‘I’m sorry to have dragged you away from your work but I’m very glad you came with me this morning.’
‘Don’t apologize. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world! And imagine the money I’ll rake in when I write my book.’
Marianne smiled. ‘You’d never sell this story; it’s too farfetched. Are you sure you won’t join us?’ she asked, as he pulled up outside the Lansdowne Hotel.
‘I won’t; give Rob my best. I’ll give you a call as soon as I’ve set up an appointment with Eddie. I must give Frank a call about those paintings too,’ he said, and with a wave he was gone.
Rob was at the bar when Marianne arrived. He turned and smiled when he saw her and she felt an old familiar stirring inside.
‘Hi. Toasted ham and cheese sandwich and a lager?’ he asked when she joined him.
She laughed that he’d remembered. ‘Water instead of lager, please, although I could do with a drink after the morning I’ve had.’
‘Grab a seat while I order and then you can tell me all about it.’
She found a table in the busy pub and studied him as he chatted with the barman. It seemed so strange to be here with him and, at the same time, the most natural thing in the world. More than anything, it was a relief to think that she no longer had to worry about being seen with him.
‘Sandwiches are on their way,’ he said, setting down their drinks and lowering himself onto a stool beside her. ‘Weird not to have to duck and dive, isn’t it?’
‘I was just thinking the same thing,’ Marianne smiled.
‘So, not a good morning?’
Marianne shook her head, still reeling from Barbara’s announcement. ‘A very, very strange morning. Johnny Sheridan and I just met Dominic’s mistress.’
Rob choked on a mouthful of lager.
‘Oh, sorry, are you okay?’ Marianne pulled a tissue from her bag and handed it to him.
Rob dried his mouth and crushed it in his hand. ‘Dominic had a mistress? Then he was an even bigger fool than I thought; why on earth you stayed with him—’
‘I only just found out.’
‘I told you he didn’t deserve you. How long has it being going on? Was she around when we were together?’
Marianne could see that Rob was aghast at the thought that she had ended their relationship at a time when Dominic was off having one of his own. ‘Does it matter now?’
He looked at her for a moment and then shook his head. ‘I suppose not. Had you suspected he was seeing someone?’
‘Not at all. It was only when I met his boss a few days ago and he told me that Dominic always left work before six, yet he never returned home until very late, that it seemed a possibility. Then on Saturday there was a text from his phone and we suspected it must be from a girlfriend.’
‘We?’
‘Johnny and I,’ she explained.
‘I had no idea you two were so close.’
Was that jealousy in his voice? She suppressed a smile. ‘He’s married to Helen, my oldest friend, and he’s been helping me sort out Dominic’s estate.’
‘I’m glad you had someone to turn to; it must be a very difficult time for you.’
‘Finding out that we’re broke hasn’t helped.’ She stopped as a waiter arrived with their sandwiches.
‘Tell me more about this mistress,’ said Rob when they were alone again.
Marianne took a nibble of her sandwich before replying. ‘Her name is Barbara. She is also a stockbroker and used to work with Dominic. He told her that he wanted to divorce me and marry her but that I wouldn’t let him go; that I was making all sorts of threats if he left.’
‘It sounds like he was using her.’
‘It does. She says they were going to leave the country and start a new life together and she’d given up her job and sold her house; it looks as if he may have pocketed the proceeds.’
‘Lovely guy your husband,’ Rob said, sounding bitter. ‘Or don’t you believe her?’
Marianne thought about it. ‘I’m not sure. I suppose if Dominic was capable of defrauding his company,’ and beating up his wife, she added privately, ‘he was capable of stealing from his girlfriend.’
He shot her a curious look. ‘You don’t seem upset that he was being unfaithful.’
She held his gaze. ‘I’m not.’
‘Still, you must be angry with her.’
‘No. I feel a bit sorry for her; she seems to have loved him.’
‘You are a very strange woman.’
She laughed. ‘It’s just that I’d built her up into a monster in my head; some kind of siren with fake boobs. Instead I met a normal, articulate, intelligent lady, who is attractive in an understated way.’
‘She sounds just like you,’ he said, smiling.
‘No, not at all!’ But when Marianne thought about it, she realized that there were similarities. She frowned. ‘Well, maybe a little.’
Rob finished his sandwich, wiped his mouth and hands and sat back. ‘It makes sense that he would go for the same type.’
‘I suppose.’
‘So, what happens now?’
‘Johnny is setting up an appointment for me with his solicitor; he thinks it’s important I get legal advice so I know where I stand in relation to Dominic’s debts, my pension and now this woman.’
‘Oh, Marianne; I wish I could help in some way.’
She smiled. ‘You can; tell me what skills I need to get a decent job.’
Rob leaned forward on his knees. ‘What kind of job?’
‘One that pays well,’ she joked but her heart was heavy. Even with Rob’s help, she knew the fact that she had been out of the workforce for so long would be a huge drawback, particularly given the number of qualified, experienced people that were out of work. ‘Seriously, I have no idea, Rob.’
‘Well, let’s start with your skills. You’re dependable, intelligent and a hard worker; they are not qualities that are readily available. Trust me, I know.’
‘I didn’t realize you had employees.’
‘I’ve had a whole series of them, one more useless than the next. Then finally I found Shay; he was the best. Reliable, creative, easy company, no bad habits.’
‘So, what happened to him?’
‘He fell in love with a Latvian girl, proposed and now they’ve gone to live in Riga.’
She smiled. ‘Don’t worry, I’m sure there’s another Shay out there somewhere.’
He stared at her for a long moment. ‘You’re right, there is. You.’
Marianne laughed. ‘That’s ridiculous.’
‘It’s not. You’re the perfect replacement!’
‘No, I’m not. I don’t know the first thing about website design, Rob.’
‘Neither did Shay. I hired him to run the training end of the business.’ His eyes shone with excitement.
‘But I’m not a teacher either,’ she protested, wondering if he wanted to give her the job because he pitied her or wanted to see her more often. ‘I came to you to get training not give it, remember?’
‘Who trained all the Treacy staff on the new system?’
‘I did,’ she admitted, ‘but that was one system that I knew like the back of my hand.’
‘You only learned how to use it a couple of weeks ahead of the rest of them but you picked it up much quicker because you’re comfortable with software. The latest packages are much simpler to use; you’ll have no problems. I can train you and then you can train others; it’s all very straightforward. We always made a good team, Marianne, and,’ he grinned, ‘you’re much easier on the eye than Shay.’
‘You are completely crazy; it’s a ludicrous idea.’ She popped the last piece of sandwich in her mouth.
‘It makes perfect sense. I’ve witnessed first-hand your skills. The only thing you’re lacking at the moment is the technical know-how and you’ll nail that in a matter of weeks, trust me.’
Marianne looked at him. ‘I trust you, of course I do, but I’m just not sure it’s a good i
dea.’
He frowned. ‘Look, this is a business proposition, nothing more. I’m not trying to take advantage of you or the situation.’
‘That thought never occurred to me, Rob,’ Marianne said, horrified that he would think such a thing. ‘I just don’t want you to jeopardize your business for the sake of doing me a favour.’
‘Marianne, I’m not doing you a favour. I am delighted to help you out but I’m also a businessman; I wouldn’t offer you the job unless I thought you were up to it.’
Perhaps he was right, Marianne thought. She had no formal teaching qualifications but she’d had plenty of hands-on experience and she’d enjoyed it too.
‘Look, I badly need backup and you need a job. Why don’t we give it a go for three months and see how it goes?’ he suggested.
Marianne looked at him and smiled. ‘You’re on!’
He grinned. ‘Excellent.’
‘So, what exactly is it you want me to teach?’
‘Initially, I think I’ll let you take over the beginners courses in social networking, word processing and spreadsheets, and we’ll see how you get on.’
‘I’ve no experience of networking but I’m reasonably comfortable with the other two.’
‘It would take a day, two tops, to bring you up to speed on Twitter and Facebook,’ he assured her. ‘When can you start?’
She thought about the packing that had to be done and all the time-consuming meetings she’d been involved in since Dominic’s death, and now there was a mistress to deal with and a solicitor to consult. ‘I suppose I’d be ready to start training once I’ve moved house but I can’t be precise, Rob; every time I think I’m getting on top of things, something new seems to pop up.’
‘Well, I’m sure we can work around that; my hours are flexible . . .’ He stopped as three young girls squeezed in around the table beside them, chatting and giggling.
Marianne sighed; it would be impossible to talk in privacy now; it would be difficult to be heard over that noise.
Rob smiled. ‘Why don’t we take a walk?’
They chatted easily as they strolled up Baggot and on reaching Mespil Road they crossed, climbed up the bank and stopped by the famous sculpture of the poet, Patrick Kavanagh, sitting on a bench.
‘You know this isn’t the original,’ Rob said.
‘You told me that before,’ Marianne said, smiling.
‘I did?’ He turned from the green statue, surprised.
She nodded. ‘And that the original is further along the bank and in an awful state; at least it was the last time you told me about it.’
‘It still is. “O commemorate me with no hero-courageous Tomb – just a canal-bank seat for the passer-by,”’ he quoted.
They turned and started to wander along the bank in silence; it was a grey day, the water was a murky green and people were hurrying past, heads bent against the wind. They paused to watch a swan preen itself, indifferent to their presence and the noise of the traffic. Marianne hugged her arms around her.
‘Barbara is pregnant,’ she told him. It had been going round and round her head and now, as they stood there together, it seemed the most natural thing in the world to confide in him.
He turned to stare at her. ‘The mistress?’
‘Can we not use that word, please. I hate it.’
‘That must be quite a shock,’ he said after a moment.
‘It is. It adds a whole new dimension to the problem. I thought I’d never have to see the woman again but she’s going to be the mother of the children’s half-brother or sister; the baby will be Dot’s grandchild,’ she added, the realization shocking her. ‘Everything will have to come out.’
‘Barbara may not want it to,’ Rob pointed out.
‘I hope you’re right,’ Marianne said, filled with a feeling of helpless anger. ‘My family have been traumatized enough without having to deal with this; damn you, Dominic!’
Rob reached out for her hand and squeezed it. ‘You don’t have to let her into your life if you don’t want to.’
‘I’m not sure I’ll have a choice. And even if she does disappear, what’s to stop the child coming to look for its family in twenty years or so?’
‘Will you stop worrying about the future?’ Rob shook his head and smiled at her. ‘Just focus on right now, Marianne. Okay?’
She took a deep breath, realizing that she was on the verge of a panic attack.
‘Calm down,’ he said, looking at her with concern. ‘You’ve got this far, Marianne, you’re not going to crack up now.’
‘No.’ She took some more long, deep breaths and tried to smile. ‘No, I’m not.’ They walked on and the feel of Rob’s strong hand holding hers calmed her.
‘Let’s change the subject,’ he suggested.
‘Yes, let’s. Tell me about the business. I hadn’t even realized that you’d set up on your own.’
‘Let’s say at the time I was in need of distraction.’
‘Oh, Rob,’ she sighed.
‘Hey, I may never have taken the risk otherwise.’
She raised her eyebrows. ‘Ah, so you’re saying that splitting up with me was the making of you.’
‘I never split up with you, Marianne,’ he said, holding her gaze.
‘No, I’m sorry.’ She looked away feeling uncomfortable but smiled when his hand tightened around hers. ‘Go on,’ she prompted.
‘I was working out of a tiny office down in the docklands, long before it became fashionable; I had about four different types of lock on the door. At the beginning there were times when it was a struggle to pay the rent but they’re the risks you take when you are self-employed. I started small, just doing what I had always done, installing systems and then maintaining them. After I had a core of regular clients, I set up the website and also branched into training; it was the obvious next step but it only really took off when Shay came on board. Once he left I had to let it slide. I can’t afford to do that any more, though; it’s the most profitable end of the business these days with the number of people just like you, trying to broaden their skill set so that they can compete in the job market.’
‘And are you planning to do all that from my house?’ Marianne asked, a little unnerved at the thought of people traipsing in and out of her home; she could only imagine what the neighbours would have to say on the subject.
Rob laughed. ‘No, don’t worry. I rent rooms in a hotel in town for any training courses.’
‘Oh, that’s a relief,’ she admitted with a grin. ‘I suppose a central location does make more sense.’
‘I’m actually planning to go down the suburban route, as it happens. I thought some evening classes in schools or community centres would be attractive to stay-at-home mothers or pensioners. We could run much shorter courses giving an introduction to the internet, email and social networking.’
‘That sounds like fun,’ Marianne said, impressed, and felt a stir of excitement at being involved in the venture. ‘I must admit, though, I’ve never stood up in front of a class of people before; I hope I can do it.’
‘Of course you can. You’ll get used to it very quickly.’ He stopped short and gestured with his hand. ‘Et voila!’
Marianne looked at the simple wooden bench between stone uprights and felt sad for the poet until she sat down and her eyes rested on the calm waters flowing by. ‘The seat’s not that impressive but it’s a lovely location; I’d happily sit here all day,’ she said with a sigh.
He sat next to her, his arm tight against hers. ‘Me too.’
She closed her eyes and savoured the moment.
‘Marianne?’
She opened her eyes and turned to look at him, and watched, mesmerized, as his gaze deliberately dropped to her lips and then locked with hers. It was her opportunity to say something to break the spell; she didn’t. Rob tipped his head sideways and leaned in to kiss her; she felt a tremor of pleasure ripple through her body at the feel of his mouth on hers. It was a light but tender kiss that
brought back memories of the many different kisses they’d shared before and Marianne automatically moved closer to him just as she had so many times in the past. Rob responded by putting his arm around her and his kiss became more insistent.
When they parted, she opened her eyes to find him looking intently into hers. ‘Oh, Rob.’
‘Marianne . . .’
She looked down as he took her hand and then gasped as she caught sight of the time on his watch. ‘Shit.’ If she didn’t leave right now she’d never make it to the school on time. ‘I’m sorry but I have to go.’
He looked taken aback and immediately withdrew. ‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.’
‘Don’t apologize,’ she told him. ‘I’m very glad you did. If I didn’t have to pick up the children I’d happily stay here all day.’
Looking relieved, Rob stood up and held out his hand to her.
She took it and standing up she smiled into his eyes.
‘Would it be okay if I called you later?’ he asked.
Marianne sighed. ‘Oh, Rob, it would be very okay.’
Chapter Twenty-one
Helen wasn’t happy. Johnny and Marianne were supposed to have met that woman at eleven and it was now after two and he still hadn’t been in touch. She’d called his mobile and just got his voicemail; she’d called Marianne and got the same. There was no reason for her to be suspicious. This was her husband and her best friend. But her gut had been telling her for weeks now that something wasn’t quite right and she’d learned to trust her gut.
When she finally got hold of Marianne, she was in the process of pouring herself a glass of wine; Helen knew it was large from the length of time the glug-glug-glug sound continued.
‘Oh, it’s like that?’
She could hear Marianne take a sip and then a deep breath before answering. ‘Her name is Barbara West, she worked with Dominic at Matthews and Baldwin a few years ago.’
‘So tell me about her,’ Helen urged, impatient as she heard Marianne paused to have another drink. ‘What’s she like?’
‘She looks a little like me only with shorter hair and she seemed quiet but by no means shy.’
Every Time We Say Goodbye Page 19