One Night Only (184 page)

Bu
t
sh
e
couldn
’
t
.
No
t
yet
.
Sh
e
didn
’
t
hav
e
th
e
energ
y
,
o
r
th
e
strengt
h
t
o
argu
e
agains
t
peopl
e
wh
o
reall
y
just
didn
’
t
care
.
He
r
childre
n
ha
d
grow
n
up
,
he
r
husban
d
had
lef
t
he
r
an
d
sh
e
ha
d
move
d
bac
k
t
o
Irelan
d
t
o
tr
y
and rebuil
d
he
r
life
,
an
d
he
r
famil
y
didn
’
t
giv
e
on
e
shi
t
about he
r
.
The
y
weren
’
t
wort
h
he
r
time
,
o
r
he
r
tears
.
Sh
e
would
driv
e
awa
y
,
bac
k
t
o
he
r
littl
e
corne
r
an
d
sh
e
woul
d
never
g
o
nea
r
Scotstow
n
Par
k
i
n
Belfas
t
eve
r
again
.

“
W
e
shoul
d
go,
”
whispere
d
T
es
s
int
o
he
r
sister
’
s
ea
r
.
They
ha
d
bee
n
sittin
g
i
n
th
e
corrido
r
outsid
e
Intensiv
e
Car
e
for ove
r
a
n
hou
r
no
w
an
d
th
e
silenc
e
wa
s
crushing
.
I
t
wa
s
a
dauntin
g
plac
e
an
d
T
es
s
fel
t
lik
e
the
y
wer
e
beginnin
g
to
ge
t
i
n
th
e
wa
y
.

“
I
can
’
t
leav
e
he
r
,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“
I
shouldn
’
t
hav
e
lef
t
her earlie
r
an
d
I
a
m
no
t
leavin
g
he
r
no
w
.
”

T
ess
was really
worried about her
siste
r
. She had
taken
Gina
’
s
acciden
t
s
o
badl
y
an
d
wa
s
adaman
t
that
,
ha
d
she
bee
n
a
mor
e
attentiv
e
frien
d
an
d
neighbou
r
,
sh
e
could hav
e
prevente
d
it
.

“Bu
t
T
revo
r
an
d
hi
s
mu
m
wil
l
b
e
her
e
al
l
night
,
and he
r
brothe
r
an
d
he
r
mu
m
migh
t
tur
n
up,
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
“
Y
ou ca
n
com
e
bac
k
i
n
th
e
morning
.
I’l
l
as
k
ou
r
Hele
n
t
o
look afte
r
th
e
twin
s
an
d
I
ca
n
tak
e
Franki
e
t
o
schoo
l
o
n
my
wa
y
.
Ther
e
i
s
nothin
g
mor
e
yo
u
ca
n
d
o
fo
r
Gina
,
o
r
Dann
y
,
tonight.
”

Th
e
polic
e
ha
d
manage
d
t
o
contac
t
Gina
’
s
brothe
r
in Dubli
n
an
d
he
r
mothe
r
,
wh
o
wa
s
holidayin
g
i
n
Spain
,
was
flyin
g
hom
e
late
r
tha
t
night
.

Polly
shook
her
head,
still
reluctant
to
go.
She
thought of
Marco,
the
hot
young
Englishman
who
had
put
a
huge
smil
e
o
n
Gina
’
s
fac
e
onl
y
a
da
y
before
.
Sh
e
though
t
of
Georg
e
Michae
l
an
d
sh
e
smile
d
–
Gin
a
woul
d
always remin
d
he
r
o
f
Georg
e
Michael
!
Sh
e
remembere
d
how beautifu
l
an
d
confiden
t
Gin
a
ha
d
looke
d
whe
n
the
y
had al
l
dresse
d
u
p
fo
r
thei
r
bi
g
nigh
t
out
.
That
’
s
th
e
Gin
a
that
sh
e
wante
d
t
o
se
e
bac
k
again
.
Sh
e
didn
’
t
wan
t
Gin
a
t
o
live
a
lif
e
o
f
miser
y
eve
r
again
.
Whe
n
sh
e
pulle
d
through
,
Polly
wa
s
goin
g
t
o
mak
e
sur
e
tha
t
Gin
a
Humphrie
s
wa
s
the radiant
,
fun-loving
,
beautifu
l
creatur
e
tha
t
sh
e
ha
d
grown t
o
kno
w
an
d
love
.
T
revo
r
Humphrie
s
wa
s
a
dirt
y
rotten
pi
g
an
d
hi
s
crocodil
e
tear
s
o
f
guil
t
di
d
nothin
g
fo
r
Poll
y
at all
.