There was only one other youngish couple there and their welcome was obviously genuine. The girl, Anna, who Ellie guessed was in her early thirties,was smiling and friendly. Her husband, Mike, was a little older andgreeted them warmly as Frank introduced them and then moved off to welcome some new guests.
Anna took Ellie’s arm. “Come look at the fabulous view,” she said, steering Ellie out the open French doors onto a terrace, away from the crowd.
It was indeed a fabulous view. It was a beautiful bright evening and she could see right across Dublin Bay to Sutton, where she worked.
“Wow!” she exclaimed as she took it all in.
“I know it’s your first time here and I remember how terrified I was on my first visit.” Anna lowered her voice, looking around to make sure no one could overhear. “It can be overwhelming.”
“Yeah,” Ellie whispered back, “they are pretty intimidating, especially the women.”
“They’re always like this with newcomers, especially with younger, prettier women. They can be very bitchy but don’t let them get to you.”
“Some of them are pretty scary,” Ellie grinned. “The way they looked me up and down! Phew!”
“I know what you mean,” Anna laughed. “I felt like that when I first came here but I soon realised that they’re sad really. They spend their time trying to reverse the aging process – they’re terrified that they’ll lose their husbands to younger women. I just grin and bear it every time I come here. I have to, for the sake of Mike’s career.”
Ellie was horrified. “I hope this won’t be a regular thing – these dinner parties,” she said, turning to look anxiously at the other girl.
“I’m afraid it probably will. Judith likes to show off at least four times a year. The only respite is summer when all the women decamp to Marbella. That’s when the men have their little flings.” Anna grinned wickedly.
Ellie thought she was hearing things but, before she could reply, Mike and David came out on the terrace to join them.
“Get a load of this view,” Mike said to David. “Isn’t it something?”
“Fabulous,” David agreed, beaming from ear to ear. “This is a beautiful place, isn’t it, Ellie?” He put his arm around her shoulders. “And Frank and Judith are both terrific,” he added enthusiastically.
She looked at him to see if he was joking and, when she saw that he wasn’t, her heart dropped. My God, he’s serious, she thought with dread. She caught the sympathetic look Anna gave her as they were called into dinner.
5
To Ellie’s consternation Frank appeared out of nowhere and put his arm proprietorially around her waist.
He whispered in her ear, “I wanted to change the settings and have you next to me, my dear, but unfortunately Judith wouldn’t hear of it. However, you are seated towards the head of the table where I will be presiding.”
Then he patted her bum twice, and if he’d been anyone but David’s boss she would have slapped him.
He led her to her seat, Anna trailing behind them.
“I believe your place is on the other side,” he said to Anna. “Let me escort you.”
“No, no,” Anna said firmly. “I can find it myself, thank you.”
Frank moved off with a smile and a shrug, and Anna threw Ellie a discreet ironic glance.
Ellie was horrified to see David moving to the other end of the table. He turned to look at her and she shot him a look of panic but he just shrugged his shoulders helplessly.
“Who’s sitting beside you?” Annaasked, seeing the still-empty spaces beside Ellie. She picked upthe place-card on Ellie’s left side. “James,” she read out. “Poor you!” shewhispered, throwing her eyes to heaven. “He’s a crashing bore. Who’s on your other side?”
Ellie leaned down andread the name. “Sam,” she replied.
“That’s better! He’s a real sweetie. You’ll like him.”
Anna moved to the opposite side of the table and took her place. She too was separated from her partner who was at the other end of the table, near David. Obviously she was used to this, thought Ellie.
As people trickled in, a portly, bald man came to the table and stood on Ellie’s left side. This must be James.
“Good evening, my dear,” he said to Ellie. He spoke exactly like Prince Charles.
When everybody had arrived at the table, with the exception of the man to Ellie’s right, they all sat down.
“Sam will be a little late,” Frank said from the head of the table.
“What’s new?” James commented and Frank laughed.
Just then Ellie spiedan attractiveyoung guycome into the dining-room andfor a moment she thought that it was the actor Jonathan RhysMeyers, who had played Henry VIII in the TV series. But when he came and sat down in the empty chair beside her, she realised this must be Sam.He was uncannily like the actor but up close his dark-blue eyes were laughing eyes, unlike the actor’s broody gaze.
“Sorry I’m late. A crisis at work, I’m afraid,” he said to the company as he took his place next to Ellie. “Hi, Anna, nice to see you again,” he said, blowing her a kiss.
Ellie was surprised to see Anna blush.
Next he turned to her. “Hello. We haven’t met before. I’m Sam.” He offered his hand and took Ellie’s in a firm handshake.
“Ellie,” she introduced herself. She had no time to say anymore to him as James, the ‘crashing bore’ on her other side, launched into a monologue which she guessed was about the state of the stock-market but which was in fact incomprehensible to her. Anna had not been exaggerating about him either. He was the most awful bore. He finally took a breath and asked her where she was from.
“Clontarf,” she replied.
“Oh, the northside!” he remarked and she heard the disdain in his plummy voice.
She felt herself blush.Luckily the first course was served at that moment so she was saved from saying anything.She turned her attention to the lobster salad in front of her and wished the evening would end. At least the boring old fart had lost interest in her, thank God. She sipped the white wine that had been poured for her. It was delicious. She wondered what wine it was. Something wildly expensive, no doubt!
Sam turned to her just then and whispered, “If you need rescuing from James anytime in the future, just nudge me. I know how dreadfully boring he can be.”
“Thank you. I’ll remember that but I think he lost interest in me when he heard where I’m from.”
“And where’s that, Ellie?”
“Mars,” popped out of her mouth before she could stop herself.
“Mars?” he repeated, raising an eyebrow, wondering if he’d heard right.
“Well, I might as well be,” she retorted. “People on the southside seem to think that the north side is on another planet.”
His eyes crinkled with merriment as he let out a low husky laugh. “That’s a good one. If that’s the case, then I’m a Martian too.”
She looked at him quizzically. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I live in Clontarf so I mustalso be an alien.”
“Are you serious?” She looked at him, her blue eyes wide and full of doubt. She was afraid that he was teasing her.
“Absolutely! Castle Avenue.”
“You’re joking me! I’m from Clontarf too. Kincora Road,” she grinned.
“Howdy, neighbour.” He shook her hand again.
They stopped talking as the waiters removed the plates from the first course.
“I see you’re engaged,” Sam said, nodding at her engagement ring. “Where’s the lucky guy?”
“My fiancé is David, sitting at the other end of the table, beside Judith.”
“Ah, yes, David is the newest addition to Buckley Steadman, I hear.”
“Do you work for the company too?” Ellie asked him.
“Good Lord, no! Heaven forbid! Do I look like an accountant?” he said with a grimace.
She couldn’t quite figure him out but he was a refreshing
change from boring James. There was something very mysterious about him. She wondered what he was doing at the dinner at all if he didn’t work for the company.
As the main course of Beef Wellington was served, he asked her what she worked at. She told him about the salon and kept him amused with some of the funnier antics of the clients. He seemed genuinely interested and laughed a deep husky laugh, throwing his head back as he did so.
The red wine which was served with the beef was wonderful. “I’ve never tasted such heavenly wine!” Ellie sighed with pleasure as she sipped.
Frank, who overheard this remark, spoke. “You have Samhere to thank for that. He supplies all my wines. He has a wine business.”
“Really?” Ellie was surprised. “Is that what you do?” Now she understood why he’d been invited to the dinner. “I know nothing about wine whatsoever except that I love the wine we’re drinking tonight.”
“You should take one of Sam’s wine courses,” Anna said, from across the table. “I took one last year. He’s brilliant!” She beamed at him and he seemed embarrassed at the compliment.
“Where do you have them?” Ellie asked Sam.
“In Clontarf. I’ve actually got one starting quite soon.”
“Gosh! That would be handy.” This was fate again. “Can you tell me about it?”
“Sure. Better still, I’ll give you my card and you can check the courses out on my website.” He fished a card out of his pocket and handed it to her.
“Thank you, I will,” she said, putting his card in her bag. “Actually, I made a major faux-pas tonight,” she whispered to him. “I asked Judith for a glass of chardonnay and she informed me that she doesn’t dochardonnay. I nearly died.”
“Don’t mind her! Poor Judith doesn’t know the first thing about wine.” Ellie detected a note of disdain in his voice. “In fact, the white wine we had with the lobster was Chablis which is actually made from chardonnay grapes, but of course she doesn’t realise that.”
“I didn’t know that either,” Ellie admitted.
“I think you really should join my course so,” Sam said teasingly.
“Maybe I will,” she replied, rising to the challenge. “Tell me more.”
Sam then started to talk about wine and she could see how passionate he was about it. His face was animated and his eyes aglow as he explained how wines were made and what made them different from one another. Ellie was fascinated. She’d never realised that it was such an interesting subject. She decided then and there that she would definitely join Sam’s wine course.After all, if she was going to have to attend more of these parties in the future, she’d need to educate herself about such things. She smiled happily, thinking how pleased David would be with her when she told him.
6
Zita Williams looked on as Rachel Dunnewas being interviewed for the television news. What an airhead, she thought disgustedly, listening to Rachel enthuse about the work of the Rape Crisis Centre. What the hell does she know about it?She was sick of seeing photos of Little-Miss-Perfect and her oh-so-handsome husband plastered all over the papers every weekend. What had Rachel Dunne ever done but look beautiful and snap up a gorgeous husband?
Following the TV interview, Rachel was now giving an interview to a popular women’s magazine. Zita snorted as she listened to Rachel going on about her busy days and how chock-a-block her diary was.
“But I do try and make time for myself,” she added, smiling graciously at the interviewer. “Last year I did a Fine Arts course and I’ve enrolled on a wine coursethis year as it’s a subject I’m really interested in.”
“How lovely,” the interviewer said. “And where are you doing this course?”
“At Château Wines in Clontarf – I’m so looking forward to it,” Rachel enthused.
The interview finished and just then Rachel’s husband, Carl, appeared at her side and kissed her on the cheek.
“Hello, darling, I had a meeting nearby and thought I’d drop in and say hello.”
Zita saw Rachel’s eyes light up.
“Carl, what a lovely surprise!” Rachel said, giving him a lingering kiss on the lips.
“Yeuch!” Zita said under her breath as the television crew came running back to start filming the new golden boy of politics. She was sure the accidental meeting had been engineered by the Dunnes to gain publicity. She watched Carl smiling and charming everyone in sight. He exuded energy andsexuality and Zita could feel the charisma, even from a distance. I wonder what he’s like in bed, she thought, surprised at herself for thinking that. She doubted that the prissy Rachel would be able to satisfy him in that department. Zitacouldn’t help but admire his broad-shouldered physique and, as she did so, Carl looked her way and a flash of chemistry passed between them. They locked eyes for a moment and Zita knew she was not imagining the sexual message he was sending her.
Zita had no illusions as to her looks. She was not pretty or glamorous like Rachel Dunne. She’d often been called interesting – but never beautiful. She was tall and rangy with small perky breasts and a slim waist and hips. She generally wore unisex clothes: jeans, biker jackets, biker boots and dungarees, which she felt suited her boyish figure.Her hair was jet-black and cut short in a pixiestyle. She had high cheekbones and a long patrician nose but it was her eyes that were her most arresting feature. They were an unusual gold colour and gave her a distinctive feline look. Despite her masculine clothing and demeanour, men found her intriguing and it was obvious from Carl’s glance that he was not immune to her attractions either. Well, well, she thought, so this show of affection with his wife is maybe not all it seems to be. Hmmm . . .
Zita was ambitious and ruthless and as she watched Carl she sensed that he and she were very alike – both opportunists! The idea formed in her head that he could be very useful to her. There was no doubt that he was the new darling of the political scene and word had it that his star was in the ascendant. Yes, he could be very useful indeed.
Zita worked as a production assistant for a national television station and knew that she was brighter and more intelligent than many of those higher up the ladder than she. It was a known fact that political interference had been the reason many lesser beings had been promoted to the positions of producer and director. This was what Zita wanted. Perhaps she’d just found the political clout that would catapult her up that ladder and perhaps enjoy a sexual liaison at the same time. But how could she get to Carl? She’d have to find a way.
Zita lived in a small apartment on the very top floor of a beautiful Georgian house on Stephen’s Green in Dublin city centre. She took the four flights of stairs at a run a couple of times a day to the dismay of her neighbour and friend, Marcus, who was forever complaining about the climb. She also cycled everywhere and was a familiar figure pedalling through the city-centre streets at weekends. She did most of her thinking while cycling to and from work and now as she cycled home she thought about how she could wangle her way into Carl Dunne’s life.
Then it hit her! Brilliant! Of course! I’ll join that wine course and cultivate his wife and, through her, get to meet him socially. She grinned at the idea. Kill three birds with one stone! Hook Carl, take the smug smile off his wife’s face and learn something about wine at the same time. Yeeeessss!
Zita had no illusions where men were concerned. She’d been abused from the age of ten by a priest who was a family friend and when, aged fifteen, she’d finally found the courage to tell her parents, they hadn’t believed her. She’d run away to London then and from there made her way to Australia. It had taken her a long time after that to trust any man but, aged just twenty-one, while working for a TV company in Australia, she’d met and fallen hard for a much older man. Too late, she’d discovered what an evil bastard he was. He introduced her to drugs and then put her to work, prostituting herself to pay for her habit and for his profit. She spent three miserable years with him before finally finding the courage to walk away. With great difficulty, she got clean of the drugs. Howeve
r, she was no innocent little girl anymore but a hardened, bitter woman andshe’d extracted her revenge. And how! She still remembered the satisfaction she’d felt at what she’d done.
She returned to Ireland immediately after that and since then she’d steered clear of the opposite sex, never allowing herself to become emotionally involved. She knew some of her colleagues suspected that she was a lesbian. No doubt her boyish look and clothes gave fuel to this idea and she laughed to herself to think how absurd it was. Women didn’t interest her in that way. She had sex with men from time to time but always with strangers and always on her terms. No man would ever dominate her again. She now used men in exactly the same way she’d been used by them and got great satisfaction from doing so. It was more about power than pleasure. She often wondered if she was missing out but she reckoned that the way she operated was the only way possible for her. The only way she could avoid getting hurt.
“Watch out, Carl!” she said quietly as she locked her bike away. She now had him in her sights and was very much looking forward to the challenge.
7
Louise heard Ronan leave for Mass on Sunday morning and snuggled down even more in the guest-room bed. She’d moved in there the night that he’d had a go at her for that shopping spree, as he called it, and she had no notion of going back into his bed until he apologised. In fact, she would not talk to him until he did, even though it was now four days since they’d spoken. She knew Ronan – he’d come around sooner or later. He was a softie but, honestly, he was becoming so mean it was ridiculous. He should be married to her friend Melissa who spent far more than Louise on clothes and you didn’t hear her husband complaining. Okay, so she worked as a solicitor and was earning good money, but still . . . !
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