to Ferdia. She looked beyond shocked.
‘What are you –’ Nell gulped. Then she saw the shopping bags in Cara’s hands.
Visible through the thin plastic were packets of chocolate biscuits, multipacks of Twirls, colourful bags of jelly sweets.
‘Oh, Cara, no.’
Cara turned and stuck her foot through the door before it closed. She twisted out through the space, Nell following, then Ferdia.
‘Cara, it’s okay –’
Cara hurtled down the steep staircase, going far too fast. With several steps still to go, she stumbled, then fell, bumping herself against the banisters and steps, cracking her head smartly against the oak post at the bottom. Biscuits and sweets skittered across the polished wooden floor.
‘Cara!’ Nell had reached her. ‘Oh, God, are you okay?’
‘I’m fine.’ Cara was agitated.
‘Take a second.’ Ferdia laid his hands on her shoulders. ‘You banged your head really hard. Can you see properly?’
‘I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m absolutely fine.’ She was already trying to stand.
‘We can take you to A and E.’
‘I’m fine. Sorry for interrupting you. I thought it was empty. I checked the bookings … But I’m going back to work now.’
‘But …’ Nell gestured at the food on the floor ‘… is there someone you could talk to? Your therapist or someone?’
‘Yep, yes. Can we just pretend none of this happened? Sorry, you two.’
She’d slipped towards the door. It slammed shut behind her and the dust motes vibrated in her wake.
Nell stared at the chocolate and biscuits scattered on the floor and realized that the mood was completely gone.
Ferdia began gathering up the stuff. After a moment, she joined him. Instead of recommencing their blissed-out kissing, she felt as if they were two conspirators clearing up a crime scene.
‘I’m worried,’ he said. ‘That was a bad bump.’
‘Maybe I should go after her.’ A breath, then she said, ‘You know, I think we should leave. This doesn’t feel good.’ She looked helplessly at the packets in her hands. ‘What’ll we do with these? Leave them in the apartment for the next people?’
‘I suppose. Yeah. Look, something weird. Johnny was here earlier. Just before us. He was with Izzy. You know, my aunt?’
Her eyes flicked from side to side as she thought through the implications. ‘Oh, my God, no. Poor Jessie.’ Then, ‘Are you okay?’
‘It’s bizarro. Just, poor Mum. And we’re all seeing each other tonight for his birthday. We’ll be doing some Oscar-winning acting.’
Cara pushed through the Friday lunchtime crowds, making her way back to the Ardglass. Her head was swimming. Ferdia and Nell? Nell and Ferdia?
Affairs happened, everyone knew that. But those two?
Although … was it that unlikely? They were closer in age to each other than Nell was to Liam.
She wondered if Nell was going to leave Liam. If Cara were somehow unlucky enough to be married to Liam, she’d leave him … A wave of nausea swept through her. What on earth?
Her stomach calmed, then leapt again. Now her head was thumping.
The utter irony if she puked now!
Weirdly, the need to overeat had vanished. Seems like catching your nephew and your sister-in-law in a sexy clinch would do that to a person. She decided to ring Peggy one more time – and, to her surprise, this time Peggy answered.
‘Cara?’ There was a smile in her voice.
‘I’m sorry I stopped coming,’ Cara blurted. ‘But can I start again?’
‘Of course.’
‘Would you have anything free today?’
‘Not today. Let me see.’ After some clicking sounds, Peggy said, ‘Tuesday, eight a.m. I know it’s early.’
‘That’s great.’ Did she just slur her words? A little bit?
‘Cara?’ Peggy asked. ‘You don’t sound too well.’
‘I whacked my head a few minutes ago.’
‘Mmm, that’s not so good. Do you think you could be concussed?’
Briefly Cara saw double. ‘Really, I’m fine.’
‘Concussion can be very sneaky –’
‘I’m fine. Thank you. See you on Tuesday.’
Anxiety flared in Ed when he discovered Cara was in the house when he got home. ‘Why aren’t you at Peggy’s?’
‘I bumped my head. Work sent me home.’
Please let her be okay. Please don’t let them be pissed off with her.
‘You cancelled Peggy? You’d better see her twice next week. Make another appointment.’
‘I’ve got one.’
‘When?’
‘Tuesday. Eight a.m.’
‘Really?’
‘Really.’ She offered him her phone. ‘Call her if you’d like.’
‘Sorry, honey, I …’ Was afraid you’d stopped going to her. Now he felt guilty. ‘What happened to your head? How did you bump it?’
‘… A wooden sign. Fell on me.’
‘That sounds odd.’
‘Life is odd,’ she said.
‘What about tonight’s dinner? You able for it?’
‘What did Johnny say about loaning us the money?’
‘He said he’d see.’
‘Then we need to be