Foreign Affairs

by Patricia Scanlan

  ‘Are you OK?’ she asked.

  ‘Jenny, this is the most exciting moment of my life,’ Rachel slurred. ‘I know this is going to be the holiday of a lifetime.’

  ‘Amen to that,’ grinned Paula as Rachel passed out in a stupor. Jennifer giggled at the absurdity of it. Brenda fumed because she was sitting on her own on the edge of the opposite aisle. She, and not Paula, should be sitting beside her sister.

  The 737 roared along the runway and lifted its bulk into the air and flew south-eastwards towards England and the continent.

  ‘Corfu, here we come,’ Paula murmured, giving a wide yawn. ‘Wake me up when we get there.’

  Chapter Ninety

  Rachel stretched, yawned and wondered why her head felt woozy. She lay in bed listening to peculiar chirruping noises and suddenly realized she was in a strange bedroom. Memory returned. She was in Corfu. She had a vague recollection of walking down the steps of a plane and feeling a hot breeze blowing. And then queueing for luggage. After that a journey in a car along winding roads that made her feel queasy. She didn’t remember going to bed. She wondered if Jennifer was annoyed with her for getting pissed. It was the third brandy that had done it. She wasn’t used to brandy.

  Rachel eased herself gingerly out of the bed. To her surprise, she didn’t have a headache. She walked over to the french windows, which were shaded by blue shutters, and opened both of them. Her eyes widened at the sight in front of her. Just below her, a large rectangular swimming-pool, set in a terracotta-tiled terrace, glittered in the morning sun. Sun-loungers with thick luxurious cushions lay awaiting them. Great urns of exotic flowering shrubs were dotted around the terrace. A small white balustrade encircled it. Steps led down to an olive grove full of blossoming trees and beyond that was a golden sandy beach that stretched between two headlands dotted with pine and cypress trees. The sea was a sparkling turquoise, the sky the bluest Rachel had ever seen. The colours were vivid and bright, like something out of a Technicolor film. Rachel gazed about her in awe.

  This was unbelievable. She turned to survey her room. It was painted all in white with simple, deep blue furniture and fittings. The double bed had a blue headboard and great fluffy white pillows and a blue and white patterned cover that matched the curtains. The small en suite bathroom was tiled in white and blue. It was a restful room. Excitement surged through her. What time was it? Clearly she was the first up, maybe she should go back to bed for a while. But she was far too excited to go back to bed. She decided to shower and dress and then explore her new surroundings.

  Fifteen minutes later, Rachel, wearing one of her new halter-neck tops and pastel pink shorts, slipped out of her room and walked down a tiled corridor that had doors at each side. There wasn’t a sound from behind any one of them. The girls were still dead to the world obviously. She walked down highly polished wooden stairs which led to a bright tiled foyer. Huge vases of flowers stood on small blue tables. An archway opened out onto a large lounge which had several plush sofas arranged around the room. Big windows opened out to the terrace.

  ‘Good morning.’ Rachel turned to find a small dark-haired middle-aged woman smiling at her.

  ‘Your friend is having breakfast on the terrace, would you like to join her?’

  ‘Yes, please.’ Rachel was delighted one of the girls was up. She stepped out into the sun and felt immensely happy. She couldn’t wait to start sunbathing.

  Jennifer was sitting under a huge fringed sun umbrella drinking coffee.

  ‘Morning.’ Rachel beamed.

  ‘Well I certainly wasn’t expecting to see you out and about so early.’ Jennifer smiled at her.

  ‘Sorry about last night,’ Rachel said ruefully.

  ‘Don’t be.’ Jennifer laughed. ‘I wouldn’t have minded going to sleep on that flight. It was very turbulent.’

  ‘Was it? I’m just as glad I knew nothing about it.’ She sat down and helped herself to one of the soft white rolls. Jennifer poured her coffee.

  ‘Try the honey, it’s out of this world, and pour some yoghurt on your muesli, it’s delicious,’ she advised. Rachel didn’t need to be told twice. They ate a leisurely breakfast and then fetched their books and suntan creams and got down to the serious business of sunbathing.

  Jennifer lay on her lounger, gazing at the blue sky. It was very peaceful on the terrace. The lovely scent of flowering jasmine wafted along on the breeze. The shushing of the trees in the olive grove as the leaves rustled in the wind was very soothing. In the distance, the sea lapped lazily against the shore. Jennifer wished Ronan was here to enjoy it. She knew she should be making the most of her unexpected holiday, but she missed him. She’d phoned him first thing that morning. She hadn’t slept very well and had woken early. She’d dreamed about the baby again.

  Jennifer gave a deep sigh, she was going to have to try and accept what had happened. There was a reason for it. She’d raged at God for taking her baby from her. It was her first real trauma. She’d gone to pieces and it frightened her. For the first time in her life, Jennifer realized that no matter what she thought, God, a higher being, fate, karma, whatever-its-name, controlled her life. If her baby could be taken from her, other awful things could happen. She wished she could erase the sense of dread and betrayal that ached inside her. More than anything, Jennifer wished she didn’t feel so scared.

  Brenda woke and knew something was different. She couldn’t hear children playing or squabbling. Shay wasn’t in bed beside her. Brenda gave a long luxurious stretch. What bliss it was to have a double bed all to herself. She turned on her stomach and spread her limbs to the four corners of the bed. Maybe the sun was shining outside, there was a pool to swim in, a Jacuzzi to relax in, a sauna to make her feel like a million dollars, but it all paled into insignificance compared to the luxury of an undisturbed lie-in. Brenda yawned, stretched and was asleep again in seconds.

  ‘Nick, Nick,’ Paula breathed, and gave a long shuddering sigh. She could almost feel him, so realistic was the fantasy. She sighed deeply. Just hours in Corfu and already she’d broken her firm resolution not to think about Nick.

  But how could she not think about him, she thought wildly. When he said yesterday that it wasn’t her he was worried about, should they be alone, Paula had been utterly shocked. That meant that he didn’t want to be alone with her because he was afraid they’d end up making love. If he’d said that to her the night of the party it would have been her dream come true. But yesterday in the cold, sober light of day when she saw how harassed and troubled Nick was, Paula had gained no satisfaction from his words. Yet, her first waking thoughts had been of Nick and she’d found herself slipping into an erotic sexual fantasy and imagined them making passionate love. Knowing that Nick wanted her added greatly to her pleasure. It was pathetic, Paula thought in disgust. She was behaving like a schoolgirl. She sat up and scowled. Her life was a complete and utter mess. One stupid, selfish moment had ruined it. She couldn’t stay in Dublin, no matter what Kieran said. She had ten days to decide what she was going to do with her life. She’d better make up her mind, she thought grimly.

  Paula flung back the green and white covers of her bed, strode over to the french doors and opened the shutters. Below her, she could see Jennifer and Rachel stretched out on their loungers. Paula had to smile. They hadn’t lost much time. To hell with it, she’d postpone thoughts of her future. Right now she was going to join the girls and catch a few rays.

  The sound of the bouzouki floated across the beach. Rachel gazed across at the fairy lights outlining the taverna and felt a tingle of excitement. They’d all decided to dine at the taverna across the beach and the music of Mikis Theodorakis vibrated through the pine-scented night, sending her adrenalin racing. It had been the most glorious day.

  They’d lazed around the pool in the morning. After lunch they went down to the beach and swam in the Ionian Sea.

  Through the trees, she could see the moon shimmering on the sea. A ferry sailed down along the Albanian coast, its
lights twinkling like tiny stars pinpricking the dark. Real stars, so close she felt she could reach up and touch them, sprinkled the sky. Rachel had never seen such beauty.

  ‘It’s nice, isn’t it?’ Paula came and stood beside her on the terrace.

  ‘It’s beautiful,’ Rachel enthused.

  ‘Come on, you guys, get a move on,’ Paula yelled. ‘I’m starving.’

  Upstairs, Brenda scowled. ‘Shut your yap,’ she muttered. She stood in front of the mirror and stared at herself. The sundress definitely made her look fat, and her shoulders were red. Roaring red, actually. She’d have to put natural yoghurt on before she went to bed, to cool them down. She pulled off the sundress. She’d seen Paula walking along the landing wearing a simple but divinely elegant white silk sundress.

  Her tan was golden, unlike Brenda’s scorch marks. Brenda had an immediate rethink about her outfit. It had been hard not to compare herself to Paula down by the pool today. The other girl hadn’t an ounce of flab on her. Of course she worked out in a gym three times a week, Brenda thought sourly as she stepped into a pair of red Bermudas. Brenda spent half her time trying to hold her stomach in as she lay on the lounger and the other half feeling sorry that she hadn’t had the chance to take some sunbeds. She was pasty white and flabby compared to Paula and Jennifer. Even Rachel was starting to get a nice tan and she had quite a good figure for such a frump. Not that she looked much of a frump now in her new clothes and with that sharp new hairstyle. Brenda had reassured herself that Rachel was no Cindy Crawford, and that in the glamour stakes, she’d be bottom of the pile. It hadn’t worked out like that. Rachel was looking very with-it and presentable. It was she who was lagging behind compared to the other three.

  She looked positively obese in the red Bermudas. Brenda groaned at her reflection in the mirror, her face red from all the dressing and undressing.

  ‘Are you ready, Brenda, Jennifer?’ Paula called again.

  ‘Oh shut fucking up, you,’ Brenda gritted as she pulled off the Bermudas and hauled on the ever reliable floral leggings and a long white T-shirt. It hid a multitude, she decided. It would have to do.

  ‘I’d better go, Ronan, we’re just heading out to dinner. I’ll phone you tomorrow.’

  ‘Your phone bill is going to be enormous,’ Ronan laughed.

  ‘I don’t care. It’s lovely to talk to you.’ Jennifer smiled.

  ‘Are you enjoying yourself?’ Ronan asked anxiously.

  ‘Today was glorious,’ Jennifer said truthfully. ‘It was very relaxing.’

  ‘Good, now go and enjoy your meal and have fun.’

  ‘I will,’ Jennifer assured him. ‘I’m looking forward to it. I love you.’

  ‘I love you, too,’ Ronan echoed.

  ‘Bye.’

  ‘Bye.’

  ‘You hang up.’

  ‘No, you hang up.’

  ‘We’ll hang up together on the count of three,’ Ronan instructed.

  ‘OK,’ Jennifer agreed. ‘One, two—’

  ‘Two and a half.’ Ronan laughed.

  ‘Three.’ Jennifer chuckled and hung up. She felt much better after talking to Ronan. The thousands of miles separating them didn’t seem so many when she could lift up the phone and dial home direct. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror, she was wearing a long flowing aquamarine skirt and a black off-the-shoulder lycra top. She looked fine. In response to Paula’s impatient bellow, Jennifer made haste down the stairs.

  Brenda was exhilarated, she’d just finished doing a Greek dance and she would have put Zorba himself to shame. The music was very evocative. The sound of the bouzouki sweet and haunting. Her feet itched to dance and Yiannis, the owner of the restaurant, noticed her tapping feet and clapping hands and pulled her to her feet and invited her to join the dancers. Several of the other guests joined in as well, including Rachel. They were having great fun.

  Paula hid a yawn and caught Jennifer’s eye.

  ‘I’m whacked,’ she murmured. ‘I just want to go and sleep my brains out.’

  ‘Me too.’ Jennifer grinned. ‘It must be the sea air.’ They were sitting outdoors under vine-leaved, illuminated wooden beams watching the dancing and listening to the music. A balmy breeze cooled them. The melody of the sea and trees was very soothing. Jennifer felt much more relaxed.

  ‘Brenda looks as if she’s ready for an all-night session.’ Paula grinned.

  ‘She can if she wants. To each his own.’ Jennifer yawned and nearly gave herself lockjaw.

  ‘Come on, you pair, get up and dance,’ Brenda urged, waltzing over to their table.

  ‘Yeah, come on,’ Rachel appealed. ‘It’s great fun.’

  ‘Sorry, girls, I’ve had it. I can’t stay awake.’ Jennifer stood up to go.

  ‘But it’s only gone midnight,’ Brenda protested. ‘And we’ve been invited to a party in the apartments across the road.’

  ‘Off you go and have fun, Bren. I’m going to bed,’ Jennifer said firmly.

  ‘Me too,’ Paula said.

  ‘For God’s sake!’ Brenda exclaimed. ‘You’re not serious. We’re on holidays.’

  ‘Exactly,’ Paula murmured.

  ‘You’re acting like two old grannies. Who wants to go to bed early on holiday?’

  Paula shot her a cold look. ‘You stay up all night if you want to, Brenda, that’s fine with us. We want you to enjoy your holiday.’ The implication was unmistakable. Brenda’s lips tightened at Paula’s tone. Sarcastic cow, she fumed. How she’d like to tell her exactly what she thought of her, standing there oozing self-confidence. Looking down her superior nose at Brenda just because she wanted to stay dancing. She supposed such simple pleasures were far too unsophisticated for La Matthews’s taste.

  ‘Are you going or staying, Rachel?’ Brenda demanded.

  Rachel looked from Brenda to Jennifer. ‘If it’s all right with you, Jenny, I’ll stay,’ she said hesitantly.

  ‘Of course it’s all right with me,’ Jennifer declared in amusement. ‘For heaven’s sake, Rachel, if you want to dance a tango on the table and stay up until daybreak it’s up to you. You’re on holiday. Do what you want. That’s what it’s all about. Come on, Paula.’ She yawned again. ‘Let’s leave these energetic young ones to their fun, I’m past it.’

  ‘Party-poopers,’ Brenda taunted, after their retreating backs. ‘Come on, Rachel, we’re going to have fun.’

  Chapter Ninety-One

  ‘Does anyone want to come to Ipsos?’ Brenda asked. It was the fourth day of their holiday. It was very hot and she couldn’t face lying in the sun. She wanted to be out and about.

  ‘No thanks,’ Jennifer murmured. She was deeply engrossed in Maeve Binchy’s latest novel.

  Paula, who was racing through Deirdre Purcell’s blockbuster, didn’t respond, she was far too interested in finding out how the heroine was going to resolve her complicated love life.

  Rachel was reading The Rose Tree by Mary Walkin Keane. She didn’t feel like getting up, she was far too comfortable on her lounger.

  ‘Come on, Jenny, put that book down. That’s all you’ve done since you came on holidays. Read and sleep,’ moaned Brenda. She had got out of the habit of reading and watching the other three with their noses stuck in novels was driving her mad.

  ‘Brenda!’ Paula lifted her head from her book and glared at the other girl. ‘Would you give Jenny a break? She’s on her holidays. You haven’t stopped annoying her since we arrived.’

  Brenda was furious. How dare Paula Matthews talk to her like that?

  ‘Do you mind? I’m talking to my sister. It’s none of your business.’

  ‘Bren, I’m not in the humour for shopping now. I will later on,’ Jennifer said firmly.

  ‘Such company to come on holidays with,’ Brenda scowled.

  ‘You should have thought of that when you decided you were going to come with us,’ Paula retorted angrily. She was fed up to the back teeth with Brenda’s whingeing and moaning. Jennifer and she had come on holidays to r
elax and flop and get away from it all. Brenda was raring to go and ready for anything and couldn’t understand the attitude of the other pair. If she didn’t quit making a fuss and annoying people, Paula was going to blow a fuse.

  ‘I’ll come to Ipsos,’ Rachel offered, laying aside her book. If someone didn’t get Brenda and Paula away from each other they were going to come to blows. They’d been sniping at each other all day. It was Brenda’s fault, she had a way of going on and on that was very irritating. It was odd, she only did it when Paula was around, thought Rachel as she slipped her shorts on. Brenda was like a spoilt little child looking for Jennifer’s attention. When she was on her own, she was fine, and great company. Rachel went dancing with Brenda until the early hours every morning and it was enormous fun. But it was obvious Paula and Brenda rubbed each other up the wrong way.

  ‘The car keys are on the small table by the front door,’ Jennifer said coolly, glaring at Brenda. Trust her to make scenes and start arguments. Paula was going to go for Brenda baldheaded if she didn’t stop her carry-on. It was very annoying, especially as Brenda had gatecrashed the holiday.

  ‘Come on, Rachel.’ Brenda ignored the other two.

  ‘See you later,’ Rachel murmured. This tension wasn’t conducive to a relaxing holiday. Maybe when Brenda had done some shopping, she might relax a bit. She was an awful fidget. She couldn’t sit down for ten minutes. She always wanted to be up and about.

  ‘That pair are as dull as dishwater,’ Brenda said crossly as she drove the small hire car down the curving drive of the villa and turned left towards Ipsos. ‘They sit there with their noses stuck in books day in, day out. They go home to bed when the fun’s just starting. Career women my hat! They haven’t a bit of get-up-and-go in them.’

  ‘Maybe it’s because they have to work so hard, that just to laze around is a treat for them,’ Rachel said diplomatically as she opened her window to allow a cooling breeze to circulate. The seat of the car was hot beneath her legs.

  ‘I have to work hard,’ snorted Brenda. ‘I have a job and I have three children to rear. And you know yourself, Rachel, being a teacher, that rearing children is not easy. But I’m damned if I’m going to visit a foreign country and sit on my ass with my nose stuck in a book all the time. It’s ridiculous!’