What Happened That Night: The page-turning holiday read by the No. 1 bestselling author

by O'Flanagan, Sheila

  ‘Yes, but I won’t be long because I have my interview this afternoon.’

  ‘Of course.’ Pat nodded. ‘You look good.’

  Lola was wearing a slim-fitting navy dress with a white collar and pearl buttons down the bodice. She wanted to give the impression of someone who was serious about her job and ready for promotion, but her nerves had been jangling all day and the only reason she was going out of the office for lunch was to take her mind off things for an hour.

  She picked up her bag and left the building, passing the queue of hopeful holidaymakers. She strolled towards Grafton Street, where the flower sellers were doing a brisk business with their brightly coloured bunches of sunflowers and freesias. A couple of buskers were playing classical guitar music outside the St Stephen’s Green centre, and she paused for a while to listen. She loved Dublin like this – warm, vibrant and buzzing, and full of people. She knew she’d never go back to Cloghdrom to live, even though some of her friends wanted to return. For Lola it had become a place to visit, even if she would always consider the farmhouse to be home.

  Eventually she began to walk back towards the red-brick building. She made her usual turn along Duke Lane without thinking. She didn’t want to stop in front of Warren’s in case Philip Warren spotted her and got the wrong idea – yes, he was attractive, but as she’d told Shirley, she wasn’t looking for a man right now. All the same, she couldn’t help slowing down again as she passed. They’d changed the display and replaced the Snowdrop range with the Adele Bluebell, a mixture of dark blue sapphires and clear white diamonds. Behind the display she could see Lorraine talking to a male customer. As Lola watched, Lorraine showed him to a seat in front of the walnut desk, and placed a jewellery box on it. Lola couldn’t see what was inside, but the man seemed pleased, because he was nodding his head enthusiastically. Lorraine started to wrap the box in purple paper.

  Lola turned away and continued towards the office. As she was about to cross Molesworth Street, she heard her name being called. She swung around.

  ‘I saw you outside the shop,’ said Philip Warren a little breathlessly. ‘I was at the upstairs window. I called out but you didn’t hear me. Then you started walking away and I had to sprint to catch up with you.’

  ‘Why did you want to catch up with me?’ she asked.

  ‘Because you ran off like Cinderella at the ball last time,’ said Philip. ‘We didn’t have a chance to talk.’

  ‘We don’t have a chance this time either.’ The pedestrian lights changed and she began to cross. Philip stayed beside her. ‘I’m in a hurry.’

  ‘Oh, come on,’ he said. ‘You can’t run away again.’

  ‘I’m not running away. I have to go back to work.’

  ‘Who are these slave drivers?’ he demanded.

  She pointed to the queue still outside the Passport Office. ‘Busiest time of the year.’

  ‘What time do you finish?’

  ‘Five,’ she said. ‘Unless I’m doing overtime.’

  ‘And are you?’

  ‘Tonight I am.’

  ‘In that case, would you like to meet for a drink tomorrow? Or we could go for something to eat. Where d’you live? I can pick you up.’

  Lola was a strong, independent woman who was hoping to be promoted. But even strong, independent women could be flattered by men chasing after them. Besides, he was nice. And much better looking than anyone she’d ever gone out with before.

  She took a piece of paper from her bag and scribbled the flat’s address on it.

  ‘Seven o’clock?’ he said.

  ‘OK.’

  ‘It’s a date.’ He smiled at her. ‘Sure you don’t have time for a coffee now?’

  ‘My lunch hour is over. I really have got to go.’ She pushed open the door to the Passport Office, but before she stepped inside, she stopped and glanced back at him. ‘See you tomorrow.’

  ‘See you.’ He beamed at her and then strode away as Lola raced up the stairs to her interview.

  The following evening, she sat on the end of her bed and did her make-up while Shirley watched her.

  ‘It’s very romantic,’ she said. ‘Him running after you like that. Cinderella-like, in fact.’

  ‘That’s what he said.’ Lola swept silver-grey eyeshadow across her lids.

  ‘So he’s romantic too.’

  ‘But I’m not,’ said Lola. ‘I don’t do that mushy stuff.’

  ‘Of course you do. All women are romantic at heart.’

  ‘I don’t want to be romantic. I don’t want to sacrifice everything for love. If I did, I would’ve married Gus McCabe and stayed in Cloghdrom.’

  ‘Oh, Lord God, poor old Gus. He was so besotted with you.’

  ‘I was seventeen and he asked me to marry him!’ Lola shook her head. ‘And then he was affronted because I said no.’

  ‘He’s married to Ailish Grogan now.’

  ‘So he is.’

  ‘I met her the last time I went home,’ said Shirley. ‘I told you she was pregnant, didn’t I?’

  Lola shuddered. ‘Poor girl.’

  ‘I’m sure she’s happy,’ said Shirley.

  ‘Well, I’ll be happy when I’m a hard-hitting career woman.’

  ‘In the Passport Office?’ Shirley grinned.

  ‘It’s a start.’

  ‘When will you hear about the promotion?’

  ‘They take weeks to decide.’ Lola took her mascara out of her make-up bag and began to apply it. ‘When I’m in charge, it’ll be much quicker.’

  ‘If I was given the choice of being an executive officer in the Civil Service or the wife of a stonkingly rich jewellery magnate, I know which I’d choose,’ remarked Shirley.

  This time it was Lola who grinned.

  ‘We’re just going on a date,’ she said. ‘And even if his family is well off, he mightn’t have a bean himself.’

  ‘I’m telling you, he’s a catch,’ said Shirley. ‘You’d be mad to let him slip through your fingers.’

  ‘We’re probably just going for a burger and chips,’ Lola said. ‘It’s hardly a lifetime of diamonds and rubies.’

  ‘But it’s a start,’ said Shirley as she ran down the stairs to answer the doorbell.

  Philip had arrived in a green Volkswagen, which he parked directly outside the flat. Lola had never gone out with anyone who had his own car before and she couldn’t help being impressed.

  ‘I thought we’d go to the movies and then have something to eat afterwards,’ he said after he’d given her a peck on the cheek and opened the passenger door for her. ‘Does that sound all right?’

  ‘Sure, absolutely,’ said Lola.

  ‘Seat belt,’ said Philip as he turned on the ignition. ‘Clunk click.’

  ‘Oh. Right.’ Lola pulled it across her. The family car in Cloghdrom was too ancient to have seat belts fitted. Philip’s still had a new car smell.

  ‘It’s my dad’s,’ he admitted. ‘But he allows me to use it sometimes.’

  ‘Do you live with your parents?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes. I suppose that seems strange to someone who lives away from home.’

  ‘Not really.’ She shrugged. ‘I had to get a flat to work in Dublin. I guess if I’d stayed in Cloghdrom, I’d still be at home too.’ Then she laughed. ‘That’s the main reason I left.’

  ‘Didn’t you like it?’

  ‘It’s a small town,’ she said. ‘With a small-town feel. I wanted something more.’

  ‘I’m afraid I’ve never heard of it,’ he admitted.

  ‘Unless you’re from it, you wouldn’t.’ She grinned. ‘It has two streets, two shops, four pubs and a hotel near the lake.’

  ‘And do you live in the town itself?’

  ‘Nobody lives in the town,’ she said. ‘It’s farming country.’

  ‘So you have a farm?’

  She nodded.

  ‘I’ve never gone out with a farmer’s daughter before.’

  ‘I’ve never gone out with anyone who borrowed his dad
’s car myself. Though I did get a lift on a tractor a few times.’

  Philip laughed. So did she.

  Suddenly she was glad she’d accepted his invitation. A career was all very well, but a girl had to have fun too.

  And she was looking forward to a bit of fun with Philip Warren.

  She sniffed surreptitiously at the end of Dirty Dancing , which was the movie he’d chosen.

  ‘A little bit soppier than I’d expected,’ he admitted as they left the cinema. ‘But not bad. Did you enjoy it?’

  She nodded.

  They walked hand in hand along O’Connell Street to the car park. Philip talked about Warren’s, a subject Lola was happy to hear more about. She also enjoyed his stories about working in the shop and the various customers he met, who sounded a lot more glamorous than the people she had to deal with at the Passport Office.

  When he dropped her back to the flat, she thanked him and told him there was no point in asking him in – the lights were on, which meant that at least one of the girls was home.

  ‘I don’t mind,’ said Philip. ‘I like meeting people.’

  Lola hesitated. She’d enjoyed her date with Philip but she wasn’t sure she wanted him to meet her friends yet. She wasn’t convinced she was ready for him to be part of her life. But he was smiling at her expectantly and so she led him up the stairs and unlocked the door. Shirley and Fidelma, one of her other flatmates, were there, along with a collection of friends and acquaintances. Lola made a face at the sight of the empty beer bottles and crisp packets on the table, as well as the overflowing ashtray on the mantelpiece.

  ‘Hey, come and join us!’ cried Shirley. ‘There’s room for a few more.’

  ‘I don’t know if . . .’ Lola turned to Philip.

  ‘Thanks.’ He took a bottle of Harp from her and helped himself to some crisps.

  ‘One for you, Lo-Lo?’ asked Shirley.

  She took the bottle. Philip clinked his against hers. He gave her a smile and then he kissed her.

  Right there in front of everybody. Which was very flattering, Lola conceded as she broke away from him. Nevertheless, even if he was a great catch, she still wasn’t ready to be caught.

  Philip Warren’s confidence and sense of entitlement was both exhilarating and annoying, Lola decided after she’d gone out with him a few times. He was decisive and determined, and aways quite certain of getting his own way. He told her where they were going on their dates rather than asking her what she’d like to do, but even though it irritated her at times, she had to admit that he always brought her to places she liked, and it seemed to matter to him that she was having a good time. She loved that he wasn’t overawed by waiters, or even by proper restaurants, so unlike the cheap and cheerful bistros she was used to. There was something grown up and sophisticated about him, and he made her feel grown up and sophisticated too.

  When she finally went to bed with him, he was skilled and thoughtful in a way she hadn’t experienced either. For starters, he was the one who provided the condoms (always a tricky prospect in 1980s Ireland), and he never failed to ask her if he was giving her pleasure, if she was happy, if it was as good for her as it was for him.

  It would be easy to fall head over heels in love with him, she thought. And easy to think that he was someone she’d want in her life forever. But he hadn’t yet told her he loved her. And she wasn’t at all sure she wanted to hear him say so either.

  Chapter 4

  Bruting: the initial shaping of a rough gemstone

  Although she had no official position in the business, Richard Warren kept Adele up to date with everything that was going on. In his mind she was as much a part of its success as him. Not just because she gave her name to their most beautiful jewellery range, but because before their marriage she’d worked as an accounts clerk and in the early years had given him lots of advice about cash flow and balance sheets. He’d been surprised when he first met her that she’d been working at all – it seemed to him that she came from a class of girl who wouldn’t have considered having a job – but when she told him the story of her father’s betrayal, he realised that it had been an economic necessity for her. She told him she’d chosen to work in accounts so that no man would ever be able to pull the wool over her eyes.

  ‘I wouldn’t dream of even trying,’ Richard had said. ‘I’ll never cheat on you or lie to you, Adele. You can trust me forever.’

  There was something about him that inspired trust. And she hadn’t regretted marrying him for an instant. She enjoyed her role as the matriarch of the family and she always wanted to know what was going on. She looked forward to the details of Richard’s trips to London or Amsterdam or Basle. But on his return from the most recent trip, she was less interested in the jewellery he’d seen than any conversations he might have had with Philip while they were away.

  ‘Did he talk to you about his new girlfriend at all?’ she asked. ‘I’m getting quite concerned about this relationship, Richard. I’ve never known him so besotted. He’s out with her again tonight.’

  ‘We didn’t have time for that sort of conversation,’ replied Richard. ‘We were busy at Hatton Garden, and then of course we had dinner with Peter and we were discussing the Warren accounts and how he’ll take them over when he finally qualifies.’

  Adele sniffed in exasperation. What was it with men, she asked herself, that they didn’t talk about people, only about things? Not that talking about the future of Warren’s wasn’t important, but she’d have thought Philip’s girlfriend would at least get a mention over the course of three days, especially when his younger brother, Peter, was part of the conversation too.

  ‘Neither of us have met this Lola yet,’ she said. ‘And when we ask about her, all he says is that she’s the prettiest girl in the world. Anyone can be taken in by a pretty face, but we know nothing about her or her background.’

  ‘I’m sure she’s a perfectly nice girl,’ said Richard. ‘Anyhow, it’s nothing to do with us. He’s an adult, and he’s not a fool.’

  Adele decided not to say that she thought all men were fools at heart. Even her beloved Richard could do foolish things depending on the circumstances. It was her job to save the men in her family from themselves, even if they didn’t know it.

  Her concerns about Lola continued unabated, especially as Philip contrived to ignore all her hints about bringing her home to meet them. Eventually she had to come out with a straight request that he bring her to dinner one evening.

  ‘She wants to meet me?’ Lola looked at him in astonishment when he told her. ‘Why?’

  ‘We’re a couple. It’s only natural she’d want to see you sooner or later.’

  ‘Well, yes, we’re a couple but we haven’t been going out together that long,’ said Lola. ‘It seems a bit soon.’

  ‘You have to come,’ said Philip. ‘Mum wants you to and so do I.’

  His tone told her that there was to be no argument, and so she said nothing more. But when she spoke to Shirley about it later, she complained that it was more a command than a request.

  ‘I don’t see what your problem with meeting them is,’ Shirley said ‘You’re seeing him almost every day as it is.’

  ‘That’s because he keeps turning up at the Passport Office and taking me to lunch,’ said Lola.

  ‘And that doesn’t mean it’s serious?’ demanded Shirley. ‘Plus, you’re at it like rabbits.’

  Lola blushed. ‘We’re not! And even if we were, that’s just having a good time. It still doesn’t mean anything.’

  ‘It would in Cloghdrom,’ said Shirley.

  ‘But we’re not in Cloghdrom,’ Lola pointed out.

  ‘So what is it about the rich, handsome, eligible hunk that you’re not sure about?’ asked Shirley.

  ‘He thinks he knows better than me about everything,’ said Lola after a moment’s consideration. ‘He thinks my job isn’t important. If I say I’m too busy for lunch or working late and can’t see him, he gets ratty with me. And even tho
ugh he’s good in bed, he sort of knows he is.’

  Shirley roared with laughter. ‘All men think they know best,’ she reminded her friend. ‘And your job isn’t very important no matter how much you’d like it to be. As for the bed thing – what wouldn’t I give for some guy who knew what he was doing instead of treating the whole thing like a game of pin the tail on the donkey.’

  ‘Shirley!’

  ‘I’m simply saying that if you’re holding out for someone better, you’ll have a very long wait,’ said Shirley. ‘You need to remember which side your bread is buttered.’

  ‘I know. I know.’ Lola couldn’t help laughing. ‘I realise how lucky I am. I just want to do other things too, that’s all.’

  ‘You’re punching above your weight with Philip Warren,’ Shirley advised. ‘Don’t let it all slip away for some nebulous dream. A girl from Cloghdrom is never going to do any better than a man with ready access to diamonds.’

  Shirley had a point, thought Lola as she got into her narrow single bed that night. And yet it was hard not to dream about a future in which she was the star and had access to jewellery herself, not merely as somebody’s wife.

  The day before she was due to go to the Warrens’ for dinner, the results of the interviews were announced. Lola ripped her envelope open with great excitement and read the contents. When she saw the words ‘not successful on this occasion’, her eyes brimmed with tears and she rushed to the ladies’.

  ‘Tough luck,’ said Pat when she returned to her desk, her eyes red and her mascara slightly smudged. ‘Don’t worry, you’re young, there’ll be other chances.’

  ‘This was my chance.’ Lola sniffed. ‘The last time I applied, I didn’t get it because I’d only just joined. I was OK with that. But now – have you seen the people who did? Fred O’Malley and Kenny Redmond?’ She glanced across the room to where Kenny was high-fiving one of his colleagues. ‘He nearly issued a passport to someone who sent in a baptismal cert instead of a birth cert last month. I’ve never done anything as stupid as that. Yet he’s promoted and I’m not?’

  ‘You should talk to Irene,’ said Pat. ‘She might be able to tell you why.’