Promises, Promises

by Patricia Scanlan

  ‘Now, Chris. Pull out now,’ she gasped.

  ‘Yeah, babe.’ He groaned, moving against her.

  ‘Now, Chris!’ she said in alarm, feeling his orgasm start.

  ‘All right,’ he gasped as he drew away from her. Ellen felt his wetness against her and hoped against hope that he hadn’t left it too late.

  Chris gazed down at Ellen as she slept in his arms. Her chestnut hair fanned out across his chest, her face was flushed after lovemaking and a little smile curled around her lips. Chris inhaled his cigarette. Tonight had been good. Really good. Ellen was made for lovemaking. She was so responsive, much less inhibited than Suzy. He was blown out with Suzy now for sure. He supposed that he shouldn’t have left her sleeping it off in Emma’s. But she was out for the count. Pissed out of her skull. Short of slinging her over his shoulder in a fireman’s lift, there was nothing else to do. Right now he didn’t particularly care. Suzy could be abrasive at times. It jarred. Though they’d only been together twice, Ellen was much more gentle and affectionate with him. He liked that. It was vaguely comforting. He stubbed out his cigarette and leaned over and softly nuzzled her earlobe. Ellen murmured something and stirred.

  ‘Come on, Ellen, put your arms around me. Kiss me, baby,’ he whispered and was immensely gratified when her arms tightened around him and her lips sought his.

  ‘Can you imagine the nerve of Chris leaving that girl asleep in our guest room?’ Emma grumbled as she cold-creamed her face. She looked extremely fetching in her frilly ice-blue baby-doll pyjamas and matching mules. Vincent’s favourite night-time outfit.

  ‘I didn’t see him leave.’ Vincent lay back against the pillows, waiting for his wife to join him. ‘I wonder did he shift someone?’

  ‘I wouldn’t doubt it!’

  ‘He’s got a way with women all right.’ Vincent grinned.

  A thought struck Emma. ‘I didn’t see Ellen leave . . . you don’t think—’

  ‘She’s crazy if she went with him, after what we told her about him. I really don’t think Ellen’s that stupid.’ Vincent frowned.

  Emma wasn’t so sure. But she said nothing. It was awkward. She didn’t want that loony sister of Vincent’s getting involved with a relation of hers. She’d probably get blamed if it ended in tears.

  ‘It was a great party all the same,’ Vincent said with satisfaction.

  ‘Yeah, it was. And did you see Gillian and Frank’s faces when you gave me the horse? They were pea-green with envy.’ Emma giggled. That moment had made her night.

  ‘They’re always trying to impress, but it was them who were impressed this evening. Frank will be busting a gut now to try and outdo us. He’s very competitive. But he’s such an idiot he’ll spend beyond his means. I won’t. We’ll draw in our horns now for a little while and get on an even keel again. Maybe we could have another party at Easter.’

  ‘Lovely,’ Emma approved as she slid into bed beside him.

  ‘How are you feeling now?’ Vincent was solicitous as he put his arms around her.

  ‘I don’t feel as bad as I did. I’d love to have been able to eat some of the buffet, it looked gorgeous.’

  ‘It was. Mrs Gilligan really surpassed herself. Everybody was talking about it.’

  ‘Miriam certainly enjoyed it,’ Emma remarked tartly. Every time she’d seen the other girl she was stuffing her face. It made Emma feel ill to think about it. No wonder her sister-in-law was putting on so much weight. She was bursting out of that dreadful navy crimplene trouser suit she’d been wearing.

  ‘Well she is eating for two.’ Vincent yawned.

  ‘She’s what!’

  ‘Oh! Of course you didn’t know. Ben told me tonight. Miriam’s expecting. Seemingly she was very sick for the first three months. She couldn’t eat and she was exhausted. But that’s all passed and she’s fine now and well able to enjoy her food. They’re going to tell Mam and Dad at dinner on Sunday,’ Vincent explained.

  A chill enveloped Emma. Not able to eat. Tired for no reason. Crikey, she thought in horror, remembering those missed pills. She couldn’t be. Surely a few missed pills couldn’t make a difference. Don’t think about it. Just go to sleep and you’ll be fine in the morning. It’s a bug, Emma tried to reassure herself. Being pregnant was unthinkable. It couldn’t possibly happen to her.

  ‘You bastard, Chris Wallace. How could you do that to me?’ Suzy screamed down the phone the following afternoon.

  ‘Calm down, angel. You were pissed. What else could I do?’

  ‘Don’t you angel me, you fucker. You left me in a stranger’s house. I didn’t know what to say to them this morning. I was mortified.’

  ‘Well you shouldn’t drink so much if you don’t want to black out in strangers’ houses,’ Chris drawled. A shrill virago was the last thing he needed. He had a very important client coming in at two, he wanted to have all his facts at his fingertips.

  ‘Listen you pig, I’ve had enough of you. Go find someone else to treat like shit, because nobody treats me like that.’

  Chris winced as the receiver at the other end was slammed down with a vengeance. ‘Suit yourself,’ he growled as he resumed studying his figures.

  He had found someone else. Ellen. He’d been telling her all about today’s meeting and she’d been fascinated. Suzy got bored when he started talking about work. Ellen was genuinely interested and wanted to know more. He liked a woman with brains. Suzy was only interested in clothes and make-up. He scowled. He wasn’t used to being dumped by a woman. Still, give Suzy a few days to cool off, send her a bunch of red roses and she’d be fine.

  On the other hand, maybe he wouldn’t bother. He’d get some roses for Ellen, she’d really appreciate them. The second time last night had been sensational. She’d been sleepy and relaxed and very giving. He was looking forward to seeing her again. As soon as his client was gone, he’d phone her and make a date. Chris leaned back in his chair and thought of the night before and was almost sorry when his secretary interrupted his reverie to announce the arrival of his client.

  ‘Oh Miriam! I’m so happy,’ Ellen bubbled. She was dying to talk about Chris. She’d wanted to talk about him all day. If she didn’t talk about it soon she’d burst.

  ‘Ellen, Ellen, Ellen, what am I going to do with you?’ Miriam shook her head, half amused, half dismayed at her sister-in-law’s impetuosity.

  ‘Are your visitors gone?’ Ellen plonked down on a kitchen chair and lit a cigarette.

  ‘Thank God. They went early this morning. I really thought I was going to be stuck with them. Sean is discovering how tied down you are when you have a farm,’ Miriam said dryly. ‘Forget about them. What about you and Chris? Where did you go last night?’

  ‘Quick, put the kettle on and we’ll have a cuppa. I’ve got to go home and bathe and change. I’m going out on a date. Can you believe it. He phoned! He wants to see me again tonight. I just want to dance.’ She stood up and did an exuberant twirl around the kitchen as Miriam filled the kettle.

  ‘Would you calm down! What about the other one he was with?’ Miriam scolded.

  ‘Ah Miriam, don’t be like that! I know you think he’s a bit of a playboy. But he’s not really. Honest. He’s lovely. He’s very kind and tender. And she’s not really his girlfriend. Just someone he brought to the party,’ Ellen assured her earnestly.

  Miriam eyed her sceptically. She was tempted to ask Ellen what was his excuse for not phoning after the wedding. But then she looked at her sister-in-law’s shining eyes and joyful expression and she couldn’t bring herself to do it. ‘So where did you go last night?’ she enquired as she busied herself with cups and saucers.

  Ellen hesitated. Miriam was much more strait-laced than she was. She hadn’t approved of her sleeping with Joseph. She’d probably think she was a right slut for sleeping with Chris on the second date. But she wanted to tell her, badly. She wanted someone to confide in and Miriam was a great confidante.

  She took a deep breath. ‘Um . . . well . . . actual
ly we went back to his place . . .’

  ‘Did you take precautions?’ Miriam asked quietly.

  ‘He was very careful, Miriam,’ Ellen assured her, trying to suppress the memory of the second time. The second time had been like no other lovemaking she’d ever experienced. It had been exquisite but Chris hadn’t withdrawn. She hadn’t wanted him to, it was so good. He’d promised to use Frenchies from now on.

  ‘Be careful, Ellen.’

  ‘I will, I will. I promise. Oh Miriam it was fantastic. I had one of those orgasms.’ She giggled.

  Miriam blushed to the roots of her hair. ‘Ellen!’ she expostulated.

  ‘Well I did! I never had one with Over-In-Two-Seconds-Flat-McManus. That’s for sure,’ she scoffed. ‘He was pathetic when I think of it.’

  ‘You’re something else, you know. Could you imagine the faces of your Ma and Bonnie Daly if they could hear you.’

  ‘Huh! Bonnie Daly wouldn’t know what an orgasm was in a million years. I bet she had sex three times in her life to conceive her three treasures. Wouldn’t you know by the look of poor old Tommy that he’s deprived. I’ve never seen such a miserable sod in my life.’

  Miriam tittered. ‘Ellen Munroe, I fear for you!’

  ‘Well don’t. I’m as happy as can be. And I never thought I would be happy. This is going to work out. I know it. We get on like a house on fire and I don’t care who disapproves. I can’t live my life to accommodate other people’s feelings. I only have one life to live and if people don’t like the way I live it, tough. And if Emma and Vincent say anything to me, by God I’ll let them have it.’ Her tone was defiant.

  ‘People worry about you because they care about you, Ellen.’ Miriam handed her a cup of tea.

  ‘Just be happy for me, Miriam,’ Ellen pleaded.

  ‘I am, I am,’ Miriam said gently. There was no point in going on about it. Ellen would only dig her heels in. She was as stubborn as a mule.

  ‘What are you going to wear?’

  Ellen’s eyes lit up. ‘I was thinking I might wear my new red hipsters and my black sleeveless ribbed polo.’

  ‘Hmm,’ Miriam approved. ‘I wish I could wear hipsters, I’d look like Bunty the elephant.’

  ‘Let’s go on a strict diet. Starting tomorrow,’ Ellen said eagerly as she munched on a Marietta biscuit liberally spread with butter.

  ‘Well I can’t really because of the baby!’ Miriam demurred. ‘But I could cut out rubbish. I’ll give up bread and chocolate. And we’ll start walking as well.’

  ‘Yeah, and we’ll eat loads of fruit and drink gallons of water. That’s what models do to keep their figures.’ Ellen was resolute. ‘I want to be as thin as a rake for the summer. I want to be able to wear a bikini.’

  ‘I wouldn’t have the nerve to wear one.’ Miriam rubbed a hand over her rounded tummy. ‘Not with my stretch marks.’

  ‘Who cares about them if you’ve got the figure to wear one. And I’m determined to have the figure. It’s mortifying being chubby when Chris and I are . . . well you know . . . in bed. I keep thinking how slim that Suzy one is and I wonder how can he fancy me.’

  ‘You’re not chubby, you idiot,’ Miriam snorted. ‘You just need to lose a few pounds.’

  ‘A stone at least. But this is it.’ She beamed. ‘I better go home and beautify myself. Chris is picking me up in town at eight. Is it OK to say I’m staying the night with you, if I don’t come home?’

  ‘Ellen, for God’s sake be careful. Say your mother phones looking for you?’

  ‘She won’t, Miriam.’ Ellen’s tone was a little testy. ‘Just this once.’

  ‘OK.’ Miriam wasn’t happy about the idea.

  ‘Living at home is so restrictive,’ Ellen grumbled. ‘I think I’ll start looking for a job in Dublin and get a flat there. It would make life much simpler and I’d be as free as a bird.’

  ‘Just wait until you see how things go with Chris,’ Miriam cautioned. In Ellen’s reckless state, she was liable to do something daft.

  ‘This is going to work, I know it. Chris is special. I’ve never felt like this about anyone.’

  But how does he feel about you? Miriam wanted to ask, but she restrained herself. ‘It’s early days yet. Stay cool.’

  ‘I sure will. Ciao baby, as Emma would say.’ Ellen grinned, kissed Miriam and hurried off home to prepare for her date.

  As she watched her sister-in-law race down the garden path Miriam shook her head. Ellen was so naïve. So trusting and open. She’d been devastated when Joseph McManus dumped her. If this Chris geezer let her down it would be disastrous. And Miriam didn’t think much of what she’d seen of him so far. ‘Please, God, don’t let her get hurt,’ she murmured as she poured hot water over the dirty crockery in the sink.

  Ellen had no such fears as she dropped a scented bath cube into her bath. She rubbed soap between her hands and made a lather which she smeared on her legs. She began to shave her right leg. She wanted her skin to be smooth and silky for Chris. She’d paint her toenails as well, she decided, humming to the sound of Dean Martin singing Return to Me on her transistor which was perched precariously on the side of the bath. Ellen smiled to herself. Right now it seemed as if every love song that had ever been written was written for her. She was halfway through her left leg when Elvis came on crooning Can’t Help Falling In Love. His deep, husky musical voice breathed life into the beautiful words. Ellen paused, closed her eyes and listened intently. The song described exactly her feelings for Chris. Only Elvis could sing it like that. Elvis was unique. Ellen shivered, soon she’d be in Chris’s arms. It was all she wanted.

  When Chris presented her with a beautiful bouquet of roses when he met her outside the GPO, Ellen’s heart soared. She was exquisitely happy. They went to the Gresham for a drink and he told her all about the new client he’d persuaded to take out a large insurance policy the previous day. He was in great form as he explained the policy in detail. His bonus would be pretty substantial, he assured her. Soon he’d be able to think about going out on his own.

  ‘You can be my secretary,’ he said light-heartedly and she jumped at the idea.

  ‘I could get a place in Dublin, I really want to leave home and do my own thing. It would be great! I know about running a business. I do all the paperwork for my dad. And you could explain all about insurance to me. I’m sure I’d grasp it.’ Ellen was bubbling with enthusiasm.

  ‘I’m sure you would.’ Chris smiled deep into her eyes and squeezed her hand. ‘We’d make a terrific team.’

  A terrific team she repeated over and over to herself, hugging his words to her. He took her home and they made love for hours. She didn’t need any persuading to stay the night. She was where she wanted to be . . . always.

  Chapter Five

  ‘There must be some mistake, Doctor. I couldn’t possibly be pregnant.’ Emma’s voice was sharp and high-pitched. ‘I don’t plan on having children for a long time yet.’

  ‘I’m afraid, my dear, it’s a case of the best-laid plans and all that.’ Doctor Waldron patted her shoulder and sat down behind his desk. ‘If you’d come to me before you started taking those pills, I wouldn’t have let you go near them. It was very irresponsible of your sister to give them to you. And no one knows what the side effects are going to be like in years to come.’

  ‘I just didn’t want to get pregnant,’ Emma said sulkily, not relishing the lecture. ‘It’s not fair!’

  ‘Ach, you’ll be fine, my dear. It’s a bit of a shock now, I know. But you’ll get used to the idea. Won’t it be wonderful to have a little baby to keep you occupied when your husband’s at work?’ Doctor Waldron said jovially.

  Emma burst into tears. What did that fat old idiot know? She’d only gone to him because he was her own family doctor and she didn’t know anyone else. She hadn’t needed to see a doctor in years. Now she’d be seeing a lot more of him. The thought made her cry harder!

  ‘There, there,’ Doctor Waldron said gruffly, giving a surreptitious gla
nce at his watch. He had half a dozen calls to make and his wife liked him to be home at one-fifteen sharp, for his lunch. It was tears of happiness young Emma Munroe should be crying. Wasn’t a baby what every young wife wanted? It would be different if it was her sixth. Then she’d have something to bawl about. All this nonsense about contraceptives and planned pregnancies. These newfangled notions were beyond him. Retirement seemed an ever more enticing prospect, he reflected glumly as he listened to his patient’s heartrending sobs.

  ‘Come along now, Emma. That won’t do you or the baby any good. Wipe your eyes and go out and give your husband the happy news with a smile on your face. You don’t want to upset him, now do you?’

  Emma shook her head and took some deep breaths. Poor Vincent. What was he going to say? Babies hadn’t figured in his plans either. He was out in the waiting-room. He’d taken the morning off work to accompany her. He’d have a blue fit when he heard. She hadn’t confided her pregnancy fears to him, just in case she’d been mistaken. Her lip started to wobble again.

  ‘Now, now.’ Doctor Waldron had had enough. He ushered Emma out the door to where Vincent was patiently waiting. He jumped up when he saw them.

  ‘Everything OK?’

  ‘Everything’s fine,’ Doctor Waldron said reassuringly. ‘Your wife is perfectly healthy. I’ll leave her to tell you all about it. Good day to you both and congratulations.’ He patted Emma paternally on the shoulder and left the room.

  ‘What did he mean? Congratulations?’ Vincent looked mystified.