The O’Hara Affair (54 page)

Gathering Fleur into her arms with infinite care, she said: ‘No bear hugs for you, Flirty, even though I’d love to hug the living daylights out of you. From now on I must be careful to treat my aunt like a porcelain doll.’ Holding her at arms’ length, Daisy’s eyes went to Fleur’s bump. ‘Oh!
Oh!
She’s in there!
Ma cousine!
’ She knelt down and kissed her aunt’s rounded belly. Can I be her godmother as well as her cousin?’

‘But of course,’ said Fleur.

‘What are you going to call her?’

‘Well, her surname will revert to de Saint-Euverte. I’m not calling her after that Mountie-loving ex-husband of mine.’

‘And not after her daddy, neither?’ asked Daisy cautiously.

‘Her daddy is a Pooka with no name.’

‘Fair enough,’ conceded Daisy. ‘What about her Christian name?’

‘That’s easy. I’m calling her after you.’

‘But how can there be two Daisy de Saint-Euvertes in the same family?’

‘There won’t be. I’m giving her the name of the French flower.’

‘Marguerite?’

Fleur nodded.

Daisy pressed her cheek against Fleur’s belly. ‘Hello, darling little Marguerite de Saint-Euverte! How do you like being named after your big cousin?’ She listened for a moment or two, and then she turned smiling eyes to Fleur. ‘She likes it,’ she declared.

‘How do you know?’ asked Fleur.

‘I can hear her giggling,’ said Daisy.

Are you a subscriber to Second Life or a similar virtual world? Can you analyse its appeal? Do you think it is a harmless way of relaxing, or do you consider it a useful networking tool? Might it be a novel way of keeping in touch with old friends, or making new ones? Might you be worried that you could become obsessed by it? Do you think that we are becoming increasingly like the space travellers in Wall-E who spent all their times on their backsides in front of their computer screens? Are you concerned about any children you may have who seem to spend more time in virtual worlds than in the real world?

On p. 414, Valentina asks Dervla: ‘If you
weren’t
being paid, do you think the same high standard [of caring for her mother-in-law] would apply?’ If you found yourself in the position of having to care perforce without remuneration for someone who was not a blood relative, do you think that you might find yourself becoming embittered and resentful? Do you think these negative feelings would impact on the standard of care delivered?

Dervla makes the observation that in some parts of the world, it is a great compliment is to call someone an ‘old’ man. Why has it become an expression of derision and contempt in our society? Do you think that our pursuit of eternal youth and our obsession with youth culture is responsible for our fear of old age?

Older people’s dependency on the social infrastructure is the result of compulsory retirement, poverty, and diminished stature in the community. This dependency = lack of respect = ageism. Women tend to live longer than men, ergo older women suffer most from ageism. Have you put much, if any thought into how you might confront the problems of aging? Or do you secretly hope that – to paraphrase the words of Roger Daltrey – you die before you get too old to cope?

Life expectancy is increasing, but so too is
active
life expectancy. People are enjoying good health longer than their ancestors thanks to advances in medical science. But people are also being ‘kept’ alive longer due to medical science. Philosopher Mary Warnock lamented the fact that swine flu would not prove to be the new ‘old man’s friend’ (a euphemism for pneumonia), since most swine flu fatalities occur within a younger demographic. Do you agree with the sentiment that pneumonia is the ‘old man’s friend’? Do you think that it is right to continue to administer medicines (such as antibiotics) and vaccines (such as the flu jab) to people who are clearly exhausted by life and who have no say as to whether or not their suffering should be prolonged?

The pros and cons of voluntary euthanasia continue to be argued in bioethical debates. Statistics indicate that more and more people are in support of the right to a dignified
death for the terminally ill. What are your views on this? Do you think it is possible to draw up a bill that would realistically address the concerns of those who believe that such a law would be open to abuse?

Read on for an exclusive extract of Kate Thompson’s next novel –
That Gallagher Girl –
to be published by AVON in 2011.

A thousand heartfelt thanks go to the following: Maxine Hitchcock for her editorial vision; the team at Avon for their dedication and support – especially Keshini Naidoo, Sammia Rafique and Caroline Ridding; Charlotte Webb for her
nonpareil
copy-editing skills; Moira Reilly for her PR nous and pizzazz, and Claire Power for making my presence felt

Finally, not enough thanks can go to my best and most beloved friends of all: my husband Malcolm; my daughter Clara.

Kate Thompson is an award-winning former actress. She is happily married with one daughter, and divides her time between Dublin and the West of Ireland, where she swims off some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. For more information about Kate, please go to www.kate-thompson.com.

The Kinsella Sisters

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