City Woman (20 page)

‘That’s very wise, my dear.’ Charles smiled at her. ‘We’ll phone as soon as we arrive.’ Very quickly he kissed her once more and turned away.
‘I’ll go on and let you and Richard say your farewells,’ he said briskly. ‘Take care, Caroline.’

‘And you too.’ Caroline met his steady gaze and then he was walking away from them and she turned her head to hide her tears. ‘Hurry after him, Richard. Don’t let him go
through on his own,’ she urged, hating to see the lonely figure disappearing across the concourse.

Richard hugged her fiercely. ‘I’ll miss you, Caroline. Thanks for everything.’

‘Look after yourself, Richard. Phone often.’

‘I will,’ he promised.

‘Go on.’ She gave him a little shove. ‘Go and take care of Charles. Don’t let him go to America on his own,’ she smiled.

Only when she saw him hurrying away after Charles did her composure break and when he turned to wave, she started to cry. She waved back and watched him disappear and was turning in the
direction of the exit when she heard a familiar voice say kindly, ‘It looks as though you need a shoulder to cry on. Here’s four; take your pick.’

Through eyes blurred with tears, Caroline saw Devlin and Maggie standing in front of her. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ‘Oh, girls, if ever I needed you both, I need you
now.’

‘You’ve got us,’ Maggie assured her. ‘Come on, let’s have a coffee.’

‘We thought you could do with some moral support,’ Devlin explained, as they sat at a round table up in the lounge overlooking the apron. Just to the left of them,
the huge green-and-white Boeing 747 with the distinctive shamrock on the tail was fuelling up for its long transatlantic journey.

‘I’d be lost without you,’ Caroline admitted, feeling much less alone.

‘We know,’ Devlin said smugly, then grinned at her friend.

‘Ma Yates didn’t come,’ Maggie observed tartly. Caroline had told her friends about the events at her mother-in-law’s house a few weeks previously.

Caroline shook her head. ‘Richard went to see her this morning to say goodbye. She preferred not to come. I can’t say I’m sorry.’

‘And has she said anything more to Richard about his being gay?’ Devlin enquired.

‘She’s pretending he never said it, that the whole episode never happened. She’s blaming his outburst on me and the stress I’ve caused him by my drinking.’

‘The old bitch,’ Devlin said with a scowl.

Caroline shrugged. ‘I don’t care, really. In a way I feel sorry for her. She’s lost the one person she’s devoted her whole life to, and if blaming me makes it any easier
for her, let her. I won’t need to have much to do with her from now on. I’m not going to let it bother me.’

‘And you’re right,’ Maggie declared. ‘From now on, you’re going to put yourself first and you’re going to start living your own life.’

‘Yes, ma’am,’ Caroline saluted.

‘I mean it, Caroline,’ Maggie said firmly.

‘Listen to wise old Mother Hen. She knows what she’s on about,’ Devlin drawled. ‘She’s always practising what she preaches.’

Maggie laughed. ‘Well, you know what I mean.’

‘Yes, I do, and you’re right,’ Caroline said. ‘And the first thing I want to do is treat you both to lunch. Come on, let’s go over to the hotel. We haven’t
had a good natter in ages.’

‘You
will
stay the night with me – that goes without saying,’ Devlin said, as she and Caroline left to go their separate ways. Maggie had already
left, to attend a meeting with her editor.

‘Thanks, Devlin,’ Caroline smiled. ‘I appreciate the offer but I think I should sleep at home tonight. You know, good psychology and all that.’

Devlin nodded in agreement. ‘Good thinking, Caro. But don’t forget – I’m in the next block if good psychology fails and you get lonely.’

‘I won’t.’ Caroline gave her friend an affectionate hug and received one back in return. Driving back to the apartment, she remembered a line from the prayer Charles had given
her.

Count your friends instead of your foes.

Well, she had the best of friends. That was obvious. With Devlin and Maggie on hand to give her moral support, she’d manage fine.

Sixteen

‘How are things?’ The transatlantic line was so clear that it was almost as if Richard were just down the road.

‘Good,’ Caroline said cheerfully. ‘I’ve been busy at work this week. I sold two properties, which isn’t bad because the property market is in the doldrums.
They’re going to let me go at the end of the month until around February when things pick up again.’

‘What will you do with yourself?’ Richard asked.

‘I’ll keep myself occupied. I’m taking classes in Ballymun Comprehensive. I’ve taken up painting and I’m doing computer studies. I’m enjoying it.’

‘That’s great,’ he said enthusiastically. ‘Keep at it.’

‘How’s Charles?’ she asked.

‘He’s not too bad at all. He’s taking things easy. We followed your advice and went to New England one weekend and it was beautiful. Caroline, I wish you’d been with us.
We’re going to fly down to New York and do a cultural weekend soon, we’ve decided. He’s not in any pain at the moment so we want to make the most of the good days. His brother is
giving him excellent care, so that’s a great help.’

‘That’s good. At least you’ve got someone to share the worry and you know that he’s in sound hands.’

‘I’m glad I came with him, Caroline. Our time together is very precious and I’ll always be able to look myself in the eye and think that I didn’t let him down,’
Richard said. ‘As long as everything is OK with you, I don’t mind.’

‘I’m fine,’ she assured him. ‘Give my love to Charles. We’ll talk again soon.’

‘I will,’ he promised, and Caroline smiled as she said goodbye.

She hadn’t been telling any fibs when she said she was fine, Caroline reflected, as she pulled the curtains in the sitting-room. It was lashing rain outside, and the nights had drawn in as
winter took hold. It was five weeks since Richard and Charles went to America. She hadn’t fallen to pieces and she hadn’t turned back to the bottle and actually she was quite proud of
herself.

Charles had been right: dig deep and you find reserves within yourself. She had been determined not to give herself time to brood and get depressed so she had taken the bull by the horns and
joined a beginners’ art class, something she had always wanted to do. She was thoroughly enjoying it. Caroline had always loved art at school. She had a creative streak that had never been
developed and she found that, just as in her schooldays, she could immerse herself in her painting for hours and not feel the time go by.

The computer studies were far more taxing, but also something she wanted to persevere with. Caroline knew that if she wanted to work full-time again, she might have to look elsewhere than Foynes
and Kelly, Estate Agents and Auctioneers. As she had said to Richard on the telephone, they were letting her go shortly, until the spring. This would not cause Caroline any financial hardship
because of the cheque Richard had arranged to be lodged for her every month. But now that she had set in motion the dissolution of their marriage, she wanted to work full-time and make her own
financial way in the world. She was still a young woman with a whole life ahead of her. She couldn’t go on working part-time and attending painting classes for ever.

She decided that she would invite Maggie and Devlin to dinner the following Friday. Devlin was in great form these days. Her relationship with Luke was bringing her happiness and Caroline was so
glad for her after all the trauma she had been through. She was really excited about the new Belfast City Girl and buzzing with ideas about the launch. It was great to see her friend in top gear
again.

Poor Maggie was a bit browned off, trying to get her second novel written. Time out away from the children would do her the world of good and it would be nice for the three of them to have an
evening together. The other two were so busy these days that there were times they didn’t even make their Friday morning workout. A dinner for three would be perfect.

Caroline opened the oven door and an enticing aroma assailed her nostrils. ‘Very nice,’ she murmured happily. She was cooking crunchy stuffed pork and it smelled
delicious, even if she said so herself. She was serving buttered carrots, sprouts, baked parsnips and roast and creamed potatoes to accompany her main course. There was prawn cocktail for starter
and a Pavlova for dessert.

Caroline was really enjoying herself as she diced carrots and parsnips, peeled the potatoes she was going to cook, and washed the lettuce for the prawn cocktail. Cooking for one was a bit of a
drag, so she was really pulling out all the stops now that she was having company. To tell the truth, she was starting to feel peckish herself.

The table was set, the wine was chilling, and everything was under control, so she went into the lounge and sat in front of the fire with a cup of coffee. It was great being able to invite the
girls over for dinner. She’d never entertained them when she and Richard were together. He and Devlin had never got on and it would have been too awkward. There was a strange kind of freedom
in being on your own, she mused, staring at the flames as they leapt up the chimney. It was not at all the disaster she had thought it was going to be. It was nice being able to do exactly what she
pleased without having to consider someone else’s feelings. Caroline loved classical music but, as Richard had never liked it, she had rarely played her collection. Now
Madame
Butterfly
was playing softly in the background. Little things like that were helping her to find her feet again and she was facing life with courage and a positive attitude.

The doorbell rang, interrupting her reflections, and she jumped to her feet and lifted the intercom. Devlin’s image appeared on the monitor.

‘Hi, it’s me. Is dinner nearly ready? I’m starving,’ her friend declared, as she stood shivering in the biting wind outside.

‘Come on up, you gannet,’ laughed Caroline, pressing the buzzer.

Devlin arrived with a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of non-alcoholic wine.

‘Mmmm,’ she sniffed the air appreciatively. ‘That smells gorgeous! What is it?’

‘Crunchy stuffed pork,’ Caroline informed her.

‘My favourite, oh yum, yum, yum,’ Devlin did a little twirl of delight. The dish had been a favourite since their flat-sharing days, and was one of Caroline’s great
specialities.

‘Come out into the kitchen and have a drink. I want to put the parsnips in the oven.’

‘Baked parsnips as well! Oh double yum yum to you,’ Devlin giggled.

Caroline cocked a suspicious eye at her. ‘Are you tipsy already?’

‘No, I’m just really looking forward to our evening. It will be like old times in the flat,’ Devlin said with a happy smile.

‘Yes, we were happy then, weren’t we?’ Caroline handed Devlin a gin and tonic.

‘And we’re not doing too badly now, either.’ Devlin held up her glass in a toast, and Caroline clinked her glass of mineral water with her.

Unthinkingly, they slipped into their routine of several years before, Caroline cooking and stirring, Devlin washing up as they went along, chatting in that easy way of old friends. Shortly
afterwards, Maggie arrived with more flowers and some goodies – for the ‘Sin Bag’, she laughed. They sat around the fire enjoying their pre-dinner drinks. All Caroline had to do
was to pop the carrots and sprouts into the microwave, and make the gravy.

‘Come on out into the kitchen until I tell you about this ould fella who came to view an apartment I was selling yesterday. He told me he was a bachelor with plenty of money in the bank if
I fancied making a go of it.’ Caroline grinned.

The other pair shrieked with laughter as they followed Caroline into the high-tech kitchen that was so different from Devlin’s homely one across the way. Maggie and Devlin had just seated
themselves on the chrome-and-leather stools and Caroline was pouring some of the sizzling juices from the pork into a saucepan when the lights went out.

‘Oh shit!’ Caroline exclaimed. ‘Is it a fuse, I wonder?’

‘It’s not a fuse. Everything’s out in my block as well. I think we’re having a power-cut.’ Devlin edged her way to the window and peered out.

‘Ah, shag it,’ Maggie said. ‘I was really looking forward to my dinner.’

‘Have you any candles?’

‘Hold on, I’ll get them. Oops, sorry.’

‘Where’s my gin and tonic?’

‘That’s right,’ Maggie said, grinning at Devlin in the dark. ‘Get your priorities right. Don’t lose your gin and tonic, for God’s sake.’

‘Oh, girls, this is a disaster.’ A crestfallen Caroline lit some candles and stuck them around the kitchen. ‘The meat needed another half an hour at least. You know pork. The
vegetables aren’t cooked, the gravy’s not made and the potatoes are still hard.’ She stabbed one of the potatoes venomously with a knife.

‘I wonder how long it’s going to last,’ Maggie said in disgust.

‘Knowing my luck – hours,’ Caroline replied glumly.

An hour later, Devlin had had enough. ‘I can’t last another minute. I’m starving. Come on, Caroline, let’s see what’s in the fridge.’

‘Well, we can have the prawn cocktail and some brown bread . . .’

‘And there’s cream cheese and pâté.’ Devlin was peering into the fridge, holding a candle up high. ‘Oh, and what’s this?’ She pointed to a plate
covered with tinfoil.

‘That’s a chicken breast. And I’ve tomatoes and cucumber,’ Caroline said forlornly.

Devlin jollied her along. ‘There’s loads here. Come on; we’ll have a picnic in front of the fire. Sure it’s a bit of a laugh.’

‘And most importantly,’ Maggie murmured, ‘we have the Pavlova for sweet and . . .
the Sin Bag
!’

It turned into an evening of great fun and laughter as the trio ate their makeshift meal by candle-light, sitting in front of the fire. Just as the lights came on, Devlin was telling them all
about her plans for Belfast, and as they carried the dishes out to the kitchen, Caroline remarked that it was years since she’d visited the Northern capital.

‘Well, you’ll be finishing up work soon. Why don’t you come up with me one of these days?’ Devlin suggested. ‘I’d love you to see the new place and you could
do a bit of shopping.’