Maeve Binchy - Tara Road

There was a silence.

'Of course I'll be happy to mention her name,' Rosemary said. Still silence. 'And if ever I hear of anything…'

'I think we should get a list ready now of exactly what you'll do. We could write down what a good kind friend like you has done for Ria while she was away.' It sounded like a threat. Rosemary looked at her wildly. It couldn't be a threat, could it? 'Because she needs to know that friends can do things as well as say them. What good would a friend be, who betrayed her?'

'I beg your pardon?'

'Well it would be a betrayal, wouldn't it, if a friend took the things she most wanted in the world, while still pretending to be a friend?'

Rosemary's voice was almost a whisper now. 'What do you mean?'

'What do you think she wants most in the world, Rosemary?'

'I don't know. This house? Her children? Danny?'

'Yes. And of course you can't restore the house to her, her children she has already. So?' Marilyn paused.

'So?' Rosemary said shakily. The woman knew, she bloody knew.

'So, what you can help with is her dignity and self-respect,' Marilyn said brightly.

Danny's name had been left out of the list.

They began to write down what Rosemary would do to help Ria's career.

Gertie had been ironing a dress for Marilyn. 'That's a beautiful shade. Fuchsia, is it?'

'I think so. It doesn't fit me properly, I rarely wear it.'

'That's a shame, it's a gorgeous colour. Years ago when I worked in Polly's dress-hire place we had an outfit that colour; people were always renting it for weddings.'

'Would you like it?' Marilyn asked suddenly. 'Seriously I don't wear it, I'd love you to have it.'

'Well, if you're sure.'

'Wear it tonight to Colm's, the colour would suit you.' Gertie's face seemed to have a shadow. 'It's still on, tonight, isn't it?' Marilyn thought she would kill Gertie if she chickened out now.

'But of course it's on, Jack's pleased for me. I don't think he'd like to see me wearing such a classy dress though. One he didn't buy for me himself.'

'Change here on our way to the restaurant then.'

'Why not? Won't it do me good to dress up?' said Gertie with that heart-breaking smile which made Marilyn glad she hadn't said anything terrible about Jack.

At seven o'clock Monto and two friends arrived at the restaurant. And headed for the table that they thought they had booked. The restaurant was still empty. No one would arrive for at least thirty minutes. This was better than Colm had believed possible.

'Sorry, Colm, there was some mistake. You didn't get the message that we are meeting some friends here. Two are coming over from England and one down from the North. We have an important meeting and this is where we are having it.'

'Not tonight, Monto.’

'Tell me a little more.’ Monto smiled a slow smile. He had very short hair and a fat neck. His expensive suit did nothing to hide his shape, and the regular manicures little to help his pudgy hands and square nails. Colm looked at him levelly.

'You have a short memory, not long ago you told me you owed me.'

'And I paid you. You've done enough deals in this place.'

'Deals?' Monto looked at the other two associates and laughed. 'Isn't the word "meals'" Colm? That's what you run, it's a restaurant isn't it? They serve meals, not deals.'

'Goodbye, Monto.'

'Don't think you can talk to me like that.'

'I just have and if you know what's good and wise you'll go.’

'Give me a reason or two.’

'The number of the car from Northern Ireland has already been taken down. Your guests from the UK will be interviewed. Everything you have will be searched.’

'Big talk, Colm… and who'll look after your sister? She hasn't enough to get her to the weekend,’

'She's being looked after, thank you.’

'Nobody in this city will supply your sister, they know she's my wife. They know she's with me.’

'Well, they know more than you do. She hasn't been with you for three days.’ Colm sounded very calm.

'You'd start a drugs war in your own place just because you got her a new source?'

'No, I'm starting nothing, I'm asking you to leave.’

'And what makes you think I will?'

'The Guards in the car just outside.’

'You set me up.’

'No, I didn't as it happens. I told them that there would be no meeting, no deal here tonight or ever again.’

'And they believed you?'

'They felt pretty sure that I meant it all right. Goodnight, Monto.'

When Marilyn and Gertie arrived Colm was calm again.

'Gertie, don't you look lovely! That's a colour you should always wear.'

'I will, Colm, thank you,' she said, delighted with the compliment.

'And are we going to have fireworks tonight?' Marilyn asked.

'It's over, amazingly. All wilted at the first touch of winter frost,' he said.

'You two have lots of secrets,' Gertie giggled.

'Only the secrets of those who share a garden,' Colm said.

Across the restaurant they saw Polly Callaghan. She was with a very distinguished-looking man.

'Isn't Barney very understanding that he lets her go out to dinner,, with other men.' Gertie was full of admiration.

'I don't think Barney is in the picture these days,' Colm said.

'Of course you're right. Come to think of it she's leaving her flat tomorrow I hear.' Gertie had forgotten.

'Now how on earth do you know all these things, Colm?' asked Marilyn Vine who would not have been remotely interested a few weeks ago.

'In a restaurant you see and hear everything and say nothing,' he said, and left them the menus and moved on.

Rosemary Ryan waved at them from another table.

'Who is she with? Marilyn asked.

'Her sister Eileen and her sister's girlfriend Stephanie. And now they really are lesbians,' Gertie giggled.

'Let's hope the lady who drank the carnations doesn't come back and out them all,' Marilyn said.

'They're so out you wouldn't believe it, Rosemary hates it.'

'Does she now?' Marilyn smiled.

Jack was sitting up waiting when Gertie came home. 'Nice evening, was it?'

'Yes, Jack, it was a nice girls' night out.'

'And who gave you the whore's purple dress?'

'Marilyn did, it doesn't suit her.'

'It wouldn't suit anyone except a whore,' he said.

'Ah Jack, don't say that.'

'All my life I loved you and all you did was betray me and let me down.' He had never spoken like this before.

'That's not so, Jack. I never looked at another man, never.'

'Prove that to me.'

'Well, would I have stayed with you all these times you've been under the weather?' she asked.

'No, that's true,' he said. 'That's very true.'

They went to bed. She lay there hardly daring to move in case she might feel his fist. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him. Jack Brennan was awake and looking at the ceiling. He was dangerously calm.

'Hallo Marilyn, it's only Ria. Don't bother to ring back, I'll be here and there and everywhere. I've no news. Sorry I sound a bit down. It's stupid to ring up and then sound like something from a depressives' ward. It's just… it's just… Anyway the real reason I rang was to thank you so much for the e-mail you sent from the Cyber cafe. Isn't Rosemary wonderful to do all that? Wouldn't we all be lost without our friends? I'll say goodbye now, I've got to drive the Maine children back home, and Annie's heart-broken, she seems to be crazy over Gertie's nephew. Everyone just laughs at first love, but then Danny was my first love and look how long it lasted. For me anyway. All the best, Ria.'

The next morning Jack Brennan got very drunk very early. He went first to Nora Johnson's house at Number 48A. 'Does my wife clear up after your daughter and all her friends?' he shouted.