The Builders (5 page)

‘Good.'

‘But why exactly …?'

Just then Derek knocked on the door. He was carrying a potted violet. He was startled to find Bobby there, and made a move as if to leave again.

‘Come in Derek, nice to see you. This is my son Bobby. Bobby, Derek Doyle is in charge of the building work next door.'

Both men looked baffled but before they could do more than shake hands Pat had arrived. Bobby looked at her amazed.

‘What have you done to yourself? You look completely different,' he said.

‘Pat just dressed up for supper with her mother as any grateful person would do.'

Nan looked with approval at Pat's shining well-cut hair. And she wore a brand new red jacket over a navy skirt.
Normally she wouldn't be seen in anything except jeans and a big sweater.

‘My daughter Pat,' Nan said proudly.

‘And very nice you look too,' Derek said politely. ‘I've seen you coming in and out to visit your mother. You look charming tonight.'

Pat shuffled and smiled with pleasure.

‘Delighted to meet you, Mr Doyle,' she said.

They were busy talking about security on building sites when Jo arrived. Her face was pale but she was calm.

‘The deed is done Mother,' she said quickly on the doorstep.

‘You weren't too hasty, I hope,' Nan said.

‘There are times when you
know
you are doing the right thing. Then it's better to do it swiftly.'

‘I know exactly what you mean,' said Nan.

And she did. She knew that tonight's little gathering was saving her dignity. She was not going to be made a fool of. Not by anyone and certainly not someone she had liked and admired as much as Derek.

‘The others are here?' Jo was surprised when she heard the voices of her brother and sister.

‘Yes, indeed. I've made us all supper and now you'll have a glass of sherry.' Nan led her daughter into the room and over to the tray of little glasses as if this was a normal happening in Number Fourteen Chestnut Road.

Jo's mouth dropped when she saw Pat.

‘Did you have a makeover or what?' she gasped.

‘I bought a new jacket, yes,' Pat said crossly.

‘This is Derek Doyle who runs the building next door,' Nan began.

‘Mr Doyle, how nice to meet you.' Jo had an easy, practised way of talking to people that always made them smile.

‘My mother says you are making a wonderful job of Number Twelve. Fit for anyone, a princess even!'

Jo's eyes were too bright. She was very over-excited.

Derek seemed to realise this. He was good at calming people.

Nan thought with a pang about how well Derek had managed old bores like fussy Mr O'Brien from Number Twenty-eight. She remembered how he had soothed the neighbours who
complained about the builders' skip outside the door, and offered to take their household rubbish for them.

Here he was making sure that Jo didn't build up to some kind of a tantrum.

‘It's easy to make a good job of a house in
this
street. They were very well built originally, good thick walls. The rooms have nice proportions …' He looked admiringly around the sitting room they were in.

‘And what kind of people might buy it, do you think? I'm only interested since I'd like to know what kind of neighbours my mother will have.'

Derek seemed to hear the touch of hysteria in her voice. He was calmer than ever.

‘Well it depends on who Mr Flynn will sell it to. He bought the house at a
very low price, but of course he's a businessman and so he is hoping to make a good profit on it.'

Jo gave a snort. ‘You bet he is!'

‘But perhaps your husband as his accountant —'

‘My ex-husband.' Jo interrupted.

Nan was relieved that nobody dropped a sherry glass.

‘You're not serious?' Pat gasped.

‘Since when?' asked Bobby.

‘Would you all like to sit down at the table?' Nan's tone was bright. ‘We don't want the chicken to get cold.'

Now they all looked with astonishment at Nan.

They moved to obey her, wordless, amazed that she was taking such huge news so very calmly.

‘This is all very nice.' Derek began to break the silence. ‘Smells just great.'

‘You're great, Mother,' Jo agreed.

‘Well I wanted you all to meet each other. Derek has been coming in a lot after work so I wanted him to meet my family …'

They all looked from one to the other as if it were a tennis match. They realised that there was some great tension here, but they didn't know what it was.

‘Yes indeed, and a delightful family it is,' Derek said, struggling desperately.

‘
And
of course I wanted you to meet him.' Nan smiled round at them all from the top of the table.

‘Unfortunately, Derek's wife Rosie hasn't been able to come with him tonight. She would have been very welcome. You must bring Rosie over here sometime Derek, before you finish Number Twelve. You will, won't you?'

As she started to ladle out the
chicken casserole onto the plates, Nan did not see how Derek's face had crumpled up, as if somebody had hit him a very heavy blow.

Afterwards they wondered what would have happened that night if all the other people had not arrived.

First to knock on the door was Kay, Bobby's girlfriend.

‘I just happened to be passing by, Mrs Ryan, and I knew Bobby had been invited to supper here … so I … well I …' Her voice trailed away.

‘Come in and join us, Kay. Bobby should have asked you in the first place.'

‘You didn't say to ask her, I thought
it was just family!' Bobby did not want to be blamed.

‘But Kay is family in every sense, isn't she?' Nan was bright and casual as she introduced Derek and got another plate for Kay.

‘You look so different, Pat,' Kay remarked suddenly. ‘Like a new person altogether.'

‘Thank you Kay,' Pat said.

She was even behaving differently. Nan realised that the old Pat would have shrugged and been unable to accept the praise.

Nan and Kay seemed the only people able to have a conversation. The other four were struck with a strange silence. It was as if they had heard too much news already and there was no place for idle chat.

‘Oh Jo, your husband came round to
our flat looking for Bobby. He seemed upset.'

‘He's not my husband,' Jo said. ‘He's my ex-husband, and I hope he's very upset.'

‘Heavens,' said Kay.

It seemed such a mild thing to say under the circumstances but she couldn't think of anything else.

‘Did you know this, Bobby?' she asked.

‘I know nothing. Nothing about anything,' Bobby said, very firmly.

‘
I'm
sorry Jo,' Kay said politely.

‘Well I'm not, and I'm the one who was married to him. If it hadn't been for Mother's friend Mr Doyle here I might never have known how far he'd gone.'

‘Oh dear, I didn't mean to be putting my big foot in it,' Derek began.

‘You didn't, you just made things clear,' Jo assured him.

‘No, it was none of my business. I should have kept my mouth closed,' Derek said. ‘It's done nothing but harm, my interfering. If I could have the last twenty-four hours over again I would, believe me.'

‘But why? You only said what was true, Mr Doyle. Better that I should know sooner than later.'

There was another knock on the door.

‘I'll go,' Bobby said.

They could hear him on the doorstep, saying ‘Who will I say wants her?' With that, a man pushed past him and entered the room.

It was Ronnie Flynn, the developer.

‘Sorry to bother you, Mrs Ryan, but I've just had my accountant on to me moaning that I told you all his private
business. I wanted you to confirm that I never told you a single word …' He stopped when he saw Jo.

‘Oh hello Jo, I didn't see you.'

‘No Ronnie, I can see you didn't.'

‘It's just that it's a bit of a mess.'

‘Indeed it is Ronnie. A great mess, but let's not worry everyone with the details.' Jo's smile was bright and insincere.

Ronnie looked around further and saw Derek Doyle.

‘God almighty, Derek, what on earth are you doing here?'

‘I was asked to supper here Ronnie. Mrs Ryan kindly invited me to meet her family.' Derek seemed at ease.

‘Family? You're part of the family that lives here Jo? Here on Chestnut Road?'

‘Yes indeed Ronnie, this is my mother's house, my mother's supper
party that you've suddenly barged in to …'

‘And of course if you'd like to join us.' Nan Ryan was quite unflappable tonight.

‘No, Mother, I'm sure Ronnie has to get on home, or did you want to talk about Number Twelve with Mr Doyle?'

‘All this can be sorted out you know, Jo, there's no need to make such a production out of it.'

‘Oh I do agree with you,' Jo smiled a very cold smile. ‘That's just what I said to Jerry this afternoon before going to my lawyer. No need for a song and dance, I said. No need for the details of everything to come out if he's reasonable.'

‘The details?' Ronnie's voice was a whisper.

‘No need on earth for all his business deals to be brought to the
public eye. I mean who wants to know what he and you paid for that house at Number Twelve next door, or what you're going to sell it for?'

‘And what did he say?' Ronnie and Jo seemed to be having a private conversation. It was as if they had forgotten anyone else was in the room.

‘Well I think he sort of saw the sense of it. Not happy about it of course. That's why he must have come after you and — what was it you said — moaned at you?'

‘I'll go now, I'm very sorry for interrupting your party, Mrs Ryan. I didn't know, you see.'

‘No of course you didn't.' Nan soothed him.

‘Lord, I wonder who'll come next!' Pat said when Ronnie had gone out the door.

‘Second helpings anyone?' Nan asked.

‘And why wasn't your wife able to come, Derek?' asked Bobby, thinking he was helping with the conversation.

‘For two reasons. Because she wasn't invited and because I haven't seen her for fourteen years,' Derek replied.

‘Well, and I thought we'd
had
all the surprises tonight. I was wrong,' Jo said.

‘You never said.' Nan's voice was low.

‘You never asked,' said Derek

‘You never mentioned her at all until last night when you told me that she said you always fell on your feet, getting neighbours to cook for you when you went on building jobs.'

‘So she did. She said that a long time ago, before she disappeared with one of my mates.'

Now these two were talking as if there was no one else in the room.

‘I'm sorry,' Nan said.

‘I was at the time, but I got over it. There were no children. I learned to build my life as I imagine you did when your husband left.'

‘And how did you know?'

‘Mr Johnson, Number Twenty-eight, always believes people should be informed,' Derek said, and they smiled at each other across the table.

There was a knock on the door. This time Pat went to answer it.

It was Jerry. Could he have a word with Jo?

Pat checked back at the dining table.

‘Apparently not, Jerry,' she said.

‘Well just tell her, everything she wants. Just no details, no business details. She'll understand.'

‘I think we all understand,' Pat said, and closed the door.

And somehow they all
did
understand.

Kay and Bobby understood that they were much more committed to each other than either of them had admitted.

Jo understood that her sister Pat would be a fine companion to go out clubbing with.

And Derek Doyle and Nan Ryan understood a lot of things.

That Derek should buy Number Twelve.

And then he and Mike and Shay would build a huge arch between the two sitting rooms, so that Nan and Derek would have a really fancy house between them.

And they knew they would travel
together, and they would do jigsaw puzzles.

And they would make sure that the house where the Whites had lived in fear would become a happy home and that proper money would go to the charity so that what they had done at the lakeside was not in vain.

They didn't know all this at once.

But they knew a lot of it.

 

 

 

OPEN DOOR SERIES

SERIES ONE

Sad Song
by Vincent Banville
In High Germany
by Dermot Bolger
Not Just for Christmas
by Roddy Doyle
Maggie's Story
by Sheila O'Flanagan
Jesus and Billy Are Off to Barcelona
by Deirdre Purcell
Ripples
by Patricia Scanlan

SERIES TWO

No Dress Rehearsal
by Marian Keyes
Joe'sWedding
by Gareth O'Callaghan
It All Adds Up
by Margaret Neylon
Second Chance
by Patricia Scanlan
Pipe Dreams
by Anne Schulman
Old Money, New Money
by Peter Sheridan

SERIES THREE

An Accident Waiting to Happen
by Vincent Banville
The Builders
by Maeve Binchy
Letter From Chicago
by Cathy Kelly
DrivingWith Daisy
by Tom Nestor
The Comedian
by Joseph O'Connor
Has Anyone Here Seen Larry?
by Deirdre Purcell