City Lives (12 page)

She was just finishing the sauce for the pasta when the doorbell rang and she hurried to press the intercom to let the girls into the foyer. Moments later Maggie and Caroline stood at her door,
grinning.

‘I collected Caroline
en route
,’ Maggie said as she enveloped Devlin in a hug. ‘You look stunning! What are you up to?’ She stood back and stared at her
friend.

‘Me? Nothing.’ Devlin feigned innocence. ‘Hi, Caroline. Come in and tell me what your news is before I burst. This brat told me on the phone that she had news that would put
the cat among the pigeons and then she hung up without telling me what it was. Was that cruel or what?’ Devlin asked Maggie as she took their coats.

‘Spill the beans, Caro,’ Maggie ordered as they trooped into the lounge.

‘It’s a bit of a damp squib at this stage,’ Caroline sighed as she dropped into a big soft luxurious armchair and kicked off her shoes. ‘Richard was going to sell the
firm, he was putting it up for sale tomorrow. He was going to move to Boston and we were going to get a divorce and start afresh but Ma Yates went ballistic when he told her and she came haring
over to have a go at me. I lost my cool and gave her a piece of my mind and ordered her out of the apartment and the old biddy went and had a massive heart attack ten minutes later. And now
Richard’s blaming me and everything’s on hold and the gossip columnists will have to wait for their field day.’ She pulled a face.

‘Well, the old bitch,’ Maggie declared. ‘Isn’t that just typical of her?’

‘That’s terrible,’ Devlin exclaimed. ‘What are her chances?’

‘She’s still in the danger period and another heart attack could kill her—’

‘Would you be so lucky?’ Maggie interrupted.

‘Believe me, Maggie, I’ve had that thought myself,’ Caroline said grimly. ‘Anyway, if she survives she has to have a bypass and Richard says he won’t do anything
until she’s OK. Which, knowing my mother-in-law, will be never. She’ll milk this until the day she dies. She’ll use it to bind Richard even tighter and she’ll fill him with
so much guilt he’ll never take the risk of upsetting her again. And in the meantime, I’m in limbo. I’ll never get a divorce from him while she’s alive. And she’ll live
until she’s a hundred just to spite us.’

‘Go for the divorce yourself,’ Devlin suggested as she handed her a glass of Amé and handed Maggie a glass of chilled white wine.

‘Yeah I know, but he might contest it and it will take ages, whereas before Mrs Yates had the heart attack we’d agreed to go ahead – it would have gone through in a few months.
I just needed this like I need a hole in the head.’

‘Caroline, as you’re always saying to me . . . rise above it,’ Maggie said dryly.

‘Am I always saying that to you, Maggie?’ Caroline grinned.

‘Yeah! And don’t forget, Mrs Yates is a spiritual being, and you have lessons to learn from her.
No man is my friend. No man is my enemy. Every man is my teacher
.
Isn’t that right?’ Maggie had a wicked twinkle in her eye.

‘Are you hoisting me by my own petard, by any chance?’ Caroline arched an eyebrow.

‘I sure am, honey. Now you see why I find it hard to understand when you come out with that kind of stuff. How can you possibly think anything other than that your mother-in-law is the
greatest wagon going?’

‘Because, Maggie, whether I like it or not, she was created by The Divine. She has the spark of The Divine in her the same as you and I. In the eyes of God she is your equal and my equal
and she is perfect,’ Caroline explained earnestly, forgetting for a moment that just a while back she’d wished Sarah dead.

‘Bullshit, Caroline, she’s an interfering, manipulative old woman who is thoroughly selfish and you’ve said that yourself many times. You can’t have your cake and eat it.
She can’t be perfect and selfish and manipulative at the same time. And what’s more I object strongly to being considered her equal—’

‘Now girls, don’t fight!’ Devlin murmured. She’d listened to many such arguments in the past and always enjoyed them.

‘We’re not fighting, Devlin, we’re discussing spirituality,’ Caroline said calmly. ‘And OK, Maggie, yes I’ve called her names and thought badly of her but
that’s not a reflection on her, that’s a reflection on me. That’s me being judgemental. The worst thing you can possibly be. It’s something I’m trying to change. With
great difficulty, I hasten to add.’

‘But Caroline, no-one could live like that. It’s totally impossible to live in this world and not judge people. What do you do, let her walk all over you?’

‘No, you always have to respect yourself and your own dignity, Maggie, but for me to think of Mrs Yates as a spiritual being helps me to detach a little from her actions. Something I
haven’t been doing this weekend. Thank you for reminding me. I’ll try and “rise above it”.’ Caroline smiled at her friend.

‘I give up, Caro.’ Maggie took a slug of her wine. ‘I don’t understand any of it. At the moment if I were to rise above my little problems I’d need a couple of
dozen mega-sized helium balloons at least.’

‘Why, what’s bugging you?’ Devlin stretched out on the sofa.

‘What’s bugging me!’ Maggie exclaimed theatrically. ‘Do you know what that thick idiot of a husband of mine did yesterday?’

‘What?’ Devlin and Caroline asked simultaneously.

‘He invited Alma and Sulaiman Al Shariff, their two obnoxious kids and their maid to stay with us for a week at Christmas.’

‘Crikey!’ exclaimed Devlin. ‘What possessed him?’

‘Possessed him is right. And I suppose he’s a great spirit too.’ She threw a glance at Caroline, who giggled.

‘He says that Sulaiman phoned and asked could they stay
en route
to the States. They’re not staying in Saudi for Christmas because it’s Ramadan. He could have said
that we were going away or that we were having other guests, but you know Terry. He thinks it’s a great idea. I mean I’ve only got a book to finish,’ Maggie complained mournfully.
‘And on top of all that, my editor, Marcy Elliot, phoned me to tell me that she’s leaving Enterprise Publishing and I think she’s got some news for me that I’m not going to
like. I’m meeting her next week. Caroline, my life is a shambles, “rising above it” is not an option.’

‘Well, Maggs, that all depends on how you look at it. All I can say is that during the worst times in my life there was some help available to me, even though I didn’t know it at the
time. It’s only when I look back I see how much I was helped. Maybe your new editor will be a stepping-stone to greater things. Who knows? Maybe the Al Shariffs’ visit will give you
reams of material for a new book. You could call it
Entertaining Old Friends
,’ she teased.

‘Remember the party you had for them the last time they stayed and Alma got into a rip-roaring row with Adrian McNulty about politics?’ Devlin grinned.

‘Oh God!’ Maggie groaned. ‘Don’t remind me. I had a week of political lectures from the pair of them. They don’t discuss politics with you, they harangue you.
It’s very wearing and mighty rude. Oh Lordy, I’d forgotten what it was like, thanks for reminding me. And if you dare tell me that they’re great spirits with something to teach
me, Caroline Yates,
I’ll
teach
you
a lesson you’ll never forget.’

‘Ah stay calm, Maggie,’ Caroline soothed. ‘If there’s anything I can do to help just let me know.’

‘Me too,’ Devlin put in.

‘Thanks. I’ll be on the phone every night getting it off my chest.’

‘Bring Alma into City Girl for a few treatments,’ Devlin suggested.

‘Good idea,’ Maggie brightened up. ‘That would suit her down to the ground. Thanks, Dev, I’ll do that.’

‘You could come up to my office and get a couple of pages written while she’s having her massages and whatever.’

‘Hey, Dev, that would be brilliant. I could leave Terry and Sulaiman to mind the kids, have a couple of hours of peace to write while she’s having her beauty bits done and still feel
I’m entertaining her. Delaney, you’re a genius!’ She held up her glass in toast to her friend.

Devlin raised hers. ‘See! Caroline was right. There’s always someone there to help in your hour of need.’

‘Don’t
you
start,’ Maggie warned. ‘Do you want another glass of wine?’

‘Er . . . no. I’m going to serve. Come on out to the kitchen,’ Devlin said hastily. She’d been drinking Amé, Maggie hadn’t noticed.

‘It smells delicious. I’m starving.’ Maggie sniffed appreciatively.

‘Me too,’ echoed Caroline as she uncoiled herself from her chair.

‘Light the candles, Caroline, and plonk your ass. Maggie, fill your glass,’ Devlin instructed as she took the succulent juicy ribs from the oven.

‘They look scrumptious,’ Maggie enthused as she topped up her glass. ‘Here, let me fill yours.’

‘I’m fine,’ Devlin murmured as she served out the ribs. Now that they were here she was waiting for an appropriate moment to tell them that she was pregnant.

‘Devlin Delaney, I’ve never heard you refuse a glass of wine bef—’ Maggie stopped in mid-sentence and stared at her friend.

‘I knew it. I knew there was something different about you. You’re pregnant, aren’t you?’

Devlin blushed to her roots and started to laugh. Caroline jumped up from her chair and hugged Devlin tightly.

‘Devlin! Devlin, I’m so happy for you.’

‘Oh Devlin—’ Maggie couldn’t say any more. Tears welled in her eyes as she stood beside her friend.

‘Oh don’t start me off,’ Devlin pleaded, as a lump the size of a melon formed in her throat.

‘Sorry,’ sniffled Maggie, who was as soft as butter. ‘I’m so glad. Is Luke over the moon?’

Devlin nodded. She couldn’t speak as she stood encircled in the arms of her two best friends.

‘Oh look at us!’ Maggie laughed and cried at the same time.

‘When’s the baby due?’ Caroline asked.

‘May. I’m only a few weeks gone.’ Devlin wiped her eyes. ‘You’re the first to know. I was dying to tell you. But I’m not saying anything at work. I want to
wait until the three months are up.’

‘May is a lovely time to have a baby. It will be nice and hardy and in a routine by the time winter comes. Trust me, I know these things.’ Maggie carried the plates to the table.
‘Sit down and let’s tuck in. The joy of sitting down to a meal that I haven’t cooked.’

Devlin toyed with a piece of lettuce.

‘Don’t say you’re queasy,’ Maggie said sympathetically as she forked some meat and ate it with relish.

‘No . . . no. It’s not that. It’s just . . . oh girls, I’m scared.’ She put her fork down.

‘Of what, Dev?’ Caroline reached over and took her hand.

‘You’ve been pregnant before, Dev. You know what it’s like,’ Maggie soothed.

‘No, it’s not that. I’m just afraid something will happen. I suppose it’s because Lynn died on me. I’m afraid to be happy. I don’t want to say it to Luke.
He’s so chuffed I don’t want to spoil it for him. It’s crazy, isn’t it.’

‘No it’s not, Devlin. It’s very understandable,’ Maggie commiserated.

‘It’s human nature, Devlin. When bad things have happened to you, being happy again is almost a scary concept. You think, this is too good to be true, it’s not going to
last.’ Caroline grimaced.

‘And yet look at you, Devlin. Of all of us, you’ve ended up the happiest and most fulfilled,’ Maggie remarked.

‘Oh don’t say that,’ murmured Devlin.

‘Well, you are. You’re successful. You’ve a great marriage. Luke’s a real man. He’s decent, honest, kind and dead sexy. Which is a hell of a lot more than what me
and Caroline have. What I’m saying is you’re happy now and you’re coping with it. The baby’ll just be the icing on the cake.’

‘I suppose I am, but you know what I mean, Maggie.’ Devlin sighed.

‘Yeah, I know.’

‘You’re successful too, and you’ve got three lovely children, Maggs,’ Caroline pointed out. ‘You’re doing better in the happy stakes than me.’

‘I’m not happy, Caro,’ Maggie said morosely. ‘I’d leave Terry in the morning if it wasn’t for the kids. And writing novels is too hard when you’ve got
young children. I’m thinking of taking a year off after this one.’

‘Are you?’ Devlin was surprised. ‘That’s a shame, Maggie.’

‘I know. If Terry were more supportive it would be different. But he resents my writing. The kids hate to see me stuck at the computer. They’re not good conditions for someone
who’s trying to be creative. I keep having to turn down publicity opportunities because a lot of them are overnighters and Terry gives me such a hard time it’s not worth it to do
it.’

‘Are things no better between you?’ Caroline asked.

‘We live under the same roof, we share the same bed, we occasionally have sex which does nothing for me. Do you know what I’d love? I’d love a good shag.’ Maggie took a
gulp of her wine and grinned.

‘Me too,’ Caroline said fervently. ‘It’s been so long since I had sex I’d need to be told the facts of life again to know what to do.’

‘Well, now that you’ve made the decision to divorce, even if it doesn’t come off for a while, there’s nothing to stop you going out on the hunt,’ Devlin said
firmly.

‘Devlin, at my age they’re either going to be married, or separated like me, which means baggage. Is it worth it?’

‘Do you hear, Methuselah?’ jeered Devlin. ‘They’re only excuses, Caroline, and you know it.’

‘If it happens, it happens.’ Caroline shrugged.

‘Oh for God’s sake don’t be so passive. Get out there and strut your stuff!’

‘Yes, Mammy,’ Caroline said meekly

‘I mean it.’

‘At least you’re not tied. You’re more or less a free agent,’ Maggie interjected. ‘If you were like me you’d be really stuck.’

‘Have another affair, why don’t you?’ Caroline suggested.

‘With who, for God’s sake? The man in the moon?’ Maggie laughed at the idea.

‘Haven’t you met anyone on your publicity jaunts or at the posh do’s you go to?’ Caroline started to fill Maggie’s glass.

‘Go easy or I’ll be pissed. And I’ll have to get a taxi home.’

‘Get pissed, Maggie. Go on, do it for us, the Alcho and the Mother-To-Be-On-The-Dry,’ Caroline urged.