them on to a tray to cool. Celine should have thought about her family before hopping into bed with Kevin Gilligan. She'd behaved disgracefully and hadn't even had the decency to do it with a stranger. She had to carry on her dirty little affair in the middle of Killmont, amongst all their friends. No matter what Alan said, she would never forgive Celine.
Alan teed off and smiled slightly as his ball went high and straight.
'Nice shot.' Frank stuck his tee in the ground.
'How's Celine?'
Frank swung his club and cursed under his breath as the ball swerved off to the left and into the rough. 'I don't know and, to be honest, I'm not sure I even care at the moment. She wants to come round later and talk.'
'Brenda is very upset too,' Alan said as they walked down the course. 'I've tried to calm her down but I always seem to say the wrong thing.'
It wasn't until they'd finished playing the hole that Frank spoke again. 'I wish I knew why she did it.'
'Maybe she loves him,' Alan suggested.
'Bollocks!' Frank hissed. 'She wouldn't love a sleazy git like him. Oh God, it's an awful mess. You know he has three kids.'
'I know, but from what I've heard the marriage isn't great and Celine wasn't the first.'
'That's no excuse,' Frank retorted. 'I don't know what the hell she thought she was playing at.'
'The only way you're going to find out is if you talk to her,' Alan pointed out.
Frank sighed. 'I suppose you're right.'
'Let's have dinner at the club tonight.'
'Do you think Brenda will want to?' Frank asked.
Alan shrugged. 'We have to do it sometime. The sooner the better, I think.'
Brenda had fallen asleep in the chair when the doorbell rang. She blinked a couple of times and then hurried to answer it, putting a self-conscious hand to her tousled hair. She hesitated when she recognised the silhouette through the glass.
'Brenda? Brenda, please let me in.'
Brenda opened the door. 'What do you want?'
Celine glanced at the curtains twitching in the next house. 'To explain. Let me in, Brenda. You don't want the neighbours to hear, do you?'
Brenda stood back, frowning at her sister-in-law's appearance. She looked about seventeen in her faded jeans, dark hair in pigtails and not a trace of makeup. Brenda would never dream of leaving the house without makeup, but then she didn't have flawless skin and wide-set grey eyes. 'I'm waiting,' she said.
'It meant nothing. It was a mistake. Kevin was never a replacement for Dermot, you've got to believe that.'
'I do.' Brenda's tone was clipped.
'Then why are you so upset with me?'
'You say it meant nothing, that it was a mistake?'
'Yes.' Celine nodded eagerly.
'Don't you see that that's even worse? You messed around with all of our lives for a bit of fun, a roll in the hay. Eileen, your father, me, you didn't think about what effect it might have on any of us, did you?'
Celine studied her scruffy trainers. 'You weren't meant to find out.'
Brenda's laugh was mirthless. 'Oh, I see. Poor little Celine didn't mean to hurt anyone so that makes everything okay.'
'That's not what I'm saying—'
'I don't want to hear it, Celine. Your father might have to put up with you but I don't. Now please leave.'
'But Brenda—' Celine protested but her sister-in-law had already opened the door.
'Just go.'
After her failed attempt to make peace, Celine wandered down to the village and into the coffee shop. Her father wouldn't be back from the golf club until twelve and though she still had a lot of packing to do, she didn't fancy staying in the house all morning. As she queued at the counter, she was aware of whispers nearby. When she looked over, she recognized two women from the golf club. Giving them a broad smile and a cheery wave, she carried her latte to a corner table, sat down and spread out a newspaper in front of her. She was conscious of the women watching her, but she studiously ignored them, sipped her coffee and tried to look absorbed in her paper. It was a wonder she
Alan teed off and smiled slightly as his ball went high and straight.
'Nice shot.' Frank stuck his tee in the ground.
'How's Celine?'
Frank swung his club and cursed under his breath as the ball swerved off to the left and into the rough. 'I don't know and, to be honest, I'm not sure I even care at the moment. She wants to come round later and talk.'
'Brenda is very upset too,' Alan said as they walked down the course. 'I've tried to calm her down but I always seem to say the wrong thing.'
It wasn't until they'd finished playing the hole that Frank spoke again. 'I wish I knew why she did it.'
'Maybe she loves him,' Alan suggested.
'Bollocks!' Frank hissed. 'She wouldn't love a sleazy git like him. Oh God, it's an awful mess. You know he has three kids.'
'I know, but from what I've heard the marriage isn't great and Celine wasn't the first.'
'That's no excuse,' Frank retorted. 'I don't know what the hell she thought she was playing at.'
'The only way you're going to find out is if you talk to her,' Alan pointed out.
Frank sighed. 'I suppose you're right.'
'Let's have dinner at the club tonight.'
'Do you think Brenda will want to?' Frank asked.
Alan shrugged. 'We have to do it sometime. The sooner the better, I think.'
Brenda had fallen asleep in the chair when the doorbell rang. She blinked a couple of times and then hurried to answer it, putting a self-conscious hand to her tousled hair. She hesitated when she recognised the silhouette through the glass.
'Brenda? Brenda, please let me in.'
Brenda opened the door. 'What do you want?'
Celine glanced at the curtains twitching in the next house. 'To explain. Let me in, Brenda. You don't want the neighbours to hear, do you?'
Brenda stood back, frowning at her sister-in-law's appearance. She looked about seventeen in her faded jeans, dark hair in pigtails and not a trace of makeup. Brenda would never dream of leaving the house without makeup, but then she didn't have flawless skin and wide-set grey eyes. 'I'm waiting,' she said.
'It meant nothing. It was a mistake. Kevin was never a replacement for Dermot, you've got to believe that.'
'I do.' Brenda's tone was clipped.
'Then why are you so upset with me?'
'You say it meant nothing, that it was a mistake?'
'Yes.' Celine nodded eagerly.
'Don't you see that that's even worse? You messed around with all of our lives for a bit of fun, a roll in the hay. Eileen, your father, me, you didn't think about what effect it might have on any of us, did you?'
Celine studied her scruffy trainers. 'You weren't meant to find out.'
Brenda's laugh was mirthless. 'Oh, I see. Poor little Celine didn't mean to hurt anyone so that makes everything okay.'
'That's not what I'm saying—'
'I don't want to hear it, Celine. Your father might have to put up with you but I don't. Now please leave.'
'But Brenda—' Celine protested but her sister-in-law had already opened the door.
'Just go.'
After her failed attempt to make peace, Celine wandered down to the village and into the coffee shop. Her father wouldn't be back from the golf club until twelve and though she still had a lot of packing to do, she didn't fancy staying in the house all morning. As she queued at the counter, she was aware of whispers nearby. When she looked over, she recognized two women from the golf club. Giving them a broad smile and a cheery wave, she carried her latte to a corner table, sat down and spread out a newspaper in front of her. She was conscious of the women watching her, but she studiously ignored them, sipped her coffee and tried to look absorbed in her paper. It was a wonder she
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