5 Peppermint Grove (3 page)

“I like the clients to be warm and cosy when they’re booking their holidays. You look like you could do with a break – is suburbia getting to you?”

“Oh, you sound like Mum – she wants me to go to the Christmas markets in
Cologne with her – apparently she has some Dutch friend who she’s meeting there in December.”

“Oh!” Julia was disappointed that her mother hadn’t invited her. She wouldn’t have gone of course because someone would have to stay with her granddad but it would have been nice to be asked.

“Don’t mind me – Craig is working very long hours – they’ve whittled his department down to eleven people. How you can just let thirty staff go like that is beyond me. I only get to talk to him on a Friday night these days – then he’s off with Jamie and his football team on a Saturday and cycling with his friends in the afternoon. If we go out on a Saturday night it’s with friends. After Sunday dinner he sits in front of the fire and then the week starts all over again!”

“But you have your lovely kids!”

Julia wondered what was really up with her sister that she wasn’t telling her. She didn’t have to wait long to find out.

“I want to have another baby!” Odette blurted out, bursting into tears.

Julia jumped up and went over to console her sister. She handed her a tissue to mop up the tears.

“I don’t really know what’s wrong with me any more – I should be the happiest woman alive – I’ve a perfect little son and daughter and Craig is a good husband but I get so frustrated sometimes that I want to scream.”

Julia was in new territory.

“And do you think having another baby is going to change that?”

“Jamie is getting so independent and he’s only eight – he made his own breakfast and lunch for school yesterday. Charlotte is only five and she told me that she hated me yesterday and that I was the worst mother in the world.” Odette sobbed harder. “I wish they were babies again and really needed me.”

Julia was knocked for six. She had never seen her sister like this before. She really needed to talk to her in greater detail about how she felt. She wasn’t dressed as perkily as she normally would be which made Julia wonder if she was slightly depressed. But what had she to be depressed about? She would find out.

“Put your coat on, we’re going for a nice lunch.”

Odette blinked back the tears and looked up at her sister. “Thanks, Julia.”

Julia felt so loved and needed. She would take her sister to a lovely little deli on Wicklow Street and fix her!

Ruth was the second caller to Julia’s office – she arrived just before five o’clock.

“Can I see Julia,
Gillian?” she asked the receptionist.

“Yes, I’ll call her now.”

Gillian spoke with Julia – then told Ruth to go ahead.

Julia was putting the last details of her summer brochure to rest and had recently introduced cruises into the catalogue.

“Hi, Ruth,” she said, signing off the last few samples and getting up to give her friend a hug. “Did Tourism Ireland call you?”

Ruth nodded. “Thanks so much, Julia. I can’t believe how well connected you are – well, actually, I can believe it – but I have an interview next week.”

“Good!” Julia smiled smugly. “And any word from Ian?”

Ruth quickly changed the subject. “And I need help finding something to wear for the interview.”

Julia looked at her phone. Almost five – she could go. She had done a good day’s work in the office and she had time to spare as this was Carol’s bridge night (bridge night
out
, that is) and her grandfather liked to just get a Chinese for himself.

“Right, we’re taking a walk around
Grafton Street.”

“Great – I don’t know where to start!”

“River Island – if we don’t get fixed up there we can try BT’s. Fancy a bite to eat after?”

“Oh yes.” Ruth smiled – she felt so much better now that Julia was there to sort her out.

Chapter Three

Seven o’clock
in Singapore. Michael turned over in his bed and sighed. He could go to the gym before work or he could think about her! Against his better instinct he closed his eyes and pictured the lovely Lydia. With her straight blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes, people often mistook her for a Swede. But she was very much an Irish girl and one who knew how to light up a room with her presence. She was clever and witty and intelligent and why he had never asked her to marry him baffled him. He would be forty soon and was beginning to wonder what he was doing with his life. He had ridden the Celtic Tiger for the first half of the noughties and split as things went sour in the economy. Coming to Singapore had been a good decision – he now owned his apartment in Sutton and could live there if and when he decided to return to Dublin. But the last two years had felt shallow and were now at the point of becoming monotonous. It wasn’t too late to call Julia. She would throw some light on his situation and help him clear his head.

“Hey, sis,” he called into the laptop.

Her Skype clicked on.

“Michael!” Julia was surprised. She loved the fact that she could see his face as she spoke with him even though he was on the other side of the world.

“I’m thinking of coming home for a holiday soon.”

“But it’s so near Christmas – can’t you come home for that?”

“It’s not easy – not a Christian country over here – you know that.”

“But I thought by now you would get the time – Mum would love to see you sooner though . .  .” She paused. “Actually cancel that – Mum doesn’t seem to have time for anyone at the moment unless they play bridge!”

Michael laughed. “How’s Granddad?”

“Good – he’s thinking of taking up painting – there’s a course in the local community centre.”

“That pair are a hoot – they are well able to look after themselves – why don’t you get a place of your own?”

“That’s all very well for you to say, Michael, but what if Granddad fell out of the bed or Mum needed something done around the house that she couldn’t manage?”

Michael laughed louder. “Mum and Granddad are in their own little world. Anyway, have you any nice friends that would suit me?”

“I’m giving up on you, brother dear – after you blew it with
Lydia I’ve decided not to waste my matchmaking skills. When are you going to settle down and stop messing around with so many women?”

“Oh, don’t do that,” he sighed. “You haven’t heard from
Lydia, have you, by any chance?”

“Of course I have. She’s doing well and has met a new man according to our last conversation.”

Michael sat up in the bed with the shock. “But she only finished with that other guy a couple of months ago!”

“Yes, but she’s a pretty girl and she’s thirty-five. She’s keen to get settled down.”

“Oh,” said Michael, uttered dejectedly. He was stupid to think that she had any feelings for him any more. “I don’t suppose you’ll see her again soon?”

“I’ve no plans – but we’ll meet up before Christmas, I’m sure. Why all this sudden interest in
Lydia again? You’ve got quite a history, you two, and the scars are so deep I doubt she’s going to go there again!”

Michael realised that his sister was probably right but he didn’t want to think that he would never be with
Lydia ever again.

“Look,” he said, “I was thinking of dropping a line and seeing how she was.”

“I wouldn’t do that – I mean, she’s deleted you from her Facebook friends since the last time.”

Michael was well aware of that. “But I can still see her photos when I look her up through your page.”

“Don’t do this to yourself, Michael – she has moved on and I thought you had too?”

Julia knew her brother too well and she wondered what was making him feel this way.

“I’ll see about leave for Christmas then – I’ll try to come home as close to it as I can.”

“That would be nice for Mum and Granddad, and for me too!”

“How’s Odette?”

“She wants another baby and I’m talking to her about it – Craig’s working hard and she’s feeling neglected and I’ve a feeling she thinks another baby is going to fill the gap.”

“Maybe she just wants another child?”

Julia tut-tutted down the phone. “It’s never that simple – there’s a reason for everything and I know her too well. I’ll keep you posted though. Anyway, I’m really tired – I went shopping with Ruth and got her a nice suit for her interview next week.”

“Why is she changing job?”

“Her boss was a bully and a brute – I’ve suggested a job in
Perth.”

“
Scotland?”

“No, silly –
Perth, Australia!”

“Well, she’ll have plenty of company there – half of the city is Irish at this stage!”

“I think the change will do her good.”

Michael didn’t dispute that.

“Okay, sis – I’ll let you get to bed. If you’ve any suggestions about Lydia, though, let me know – I would like to see her again.”

“I’m not allowing you to mess her around.”

“I wouldn’t be – I’ve changed – I miss her.”

“Well, make sure you know how you really do feel – I’m not doing your dirty work to find you’ve decided you don’t want her after all. You can’t do that a third time, Michael – it wouldn’t be fair!”

“I know that, sis – I’m forty years of age – I’m getting on and don’t want to spend the rest of my life alone.”

“You will always have some woman at your side.”

“I don’t want just any woman,” Michael sighed. “I want
the
woman!”

“And why have you suddenly decided that
Lydia is
the
woman?”

Michael paused, wanting to give the right answer.

“I just know that I have never been happier than when I was with her.”

Julia loved her brother madly but she knew what a cad he was when it came to breaking women’s hearts – he was a total charmer and unremorseful in most cases. But he was family.

“And what about Nikki? I thought she was
the
one last time you were home?”

“She was too needy, Julia – even you said that!”

“Yes, but that was partly your fault for chatting about your legion of female friends in Singapore!”

Michael paused for a moment and then very quietly said, “You know that I really loved
Lydia . . .”

“Leave it with me – let me think about it!”

“You’re a star, Julia!” he said with gratitude in his voice. “I knew I could depend on you. Love you to bits.”

“Okay then, go before I change my mind – I’ll drop you an email later.”

“Bye, sis.”

“Bye.”

Julia made her way over to the fridge and took out some milk for her tea.

Suddenly the front door slammed and her mother appeared in the kitchen. She bounced over in the direction of the kettle and put it on.

“Oh, I could smell Granddad’s Chinese from the hall. Is he in bed?”

“Yes, how was bridge?”

“Very good,” her mother said lightly. “Are you having tea?”

“Yes – I’ll make it!”

Julia took out the tea bags and made them both a brew.

“I’ve just been on to Michael – he might come over early in December – doesn’t think he’ll get back for Christmas.”

“Oh, that is a shame,” her mother said, taking her mug of tea in her hands. “I hope he doesn’t come while I’m at the Christmas Market in Germany.”

It was Julia’s chance to quiz her mother. “Odette told me that you had plans – I didn’t know!”

“Did I forget to say it? I’m sorry, Julia – I thought you would probably be busy with work and, well, you might mind Granddad?”

“Of course I can mind Granddad. That sounds like a lovely trip.”

“I can’t wait! Right, I’m off to bed. Goodnight, love!”

With her mug in hand Carol was gone.

Julia really was happy for her mother but would like to have more interaction with her. Did she realise how addicted she was to bridge? If she wasn’t playing it with the bridge club she was playing it virtually or meeting people that played bridge. She would have a word with Granddad the next day and see what his views were on the subject. She took her mug, turned off the lights and made her way up the stairs to bed. Her bedroom was a haven of peace and tranquillity, painted a warm peach with a cream carpet that her feet sank into as she walked. Parked against the wall was a king-size mahogany sleigh bed with cream satin duvet covers. She lit the tea lights on her antique dressing table and they sparkled against the huge oval mirror. It was style from another time but Julia loved vintage furniture – a trait she’d inherited from her father. She missed him sorely and every night before she went to sleep she said a prayer to him. She had been Daddy’s little girl and the two used to be the driving force in the family. But, since his passing, the dynamic of the family had changed so much that she felt herself flounder sometimes and wondered how things would be if he was still around. The first thing that came to her mind the day that she heard that he was tragically killed was the realisation that he would not be there to take her down the aisle. Once she realised this, a switch flipped in her consciousness: now that he was gone she wouldn’t need to be walked down the aisle. It had been a slim enough chance that she would find someone that would match up to her father but since his passing she had realised that day would never come – she would never meet anyone who could hold a candle to him. And after five years she was pleased that she had saved herself a lot of heartache and could continue her life without a man.