Twisted Love and Money (34 page)

In the
excitement it was a long time before anyone noticed that David had
retired to bed. Self conscious he had pleaded Jet lag to one or two
near him and then disappeared. The Party continued unabated.

Michael gave
Dorothy a hug. “Dorothy, Mother and I will go shortly.”

“O.K. Dad”
Dorothy agreed. “Jeremy and David will come down during the weekend
at my invitation. Is that all right? They know about other business
but I’d like them to come to mother’s party and stay
overnight.”
“No problem Dorothy, just be available for the AF discussions.
We’ll need a good part of the afternoon.”

“Perhaps you’d
better get Mom?”

“Will do,”
Michael said and went to extract her from a group at the far side
of the room.

“Dorothy,”
Jeremy smiled and came back to her. “Sorry about the shock, no time
like the present.”

“It was a
lovely surprise Jeremy,” Dorothy smiled and Jeremy put his arm
around her. “My parent will go shortly, they are quite overcome at
the news.”

“Dorothy, I’m
quite overcome by the excitement of the day.”

“Where did
David get to?” Dorothy asked.

“I think David
has retired, jet lag. Do you mind if I let you go with your parents
and see you tomorrow, I’m whacked and I have to see this party out
to the end. It will be all hours.”

Dorothy was
disappointed, but she managed a smile.

“We have hired
a Mercedes,” Jeremy added cheerfully. “We will arrive in style
tomorrow.”

Before Dorothy
could say more her father arrived back with Ann.

“Must set the
wedding date. Have a big day,” Michael began cheerfully.

As father of
the bride he expected to pay for the wedding.

“I’ll throw a
good bash for my daughter, you’ll see.”

Dorothy saw the
panic rise in Jeremy’s eyes.

“It will be a
small wedding dad. I’m too old in the tooth for the full regalia,”
she instinctively intervened. “We’ll arrange something, probably in
Rome. A lot of couples get married in Rome.”

Dorothy could
see from Jeremy’s reaction that she had hit a right note.

“Great” Jeremy
said. “We can honeymoon on our yacht, ‘the Blue Frock’”

“You have a
yacht?” Ann was very impressed.

“Usually at San
Tropez or Monaco, but we can get it down to Rome I’m sure. It’s
supposed to be ocean going and Rome is just a bit down the
Med.”

Jeremy was
delighted. He did not want a wedding in Dublin where he would have
to invite all his poor relations. He would be able to fly his
immediate family to Rome. His mother would fly if he set it up.
They were all madly religious. The chance to see the Pope in the
Vatican would be enough incentive for his mother. Of course he
would do them proud and naturally pick up all the bills.

Dorothy’s head
was in a spin. Earlier in the day Jeremy’s horse Trapper had romped
home. Jeremy seemed to take it all for granted. Then the party, she
loved the extravagance. Her family was wealthy but they were not
extravagant. They kept a few horses dogs, not to mention servants,
but they lived a steady life without extravagance.

Now she’d
discovered Jeremy had a Yacht in the Mediterranean. God, she
wondered would her knees give way.

“Come along
dear, don’t stand there with your mouth open. You will need your
beauty sleep. Say goodnight to your young man. It is time to go
home.”

Dorothy looked
at her mother and her heart softened. She needed her mother now.
And her mother seemed to have risen to the excitement of the
occasion.

Dorothy took
her arm.

“Come along
mother. We will all get some sleep. I’ll come home to the house
tonight. I want to be sure everything is in order for
tomorrow.”

Jeremy had
wandered to say goodnight to two of his guests. He came back and he
pecked her cheek.

“We have to go
Jeremy. I want to get mother to bed and I need to go home to make
sure everything is shipshape.”
“Excellent.”

“I know Jeremy,
we have just got engaged, and maybe I should stay?”

Jeremy
laughed.

“We have all
our lives to be together Dorothy, do the right thing. David and I
will be down tomorrow, never fear. We’ll give the Merc a whirl.
Goodnight Mrs. O’Byrne,” he added to Ann who smiled but looked
tired. Dorothy could sense her battery was running low.

“Goodnight
Jeremy,” Ann said.

Michael shook
Jeremy’s hand. “Rome will suit the tax situation,” he said heartily
with a hint of a wink. “I expect to spend some time abroad in the
next few years.”

The O’Byrne’s
made their way out. Jeremy watched them go and gave a little wave.
Nice family he thought. He could relate to Michael. The mother
seemed a bit fragile but friendly, maybe a bit inclined to lose
concentration.

Then Jeremy was
swept back into the party.

“Good of you to
come with us dear, but should you stay with your fiancée?” Michael
asked as they went down in the lift.

“You can see
Dad. Jeremy has a lot on his plate. It’s complicated. I’ll wait
until he comes down on the weekend. Now he has announced our
engagement I can relax for a bit.”

“What about the
ring dearest?” her mother asked.

“I’m sure
Jeremy will look after that,” Dorothy said firmly. “I think he
jumped the gun a bit with the announcement. I would have liked to
have things a bit more organized. But I’m glad he took the ball on
the hop. We’ll put it in the Irish Times shortly.”

“Very well
dear,” Ann said dubiously.

Michael went
for the car.

“I hope Peter
is all right,” Ann said as they waited, “he ought to have come to
the party.”

Dorothy said no
more and when her mother fell asleep on the journey home, Dorothy
turned her thoughts to the future and the wedding in Rome.

Jeremy was
careful not to get too drunk. He wanted to stay on top of
things.

He had invited
Paul, the young architect he had so disgracefully dined with, and
his wife Angela, to the races and the party afterwards. However in
the rush of events he had failed to meet up with them other than a
brief moment when he had arrived at the races. Jeremy remembered
Paul now and sought him out. He found them in a quiet alcove.

“Paul, how are
you,” Jeremy greeted effusively. “I must apologies for my behaviour
the night we met. I’m afraid I was a bit stressed and a bit drunk.
Lot on the plate that day. I am sorry I left you in such dubious
circumstances. I assume you managed to cope.”

“Oh think
nothing of it we all have a bash now and then,” Paul laughed,
actually flattered to have been remembered and to have received an
apology.

“And please
introduce me to your darling wife.”

“Oh yes.
Angela.”

“Angela,
charming name. I hope you are enjoying yourself?” Jeremy cut across
him.

“Thank you for
the invitation,” she said with a smile

“And thank you
Jeremy for supporting our investment project, you won’t regret it,”
Paul added.

Jeremy
laughed.

“I hope not
Paul. I always invest on the basis of my faith in the people
involved. I have faith in you Paul.”

When Jeremy
moved on they were in great form and Paul felt ready to forgive all
previous trespasses and to do his utmost not to disappoint and to
make the investment project a success.

Elaine the
public relations executive was still working hard to keep the press
happy. Jeremy’s announcement of his engagement had made her job
easy. They now had a great line, including a win in a horse race
plus a touch of romance, with which to write up the opening of the
new Fashion shop. Nonetheless Elaine made sure the small press
corps covering the event was well-fed and watered with plenty
alcohol. At this stage of the evening they were very happy
indeed.

“This little do
will make all the social pages in the press and magazines, not to
mention probably the sporting pages,” she said with a laugh when
Jeremy floated over to check things out.

“Good, it’s the
sort of publicity we need to create the right climate for the new
store,” Jeremy said with satisfaction.

In the
following discussion Jeremy got himself up to date and satisfied
that progress with the shop was on target.

“The builders
are here somewhere, at the party. Last I saw them they seemed to be
having a great celebration over the far corner would you like to
meet them?” Elaine offered.

“Spare me,”
Jeremy said and used this as a cue to begin to move on.

“As far as I
know everything will be ready on time.” Elaine offered.

“Good” Jeremy
said eyes wandering around the room seeking out his next port of
call. The group had thinned a little but those remaining were in
high spirits.

“We were all
very surprised and delighted that you announced your engagement
sir,” Elaine said, filling in the silence.

“Why, very
surprised?”

Elaine looked
around and whispered, “There was as strong rumour that you, and
your partner David, were... well partners in every sense. That
is…”

She began to
stammer and then recovered her courage and met Jeremy’s eye, “that
you were both gay?”

Jeremy smiled
and she looked worried. Had she said the wrong thing to the
client?

“And now?” he
asked crisply.

“Clearly not,”
Elaine said, sensing she was on dangerous ground.

“Good,” Jeremy
replied.

Elaine breathed
a sigh of relief. Her client seemed happy with progress.

“
You need a break now,” Jeremy said, and taking her hand he
took her to the lift. Without a word he took her down and out into
the street.

They walked
together, Elaine looking at him appraisingly but going along with
the game and saying nothing. He turned into a paved public square
near the hotel.

“What are we
doing sir?” she asked.

“Bear with me a
minute, I want to prove a point.”

Elaine stood
with a half smile. Looking at her in the moonlight Jeremy decided
she was a beauty in her own way.

“Sit on the
wall,” he said, referring to the small dividing wall.

She looked at
him. “All right.”

He helped her
sit but she had to put her arms to his neck to avoid losing her
balance. He put a hand behind her knee and lifted her leg along his
hip.

“Don’t let me
fall,” she whispered. His hands slid along her smooth legs and her
other leg came up on his other side without urging, and now she had
an amused look in her eye.

“Ohh,” she said
suddenly as he thrust. “Does that seem gay to you?” he asked his
voice a little choked.

“I’m not sure,”
she smiled, “move it up and down a little. And you better be
wearing a condom.”

Later when they
returned to the party Elaine was feeling pleased with herself. She
loved good shag and it had been hellish getting everything
organized.

Jeremy was in
high humour and Elaine was caught in his infectious gaiety. Her
laughter pealed happily and she wondered why Dorothy was not around
to keep an eye on him.

Jeremy was
still wondering at his newfound powers. He felt a powerful energy
that had been suppressed by anxiety had somehow been released. He
decided he would pray for guidance and forgiveness, but maybe it
would be tomorrow. Good idea, he thought, to keep a condom in the
wallet. It was it seemed, so easy to fall from grace.

Chapter
thirty-eight

As Michael
drove up to the gatehouse all the lights were out.

“Hopefully
Ann-Marie is at home in her bed,” Michael remarked.

Ann-Marie had
seen the car lights sweep into the driveway and realized that her
date with Seamus was at an end. They were hidden by a small clump
of trees near the gatehouse. It was dark and spooky but the night
was warm despite the bright clear sky and the almost full moon.

After they had
left the chaperoning presence of Nana, Seamus had taken the
motorbike to a fish and chip shop while Ann-Marie had waited in the
trees for his return.

Then Ann-Marie
had invented a game called Strip or ‘guess what I see with my
little eye.’

There was not a
lot to see other than the motorbike and each other in the dark.
Ann-Marie was winning, mainly by cheating. Seamus was down to his
underpants and his leather boots, while so far she had only lost
her top and her bra. Her soft rounded breasts shimmered in the
moonlight and Seamus was hopelessly in love.

“I see with my
little eye something beginning with P,” she said as the car lights
flashed and a car came to stop at the gate. Seamus grabbed her and
they ducked behind the bike.

Ann-Marie said,
“I have to go.”

“P for
pillion,” Seamus guessed.

“No ejit. Help
me dress.”

Seamus grabbed
her. Ann-Marie pretended to struggle and then kissed him
enthusiastically. Finally she pushed him away.

“Ann-Marie,
please. I want to make love to you.”

Ann-Marie
licked his chest. “I know you do,” she giggled. “I can tell, but
don’t you dare try or I will scream for Nana.”

Seamus groaned
and went to pull at her trouser belt.

“No,” she
slapped his hand firmly.

“Get me a
comfortable bed. Then I’ll do it.”

“First you say
a condom, now a bed.”

“Look Seamus,”
she said earnestly. “It’s your first time. It has to be done in the
proper romantic setting or you could be ruined for life.”

“Are you
teasing me?”