Divided Loyalties

by Patricia Scanlan

  ‘She’ll come out of herself if you just ignore her,’ Shauna advised, giving her daughter a sympathetic cuddle.

  ‘So! What’s new? All sorted for Christmas?’ Della settled back comfortably in her chair. ‘Are you going to Carrie’s?’

  ‘Not this year, no—’

  ‘Really! I thought you would be; you usually do. That’s interesting.’ Della sat upright. ‘Well maybe we should sort something, seeing as it’s your last Christmas for God knows how long. We could come down to you, you know the way we muck in anyway, and it wouldn’t be any hassle. Even better, we could let the two men do Christmas dinner and we could totally flop. We deserve it,’ she added a tad caustically, glancing in her husband’s direction.

  ‘No problem,’ Eddie drawled, not even looking in their direction, pretending to be engrossed in a darts match on the sports channel.

  Holy divinity! Shauna thought in horror. What a nightmare scenario. It was time to nip that idea smartly in the bud. Thank God she had an excuse.

  ‘Well actually, I’m doing Christmas this year.’ She could barely hide her relief. ‘Carrie, Dan and the kids are coming and Dad and Bobby will—’

  ‘Hey, you guys?’ Greg walked in from the hall. Shauna hadn’t even heard his key in the lock.

  ‘Yo, bro!’ Della grinned at her brother. ‘Shauna and I were just making plans for Christmas. She tells me you’re having her gang, so how about we come too and all muck in and have a real Christmas hooley, seeing as it might be your last one here for a while?’ she suggested enthusiastically.

  ‘Don’t worry about its being our last one. I’m hoping to get home for Christmases.’ Shauna shot a look of entreaty at her husband and tried to keep the panic out of her voice.

  ‘Well we’ll hardly be home next year, seeing as we won’t even be a year there and you’ll be home for the whole summer,’ Greg pointed out unhelpfully. She could have thumped him.

  ‘That’s settled then.’ Della rubbed her hands gleefully. ‘A big family get-together. It will be a blast.’

  ‘Sounds good to me.’ Greg grinned, planting a kiss on Shauna’s cheek. ‘Eddie, do you want to pop down to the pub for a beer and we’ll let the women make their plans?’

  ‘You’re on.’ The other man unfurled himself from the sofa with alacrity and followed his brother-in-law into the hall.

  ‘What about your dinner?’ Shauna said tightly. Was she having a nightmare, she wondered distractedly, or had Della just inveigled an invite for the Keegan gang for Christmas, aided and abetted by Greg? How could this be happening? She felt totally out of control. Greg was smiling at her as if everything was normal. Had he no idea of her dismay?

  ‘I’ll bung it in the microwave when I get home,’ he said offhandedly. ‘Right now a cool beer sounds good to me. Why don’t you call the babysitter and then you and Della could come with us?’ he suggested, seeing that she wasn’t too impressed with him. ‘We could make a night out of it.’

  ‘Sounds like a terrific idea,’ Della approved. ‘I have pyjamas in the car for Kathryn, you could lend me a nightshirt tonight and we could stay and not worry about driving home late.’

  ‘It’s a bit short notice for Gemma,’ Shauna protested, feeling totally manipulated by her sister-in-law. That fucking bitch Della had marched into her house, invited herself and her family for Christmas, and was now all prepared for a sleepover. Shauna knew that she was in a really awkward position. And Della was playing on it.

  She had offered to do Christmas this year out of a sense of guilt because she wasn’t sure when she’d be home for Christmas again, and she wanted to give Carrie a break. Greg had been fine with it and had made no protest; he was very good that way. She could hardly turn round and say that she didn’t want his family.

  It was just that Della was so slyly manipulative. She was such a cow. Shauna knew well that she’d sit on her ass like Lady Muck and expect to be waited on hand and foot. After all, she was pregnant. Not that that made any difference: in all the time Shauna had known her, pregnant or not, she was a lazy wagon. It was going to be exhausting. Eight adults and four children. Her heart sank at the prospect.

  ‘Give Gemma a call,’ Greg urged. ‘She could probably do with some extra spending money for Christmas.’

  ‘Look, it’s Friday night, it’s two weeks to Christmas, she’ll be out partying,’ Shauna retorted as she went to the phone to call her babysitter.

  Gemma’s mother answered the phone and informed Shauna that Gemma was indeed out at a college party.

  ‘I guessed that. It was very short notice.’ Shauna wasn’t in the slightest bit surprised. She wished the woman a Happy Christmas and hung up. ‘Out partying,’ she informed her husband shortly.

  ‘Would Carrie babysit?’ Della suggested brightly.

  ‘I’m not dragging Carrie all the way in from Whiteshells Bay,’ Shauna retorted curtly, unable to conceal her annoyance.

  ‘I suppose not,’ Della said disappointedly.

  Shauna took a deep breath. It was obvious that they were here for the night and there was nothing she could do about it. ‘Why don’t you go with the lads and I’ll babysit,’ she offered grudgingly. At least she wouldn’t have to sit listening to her sister-in-law jabbering on, because the way she was feeling about Della at the moment she could cheerfully have knifed her.

  ‘I could do with a night out.’ Della beamed. ‘Are you sure? Thanks a million. I’ll just go and get Kathryn’s jimjams. She might be a little bit hungry; we had a meal in town around four. She likes brown bread and tuna, or fruit salad and yoghurt, for tea.’ Della hauled herself out of the chair and went out to the car. Shauna stood speechless at her cheek.

  Greg avoided her glare. He knew that she was hopping mad now.

  ‘Don’t want Mommy to go out,’ Kathryn screeched, throwing a Care Bear at Eddie.

  ‘Stop that, Kathryn,’ her father growled.

  ‘Won’t!’ Kathryn yelled, throwing a dolly.

  Chloe watched, thumb in her mouth . . . fascinated.

  Shauna marched out to the kitchen. She was damned if she was going to deal with it. Let Eddie and Della sort out their brat!

  ‘She’ll get over it.’ Della ignored her daughter’s tantrum, dumping pyjamas and a bottle onto the island in the kitchen. ‘I’ll just go and have a pee and we’ll be off. I’m really looking forward to this. I haven’t been out in ages.’ She headed for the downstairs loo.

  ‘Is there anyone else you could try? How about that girl Noeleen we used a couple of times? We could have a good night out, Shauna. We could do with it.’ Greg appeared at the door pretending nothing was amiss.

  ‘Noeleen doesn’t know Kathryn. I’m not going to inflict that little brat on a babysitter,’ Shauna retorted.

  ‘It’s not my fault,’ Greg muttered.

  ‘Nothing’s ever your fault,’ Shauna hissed. ‘You suggested going to the pub, you didn’t mind leaving me here on my own with bloody Della.’

  ‘Oh, for God’s sake!’ He scowled exasperatedly as Della clattered back into the kitchen.

  ‘Ready?’ she enquired, squirting some perfume onto her wrist.

  ‘Mommy, Mommy, Mommy,’ squealed Kathryn, grabbing her arm.

  ‘Stop that nonsense, Kathryn.’ Della shook her off irritably. ‘Look, Auntie Shauna has something nice for you, haven’t you, Auntie Shauna?’ She winked at Shauna.

  ‘Me, me,’ Chloe demanded, determined not to be left out.

  Shauna stared at her sister-in-law. ‘Are you talking about biscuits?’ She couldn’t hide her surprise. Della was generally very strict about what Kathryn ate. Sweets and biscuits were a rare treat.

  ‘Whatever. Or ice pops, if you have them. Just this one time,’ Della said magnanimously.

  ‘Pops, pops.’ Chloe got in on the act.

  ‘We’ll leave you to it, Shauna.’ Eddie grinned at her, knowing she was annoyed. Shauna didn’t like Eddie Keegan. He was a sneery, jeery, spineless freeloader who hadn’t an ounce of sensitivity, she f
umed silently.

  ‘Biscuits, biscuits,’ Kathryn demanded. Raging, Shauna opened the biscuit jar and handed her niece a Jaffa cake.

  ‘Me, me,’ demanded Chloe, little hand out.

  ‘Say please,’ Shauna snapped.

  ‘That’s right, teach them their manners,’ Eddie jibed as he followed Della and Greg to the door.

  Kathryn stuffed the biscuit into her mouth and held out her hand for another. ‘More.’

  ‘Say please, Kathryn,’ Shauna said sharply, as the front door closed behind the others.

  ‘No!’ Kathryn said rudely.

  ‘Fine, no more biscuits then.’ Shauna put the biscuit jar back in the press.

  ‘Want more,’ Kathryn screeched.

  ‘Tough,’ Shauna retorted as her niece threw herself on the floor and howled.

  ‘Nautee.’ Chloe looked at Shauna, her big blue eyes like saucers at this display.

  ‘Very. Let’s go and watch Winnie-the-Pooh,’ she suggested, lifting her daughter in her arms and kissing her as she walked into the sitting room.

  Kathryn continued to screech, but as far as Shauna was concerned she could get on with it. She’d had more than enough for one day.

  Chloe settled down to watch her favourite Winnie-the-Pooh, and laughed delightedly as Piglet went sailing and bailing during a very blustery day. Kathryn, hearing her cousin’s giggles, edged her way into the room, thumb in her mouth. In spite of herself Shauna felt sorry for her. Della had brushed her off and made no effort to comfort her. She was only three, after all.

  ‘Come in and sit down and watch the video,’ she invited kindly.

  ‘Want Mommy.’

  ‘Mommy will be home later. Come and sit down and relax. Are you tired?’

  Kathryn nodded.

  ‘Are you hungry?’

  Another nod.

  ‘Would you like sausages for tea?’

  ‘Can I have three?’ Kathryn perked up. Biscuits and sausages in one day? She couldn’t believe her luck.

  ‘Please,’ Shauna said firmly.

  ‘Please,’ Kathryn echoed.

  ‘Me, me too.’ Chloe was not to be left out.

  ‘Yes, you too. Stay and watch the video and I’ll go and make your tea.’ Chloe should have been getting ready for bed with a bottle, not watching videos and eating sausages, she thought ruefully. Still, it was nice for her to have some company, even if it was her spoilt cousin. She wondered how Kathryn would cope with the new arrival. Badly, she predicted, as she heated the frying pan and opened a packet of sausages.

  At least she’d be well away from the Keegans out in the Emirates. That in itself was worth living abroad for. The sausages started to sizzle and her thoughts turned to the bed in the guest room. Gemma, her babysitter, had been the last to sleep in it but Shauna was damned if she was going to change the sheets. She had enough to be doing. Ten minutes later, as the children sat eating sausages and bread and butter, she ran upstairs with the iron, plugged it in beside the double bed in the guest room, poured a drop of lavender oil into the steamer and, throwing back the duvet, began to iron the creased bottom sheet. There was a mascara mark on one of the pillowcases so she simply took off the pillowcase, ironed it, and put it back on with the marked side facing down. ‘That will do the pair of you,’ she muttered resentfully as she tucked in the sheet and shook out the duvet.

  She was damned if she was going to go to any more trouble for the bloody freeloaders. As soon as the kids were in bed she’d ring Carrie to tell her the latest.

  Della sipped her white wine spritzer, enjoying the hum of chat and laughter that permeated the bar. It was good to relax. It had been tiring shopping and Kathryn’s whinging was very wearing. Still, life was good, she reflected. She was enjoying her drink. They were having an Indian takeaway later, something she only allowed herself as a rare special treat when she came to Dublin. All those additives were a nightmare, but tasty. She’d get a lie-in in the morning and allow herself a slice or two of bacon for brekkie. She never cooked a fry-up at home, much to Eddie’s dismay. He loved coming to his in-laws for the food alone. Fat lump, she thought, glancing over at him. He was guzzling a pint like there was no tomorrow. He was so unhealthy! At least she took care of her body.

  They’d have a walk on the beach and inhale all those healthy ions and then have lunch. They’d probably have to leave after lunch. Shauna would hardly extend an invitation for another night’s stay-over. Pity.

  Best of all, Christmas was sorted. The relief of not having to worry about turkey and stuffing, and all the palaver that went with Christmas dinner, was tremendous. It would be a most relaxing Christmas, actually, she decided. They’d arrive on Christmas Eve and have mulled wine, one of Greg’s specialities. Carrie would help Shauna in the kitchen on Christmas Day. Della would offer her assistance, of course, but she knew it would only be for form’s sake. They wouldn’t let a guest help out. Especially a pregnant one, she thought happily. They’d stay for Stephen’s Day as well, and meander home late the following afternoon. A nice little mini-break, and why not? Shauna was dead lucky, heading off to a warm, sunny country with maids to wait upon her hand and foot. She really fell on her feet marrying Greg. He’d provided her with a big house and a fabulous lifestyle. She had gorgeous clothes, and Chloe wore nothing but the best.

  Della and Eddie lived in a dormer bungalow near Virginia in Cavan, where he worked as a systems analyst for a large IT company. It was a nice bungalow, tastefully decorated, but not nearly as big as the Cassidys’ house. Della didn’t have an en suite in the guest room, nor a utility room, nor an island in her kitchen, which was on the small side.

  She worked part time in a local health store, the Organics Experience. Her salary paid for their second car and a foreign holiday each year, but it couldn’t quite bring her up to the level of her sister-in-law’s lifestyle. It was hard not to be jealous sometimes. Shauna always wore expensive clothes and her accessories were perfectly coordinated. Even in a tracksuit, the other woman looked effortlessly elegant, and when she’d been pregnant with Chloe, she’d had only the tiniest bump.

  Della caught sight of her reflection in a mirror behind the bar, and scowled. She was birdlike and wiry when she wasn’t pregnant, but now she was puffed and bloated. She had a problem retaining fluid, just as she’d had in her previous pregnancy. It was annoying because she was very careful about her nutrition. Her fine, mousy hair fell down to her shoulders and she had a high forehead, a dumpling of a nose, and thin lips. Her brown eyes looked bulgy, rather than heavy-lidded and sexy like her brother’s. Greg had inherited the good looks gene in the family, she reflected discontentedly. She looked down at her swelling bulge and felt like an elephant. It was very disheartening. She turned away from the mirror and took another sip of her spritzer. It wouldn’t take long to get her figure back after the birth, she assured herself.

  Greg and Shauna were going out to the Gulf for a few years and she was determined to make the most of it. Holidays in the sun, lazing around turquoise pools, swimming in the Arabian Sea. Maids to wait on her and mind the children. Trips to the desert, shopping in the designer malls. Jewellery shopping in the souk. Barbecues and picnics. Bliss. She might be jealous of Shauna, but she had her uses, for sure.

  7

  ‘She’s invited herself for Christmas. Oh, Shauna!’ Carrie yelped down the line. ‘Look, we won’t come. I’ll do Christmas here for Dad and Bobby.’

  ‘You will not, and leave me all alone with that cow, and lardy Eddie?’ Shauna exclaimed. ‘Don’t be so mean.’

  Carrie laughed. ‘No, honestly, Shauna, I don’t mind.’

  ‘Well, I do. I asked you all for Christmas and you’re coming and that’s that. You can eat and run if you want to. Far be it from me to inflict the Keegans on you.’

  ‘Did you tell her that we were coming? Why didn’t you just say no to her?’ her sister asked, clearly taken aback at the news.

  ‘Listen, it all happened so fast, I’m still gobsmacked myself,’ Shau
na retorted. ‘Della was just so devious about it, though. She didn’t ask me directly, she sort of suggested it in front of Greg and put me in a bloody awkward position. If I’d have said no it would have looked so churlish, especially as I was having my family.’ Her voice trailed off.

  ‘That was low, the sneaky witch. I can just see her doing it, too. It’s so much her style. I told you she’d wangle a stay-over before Christmas too, didn’t I?’ Carrie couldn’t hide her I-told-you-so tone.

  ‘Well it’s a pity you didn’t foresee the Christmas catastrophe, Madam Psychic,’ Shauna said glumly.

  ‘Look, we’ll make the best of it. We’ll get pissed, and it will wash over us like water off a duck’s back,’ Carrie comforted her.

  ‘You can’t get pissed, you’re pregnant,’ Shauna pointed out.

  ‘Oh!’ There was silence at the other end of the phone. Shauna grinned.

  ‘Got you there!’

  ‘Forgot about that,’ Carrie said ruefully. ‘Just means you’ll have to drink for the two of us.’

  Shauna giggled. ‘I might just do that.’

  ‘No might about it,’ her sister retorted.

  ‘It’s going to be bad enough trying to keep Dad from having a go at Bobby, without having to deal with that lot. If he and Bobby manage to get through Christmas under the same roof without having a bust-up, it will be a miracle.’ Shauna sighed.

  ‘I know,’ Carrie agreed gloomily. ‘Put Della sitting beside Dad for dinner.’

  ‘Oh, Carrie, you’re wicked.’ Shauna guffawed.

  ‘See, it’s not going to be so bad after all,’ Carrie teased.

  ‘I did something awful,’ Shauna confessed.

  ‘What did you do?’ Carrie was still laughing.

  ‘Della told me that Kathryn likes brown bread and tuna or fruit salad and yoghurt for tea, so I gave her sausages. Honest to God, even though she can be such a brat, the poor little mite thought all her Christmases had come together. I hope to God she doesn’t get sick, or at least, if she does, that she waits until they get home. She’s sleeping with them tonight.’