Finishing Touches (65 page)

Judy caught sight of the time and gave a little shriek of dismay. She had been visiting her mother-in-law in Saint Vincent’s Hospital, because Drew was far too busy to
take the time, so she popped over to the Merrion Centre to get some smoked salmon in Quinnsworth. She then nipped into Wordsworth, the bookshop, where she had completely lost track of time. Judy
had been looking for a book on assertiveness, and Kim, the attractive blonde proprietress, went out of her way to help. Judy now had three assertiveness books tucked under her arm.

She’d better get a move on if she didn’t want to get stuck in the rush-hour traffic. She’d take the East Link and bypass town and be home in no time. Judy headed for her Golf.
She was going to read these books and take note of them. Even now, Drew didn’t think she was serious about going back to work. And she was starting the following Monday! Well, he’d
better get used to the idea! He could huff and puff as much as he liked because back to work she was going! And she was so excited about it!

She couldn’t wait for tonight. Drew wasn’t coming with her, but Judy didn’t care. Her friends would be there, Cassie and Laura and Aileen, her sister.
They’d
give her the support and encouragement that was so lacking from her husband.

‘Screw you, Andrew Lawson!’ Judy declared assertively, as she swung the Golf out of the car-park and headed in the direction of the East Link Bridge.

Robbie MacDonald ordered another double whiskey. He was fed up. It had been a tough day at work. He was having a row with his wife because he had forgotten their wedding
anniversary. And he felt like getting pissed!

He had heard too that Cassie was having a party out in Malahide to celebrate some new business venture she had started. He downed his whiskey in one gulp and ordered another.

Cassie Jordan was the only woman who had ever understood him, the only woman he had ever really loved. And she had turned her back on him, he thought, awash with drink and self-pity. He should
have been at her side tonight at this party she was giving, not some flaming Welshman that she was dating. He’d heard about him on the bank grapevine.

He looked at the bouquet of flowers by his side. He had bought them as a belated anniversary present for his wife, but nipped into the pub for a few quick ones before he went home to face the
music. He knew to whom he’d far prefer to be giving them.

His expression became determined and he laughed to himself. Why hadn’t he thought of that before? Lurching out of the bar with his flowers, Robbie hopped into a taxi and sat back, feeling
very pleased with himself.

Kristi Killeen doused herself liberally with Poison and admired herself in the mirror. She had spent a fortune on this Cerruti white linen trouser-suit and the gold leather
Osprey handbag, but it was worth every damn penny.

She couldn’t wait for tonight. This would really get up BJM’s nose, and heaven knows her nose was nearly as big as her ears! Kristi chuckled at her bitchiness.

Oh yes, these days she had the upper hand on Barbara Jordan Murray. Ever since that court case that she’d had the greatest luck to get wind of, big-ears Barbara had been treading on
eggshells as regards Kristi. And if there were one thing Kristi Killeen thoroughly enjoyed, it was a good old family feud!

Would her arch-rival be at her sister’s big bash tonight? Kristi just didn’t know, but she intended finding out. Again it had been the greatest piece of luck that she had found out
about the party! Andrew Lawson had happened to mention that his wife, Judy, was going to the opening of a new interior design business called
Finishing Touches
, and Kristi had
vaguely remembered someone on the circuit mentioning that Cassie Jordan, Barbara’s sister, was setting up something similar. A bit of flattery and Andrew Lawson was eating out of her hand.
Kristi had got all the information she needed!

Putting on her Ray-Bans, despite the fact that the sun was setting, Kristi strode out to her Alfa Romeo and scorched off in the direction of Malahide.

Barbara was fit to be tied! This very morning her precious novel,
The Fire and the Fury
, had been unceremoniously returned in the post with a bland note from the
publishers saying that unfortunately their lists for the next year were full and that they could not publish the novel. They wished her the best of luck in placing her novel elsewhere.

By God, but she wouldn’t forget their rejection of her. Any of
their
books that came her way for review from now on would get slated! She had been depending on them to publish
The Fire and the Fury.
They had published some unknown civil servant who had written two blockbusters that had shot into the bestsellers list and made her seriously rich and a media
celebrity. It was galling. Barbara’s novel had far more class than those two pathetic efforts! Well, the next one was due out soon and by the time Barbara got her hands on it, the author and
publishers would be mightily sorry they had ever heard the name Barbara Jordan Murray! Barbara was so furious she had written down some phrases to use when the review copy of the next blockbuster
landed on her desk: ‘fit only for imbeciles’; ‘one long (very long) yawn’; ‘mind-bogglingly banal.’

She supposed she’d send her manuscript off somewhere else, but all the same, it was very disheartening.

She still hadn’t made up her mind whether to go to Cassie’s party. The only reason she would grace it with her presence was to get a chance to see David again. The man obsessed her;
she couldn’t get him out of her head. He was just the sexiest man she had ever encountered.

She gave a little shiver as she remembered how she had accused him just before the court case of being in cahoots with Cassie over swindling them out of Nora’s house. Very quietly David
had told her that if she cared to repeat the accusations he would sue her for slander. His voice had been much more menacing than if he had ranted and roared. It had actually left her speechless
and she had walked away!

Many times she replayed that scene in her mind. It always turned her on . . . She would never ever forgive Cassie, of course. That went without saying!

Barbara sighed. She’d better get dressed, she supposed. Jean was calling and they had arranged to go for a drink. The ice-pink Versace that she had planned to wear was a
bit
too
dressy just for going for a drink. But she wanted to keep her options open . . . just in case.
If
she were going to be seeing David Williams this evening, and it was still a big if, she
wanted to look stunning!

Maybe she’d wear her Paul Costello. If he was good enough for Princess Di, he was good enough for her. Barbara went upstairs to her walk-in closet and selected her outfit. She’d see
what Jean had to say when she arrived. They could always drive down Main Street, Malahide, and see what was happening; there was no law to stop them doing that! It was a free country, no matter
what Cassie Jordan and David Williams might think!

David stood singing under the shower. He was in great form. The Thatcher biography was practically completed. All contracts honoured. No more to be signed. He hadn’t
given a thought about what he was going to do but there was plenty of time for that.

One thing that was high on his agenda was to spend a lot more time with Cassie. She had been so supportive during his writing period, so different from Danielle, his ex-wife. But then, of
course, Cassie Jordan was an exceptional woman! Tonight would prove that. To think she had succeeded in making her dream come true after all she had endured. To think she had even been able to put
her hurt and anger aside and invite that bitch, Barbara. David knew there was no way on earth he could ever be
that
forgiving. He didn’t know whether he wanted Barbara to show up or
not. For Cassie’s sake, it would be nice. She wanted to see the members of the family forget their differences. David felt that if he came within three feet of Barbara he’d be tempted
to strangle her!

Forget about her, he told himself as he liberally applied deodorant and aftershave lotion. Tonight, when the party was over, he and Cassie would be alone and that was what he desired more than
anything. He went into his bedroom and picked up the sapphire-and-diamond ring that he had bought for Cassie. It was an antique with an unusual heart-shaped setting and he hoped she’d like
it. He wanted to mark this special night for her. He had ordered roses for her earlier in the day and she had called him in delight to say they had been delivered.

It was a bit like launching a book, he mused, all the fuss and excitement. Well, if anyone deserved it, Cassie did, and he knew she was as excited as a child about it all. Tonight was her night
and he was part of it. That made him very happy.

Smiling, David put the ring back in the box and began to dress.

He didn’t want to be late. He wanted to share every minute of Cassie’s pleasure.

Cassie was trying to stay calm, but it wasn’t working! She had been up since the crack of dawn. Her first port of call had been
Finishing Touches
, to
make sure everything was absolutely right. It gave her such a thrill to see the place. It looked superb.

There had been times when she had thought it was never going to get off the ground, especially after the fuss over the fire regulations, when everything had ground to a halt, the pine ceiling
had had to be taken down and the place treated with fire-resistant material before she got the all-clear. That had really delayed things and only now, six months later than planned, was she finally
ready to move in.

Well, it was worth the wait.

She wondered whether Barbara and Martin would come tonight. She really hoped so. Irene could have phoned to wish her well, or sent a card or something, she thought, a bit sadly.

‘Don’t think about it; just keep going,’ she ordered herself, as she drove into Dublin to collect two ceramic urns she had ordered from Flamingos on Capel Street. They had
arrived in the shop only the previous evening, but she wanted them. Filled with dried flowers, they would put the finishing touch to her décor.

She parked at a meter on Mary Street, very near a beauty salon owned by a friend of Aileen’s. Her eyes glinted. Would she? It was her special day, after all. Why not treat herself? It was
early in the morning, so maybe Aoibhinn would have a free session. She’d got her hair done yesterday; she might as well go the whole hog.

Cassie ran lightly up the stairs of the Beauty Shop. She popped her head around the door. ‘Hi, Aoibhinn! Any chance of a facial and make-up?’

Aoibhinn Hogan, the attractive beautician, smiled in welcome. ‘Cassie, I haven’t seen you in ages! Come in. How’s it going? How’s that O’Shaughnessy
brat?’

Cassie laughed. Aoibhinn and Aileen had trained in beauty school together and Aoibhinn had opened her own salon and made a lovely job of it, Cassie thought in admiration, as she gazed around at
the soothing décor. Cassie couldn’t have improved on it if she tried!

‘Sit here in the chair. We’ll have a cup of coffee and you can tell me what you want done,’ Aoibhinn invited. ‘I don’t have an appointment until ten-thirty. And
there’s just someone on the sunbed at the moment.’

They chatted and drank their coffee and Aoibhinn gave her a manicure and then made up her face beautifully, emphasizing her eyes under their arched brows, highlighting her cheekbones with a
light shading of blusher, and outlining her lips with a lip pencil before filling in her lipstick. Cassie couldn’t believe it was her, she looked so glamorous. David wouldn’t recognize
her!

Aoibhinn refused payment, despite Cassie’s protestations. ‘Indeed, I’m not taking it. I remember what it was like the first day I opened for business, I was so excited!
It’s a great buzz and I wish you every success with the venture,’ Aoibhinn said warmly, accompanying Cassie to the door. ‘Tell Aileen to get in touch this time.’

‘I will,’ Cassie assured her. ‘She won’t be home until later. She’s flying in from London, so I won’t see her until tonight.’

It was amazing what an hour in a beauty salon could achieve, Cassie thought, as she crossed over to Capel Street. She felt like a new woman. Aoibhinn had been very kind.

Her urns were ready and Cassie drove back to Malahide in great humour. It was a lovely day, the sun was sparkling on the sea, and she felt ready for anything. She fixed up her newly acquired
pieces, arranged the dried flowers and went back to her house. David was staying for the weekend and she wanted to change the bedclothes and have the place tidy. She was decorating one room at a
time, although she hadn’t done much lately because of the business, but the bedroom with its big brass bed was finished and Cassie loved it. Decorated in cream and yellow, it was a soothing
retreat from the world. The bed faced one of the small windows under the eaves and Cassie loved watching the sun and moon rise over the estuary. It was so peaceful. In this house her spirit was
serene.

She’d better get a move on, she decided; the caterers were coming and she wanted everything to be just right. The most important people in her life were going to be there tonight and
Cassie wanted nothing but the best for them.

It was almost dark! Barbara and Jean sat in Barbara’s car watching the comings and goings just up the street.
Finishing Touches
was a blaze of colour and
Barbara had to admit in spite of herself that it looked very, very impressive. She had to admit, too, that she was sorely tempted to go inside and have a look. She and Jean had decided to motor
down through Malahide and see what was happening,
en route
to their drinks destination, which they had not yet selected. That was what Barbara liked about her sister-in-law. She had a mind
that worked just like her own.

Guests were arriving at a great rate and she and Jean had a comment about everyone. ‘Oh look, there’s Laura Quinn and her husband. She’s put on a bit of weight!’ Jean
announced smugly. ‘And would you look at that O’Shaughnessy one? Gaudy as they come! And who’s the one beside her? Who does she think she is? Ivana Trump?’