Maeve Binchy - Tara Road

Marilyn thought again what an attractive man he was and wondered why he hadn't married. She knew about his love affair with alcohol, but that never stopped people marrying. 'How long does it take?'

'About four months, or thereabouts. The books say fifteen weeks from sowing.'

'The books? You learned your gardening from books?'

'Where else?'

'I thought you came from a long line of committed gardeners, that you grew up with your hands in the soil.'

'Nothing as nice and normal as that, I'm afraid.'

Marilyn sighed. 'Well, which of us ever had the childhood we deserved?'

'It's true, sorry for the self-pity,'

'Hey, you don't have any of that.'

'Have you heard how they're all getting on, Annie and Brian?'

'Well just great, they seem to know half the neighbourhood, dozens of kids in our pool.'

'That doesn't bother you?'

'Why should it, it's their house for the summer.'

'But you're a very private person.'

'I have been since my son died last year.'

'That's a terrible tragedy for you. I'm very sorry. You didn't speak of it before, I didn't know.'

'No, I didn't speak of it at all.'

'Some things can be almost too hard to talk about, let's leave the subject if you prefer.' He was very easygoing, Marilyn knew that he would have left it.

'No, strangely. I find recently when I do talk about it now it becomes a little easier to bear.'

'Some people say that, they say let some light in on it, like plants your problems need light and air.'

'But you don't agree?'

'I'm not sure.'

'Which is why you don't talk about Caroline?'

'Caroline?'

'This country has unhinged me, Colm. In a million years I would never have interfered or intruded in anyone's life like this. But I'll be away from here in less than three weeks; I'll never see you again.

I think you should let a little light and air into what you're doing for your sister?'

'What am I doing for her?' His face was hard and cold.

'You're running a restaurant to feed her habit.’

There was a silence. 'No, Marilyn you've got it wrong, she works in my restaurant so that I can keep an eye on her. Her habit is paid for by somebody else entirely.' Marilyn stared at him. 'She is very well supplied by her husband Monto, a businessman—one of whose most thriving businesses is heroin.’

'Maria?'

'Hallo, Andy?'

'Just a quick question. When I come to stay next week are we meant to have met?'

'Oh I think so, don't you?'

'Certainly I do, but I was letting you call the shots.’

'It will be good to see you again, and have you meet my children.’

'Sure. Will we have any time alone together, do you think?'

'I feel that's going to be very unlikely, simply because I have so much to do.’

'I’ll keep hoping. See you Friday.’

'Zach says they're going to be very old and very boring,' Brian pronounced.

'Isn't it amazing the way Brian crosses the Atlantic Ocean and in minutes he finds a friend like Myles and Dekko!' Annie sighed.

Brian saw no insult in this, in fact he saw huge possibilities for the future. 'Can Zach come to stay in Tara Road?' he asked.

'Certainly, we'll discuss it next year,’ Ria said.

'Do you think we'll still be in Tara Road next year, Mam?' Annie was thoughtful.

'Why ever not? Did you have plans for moving anywhere?' Ria laughed.

'No, it's just… it's quite dear and everything… I was wondering would we all, Dad and everyone, be able to afford it?'

'Oh that will be fine, I'm going to work when we get back to Dublin,’ Ria said airily.

' Work , Mam… ? What on earth would you do?' Annie looked at her mother surrounded by food.

'Something a bit like this probably,' Ria said.

Greg Vine was tall, slightly stooped and gentle. He was courteous and formal to the children. He seemed overcome at the hospitality that Ria was providing for his friends. 'You must have been slaving for weeks,' he said as she took him on a tour of the freezers, and the rented trestle tables and linen.

'I didn't want to use Marilyn's cloths in case something happened to them.'

'No, I don't think she'd mind,' he said, unsure, uncertain.

'She has been meticulous about my home they all tell me, I don't want to be any less with hers.' She showed him all the replies to the guest-list he had sent out. 'I’ll leave you to settle in your own house,' she said. 'I didn't put anyone to sleep in Dale's room… and on that subject I must apologise.'

He cut straight across her. 'No, it is we who must apologise, it was unpardonable for you to come here without being told the whole story. I'm very, very sorry. All I can say in explanation is that she doesn't talk about it to anyone, anyone at all.' His face was full of grief as he spoke. 'I think she genuinely believes that if you don't talk about a thing it hasn't happened… if you don't mention Dale at all then his horrific death didn't occur.'

'Everyone's different,' Ria said.

'But this has gone beyond reason, to let you into this house, to see that room without knowing what happened. It probably doesn't matter now what she and I have left to say to each other, but for Marilyn's own health she will have to acknowledge what has happened and talk about it. To someone.'

'She's talking about it now,' Ria said. 'She told my children all about him, everything. From when he got braces on his teeth to the time you all went to the Grand Canyon and he cried at the sunset.'

Greg's voice was a whisper. 'She said all this?'

'Yes.'

His eyes were full of tears. 'Maybe, maybe I should go to Ireland.'

Ria felt a pang of jealousy like she had never known before. Marilyn was going to be all right. Her husband still loved her and he was going to go over to Tara Road. Lucky, lucky Marilyn Vine.

'I can't ask anything at all about his business,' Finola Dunne said to her daughter.

' No , that's true.'

'I accepted his apology for sharp words and he gave it generously so now you see my hands are tied. But you can, and you must , ask him, Ber. It's only fair, on you and the baby. You have to know is he bankrupt.'

'He'll tell me, Mum, when he thinks I need to know.'

The alumni picnic party in Tudor Dive was long talked of as one of the events of Westville. Ria had asked Greg if Hubie Green could come to the house as a waiter, and young Zach as an assistant.

'Hubie?'

'Yes, he taught us the Internet, and has been most helpful.'

'He's a wild and irresponsible young man,' Greg said.

'I know that he was with Dale that day. He says it was the worst day of his life.'

'I have no objection to his being here, I never had. Those were all Marilyn's… I suppose in a way I'm advising you to keep him away from your daughter.' Ria felt a shiver of anxiety but she couldn't allow it to develop, there was too much to do.

When Hubie arrived he went straight to Greg. 'Mr Vine, if my presence here is unwelcome I quite understand.'

'No, son, I'm glad to see you in our home again,' said Greg.

Ria let out a slow sigh of relief. That was one hurdle safely crossed. And then, surrounded by friendly faces and food, Ria felt very much at home. She made sure that Marilyn's name was constantly mentioned. She said that she had been speaking to her the previous evening and she had sent her love to everyone.

'I think Greg's brother sort of fancies you, Mam,' Annie said after the party.

Annie and Hubie had been a delightful double-act filling the wineglasses and serving huge slices of the mouth-watering cake that had been such a success.

'Nonsense, we're geriatric people. There's no fancying at our age.' Ria laughed, admiring the sharp young eyes of her daughter.

'Dad was able to find someone else—why wouldn't you?'