Chapter 25 #2
‘Buck’s fizz?’ Jonathan raised his eyebrows as Jacqueline poured the cocktail into champagne glasses and began passing them around.
‘Well, it is my birthday,’ Ali said, taking a glass from her mother. ‘That means champagne at every meal, even breakfast.’
‘It was your birthday yesterday,’ Luca said to her.
‘But the festivities go on all week,’ Ali said. ‘One day isn’t enough to celebrate the wonder of me!’
‘Luca?’ Jacqueline held out a glass to him, with a tight smile. She looked like a hostage who was trying to appear relaxed while someone held a gun to her back.
Luca held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. ‘I’ll just have juice.’
‘Go on, take it,’ Jacqueline said, and Jonathan smiled at her with something like pride.
‘No, really – thanks.’
‘Okay.’ Jacqueline visibly relaxed as she put the glass down.
It had been a small conciliatory gesture on her part, and Claire was glad that Luca met her halfway and was making an effort not to antagonise her. ‘I’ll just have juice, too, please,’ she said. ‘I have to drive home straight after this.’
‘I’ll get it,’ Jacqueline said, and went indoors.
Jonathan smiled at Luca, giving him a pat on the back. ‘Are you two staying for lunch?’ he asked.
‘Oh, I have to get home,’ Claire said.
‘Do you have to go?’ Ali asked her.
‘You’re very welcome to stay, Claire,’ Jacqueline said, as she returned to the table.
‘Thanks, but I really need to get into some normal clothes,’ she said, gesturing to her dress. ‘And I thought I might bring my mother out to Dun Laoghaire, go for a walk along the pier.’
‘Would she be up to that?’ Luca frowned.
‘I don’t plan to make her hobble down it on her crutches. She has a wheelchair. My mother had a hip replacement recently,’ she explained to the others.
‘Well, I’ll come with you. I can push.’
‘Oh no, you have to stay, Luca,’ Ali pleaded. ‘I hardly got to spend any time with you last night.’
‘You should stay,’ Claire said to him quietly.
‘So, will you?’ Ali said to him. ‘We can go down to the beach. It’ll be like old times.’
‘Okay, then,’ he relented, smiling indulgently at his sister.
‘Good,’ Jonathan said. ‘We’ll have a proper family Sunday lunch.’
Jonathan and Ali beamed delightedly at this idea, while Luca and Jacqueline exchanged nervous glances.
‘Oh, look!’ Ali squealed, pointing out to sea, where two fins arched out of the water and disappeared again. ‘Dolphins!’
‘See what I mean?’ Luca said to Claire. ‘Ten a penny. And there are two of them now.’
They all stood up to watch, leaning against the rail, shouting with laughter as both dolphins leapt right out of the water, turning perfect somersaults before diving back beneath the sparkling surface.
‘It really was lovely to meet you, Claire,’ Jacqueline said later, as the whole family saw her to her car.
‘You must come again soon,’ Jonathan added.
‘And be prepared for a sleepover next time,’ Ali said, hugging her goodbye.
Claire was carrying her shoes, wearing an old pair of plimsolls Jacqueline had given her. She felt a fraud, knowing it was unlikely she would ever be back there with Luca.
‘I’ll see you on Tuesday,’ Luca said, giving her a lingering kiss on the lips as the others went back towards the house. ‘And thank you for last night,’ he whispered in her ear.
‘What about this morning?’ she asked teasingly.
‘That wasn’t too shabby either.’ He grinned. ‘But last night was… incredible.’
‘Well, I couldn’t have done it without you.’
Claire couldn’t get the goofy grin off her face as she got into the car and pulled out of the drive – or, in fact, for the entire journey back to Ranelagh.
Later that afternoon, Claire drove her mother to Dun Laoghaire, and they went along the pier, Claire pushing Espie in her wheelchair.
Half of Dublin seemed to be there, strolling, jogging and generally making the most of the rare heatwave.
When they walked back, they queued for ice-cream at Teddy’s and sat looking out to sea eating 99s, while Claire told her mother all about the party, Luca’s family home and the dolphins.
‘And what was the mother like?’ Espie asked her, always avid for more details.
‘She was… nice enough. A bit uptight – and there was a lot of tension between her and Luca. But she wasn’t as cold as I’d expected. I was a bit rude to her,’ she admitted.
‘That’s my girl!’ Espie said.
‘Well, I felt bad about it, but she was being mean to Luca so…’
‘She had it coming, then.’
‘How was everyone this morning?’ Michelle, Neil and their kids had been leaving when Claire got home.
‘They were grand. Holly had an awful tantrum, but I’m sure you can read all about it in Michelle’s next column, so I won’t spoil it for you.’
‘Ooh, can’t wait!’ Claire laughed. ‘You shouldn’t have told me. I’ll never sleep with the anticipation.’ She scooped up the last of the ice-cream with her tongue and bit into her cone.
‘Where did you sleep last night?’ her mother asked slyly, giving her a sideways glance.
‘I slept in a very nice bedroom with a sea view,’ Claire told her primly.
‘You’re so cruel. I could have you up for elderly abuse, you know.’
‘And I could push you off the end of the pier. Don’t let my mild-mannered facade fool you.’
Espie laughed. ‘I can get out of this chair. I’m only in it because I’m lazy and I like having you push me around.’
‘I know – you’re a complete charlatan. I don’t know why I put up with you.’ She finished her cone, wiping her hands on a tissue. ‘Anyway, I think you’ll find that not sharing the details of my private life doesn’t count as abuse.’
‘So there is something to share, then?’ Espie’s eyes twinkled.
‘We really are just friends, Mum – me and Luca.’
Espie gave her a skeptical look.
‘Okay, friends with benefits – but still just friends.’
‘That’s such a pity. Because I have my eye on this amazing hat…’
‘I’m not getting married just because there’s a hat you want to buy. But your birthday’s coming up…’
‘Oh, by the way, if Luca’s coming to my party, make sure to tell him he’s not to buy me a present.’
‘Okay.’
‘Tell him he’ll be turned away if he does. I’ll show him the door. Zero tolerance.’
‘Okay, okay! I’ll tell him.’
Claire was just about to get into bed that night when Mark rang on her mobile. It was only nine thirty, but she was exhausted after all the fresh air and lack of sleep the previous night.
‘Hi. Good weekend?’ he asked.
‘Yeah, really nice. The weather’s been amazing.’
‘Same here.’
She told him about last night’s party, carefully editing Luca out of the proceedings and telling him it was ‘my friend Ali’s birthday’ – which was strictly true. Mark had gone to Brighton with ‘the gang’ for the weekend.
‘So how’s your mum?’ he asked.
‘She’s good – doing really well.’
‘Only I was wondering if you could come over next weekend, by any chance. I have to go to New York the week after that, and I’m dying to see you.’
‘Oh.’ Claire was taken aback, her mind flying in several directions at once.
Was she ready for this? Would it mean the end of her and Luca?
Was she off work next weekend? Would she sleep with Mark?
Could she get a cheap flight at such short notice?
How would Luca feel about it? Could her mother cope on her own for a couple of nights?
‘Yeah, that should be doable,’ she said finally.
‘Great!’
‘I’ll just look into flights and stuff and get back to you. Okay?’
‘Brilliant! I’m really looking forward to seeing you again.’
‘Yeah. Me too.’
When they hung up, her mind was racing. She knew she could take the weekend off – Yvonne would be happy to cover for her.
And her mother would be fine on her own: she had plenty of friends and neighbours around who would keep an eye on her and help her with anything she needed in terms of shopping.
Maybe Jim would even stay for the weekend. So that wasn’t a problem.
But what about her and Luca? It was ridiculous to think he’d even care, since he’d been coaching her for this very moment. So why was she feeling guilty?