Divided Loyalties (44 page)

‘Aw, Mam,’ protested Olivia. ‘You said we could stay up late for a special occasion.’

‘You can. I just need to get Hannah to bed, so come down now anyway and play around Shauna’s mobile. It’s getting late and people want a bit of peace and quiet in the
park,’ she said firmly.

Grumbling, the others did as they were told. Ashley stayed on the swing. ‘No way,’ he declared, swinging faster. Carrie’s lips thinned. She strode round to the back of the
swing and hoisted him off by the scruff of the neck, much to his annoyance.

‘When I tell you to do something, you do it, and don’t give me any of your lip,’ she snapped.

‘You’re not my mommy,’ he retorted cheekily, kicking at the bark under the swing.

‘Thank God,’ Carrie growled. ‘Now get going or I’ll give you a good clatter.’

Even Ashley Keegan would not defy Carrie when she spoke in that tone and he marched along in front of her, glowering at her every so often. All he got were glowers back in return.

With many whinges and moans, and great reluctance on Della’s part, the Keegans finally said goodnight. Carrie, Shauna and Bobby watched them go, not even making the effort to wave. Noel
was at a parish meeting and had said his goodbyes earlier.

‘Right. I’m putting Hannah to bed,’ Carrie declared, kissing her exhausted toddler.

‘What a perfectly lovely day ruined.’ Shauna scowled.

‘Not quite,’ Bobby interjected mischievously. ‘I’ve three bottles of Cloudy Bay and a big dish of fresh prawns and scallops that I got off the boats earlier today
chilling in Dad’s fridge. I had no intention of producing them when the Freeloaders were here.’ He grinned. ‘Let’s have a midnight feast.’

Dan guffawed. ‘Way to go, Bobby. I think Della’s finally met her match.’ He’d arrived from work to find his wife and sister-in-law with faces on them that would curdle
milk.

‘She needn’t think she’s going to pull stunts like she did today for the rest of the summer.’ Shauna grimaced.

‘Forget her. She’s gone. Plonk your ass in the chair there and prepare to eat, drink and be merry. I’ll pop up to Dad’s and get the goodies,’ Bobby ordered,
throwing a few more coals on the barbecue to ward off the chill of evening.

‘I love when you boss me around, Bobby.’ Shauna grinned, sinking into a white chair. Now that Della and co. were gone she was beginning to relax again. It was Bobby’s last
evening at home, and she intended to make the most of it. And Cloudy Bay was her absolute favourite wine.

Cloudy Bay, prawns and scallops, and the gang ensconced on the veranda beside the glowing barbecue coals with a silver moon shining on a silver sea. What more could she want?

‘They are the rudest, most ignorant and inhospitable family I’ve ever had the misfortune to encounter. What Greg was doing marrying into them, I’ll never
know. Did you see the way they practically threw us out?’ Della was incandescent with rage as she drove out of Whiteshells Bay.

Eddie, slumped in the front seat beside her, grunted something unintelligible.

‘Don’t wanna go home,’ wailed Kathryn. ‘I want to sleep in the caravan.’

‘I’m hungry,’ whined Ashley.

‘I’m hungry too,’ Kathryn snivelled.

‘Be quiet,’ hissed Della as she spun round a corner on two wheels, brakes squealing.

‘Mind your driving,’ her husband growled.

Della ignored him. ‘That Shauna one is as cute as a fox. She wasn’t even going to mention anything about buying that mobile home. If we hadn’t gone visiting to Whiteshells Bay
we’d have known nothing about it. How mean can you get? Well, she doesn’t own it, it’s Greg’s too and I’m going to ask him if we can have it when that one’s not
here,’ Della informed her husband as she drove over a ramp at speed and nearly decapitated him.

He was definitely not feeling as sore, Greg decided as he gingerly inspected his wounded manhood. The phone rang and he pulled up his shorts and went to answer it. He was back
in Abu Dhabi and for the first time since the vasectomy he was envisaging the possibility that all would be well.

‘Well, brother, how are you?’ His younger sister’s voice floated down the line.

‘Fine. What’s up?’ he asked, surprised to hear from her. They weren’t great ones for keeping in touch.

‘Nothing,’ Della assured him. ‘Just ringing to see how you were. We had a barbecue with your nearest and dearest yesterday in your new mobile home. Congratulations; it’s
a great buy. You certainly know how to relax and enjoy yourselves. You have it down to a fine art. Shauna has, anyway,’ Della remarked sweetly.

‘Do you think so?’ Greg raised his eyebrows. Della wasn’t usually so effusive.

‘I do, and you both deserve it. But listen, you and Shauna will only use it for a couple of months and then it will be empty. I’m sure you’d have no objections to myself, Eddie
and the kids using it the odd weekend?’

‘Sort it with Shauna. I’m sure she won’t mind.’ Greg poured himself a Scotch. His mobile phone erupted into Mozart 40 on the coffee table.

‘Have to go, Della, my mobile’s ringing. See you in August,’ he said hastily.

‘Great, and we can definitely use your caravan?’ Della pressed.

‘Sure. ’Bye,’ Greg agreed, wishing she’d get off the line. The number coming up on his mobile belonged to his boss and he wanted to take the call.

‘’Bye.’ Della sounded as though she was smiling even though he was rushing her off the phone. That was a relief. No-one could get into a snit like his sister. He took the call
from his boss and was immediately engrossed in plans for a two-day trip to Kuwait. By the time he had everything sorted to both their satisfaction his conversation with Della was totally
forgotten.

‘There’s nothing like a picnic on the beach, sure there isn’t?’ Shauna said to Carrie as they spread out a tartan rug and laid out an array of plastic
beakers and saucers. Carrie opened a parcel of tinfoil-wrapped egg and onion sandwiches. Shauna inhaled appreciatively.

‘Egg and onion. Delicious. And I’ve made some banana sangers. Just smell them, Carrie. I’m eight years old again. Remember when we used to come to the beach with
Mam?’

‘Yeah, she always made a picnic such an event. She’d love this with the grandchildren,’ Carrie said, sadness darkening her eyes momentarily.

‘I know. Look at Dad, can you believe him? He’s very good with the kids. He was so different with us.’ Shauna watched as Noel stood paddling with Hannah while Chloe, Davey and
Olivia squealed and shrieked as they danced up and down in the foamy white waves.

‘I think Mam’s death, as well as knocking the stuffing out of him, softened him and made him realize he’s not in control of everything. Mind you, some things never change. I
heard him the other day telling Davey that
The Da Vinci Code
was a tool of the devil and that he was
never
to read it.’

Shauna laughed heartily. ‘You’re joking!’

‘Honestly. The sad thing is that he really believes it. You should hear himself and Mrs O’Neill arguing the toss. It’s hilarious.’

Shauna shook some packets of crisps out onto the rug. ‘Will I call them? I’m ravenous.’

‘Me too,’ Carrie agreed. ‘I made a big bowl of fruit salad and frozen yoghurt for dessert.’

‘How healthy,’ Shauna teased.

‘I’ve got Soleros in the freezer bag as well,’ her sister confessed.

‘Excellent!’ Shauna stood up and yelled at the children. ‘Come and get it.’

A mad race ensued as the youngsters dashed out of the water and arrived at the picnic rug, dripping wet and spraying drops of water all over the place.

‘Wrap yourselves in towels and don’t dare step on the rug with your wet, sandy feet,’ Carrie warned as she poured tea out of a flask into a plastic cup for Noel.

‘Tuck in, and eat your crusts.’ Shauna handed round the sandwiches as they all settled themselves down on the sand.

‘Phew, I needed this.’ Davey bit into his egg and onion sandwich with relish.

‘What is it about tea out of a flask? It’s
so
satisfying.’ Carrie drank her tea appreciatively.

‘Can I have crisps, please?’ Chloe asked. ‘I want to make a crisp sandwich.’

‘Brill idea,’ enthused Olivia.

‘Very tasty, girls.’ Noel sat like Neptune on his throne on a small deckchair.

This is the life.
Shauna raised her face to the sun, utterly relaxed. The past ten days had slipped away so easily and all traces of tension had left her as she and Chloe had settled
into days of ease and relaxation. She and Carrie had settled into their old familiar companionship, helping each other out, gossiping, taking the odd jaunt to Dundalk to stroll around the shops.
Chloe was having the time of her life.

‘Aren’t you bored after all your socializing? Don’t you miss it?’ Carrie had asked her one day when Carrie had an hour to spare as they sat in Hughes & Hughes sipping
coffee, having restocked their book supplies. But she wasn’t at all bored and, to her surprise, she didn’t miss it.

‘Amazingly, not in the slightest. It must be the onset of middle age!’ She grinned. If someone had told her ten years ago that she’d spend a summer in a mobile home in
Whiteshells Bay enjoying herself immensely, she would have told them they were mad.

It was such liberation not having to worry about her clothes and what she was going to wear to a function. Not having to be made up to the nines, not having to worry about entertaining or being
entertained. Solitude was a gift that she was savouring. She was changing, becoming calmer, quieter. It felt very good. She bit into a banana sandwich and felt the grit of sand between her teeth
and took a drink of hot strong tea and wouldn’t have swapped it for the poshest restaurant in any of the capitals of the world.

An hour later she was drowsing on the rug, with the sound of the children playing in the distance. Carrie was snoring, delicate little cucking snores that rippled in the breeze. A great sense of
well-being enveloped her and she lay in a drowsy stupor listening to the sea. Noel had gone home to go bowling with Mrs O’Neill. He was off the crutches and making good progress.

‘Oh no!’ she heard Olivia exclaim crossly.

‘What’s wrong, Olivia?’ she asked drowsily, without opening her eyes, thinking that her niece had knocked down the sand village she was laboriously building with Chloe and
Davey’s help.

‘It’s those people again. I don’t like them. That boy is very bold,’ she said in disgust.

‘What people, darling?’ Shauna yawned. Carrie snored on serenely, oblivious.

‘Chloe’s cousins. Look, they’re waving at us! I’m glad we finished our picnic before
they
came.’

Shauna jerked up into a sitting position and squinted in the direction her niece was pointing. Rage suffused her as she saw Della, Ashley and Kathryn advancing along the beach. ‘I
don’t believe it,’ she muttered.

‘Hi, you lucky beggars. You’re so blessed having a beach on your doorstep. We decided to come and spend the day with you,’ Della trilled.

‘We brought buns for tea,’ Kathryn boasted.

Carrie woke up and gazed up at the other woman in dismay.

‘You lazy thing, snoring on the beach. Some people have all the luck. You pair have the life of Riley. Is that a flask? Any chance of a cuppa?’

‘There’s none left,’ Shauna said shortly.

‘Ah sure we’ll pop up to the mobile in a while and have some there. Any chance we could stay the night? I told Eddie to drive down later. He had to go to a funeral,’ Della
informed her casually.

‘Actually, Shauna and I were going out for a meal tonight,’ Carrie interjected.

‘Great. I’ll come with you. We can have a girls’ night out. I’d enjoy that. I haven’t had one for ages,’ Della suggested. ‘I’ll get Eddie to mind
the kids.’ She turned to Shauna. ‘I was talking to Greg and he was saying it would be OK for us to use the mobile when you’re not here in the autumn. We’ll look after it for
you and keep an eye on it over the winter.’ She smiled a saccharine smile at her sister-in-law.

‘
Excuse me?
’ Shauna couldn’t believe her ears.

‘Greg said we could use the mobile home when you’re not using it,’ Della explained sweetly.

‘I don’t think so,’ Shauna said icily, her eyes flashing dangerously.

‘Right, you guys, come on. We’re going to go for a walk as far as the rocks. Shauna and Della need some privacy for a few moments,’ Carrie said calmly, standing up.

‘There’s no need for that, Carrie,’ Della blustered.

‘Oh I think there is, Della. I think Shauna would like to talk to you on your own and not in front of the children,’ Carrie said coldly.

‘Thanks, Carrie. It won’t take long.’ Shauna tried to keep the tremor of anger out of her voice. This was it. The long-promised showdown had come at last. Her stomach clenched
in knots. She felt sick. She wasn’t great at confrontation. Altercations reminded her of bad times with her father and she tried to avoid them.

‘Quick march, first to the rocks gets a euro,’ Carrie said gaily. The children took to their heels in an avalanche of flying sand, Hannah’s skinny little legs carrying her like
a baby ballerina across the beach.

‘There’s no need to be dramatic,’ Della exclaimed defensively. ‘Do you have a problem with me using the mobile or something?’

‘Yes I
do,
Della. How
dare
you go behind my back to Greg? How dare you! And not only do I have a problem with you using my mobile, I have a problem with
you
,
Della. I’m sick to the back teeth of you arriving whenever you feel like it, unannounced. I’m sick of you eating and drinking us out of house and home. I’m sick of you coming out
to stay with us in Abu Dhabi with one arm longer than the other and treating Filomena like a servant. You’re mean and manipulative and you take advantage like no-one else I’ve ever met.
You know what we call you?’ She stared at the other woman, who was rigid with shock at this unexpected onslaught. ‘We call you the Freeloaders, because that’s exactly what you
are.’

It was pouring out of her, years of pent-up resentment and dislike erupting like a lava flow. She took a breath and continued, feeling strangely exhilarated. She couldn’t believe that she
was letting rip. She wasn’t going to hold back one little thing. She was on a roll and Della was stunned into silence, her sullen face as red as a beet. For the first time ever in their
relationship Shauna felt in control, and she continued her tirade with vigour.