Who is Alice?

by Miranda Manning

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he blustered.

  “Yes, you do.” She stepped aside and let him leave the room. It was the first time any of them had seen Jack Madden flustered.

  “That was quite a speech for Alice in Wonderland,” Nicola grinned.

  “I have had to come into the real world,” Alice said.“But I have to say, that from now on I’m hoping to enjoy it.”

  Chapter 36

  Alice spent the Sunday afternoon after “The Meeting” making the fairycostumes for the girls. Her own sewing machine had got lost in the eviction but luckily Eliza had one that she could borrow.

  She had told Eliza, Hugo and Cassandra what had happened at the meeting when she got back to The Coven on the Saturday but she just didn’t want to talk about it after that. She knew that now that the issue of maintenance and the ownership of the apartment were settled she would have to start making decisions about her future, but just for that weekend she didn’t want to think about it any more.Eliza was not surprised when she disappeared upstairs to her apartment with the sewing machine and the girls in tow.

  It didn’t take her long to make the costumes.She had a nice pattern, she made appropriate modifications and the girls were willing models.

  Late on Sunday afternoon just before teatime she brought them downstairs to show off her handiwork.The girls floated into the kitchen and curtsied with great grace.

  “Well, look at you!” Eliza gasped. “You are going to be the most elegant síogs in the parade!”

  “Do you think?” Grace asked, delighted.“Would you like to see us dance?”

  “I don’t think you have much of an option,” Alice grinned apologetically.

  “We’d love to see you,” said Hugo.“But why don’t we call Cassandra down as well.If she’s up to it I’d say she’d love to see you dance.And then we can all have tea. I’m sure Eliza and I can rustle up something.”

  Eliza put on Riverdance while Alice went upstairs to call Cassandra.

  She knocked gently on the door. “Cassandra? We are all having tea downstairs, and the girls want to do their dance for us.Are you up to a bit of clapping and cheering?”

  “Be there in a sec,” Cassandra replied.

  Alice had the impression she might have roused her from sleep but the damage was done and she couldn’t do anything about it.

  By the time Cassandra came into the large kitchen the girls were in full flight.

  “If I say so myself, as the proud mum, you’re just perfect.” Alice’s heart was nearly bursting with pride.

  “You certainly are,” Cassandra agreed.“And I’m not even related so you can be sure that it’s the truth.”

  Everybody laughed and Alice felt thatCassandra was beginning to come back to herself.

  “Is it just the two of you dancing?”Hugo enquired.

  “No, there are ten.So you’ll have to look hard so that you don’t miss us as we dance by.” Grace had it all planned.

  “Grace, maybe Hugo and Eliza and Cassandra have other plans for SaintPatrick’s Day!” Alice said.

  “We wouldn’t miss the parade for the world,” Eliza said.“I haven’t been to it for years.But this year we have a special interest.Haven’t we?”

  “If you mean us,” Grace said, “you have.We’d really love you to be there.”

  “We will,” Cassandra and Hugo said in unison and the girls were happy.

  Chapter 37

  The following day Alice and Cassandra woke and without knowing it they had the exact same thought: I’m going to sell the apartment.

  For both of them it was a new start andthey lay in their beds planning how they would go about it, wondering how much they would get and what they would do next.

  It was a very strange time for both of them. Six months earlier neither had any idea that they would be in this position.They hardly knew each other.They had what they thought was a secure way of life and they didn’t anticipate any changes but the sudden death of an individual neither of them had even met – the Taoiseach – had changed both their lives irrevocably.

  The girls came bounding into Alice and she got up to get their breakfast and take them to school.

  Cassandra remained on in bed for a while.Her bruises were almost gone.She no longer had pain in her ribs and she didn’t need to see the doctor for a further week.She felt more like her old self. But she was horrified at the effect that the vandalising of her home had had on her.It was nearly as bad as the assault.She wondered if she should ask the Gardaí to investigate or if she should just leave it and write it down to experience.She made a decision not to make a decision, and turned over and went back to sleep for another hour.

  When she woke up she was ready for decision-making.She decided that she would not go back to the apartment but she would get some work done on it before she sold it.She was sure that Nicola and Séamus hadn’t told her the full extent of the damage.She had a gut feeling that it was a lot worse than either of them described but she had not pushed them for details because at the time she felt so vulnerable she wasn’t sure that she could take the truth.If her gut feeling was right she couldn’t sell it in its current condition.

  On the positive side they had rescued her work phone. She would take down her website when she got an opportunity.The only reason she wanted her work phone was that she wanted to contact Luke to let him know that she was alright and that she was so grateful for what he had done.She guessed he was wondering what had happened to her and she was anxious to allay his fears.Sure enough when she turned on her phone there were several missed messages from him.There were also many messages from other clients but she just sent a reply to them saying that she was no longer working.

  She got her breakfast and contemplated what she would do next.She put Luke’s number in her personal phone and decided to wait until lunchtime before she rang him.She pottered around her apartment and made a plan.She had some savings and she could do a Jack Madden on the apartment, i.e. send in men with a skip. After that she could send in painters and when that was done she might go in and decide if she should furnish it before she put it up for sale.

  That was the easy bit.The really difficult part was: what would she do with the rest of her life? She had no real qualifications – apart from her degree which on its own qualified her for nothing.She would have to retrain.She laughed to herself as she pictured Jack Madden assuring people on Prime Time that he had plans to deal with the unemployment crisis and part of it was retraining those who had become recently unemployed. He would never have imagined his erstwhile next-door neighbour as one of the first takers.

  She went downstairs and found Hugo and Eliza in the kitchen.

  “How are you this morning?”Eliza asked.

  “I’m fine,” Cassandra said and was surprised to note that she actually meant it. “How are things with you? Do you have radiotherapy today?”

  “Yes, we’re on our way now.It should only take about half an hour.”Eliza was feeling permanently tired but she knew that this was one of the side effects of radiotherapy and though it wasn’t pleasant she accepted it, hoping that it wouldn’t last long.

  “Can I cadge a lift as far as the hospital?I’m going into town.It’s about time I went back into the outside world.I don’t want to use my own car yet.”

  “Of course,” said Hugo. “Glad you’re feeling up to it.How will you get home?”

  “I’ll probably get a cab,” she replied.“To be honest I’m not sure what I’m going to do in town but I feel the need to just get out there and not let what that creep did to me stop me.”

  She sounded a bit uncertain for Cassandra but in the circumstances neither Hugo nor Eliza was surprised.

  “Good for you,” Eliza said.“You are right.This is the first day of the rest of your life.”She groaned.“I can’t believe that I came out with that awful cliché!” She laughed and Cassandra laughed heartily.

  They parted in the hospital car park and Cassandra walked slowly into town,
down past the university, past the cathedral, over the bridge, past the courthouse and the Town Hall Theatre.Oddly, as she walked past these iconic buildings it was as if she was seeing them for the first time.She marvelled at the beautiful display of daffodils in the university grounds, immaculately kept.There was a funeral at the cathedral and the traffic jam around it made Cassandra glad she hadn’t brought her car.She was glad that Alice’s case had been heard in Ennis and wondered idly what the local courthouse was like inside. And the theatre – she noticed for the first time what an attractive building it was. As luck would have it, when she turned into Frances Street the first business premises she came to was an Estate Agent.

  There’s no time like the present, she said to herself and she went in the door.

  The walls were covered in pictures and descriptions of houses for sale and houses that had been sold.She looked at the prices and locations and could not get a realistic handle on how much she could expect to get for her apartment.Until this morning the thought of selling had never occurred to her so she hadn’t kept an eye on property prices over the recent years – but you couldn’t miss the tales of doom and gloom on the news.Prices were going down, plummeting in fact, and she had no idea what to expect so she decided to ask for help.

  The perky receptionist asked her to wait for an auctioneer to be free and then she ushered her into a plush office, indicating that the property market hadn’t quite collapsed yet.She told a man who looked inordinately young to be doing this job what she wanted.

  “And you say the apartment is in Lady Gregory Court?”he asked.

  “Yes,” Cassandra said.

  “Nice apartments!Great location!”

  “Yes,” Cassandra said, mildly irritated that he was telling her the obvious.“What do you think I could get for it?”

  “Well, one sold there recently for €600,000 but prices are dropping by the day.We are saying publicly that the market has bottomed out but I don’t believe it.If you put it on the market today you might get €400,000 but you might not.My advice to you is to put it up right away.”

  “I can’t do that. It was broken into and vandalised so I have to get it decorated to remove all traces of that.I don’t think any prospective buyer would be happy to buy an apartment in a gated community where the gates provide no protection if the burglar is determined enough.”

  The auctioneer looked at her.“I suppose so but, as you say, when you redecorate there will be no trace of that and it should sell for a good price. Prices at that location haven’t decreased as much as in other areas.”

  “Thank you for your time,” Cassandra said and she left the office.

  She was happy walking up the street.She was still not sure how much she would get for her apartment but she had paid €150,000 for it thirteen years earlier and the mortgage was nearly paid so unless there was a complete collapse in the market she would make a tidy profit and she could at least buy a house or an apartment in a less fashionable area and have quite a bit left over.Given that she had no clue how she was going to earn her living for the rest of her life, that thought gave her some comfort.She went into Brown Thomas and bought herself a Dolce & Gabbana bag by way of celebration.She regarded the purchase as a sort of last hoorah to her old way of life.She had a feeling that in the future she was more likely to be selling expensive bags for an employer than buying them. She then went to Vina Mara and had an excellent lunch in lovely surroundings.

  As she ate she thought about Luke. If he was at lunch he might be free to talk.She called his number and braced herself.She was not sure what she would say.

  “Hello,” came Luke’s voice.

  “Hi.This is Cassandra.”

  “Wow!Am I glad to hear from you!I didn’t recognise the number.”He seemed genuinely pleased to hear her voice and she was relieved.

  “I don’t use the number you have for me any more.It’s a long story.Can you talk?”

  “Yes, but I am on my way to a meeting so I can’t stay long.How are you?I was so worried.”

  “You had no need to be. Do you realise that you probably saved my life? I saw that you left several messages on my phone but I actually didn’t get that back after the attack until recently and to be honest I hadn’t the courage to switch it on until this morning.”

  “That’s understandable in the circumstances,” he said.“Was it a punter who attacked you?If you wish I will give evidence against him.”

  “You are so kind.No, it wasn’t a punter. It’s a very complicated story and I don’t feel I can tell you all of it because the privacy of other people is involved.I probably won’t take any action but I am ringing you to tell you that I am giving up work – that sort of work anyway and I felt you, of all people, deserved an explanation.”

  “Gosh.I don’t know what to say.Could we meet up one more time?”

  “Of course we can but I can’t bring you to my new place – because it isn’t mine in any case ­– but why don’t you ring me when you can arrange to get away and we can decide then?”

  “Grand,” Luke said. “I’m not sure when yet but I will be in touch soon.”

  “That’s great, Luke,” Cassandra said.“I know that it isn’t always easy to get away but there is no hurry.We have all the time in the world.”

  As she ended the call she wished that they would be spending more time together.

  Chapter 38

  Alice was also mulling over her decision. She had a plan which she hadn’t really articulated but she had been hatching it for quite some time.She had been afraid to tell anyone about it because it was partly dependent on the outcome of the court case and whether she could get maintenance from Jack Madden. Now, however, she was in a position to push ahead – but not this week.She had a function for the hotel which had to be ready for Wednesday night and Thursday was Saint Patrick’s Day – and the children had the day after that off so she was planning on having a nice family weekend where she could pay them lots of attention.She couldn’t get over how good they had been during the past few months.Their little lives had been turned upside down and they had not complained once, not even when they were in the B&B and they must have thought that was strange – not to mention cramped.When she was still in a relationship with Jack, any time they were on holiday or staying away from home for whatever reason they had stayed in hotels and they had a room to themselves.In the B&B they had all slept in the same room and the girls had to share a double bed.They had behaved as if this type of thing happened every day.They hadn’t even complained when they came to The Coven which was so far away from the school that they had significantly less contact with their school friends. She would have liked them to have more contact with their friends. She was looking forward to buying her new place where her girls would have a more normal life and she could get on with setting up her business.

  She was working away in the large kitchen when Eliza came home from the hospital that day.

  “I was thinking,” Eliza said, “couldn’t the girls invite some of their school friends and their parentsif they wish to a sort of a party here after the parade?The end of the parade is always a bit of an anticlimax for the children.”

  “Gosh, Eliza, that would be great. Are you sure?” It was as if Eliza had read Alice’s mind.

  “If you’re asking me am I up to it, probably not! But I won’t be doing the entertaining.If I get tired I will just go to bed.”

  “That sounds like a plan,” Hugo said. “I could help Alice organise the food and maybe a few games and maybe Cassandra would help or one or two of the other tenants if they’re here on the day.”

  “At least the girls are rehearsing after school every day this week so I have until five to get my work done.I’ll put together some party food without any bother.”Alice was delighted. “Eliza, I know the girls will be thrilled. Thank you so much.”

  “Think nothing of it.I’m off for a rest now.See you later.”

  “Take a nice long rest. We can bring you a tray up to your room later if y
ou don’t want to get up,” said Alice.

  “Thank you, Alice,” said Eliza with a smile and left.

  Alice turned to Hugo. “How many do you think we could ask to the party?”

  “I suppose all the girls in the dance. It wouldn’t be fair to leave anybody out but some of them will have other plans in any case.”

  “Fine. There’s a lot of adult food in the freezer and we can do some quick finger food on the morning.”

  “Does it take long to prepare kiddy treats?It’s a while since I had anything to do with that.”

  “It’s fairly uncomplicated and maybe Cassandra could help – if I tell her what to do.She says she can’t boil an egg but I’d say she could if she tried.”

  “Did I hear my name being taken in vain?” Cassandra was standing in the kitchen doorway, looking at them quizzically.

  “Yes, we were just saying that with your culinary skills we should throw a big party on Saint Patrick’s Day and you could be chief cook,” Hugo said, his face straight.

  There was a momentary look of panic on Cassandra’s face and both Hugo and Alice laughed.

  “Relax, Cassandra!” said Alice. “We’re thinking of having a kiddies’ party after the parade for all the dancers and their parents and probably some of their siblings as well and I was wondering could you help with the food if I told you what to do?”

  “I thought you had already offered Eliza the job of scullery maid,” Cassandra said in mock disdain.

  “Yes, but you could be a stand-in until she’s better,” Alice said.

  “Well, I hope you don’t regret saying that but I’m sure I can do it as long as the instructions are clear.”

  “That’s settled then,” Alice said and Cassandra knew that she had been roped into something for which she was completely unprepared.

  When Alice told the girls about the party that evening they were beside themselves with excitement.They had not had friends home since before Christmas and they had never had that many. In Lady Gregory Court there had been so many rules that often their friends’ visits weren’t much fun.But this time there was going to be lots of party food, parents could come and Hugo said he would organise games.