adults. It helped Ruth to realise that they were at a new stage in their lives, a fresh start of sorts, and she hoped that Julia would find what she was looking for because since moving to Perth Ruth was feeling very much like a new person.

Ruth took her bag and called goodbye as she closed the front door.

Julia sat up in the bed and flopped back down again. The mix of time, alcohol and sunshine were proving to be a lethal cocktail and she would have to take it easy when she got to Rottnest Island. She took her phone and switched it to Wi-Fi to check her emails. It was still Thursday night in Dublin and she was anxious to see how business had been at home.

Gillian had promised to email a report at the end of every day so Julia went straight to her email first.

It started off describing the business in the office before going on to the post. But it was the last paragraph of the email that rattled Julia.

I’
m going for drink to the Shelbourne with Dylan tomorrow night. Thank you so much, Julia, for introducing me to your brother-in-law. He really is so lovely and I never dreamed that I would be taken out to such a nice place. I hope that you’re having a brilliant time in Australia.

Julia felt her stomach churn and hoped that it was the Night Nurse from Rosie’s making her nauseous. The Shelbourne was her favourite spot in
Dublin and Dylan knew that. And why was Gillian signing herself Gill? That was way too familiar for her liking! It worried Julia that she was feeling this way about a man she not only disliked but despised. He had irritated her for ten years so why was she cross about him seeing Gillian? Who was she to judge who either of them should go out with? After all, she had instigated the match in the first place. But it didn’t sit right with her because she didn’t think that they suited. In fact, Gillian should be down here in Perth and Ruth should be in Dublin going to the Shelbourne with Julia!

It was
midnight in Dublin but Julia decided she had better check in and see how her mother and Horatio were doing. She went onto Skype on her iPad and didn’t have to wait long.

“Julia, is that you?”

“Hi, Mum, yes, it’s me!”

Her mother was sitting in the living room and Julia could tell that she had either been playing bridge or was about to start a game.

“How are things in Dublin?”

“All good here – you are missing nothing, love. Oh, apart from the massive row that I had with the credit-card people this morning. I couldn’t understand a word that the girl from the NGB bank was saying. She wouldn’t let me cancel Granddad’s card – you know how he keeps losing things – he probably left it in one of those cowboy shirts that he wears. I bet it’s in one of them but he swears he can’t find it. So they wouldn’t let me cancel just his – they said I had to cancel mine too because they are on the same account!”

“It’s probably a security procedure, Mum!”

“But wait, I’m not finished – I want to book a flight over to Warwickshire to play in a bridge tournament and I’ll need to have the card this week – so the cheeky girl tells me that I’ll have to wait. I was furious so I told her that I was cutting up my credit card and I went and got a pair of scissors and did it right there on the phone and she was yelling loudly at me, telling me ‘
Madam, you still owe two hundred euros on the account!’
. I asked to speak to someone who could speak English! I swear, Julia, I think the girl was in Cairo or somewhere mad like that – why can’t they have Irish people to talk to Irish customers? That would stop some of the emigration!”

Julia tried hard not to laugh and wished that there was no video on her iPad. She could see by her mother’s expression that she was totally wound up about the matter. This was exactly the sort of thing that Julia would have been able to sort out for her if she was there – it made her feel good that she was missed and needed for all sorts of little tasks!

“So how is Granddad?”

“He’s in great form – the weather’s nice and mild and he’s taking his walks on the beach every morning. I think he should get a little dog but he won’t hear of it. How is Ruth getting on in
Australia?”

“Her house is lovely and her job’s going really well. It’s a gorgeous city but everything is so expensive!”

“Really?” Carol was surprised. “I thought Australia was meant to be cheap. Where is she staying?”

“Ruth’s house is in Subiaco – it’s a lovely little suburb – almost in the centre of the city!”

“How was your flight?”

“Good – really comfortable.”

“Well, have a good time because you are missing nothing here – I think Granddad has fallen in love with that Brazilian girl that you sent to do the housework. He’s fixing a watch for her! Is Michael going out to you?”

“Yes, he’s due here on Saturday evening. I’ll get him to call you on Sunday.”

Carol frowned uncomfortably. “Oh, there’s no need for that – eh, I’ll be busy on Sunday.”

“Really? Where will you be?”

Carol went red in the face. “Oh nothing, I’ll just be playing a bit of bridge with the girls – you know, Treasa and Ita!”

Julia was curious – she always knew when her mother was trying to hide something.  There was no point in prying as she was too far away to find out more.

“Okay, well, have fun and we’ll call you on Monday.”

“Oh yes, Monday is much better!” Carol looked relieved which made Julia even more curious.

The world had turned upside down and she was on the other side of it and could do absolutely nothing about it! First Gillian and Dylan surprise her and now her mother! Julia had never felt so out of control of her life and everyone else’s!

Chapter Twenty-nine

Julia and Ruth cruised along like Thelma and Louise and parked at Eshed markets on Fremantle harbour. The quayside was awash with travellers. The captain was accepting people for boarding. The massive cruiser
The World
cast a shadow on the water.

“
Come on, we’ve only got ten minutes!” said Julia.

This
trip was a wonderful opportunity for them to catch up without any distractions, thought Ruth. Have some good heart-to-hearts. Julia had made it obvious that she was not keen on Steve. She really had thought that she had hidden her feelings from Julia but her best friend knew her better than she knew herself.

The captain w
as charming and flirtatious, wearing a gleaming white shirt and four golden bars on his lapels.

“Hey there, girls, going to R
otto today, are ya?”

They nodded and ran on board the ship.

“This reminds me of Irish college – remember when we took that trip to the Aran islands?” Ruth said.

“
Only it wasn’t thirty-five degrees in Galway,” Julia chirped.

They watched the Fremantle port authority building disappear as they motored through the harbour mouth. A large red peppermil
l lighthouse stood to their right and a green one to their left. A TV screen ran a video information trailer about Rottnest and it was announced over the tannoy that the bar was now open.

“Come on, now we are both on holidays – what would you like? Cider?” Ruth asked with a cheeky grin.

“Never ever again!” Julia laughed. “I’ll have a coke and maybe we can go outside?”

“It’s hot today – but at least it will be cooler on Rotto with the sea breeze.”

The thirty-minute journey flew by and, as the picturesque jetty at Thomson Bay came into view, Julia gasped. “I had no idea that it would be this beautiful!”

“Neither had I!”

The two gazed as the sandy shoreline drew closer and the sun glistened on the bright turquoise Indian Ocean. Tall pine trees were dotted sporadically behind the dense clumps of the indigenous trees. One large building resembling a hotel and a beach-front restaurant filled the shore-front to the left and a mix of yachts and motor boats were moored in front. A selection of holiday villas jutted out in the distance along the right side of the island and a tall white lighthouse perched high on the hill.