Between The Sheets (29 page)

But not tonight. Gus stood up and put on his jacket. Tonight, he smiled at the prospect, he was going to meet his god-daughter. God-daughter! Who'd have thought!

'I've brought the post and the papers. Fancy a coffee?' Ed stood looking down at his sister but she was obviously miles away. 'Dana? Is there something wrong?'

She smiled. 'Not at all. I just got an email from Gus. Ashling — that's his partner Tom's wife — had a baby girl. They've called her Holly.'

'Pretty. Are you going to go and visit?'

Dana made a face. 'I don't think so. I'll send one of those baby baskets — that should do.'

'I'm sure she'd be pleased to see you.'

'How would you know? You don't even know her.'

'Doesn't every woman want to show off her baby?'

'Ed, go away. I've got work to do.'

'So you do,' he said mildly. 'How's it going, by the way?'

'Fine.' She sat rigid in front of the keyboard, waiting for him to leave.

'Good. So, coffee?'

She sighed. 'Please.' When he left she turned from the screen and gazed out into the garden. Perhaps Ashling
would
expect her to go and visit. She had, after all, come to see how Dana was doing. But what on earth would she say to her? Dana knew nothing about babies.

The phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. When Ed didn't pick up, Dana saved her file and answered. 'Hello?'

'Hello, my darling, how are you?'

Dana smiled. 'Hi, Wally. Still a bit sore, I'm afraid.'

'Poor you. Is your brother taking good care of you?'

'He's doing okay.'

'You must be having fun catching up.'

'Stop fishing, Wally. You know I haven't seen the man in years. We're practically strangers.'

'All the more to talk about,' he said, unabashed. 'You have a lot of catching up to do.'

'And I have a lot of writing to do,' Dana reminded him.

'Ah, so you do.'

Dana smiled. That shut him up.

'Which brings me to why I'm phoning. Will you call Gretta?'

Dana groaned. 'Why? What's wrong now?'

'Nothing at all,' he reassured her. 'I just called to tell her about your accident and she was a little suspicious. I want her to hear from you that we're still on schedule.'

'Are we?'

'Dana—'

'It's okay, Walter, I'm just kidding. I'll phone her this evening.'

'Good girl. Right, then, I'll leave you to it. Bye, darling.'

'Bye.'

'So are you going to visit her?' Ed asked, when they were in the car and on their way to the hospital.

Dana frowned. 'Who?'

'The new baby.'

'I don't think so. It would only be awkward. And I wouldn't know what to say.'

'Ask her how she is, how the baby is; does she sleep through the night and is she feeding okay. That should take you through the entire visit,' Ed told her.

Dana eyed him suspiciously. 'How do you know so much about babies? God, you're not a father, are you?' She didn't know why the thought was so incongruous. Ed was almost forty after all.

He let out a belly laugh. 'No. No, I'm not.'

'Why is it so funny?' she asked.

'Oh, I don't know. I just can't imagine having kids.'

'Me neither,' Dana murmured. 'What does that say about our upbringing?'

Ed shook his head. 'You can't blame everything on Father. Some people just aren't cut out to be parents.'

'He certainly wasn't.'

Ed laughed.

'What about a relationship, Ed? You know all about me and you haven't told me anything about you. Has there ever been anyone special? Is there someone special at the moment?'

'First, I would contest the statement that I know everything about you. Has there been anyone special? Yes, but I screwed it up. Is there anyone now? No. I think I'm destined to be a bachelor.'

'Doesn't that bother you?'

He shrugged. 'What's to be will be.'

'I don't want to end up alone,' Dana said miserably.

'I'm sure you won't. Anyway, maybe you and Gus will sort things out.'

'I don't think so.'

'Don't be too quick to write him off,' Ed told her. 'And then there's always lover boy.'

She smiled. 'Ryan is nice.'

'Nice? Poor guy. I'd hate anyone to call me nice.'

'Okay, he's better than nice. But, it's not love.'

'I'm glad he's around to cheer you up, Dana. But if you still have hopes of reconciliation with Gus, it might be wiser to give Ryan his marching orders.'

'Gus is dating a beautiful young girl,' she reminded him. 'He's hardly in a position to complain.'

Ed smiled. 'Oh, Dana! You are so naive.'

Dana remembered her brother's words when Gus phoned later. They talked politely for several minutes and he seemed genuinely concerned about her accident. He quizzed her in depth about her injuries and asked what the doctors had said. And then, when he seemed satisfied that she was going to be all right, he told her all about Holly. She was amazed at how awed he was.

'She's so beautiful, Dana. And did I tell you — they've asked me to be godfather.'

'Wow. That's ... lovely.'

'Does that mean I have to hold her when the priest is pouring the water over her head?'

'No. I think you just stand there looking proud,' Dana said, smiling.

'Oh, okay. What do you think I should buy her? I've no idea what the protocol is.'

'Me neither. Why don't you ask your sister?'

'Good idea. I'll phone Annie later. So, how are you and Ed getting along?'

'Fine.'

'He sounds nice.'

'Yeah.'

'You must have a lot to talk about.'

'Yeah. Look, Gus, I have to go.'

'Oh, okay, then.'

'Thanks for the call.'

Dana thought a lot about their conversation, and then over lunch a few days later, she announced to Ed that she'd decided to go and visit Ashling.

'Great idea,' he pronounced. 'I'll drive you, if you like. Or are you too embarrassed to be seen out with your big brother?'

She looked at him. 'Why would you say that?'

He shrugged. 'I'm part of your big secret, aren't I, Dana? You certainly haven't been going out of your way to introduce me to any of your friends.'

'I don't have any,' she pointed out, 'except Judy and you already know her.'

'Judy! There's a name from the past. You still keep in touch?'

'Yes. I don't know what I'd have done without her these last couple of months. I don't know why she bothers with me, though. I hardly know her husband and don't even ask me how old her girls are.'

Ed raised an eyebrow. 'Well, that's brutally honest.'

She shrugged. 'I'm not proud of myself. I just have so little in common with her now. But as soon as the news hit the papers that Gus had left, she was on the phone. She's a very good and kind person. She's my best friend. And I've no idea why she bothers with me.' Tears welled in Dana's eyes and she swallowed them hastily. God, what was it about Ed? He always managed to turn the conversation to something that brought out emotions she hadn't even realized were there.

'Maybe you're not as big a bitch as you seem to think you are.' He smiled and stood up to clear their dishes. 'Now, why don't you go and put your face on and I'll drive you over to see Ashling and her beautiful baby?'

'How do you know she's beautiful?' Dana asked with a grin.

He rolled his eyes. 'All babies are beautiful, Dana. Even when they're not.'

'Shall I wait or call back for you?' Ed asked, as he pulled into Ashling and Tom's driveway.

She eyed his paisley shirt, beige chinos and shiny leather shoes. 'Seeing as you've dressed up you may as well come in.' Dana secretly hated the idea of going into Tom's house alone and was glad to have her brother by her side. She also felt more than a little proud of him. He looked handsome today and she knew that with his impeccable manners and kind nature they would take to him immediately.

She rang the doorbell and waited nervously, half hoping that there was no one home.

'It will be fine,' Ed said, with a reassuring smile.

How did he do that? And why couldn't she read him as easily as he apparently read her?

'Dana, what a surprise!' Ashling had opened the door and was smiling uncertainly. 'Oh, look at your poor arm! Gus told me what happened. Is it very sore?'

'It's fine, really. I feel a bit silly to be honest. I just fell over the kerb in my driveway. If it wasn't for Ed—' She stopped as she realized that Ed was standing behind her, waiting patiently to be introduced. 'Oh, sorry, Ashling. This is my brother, Ed.'

'Pleased to meet you, Ed.' Ashling smiled.

'If it's a bad time, we'll go,' Dana said. 'I just wanted to drop this off.' She indicated the gift in Ed's arms.

'How beautiful.' Ashling looked at the basket lined with pink satin and stuffed full of newborn essentials and the cutest little pink teddy bear. 'No, come in. It's lovely to see you.' She led them through to the kitchen and moved some ironing and bags of nappies off two chairs so that they could sit down. 'Sorry, the place is a mess. Holly is a darling but I can't believe how much she's turned our lives upside down. How about some tea?'

Dana pushed her gently into a chair and smiled. 'I'll make the tea, you sit down.'

Ed shot a pointed look at Dana's cast. 'No, I don't want to end up in the burns unit, thank you very much. Why don't I make the tea while you two have a natter?'

Dana and Ashling laughed and then sat down facing each other.

'So, how are you?' Dana asked.

'Happy, tired and tearful, all at the same time,' Ashling said honestly. 'We're muddling along. And Holly seems amazingly contented, given her parents don't have a clue what they're doing.'

'You'll get the hang of it,' Dana told her. 'And don't your sisters live nearby?'

Ashling looked upwards and clasped her hands together. 'Yes, thank God! I don't know what I'd do without them. Rosie is doing all of our shopping, and Vanessa babysits a couple of hours a day so I can have a lie-down.'

'It sounds like you have a great family/ Ed remarked, as he filled the teapot and looked around for mugs.

'In the cupboard above your head,' Ashling told him. 'Speaking of families, it's lovely to finally meet you, Ed. Have you been living abroad?'

'All over the place,' he said cheerfully. 'And if you're wondering why Dana doesn't talk about me, it's because I'm the black sheep of the family.'

Dana rolled her eyes at Ashling as she felt the colour rise in her cheeks. 'Just ignore him.'

Ed winked at Ashling. 'See? I told you.'

'So where is the little darling?' Dana asked.

'Asleep. And I'm sorry, you aren't getting anywhere near her until she wakes. She didn't get much sleep last night, so I didn't either!'

'Sit back and enjoy that,' Ed said, handing Ashling a mug of tea.

'Thanks. There are biscuits somewhere,' she said vaguely.

'That's okay, we've just had lunch. So did everything go okay? Are you and Holly both well?' Dana avoided her brother's amused gaze.

'Holly was a little jaundiced at first, but she's fine now. The labour went well — relatively speaking. Although I was sure Tom was going to pass out.'

'Where is Tom?' Dana asked.

'He went into the office for a couple of hours. He wanted to run through some of the projects he was working on with Gus. The baby was two weeks early so she took us a bit by surprise. Everyone had warned us that first babies were usually late.' She checked her watch. 'He should be home soon.' With that there was a thin wail from the next room. Ashling smiled. 'It looks like she wants to meet you.'

She disappeared into the darkened room leading off the kitchen, and returned seconds later with a lemon bundle. Dana and Ed stood up to admire the baby, as Ashling loosened the blanket to afford them a better look.

'What a beauty,' Ed said with a tender smile.

Dana stood staring down at the little girl, lost for words. Then, aware that Ashling must be waiting for her to say something, she smiled at the other woman. 'She's gorgeous, Ashling. And look at all that hair!' Dana reached a tentative hand out to touch the dark curls that framed the small face. Holly stared back at her from enormous blue eyes.

'Gus says she certainly doesn't take after her father,' Ashling laughed.

Dana's smile faltered at the mention of her husband's name. She could imagine Gus slagging off Tom's receding hairline. She could see him here, in this kitchen with them. The thought made her feel incredibly lonely and isolated. 'She's really beautiful,' she said softly.

'Would you like to hold her?'

'Oh, no! I mean, not with this.' She indicated her cast. 'I'd be afraid I'd drop her.'

Holly had turned her face into her mother's breast and was nuzzling.

Ashling laughed again. 'Well, it looks like she's decided it's lunchtime anyway.'

'Would you excuse me, ladies? I have a call to make.' Ed was closing the door behind him before either woman had a chance to reply.

'He's lovely.' Ashling sat down in a rocking chair in the corner, opened her shirt and put the baby to her breast. 'And discreet.'

'Yes,' Dana agreed.

'He wasn't at your wedding, was he?' Ashling asked, her eyes curious.

'No, he wasn't around.'

'Still, he's here now, which is great. You must be thrilled.'

Dana just smiled.

'So. You and Gus are talking again.'

'Sort of.'

'It's a start.'

Dana shook her head. 'I don't think there's any hope for us, not now he's found someone else. Have you met her?' she added softly.

Ashling looked down at her baby. 'No.'

'But you know about her?'

Ashling looked up at Dana and nodded. 'But I don't think it's serious.'

'Hey, you don't have to say that.'

'No, I mean it,' Ashling said urgently. 'I know he's being a prat, Dana. But please don't give up on him.'

Dana stood up. 'I'd better go.'

'Don't go. Tom will be here soon.'

'I doubt he'll want to see me.'

'Why would you say that, Dana? Tom is just as upset as I am that you and Gus have split up.'

Dana looked into the other woman's face and saw nothing but sincerity and sympathy there. She reached out to stroke the baby's tiny hand, and smiled when her finger was grasped. "Thanks, Ashling, but I really have to go.'