Me and My Sisters (3 page)

‘It’s fine – it’s not new or anything,’ I lied. It was brand new, expensive and I really liked it.

‘I know you’re lying, but thanks. I really am sorry. Last year you got apple juice spilled all over you and now this.’

‘Forget it, it’s done.’ I rubbed the last bit off and prayed that a good dry cleaner would be able to eliminate all stains and vomit smells.

Julie sat down on the side of the bath.

‘Apart from Tom’s tummy bug, how are things?’ I asked.

‘Same old story,’ she said. ‘Honestly, Lou, you were so wise not to have children. It’s like bloody Groundhog Day. I can’t wait for them all to be in school so I can do something constructive with my life.’

‘Are you still managing to read?’ I asked. Julie had always been the most voracious reader I knew. She used to get through three books a week – anything she could lay her hands on: history, science, politics, religion, spirituality, sport, psychology. It was incredible, and yet she hadn’t done particularly well in school or college. She wasn’t interested in exams. She just liked reading for reading’s sake.

‘Less than I’d like, but I’m still managing a book a week. I can now read while cooking, cleaning, doing laundry and eating. Anyway, I’m much more interested in your life. How are you? Are you even more manic now that you’ve been promoted?’

I nodded. ‘I didn’t think it was possible, but my workload is even heavier. It’s all good, though, and my new office has a view of the Thames and Big Ben.’

‘Wow! Mind you, it’s no more than you deserve after twenty years’ devotion to that firm.’

‘It’s nice to be recognized,’ I admitted.

Julie’s head snapped up. ‘I can’t believe I nearly forgot to ask you! What’s the news you said you had?’

I put my hands over my face.

‘Oh, my God, Lou, is it that bad?’

I peered out from between my fingers. ‘Brace yourself, Julie. You’re not going to believe this. I –’

‘Julie! Are you in there?’ Mum barged in and stood glaring at Julie, hands on hips. ‘If those children do not behave, I’m locking them out in the garden.’

‘Where’s Harry?’ Julie asked.

‘Harry doesn’t seem to think there’s anything wrong with his children pulling all the decorations off the Christmas tree, but I do!’

‘OK, I’ll be down in two minutes,’ Julie promised.

Mum grabbed her arm and marched her downstairs. ‘Julie, in two minutes my tree will have fallen down and killed someone.’

I sat down and exhaled deeply.

3

Sophie

‘Merry Christmas, darling.’ Jack handed me a big Cartier box.

I opened it and screamed.

He grinned. ‘Happy?’

‘It’s incredible.’ I took out the watch and held it up to the morning light. ‘Oh, Jack, it’s stunning. Thank you.’ I turned to kiss him.

‘A Cartier Tank Française eighteen-carat white gold and diamond bracelet watch for my beautiful wife.’

He helped me put it on and I watched the diamonds sparkle as I moved my wrist. I couldn’t wait to show it off at Victoria’s next coffee morning; she’d be green with envy. She’d wanted one of these for two years and had been dropping loads of hints to Gerry, but so far he’d ignored her. Mind you, he had given her a new Land Rover LRX Concept last year, which I admit I envied.

‘Was the watch horrendously expensive?’ I asked Jack.

He nodded. ‘But who cares? I had a bloody great year and money is there to be enjoyed.’

‘I just love it.’

‘Well, I can think of one way you can thank me.’ He rolled over and climbed on top of me. I wasn’t in the mood for sex, but I could hardly refuse him after such an amazing gift. Thankfully, it was all over in five minutes and Jack fell straight back to sleep. I lay and admired my present.

There was a soft knock on the door. ‘Come in, sweetheart,’ I called. Jessica rushed in and climbed up on to the bed. Her cheeks were flushed.

‘He came, Mummy! Santa came and he left me so many presents! My room is full up.’

I hugged her. ‘Of course he came. You’re the best four-year-old girl in the world. Now, come on, show me your new toys.’

‘Daddy, are you coming?’ she asked.

‘Ssh, he’s asleep,’ I said. I took her hand and we ran across to her bedroom.

For the next hour we played with all her new things. I’d gone a bit mad and bought her everything she’d ever shown an interest in. I loved spoiling her. She was such a sweet, gentle little girl and so easy to mind. When I looked at what Julie had to deal with, I thanked God for Jess. I honestly didn’t know how Julie did it. No wonder she always looked worn out and had lost her easy-going personality. She’d been constantly tired and grumpy since the triplets arrived. She’d started getting her life back to normal when they were about three, but then she fell pregnant with Tom and completely lost it. She cried for most of the pregnancy. I felt so sorry for her. It was as if she’d just given up and accepted that her life was over, which it pretty much was with four boys under five. I shuddered just thinking about her day-to-day life … and she had no childcare!

‘Mummy, did Santa come to you?’ Jess asked.

‘Santa only comes to children, but look what Daddy bought for Mummy.’ I showed her my watch.

‘Oh, it’s so pretty and shiny.’

‘That’s because of all the diamonds.’

‘When I grow up I’m going to marry a prince who buys me diamonds,’ Jess said.

I looked at my beautiful daughter with her long curly blonde hair and big blue eyes. ‘I think you’re going to have lots of princes wanting to buy you diamonds and that’s a very good thing.’

She giggled and then asked to put on her new party dress. I’d bought her a red velvet one with a net skirt underneath to give it body. It had smocking across the chest and a white collar and cuffs. It came with a matching red velvet cape and beret. I loved dressing Jess up: she was like a little doll and looked beautiful in everything. Now she twirled around in her new dress.

‘There’s my princess,’ Jack said, coming in freshly showered. He picked her up and kissed her.

‘Daddy, Santa came!’ Jess told him.

‘I can see that.’ Jack winked at me. ‘I think Santa must have had a separate sleigh for you. He seems to have bought you everything in every shop. Come on, let’s have some breakfast.’

We headed downstairs to the kitchen where Mimi, our Filipina housekeeper, had left everything laid out – a large fruit platter, natural yoghurt, granola, pumpkin-seed bread and sugar-free jam.

‘Mummy, can I have a hot chocolate because it’s Christmas Day?’ Jess asked.

‘No, honey – I’m sorry, but you know it’s bad for you.’

‘But I had it in Ella’s house yesterday.’

‘Well, Ella’s mummy shouldn’t have given it to you.’

‘She didn’t. It was Lilly.’

Lilly was Mimi’s sister. They had both come to Dublin from the Philippines in search of work. I’d hired Mimi and one of the other mums at Jess’s Montessori school – Naomi, Ella’s mother – had hired Lilly.

‘Lilly was wrong to do that. Hot chocolate rots your teeth and makes you fat. Now, here you go, here’s a nice carrot juice.’

‘Please, Mummy, it’s Christmas.’

‘Go on, Sophie, give her the chocolate,’ Jack said indulgently.

‘You’re the one who always comments on other people’s kids being fat or having bad teeth. Do you want Jess to end up like that?’ I asked him.

He sighed and shrugged his shoulders. ‘Your mum’s right, Jess. It’s not good for you and we want you to grow up to be as beautiful as Mummy.’

Jess looked upset. I went over and put my arm around her. ‘I’ll tell you what – if you drink your juice, I’ll give you a treat.’

‘What?’

‘A chocolate rice cake.’

‘OK,’ she said, and proceeded to drink.

‘You know, Jess, I fell in love with Mummy the first time I saw her,’ Jack said. ‘She was the most gorgeous girl in the room.’

‘Did she have a princess dress on?’ Jess asked.

‘I think princess dresses tend to have more material than that one. It was red, short and very sexy.’ Jack grinned at me.

‘Jack! She’s four.’ I tried not to laugh.

‘I love red,’ Jess said.

‘And you’re beautiful in it,’ Jack assured her.

‘Mummy is too.’

‘Yes, she is. But to be honest, Jess,’ Jack leant in conspiratorially, ‘Mummy is stunning in everything she wears, and even more so when she’s naked.’

‘Jack!’ I giggled as he kissed my neck.

Jess laughed with us. ‘I’m so happy you love Mummy. Rose’s daddy doesn’t love her mummy any more. He lives in another house by hisself.’

‘I know, angel, and I know you’re sad for Rose, but she’ll be fine. Her mummy and daddy still love her the same as before,’ I assured Jess.

Jack kissed her head. ‘Jess, you never have to worry about Daddy going to live in another house. He loves you and Mummy way too much for that. There’s nowhere else Daddy wants to be but here. I have a beautiful family, a big house and money to spend on having fun.’ He winked at me.

‘And buying presents,’ Jess added.

‘Yes, baby, lots of presents for you and Mummy.’

‘Hurrah,’ Jess and I said in unison.

While Jess ate her rice cake, Jack reached out to pour some honey over his yoghurt. ‘So, dinner with the in-laws this year. That should be fun.’ He smirked. ‘Has Gavin come down from the tree yet?’

‘No, he’s still on his crusade. I had Mum on the phone for an hour yesterday, ranting about it. I don’t blame her, though. It is embarrassing for them in the golf club.’

‘He needs to get a real job. As soon as he starts earning proper cash, he’ll leave all that eco-crap behind.’

‘He’s just finding his way in the world. Try not to wind him up – he’s very passionate about it.’ Jack had a tendency to slag people and sometimes he took it a bit too far.

‘Is Louise home?’

‘Yeah, she flew in last night. She’s staying at the Four Seasons.’

‘And Julie and Harry are going to be there too?’

‘Yes.’ I took a bite of pineapple.

‘It’ll be lively.’

‘It’s better than going to your parents’ house and having to talk about surgery for hours.’

‘True. My dad and Roger are terrible bores.’

‘Thank God you didn’t become a surgeon too.’

‘I didn’t have the brains.’ Jack’s mood immediately darkened.

It never ceased to amaze me how much it bothered him that he hadn’t got enough points in his Leaving Cert to study medicine at university. No matter how successful he was or how much money he made, it still really got to him. Aged eighteen, as soon as he’d received his exam results, he’d run away to New York. He was ashamed and knew that he was a disappointment to his father. Roger, his older brother, had already finished his first degree and started his surgical studies when Jack took off.

‘Jack,’ I said, ‘look around.
You
are the successful one in your family. They don’t earn a tenth of what you do.’

‘I suppose it’s not bad for a kid who never went to college and started as a runner on the New York trading floor.’

‘The same guy who then worked his way up to become a partner in the GreenGem hedge fund and was sent to Ireland to set up an office here,’ I reminded him.

‘Just think, if it hadn’t been for the low corporate tax regime in Ireland, I may never have moved back here and met you.’

‘It’s lucky for you you did! Not only did you bag yourself a stunning wife but look at what you’ve achieved. Look at how much money you’ve made.’

‘Ah, yes, but I’m not saving lives like my father and brother.’ Jack wagged a finger at me. ‘I should donate it all to medical research. Maybe then they’d respect me.’

‘Over my dead body! Let them live in their superior little medical bubble. It’s a hell of a lot more fun in the hedge-fund world.’

‘That’s my girl.’ Jack hugged me.

‘Hug! Hug!’ Jess said, jumping down from her chair to join in.

I slipped into my new black Prada dress and the very high, very cool Christian Louboutin boots Jack had brought me back from New York last week. I looked in the mirror and I liked what I saw. I was the thinnest I’d ever been, a small size eight, and I was thrilled. Every time she saw me, Louise told me I was too thin. As the eldest, she seemed to feel she had to boss us around the whole time. She was always telling Julie to manage her time better and to lose weight, and ordering me to stop dieting and getting so much Botox.

Julie did need to lose weight – she needed to lose at least two stone – but it wasn’t Louise’s place to nag her. As for the Botox, I’d looked ten years younger since I’d started getting it two years ago. It was completely addictive and I loved the way my forehead was now line-free. Louise said I had that frozen-face look but, honestly, at this stage in my life I just ignored her. She was always bossing me about something – I should get a job, go back and study, manage my own money … Why? I didn’t want to get a job – I didn’t need one. I had never been academic, so why would I want to go to college? And as for managing my own money, I hadn’t a clue about investing and interest rates and all that stuff so I’d given it to Jack.

Thank God Jack had come along when he did. At thirty-one my career as a model was seriously drying up and I’d just broken up with Dominic Beaufort – he’d dumped me for a twenty-two-year-old who modelled for the same agency. I was so humiliated. I’d been with Dominic for two years, and when he’d taken me out to dinner to ‘discuss something’ I’d presumed he was going to propose …

I’d met Jack three weeks later at the opening of a new nightclub I was helping to promote. We’d flirted, swapped numbers, and I was determined not to let this one get away. He was better-looking and wealthier than Dominic. He’d only been back in Dublin a month – I was incredibly lucky to meet him that night or I’m sure he would have been snapped up by someone younger and prettier. Thankfully, it had all worked out for the best.

Julie once joked about how I only went out with rich guys. She was right. I did. When we were growing up I’d looked around me. Louise was super-bright, independent and ambitious. Julie was really content – she had her friends and her books and she was very happy. I, on the other hand, was never happy. I was always looking for something else, something better. The one thing I had going for me was that I was good-looking. That was it. I wasn’t smart, or sporty, or popular, but I was pretty. So I used it to its full advantage. I made a career of it and got a rich husband too.

The bonus with marrying Jack was that I really loved him. He appeared very confident, but he had an insecure side because of his horrible family. We had our insecurities in common – his were about not being clever enough and mine were about losing my looks because they were all I had. That was why I starved myself and got Botox and fillers. I knew it was important for me to hold up my part of the deal. Jack married me because he loved me, but also because I was good-looking, thin and glamorous. I married him because I loved him and because his money made me feel secure and allowed me to have the kind of lifestyle I’d always dreamt of. Being Mrs Jack Wells made me feel powerful. It gave me status. I loved the way shop assistants fawned all over me. I loved staying in five-star hotels wherever we went. I loved having designer clothes, fabulous diamonds and a big car. It might seem shallow to some people, but I got a high from it. It made me feel important, the way some people’s jobs make them feel important.

‘Ready, darling?’ Jack came into the dressing room with Jess. He was wearing the new caramel cashmere coat I’d bought him.

‘The coat looks great.’

‘Thank you. My wife has impeccable taste.’

‘Yes, she does.’ I turned around to show him the dress. ‘Do you like it? It’s new.’

‘I like it very much and the boots are hot.’

‘You look beautiful, Mummy,’ Jess said.

‘And you’re adorable.’ I kissed her nose.

I put Jess’s cape and beret on her and we headed off in Jack’s new Aston Martin. It was his Christmas present to himself.

As we walked up to his parents’ front door I reminded him that we were only staying for an hour. ‘We have to be in Mum and Dad’s by three. I promised we wouldn’t be late.’

‘Don’t worry, Sophie. An hour here will be plenty for me.’ Jack rang the bell.

William, his father, opened the door. ‘Greetings of the season. Don’t you look lovely, Jess?’ he bellowed. ‘Sophie. Jack.’ He peered over our heads and turned to Jack. ‘New car, I see.’

‘Yes, it’s an Aston Martin. I remember you telling me it was your favourite car,’ Jack said.

‘Nice to look at, but far too ostentatious to own,’ his father replied, and I watched Jack’s face fall.

‘I think it’s fantastic,’ I piped up, full of false cheer. ‘It drives like a dream. You should take it for a spin, William, you might enjoy it.’