One Night Only (87 page)

“
I
reall
y
thin
k
yo
u
shoul
d
kee
p
you
r
voic
e
down,” whispere
d
Gina
.

Othe
r
customer
s
wer
e
beginnin
g
t
o
sens
e
th
e
high tension
s
a
t
th
e
tabl
e
b
y
th
e
windo
w
an
d
th
e
waitin
g
staff wer
e
givin
g
glance
s
i
n
thei
r
direction
.

“I
think
you’l
l
fin
d
it
wa
s
m
y
ide
a
to
com
e
awa
y
for
th
e night!”
sai
d
T
ess
. “I
wa
s
th
e
on
e who
found
the articl
e
i
n
th
e
paper
wit
h
th
e
specia
l
offe
r
.
I
wa
s
th
e
one
who
spotted
that
yo
u
wer
e
at
th
e
en
d
o
f
you
r
tether
tryin
g
to
b
e
a
Stepfor
d
blood
y
Housewif
e
whe
n
yo
u
were reall
y
livin
g
i
n
misery
!
S
o
don
’
t
giv
e
m
e
al
l
thi
s
‘onl
y
for
m
e
yo
u
wouldn
’
t
b
e
here
’
nonsense
.
I
t
wa
s
m
y
idea
,
not
yours.
”

“
I
don
’
t
reall
y
thin
k
i
t
matter
s
whos
e
ide
a
i
t
was,
”
said Ruth
.
Sh
e
wa
s
wel
l
use
d
t
o
settlin
g
row
s
betwee
n
he
r
son an
d
daughte
r
wh
o
wer
e
lik
e
chal
k
an
d
cheese
.
“
W
e
are her
e
no
w
an
d
w
e
hav
e
bee
n
havin
g
suc
h
a
goo
d
time
.
Let
’
s
no
t
rui
n
everythin
g
jus
t
becaus
e
I
go
t
jealou
s
tha
t
Gina go
t
a
sha
g
an
d
I
didn
’
t
.
It
’
s
oka
y
fo
r
yo
u
two
.
Y
o
u
ca
n
go
back
to
your
husbands
and
get
a
full
service
from
head
to
toe
.
M
y
opportunitie
s
ar
e
rare
r
tha
n
hens
’
teet
h
an
d
the waite
r
jus
t
caugh
t
m
y
eye
.
Sorr
y
.
”

Ruth
’
s
word
s
cu
t
th
e
conversatio
n
betwee
n
Poll
y
and
T
es
s
i
n
two
.
Ther
e
wa
s
a
brie
f
momen
t
o
f
silenc
e
a
s
the waite
r
returne
d
wit
h
thei
r
starters
.
The
y
al
l
muttere
d
a
sheepis
h
‘than
k
you
’
an
d
tucke
d
in
.

“Thi
s
i
s
lovel
y
,
”
sai
d
Gina
,
tryin
g
he
r
timi
d
bes
t
to chang
e
th
e
mood
.
“Who’
d
hav
e
though
t
yesterda
y
that
we’d
be
living
it
up
in
Donegal
eating
gorgeous
food
with
suc
h
wonderfu
l
company
?
It
’
s
s
o
lovel
y
.
”

“I
t
is,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“Look
,
I’
m
sorr
y
fo
r
losin
g
it
.
I
reall
y
am
.
I
jus
t
thin
k
yo
u
hi
t
a
nerv
e
there
,
T
ess
.
I
don
’
t
wan
t
t
o
b
e
a
naggin
g
wife
.
Sometime
s
.
.
.
yo
u
se
e
.
.
.
sometime
s
I
don
’
t
wan
t
t
o
b
e
a
wif
e
a
t
all.
”

Th
e
othe
r
thre
e
stoppe
d
eatin
g
a
s
Poll
y
continue
d
to mak
e
u
p
he
r
duck-fille
d
pancak
e
wit
h
cucumbe
r
an
d
hoi-
si
n
sauce
.
Hug
e
tear
s
bega
n
t
o
dri
p
dow
n
he
r
face
.

“O
h
Poll
y
,
don
’
t
sa
y
that!
”
sai
d
Gina
.
“
Y
o
u
hav
e
a
wonderfu
l
lifestyle
.
I’v
e
alway
s
envie
d
yo
u
so
,
s
o
much. What
’
s
th
e
matter?
”

Poll
y
sniffle
d
an
d
wipe
d
he
r
tear
s
wit
h
th
e
bac
k
o
f
her hand
,
the
n
too
k
a
bit
e
o
f
he
r
pancake
.

“It
’
s
oka
y
,
”
sh
e
said
,
talkin
g
wit
h
he
r
mout
h
ful
l
which wa
s
s
o
unlik
e
he
r
.
“I’
m
probabl
y
jus
t
a
n
ungratefu
l
co
w
.
Y
ou’r
e
right
,
Gina
,
I
d
o
hav
e
a
wonderfu
l
lifestyle
.
Just ignor
e
me
.
I’
m
fine.
”