Two Days in Biarritz (28 page)

Kate couldn’t bring herself to open it. This was too much information for one day. The week had been traumatic enough without something like this on top of everything else. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine Shane. No wonder her mother had told her to seize the day with him. She must have been in love with Liam for most of her married life. But why did the letters end in 1996? She wondered if her father had suspected any of it. Surely Betty wouldn’t have left the letters there for her to find if she hadn’t meant her to read them. She had plenty of time to destroy them. Unless she forgot about them, but that didn’t make sense either, Liam was obviously one of the most important people in Betty’s life. She shoved them into the plastic bag of scarves and started to dust the drawer. It was important that Damien never got to see them. She needed to find out who Liam was but couldn’t think of anyone that could fill in the gaps off hand except maybe her Auntie Dee.

She looked at her watch, eleven o’clock, only two more days and she would be home. Forty-eight hours and she and her boys would be back in the Pyrènees, they had been through a difficult time too. She needed to sort her life out once and for all and she had a pretty good idea where she needed to start.

* * *

Annabel stirred the spoon leisurely in her tall glass of latte and looked out through the window at the busy shoppers rushing in and out through the Supermarket entrance. Tammy’s wasn’t the most alluring of coffee shops but it was half way between Howth and Clontarf and that was why she had suggested it. She spied Damien parking up his car in the distance and felt a tingle through her body. This meeting was all she had to look forward to since the funeral.

Colin was being a complete bastard and didn’t understand why Annabel couldn’t just let bygones be bygones. Nobody needed to know as far as he was concerned. A little part of her was happy with the circumstances. She couldn’t see any other way out of her marriage and even though it would be uncomfortable for a time, she firmly believed that she needed to break away from Colin and the shabby existence she had as his trophy wife. She was deeply concerned for her children though. A marriage break-up carried heavy scares and Sam would be seriously affected at the tender age that he was at. Colin had little time for his daughters. All family activities were co-ordinated by Annabel and nine times out of ten he was on the golf course. But nonetheless they needed their father too.

Moira had ensured her that she would get half of the family home, the apartment in Spain and the two town houses that they rented near the city centre. Moira said Colin would be quaking at the thought of her touching his pension and investment funds but she would be entitled to half of those as well. She would be well enough off to maintain a good lifestyle and her kids wouldn’t have to suffer.

The thought of having to make her own money excited Annabel. Her little enterprise in the market was a good earner. She could always look for the family home and leave Colin the two town houses. They were approximate in value. She was left with good options. All she had to do was convince Colin that their marriage was well and truly over. Moira said he could only live in denial for so long. She would have a settlement drawn up and sent to him sometime the following week.

“Always look for three times more than you’ll settle for,” the mature solicitor had said –leaning across her mahogany and leather covered desk. Her spectacles covered half of her face. Her hair looked like she hadn’t been to the hairdressers in years and had chopped it herself in front of the bathroom mirror whenever she found the time.

Annabel liked the sound of the settlement. All she really wanted was to be able to stay in the family home and an allowance to keep the kids in the luxuries to which they were accustomed.

Her thoughts were pleasantly interrupted by Damien’s arrival.

“Annabel, how are you?” he asked anxiously.

“Damien,” she replied, standing up and awkwardly leaning forward as he kissed her on the cheek.

“I started on a latte already,” Annabel said pointing to her empty cup. “What are you having?”

A middle-aged waitress briskly appeared at his side and was brushing her apron down. She was over the minute she spotted Damien walking through the door. His presence had this effect on most women over a certain age.

“A black coffee, please,” he ordered.

“And another latte for me, please,” Annabel smiled at the woman – who still hadn’t taken her eyes off Damien.

“It was good to see you at the funeral, Annabel. Betty would have liked it.”

“Thanks Damien, I had to go. She was like a mother to me.”

Damien moved around awkwardly on the small aluminium chair that was more used to holding the svelte housewives of the locality rather than a man with Damien’s figure.

“I was worried about you and Kate to be honest. I had hoped you would get a chance to speak to each other,” he said. His voice was soft and soothing. “But I’ve only just found out the whole story.”

“Damien, I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have told her about us. I don’t know what came over me that evening. She was teasing me, the way she does, and I couldn’t help myself. I was full of wine and the words just fell out.”

“It’s okay, what’s done is done. Kate is a big girl now and she will have to learn to live with it like we have for all these years. You know Annabel there’s something else that I need to talk to you about and the whole lot is linked up in a way.”

“Sure, anything,” Annabel was curious.

“There’s something that Betty has taken to the grave with her and I had hoped that while she was with Kate that she would have told her the truth. It’s kind of delicate and I needed to know what was troubling Kate, I thought she might have suspected.”

“Suspected what Damien?”

“Kate’s not my daughter.”

Annabel’s mouth dropped. This was the last thing she expected to hear him say.

“But, if not…is she adopted?”

“No,” Damien said shaking his head. “She is Betty’s daughter but she isn’t mine.”

“What about Philip?”

“He is my son,” he sighed before continuing. “Betty and I were in college together. I was studying engineering and she was doing arts. We palled around in a big gang. My best friend was from Athlone and he was studying engineering too. He was going out with Betty for over a year and they seemed very much in love. I was always very fond of her as a friend but that was all. Then one night after they had a blazing row she asked me to walk her home to her flat in Harold’s Cross. She invited me in and we ended up sleeping together. A couple of weeks later she still hadn’t made up with my friend and I didn’t see much of her until one night she came into the college canteen and announced that she needed to speak to me urgently. She said that she was pregnant and that the baby was mine.”

“Did you believe her?”

“Of course I did, it was a very different time in Holy Catholic Ireland and young men knew nothing of women’s biology. A few days later my friend ran off and Betty told everyone that I was the father of her child.”

“Did you stay on in college?”

“No, we couldn’t afford to, and neither of our parents were very happy with the arrangement. My parents blamed her and her parents blamed me.”

Annabel was shocked. The waitress left the two cups down in front of the couple who were now so engrossed in their conversation that they didn’t notice her.

“When did you discover that Kate wasn’t your child?”

“Shortly after she was born. My mother figured the maths out. Kate weighed eleven pounds when she was born and was meant to be a month premature,” Damien smiled at the thought of his own naivety. “But you know what Annabel, the moment I set eyes on Kate I knew that I loved her more than anyone else in the world. She was and always will be my daughter. I would hate her to think that I felt any different towards her than Philip. If anything I probably love her more but would never admit it to him.”

Annabel’s head was shaking in disbelief.

“So, do you think I should tell her or not?” Despair was painted all over his face.

“Damien, the call is totally yours but my guess is that Kate has been through an awful lot recently and I don’t think she would react well to such news.”

“My feelings as well,” Damien nodded. “But I needed to run it by someone who knew her and you were my obvious choice.”

Annabel was disappointed that Damien hadn’t an ulterior motive for seeing her.

“I’ve a bit of news myself,” Annabel smiled. “I found Colin in bed with the
au pair
and we’re separating.”

“Jesus, Annabel, I don’t believe it,” Damien’s face changed to one of horror. “When?”

“The morning of the funeral, actually. I left the Mass cards in the kitchen and when I came back to get them I heard grunting upstairs.”

“That must have been a shock.”

“It was at the time,” she couldn’t help smiling at the memory, “but do you know now that it’s happened it’s kind of a relief.”

“Weren’t you happy with Colin?”

“He’s difficult to live with at the best of times. I’ve been doing a lot of settling for this or that throughout my life and putting other people first. Now that I’ve turned forty I really want to do things for me – like the market stall.”

“That’s a great little enterprise. You were always good at cooking, I recall.”

“I love it,” she agreed. “God knows I’ve had enough experience hosting dinner parties for Colin and his cronies over the years. If I had my way I’d have a little café of my own making natural healthy food – a kind of salad bar crossed with a country kitchen.”

“That would be a great earner if you got the location right,” Damien said, his brain ticking over as he spoke. “You know I may have just such a place coming on stream near here. It’s a new development with apartments on the top two-storeys but it’s very hush-hush at the moment. I plan to keep a number of the units and rent them commercially.”

“That sounds very exciting Damien.” Annabel’s eyes lit up. “But I have no experience to start up a business. I just know that I love cooking.”

“It’s not going to be built over night. We are probably looking at six months down the road but the prime retail unit will be the coffee shop and I could give you first option on it if you wanted to think about it.”

Annabel wanted to be brave and grasp the opportunity. A business woman was something she never imagined herself as but if she was to be realistic she wouldn’t be supported by Colin after the children left full-time education and she did have to think of her future.

“I can see that pretty head of yours working overtime.” Damien smiled.

“Leave it with me will you. I’d need to come up with some capital first.”

“I’d be happy to be a partner fifty-fifty. You do the work and We’ll split the profits,” he grinned. “I may demand the odd free slice of carrot cake mind you.”

“Damien this is very exciting. It’s a bit much to take in at the moment but I will give it some serious thought.”

“Good for you,” Damien applauded her. “Maybe we should arrange to meet again?”

“I’d love that,” Annabel smiled coyly. “We could make it dinner next time!”

“Absolutely,” he agreed. “Why don’t we say next Tuesday?”

“Tuesday’s good.” Annabel nodded, she’d have to ask Lily to baby-sit. “Would you mind if we tried Aqua? Colin had a row with them over a dish they served without sauce a few years ago and I’ve been banned from going ever since. It would feel liberating to go inside the doors of that restaurant again.”

“Aqua it is,” Damien grinned. “I’ll book it as soon as I get home.”

The atmosphere between them had changed in the short time since they had sat down in the coffee shop. They were no longer there as appendages to Kate but two independent individuals, in conversation on their own terms. The fact that they had known each other for so long helped them settle into an easy kind of relationship. Annabel no longer felt like she was talking to Kate’s father but a friend of her own and any pressure from their past relationship had dissipated.

“I’d better go and collect the kids, I didn’t realise we’d been here so long,” she said glancing at her watch.

“I can’t believe it’s one o’clock,” he exclaimed.

The lunchtime customers were filing in through the doors and looking disapprovingly at the couple sitting over their two empty coffee cups. As they stood up Damien leaned forward and planted a gentle yet firm kiss on Annabel’s right cheek.

“It was great meeting you Annabel.”

“Great to see you too, Damien,” Annabel blushed as she spoke. She spotted a familiar face in the corner of her eye glaring over at her. Melissa nearly spilled her milk as she filled her tea-cup.

Annabel grinned to herself. This would certainly give the local women something to gossip about. She got a thrill at the thought of being one of the individuals at the centre of the local news. Wait until they hear about the
au pair
!

* * *

Kate kissed Ciaran goodnight on his forehead and then leaned over and kissed David.

“Mum is Grangran in heaven yet?” Ciaran asked.