Gracie Read online

  Sean had been mortified afterwards, but knowing that Jennifer was soon to be married he had tried to convince himself that it was a one-off caused by Gracie’s frigidity; he had tried to convince himself that he would be able to forget about his momentary aberration but she kept returning and he had found himself further and further sucked in. Soon he was meeting her elsewhere when he was supposed to be at work. He even put his job at risk by sneaking her into vacant rooms at the hotel.

  In a few short weeks it had gone from a mild flirtation to a full-blown affair.

  ‘But I love you, Sean, you know I do, and I want to be with you. Forever.’

  ‘I’ve told you, Jen, nothing can happen between us again, it can’t,’ he pleaded. ‘It was a mistake. I’m a married man and you’re her sister, my sister-in-law – it’s just not right. Oh my dear lord, this is Gracie’s home, whatever were we thinking? And what would your fiancé say?’

  Sean pushed her away. He was close to tears as he tried to make her realise the enormity of what they’d done but Jennifer merely smiled seductively and stroked his face.

  ‘Don’t be so dramatic, my sweet. None of that matters. We’re meant to be together, we both know that and I’m going to call my engagement off tonight. We don’t have to meet here, you know that – there are lots of places we could go … We could get a room at the Palace again, you wangled it before …’ she paused. ‘But if you tell the truth then we won’t have to sneak around, will we?’

  Sean Donnelly’s head was telling him to force her to leave, to physically throw her out and be prepared to deny everything if Gracie found out, but there was something hypnotic about her. Each time he tried to get away from her she reeled him back in like a fish on a line, playing with him until he gave in.

  Jennifer McCabe, the quiet girl whom he had never bothered to get to know, had turned out to be absolutely irresistible in the bedroom and he was addicted to her.

  Sean now realised she was also very dangerous.

  ‘No, Jen. Really. Maybe if we’d met before Gracie and I wed it would have been different but this is adultery and it’s wrong. I’m ashamed; my mother would kill me and Gracie would never do it to me …’

  ‘Well, you don’t know she won’t, and she might have already …’ Jennifer paused and looked directly at Sean. ‘There’s a big family secret you don’t know, a secret I know I’m not supposed to know but I do – and if you’re good, I’ll tell you as well …’ Her teasing tone was the one she used in her bedroom talk and he could feel himself getting excited.

  ‘No, stop it. You’re making trouble, now you have to go,’ he pleaded.

  ‘No, no, no, listen. I have to tell you, let me tell you …’ Jennifer’s dark brown eyes were wide open and wild with excitement. ‘A few years ago, when Jeannie and I were still at school …’

  The sound of the front door opening and closing nearly gave Sean a heart attack. He jumped away and opened the front room door, just in time to come face to face with Jeanette. He took a deep breath and smiled as he tugged at his dishevelled clothing.

  ‘Jeannie! Your sister is here to see you, she’s in there. If Gracie gets back, tell her I’m off up to the newsagent for some fags – I’ve run out.’

  ‘You can have one of mine,’ Jeanette smiled and rummaged in her handbag.

  ‘No! I’ve got to go …’ Sean ran down the stairs and out of the front door as if he was being chased.

  As Jeanette watched Sean hot-footing it down the stairs, breathing deeply, with his face bright scarlet, she knew that something had happened. Her first guess was that her sister had probably been doing what she was good at, causing friction.

  ‘Well, twinnie, what have you been doing to scare the hell out of the brother-in-law? He just ran like I’ve not seen anyone run since the bloody Blitz!’

  Jennifer said nothing but her sly secretive smile told her sister all she needed to know.

  Jeanette knew her twin better than anyone, they had spent all their lives together, and at that moment she knew she’d been doing something she shouldn’t – and that it most likely involved flirting heavily with Sean Donnelly.

  From when they were tiny children Jennifer McCabe had been held up as the perfect example of a daughter while Jeanette was derided as the uncontrollable one. But Jeanette had an insight into her sister that no one else had; as they were twins, she could read her like a book. She had always loved her but most of the time she didn’t like her. Jennifer was devious and calculating, which made her an expert in getting away with everything. It also meant that whenever Jeanette tried to say anything, no one took any notice of her.

  ‘Are you causing trouble for Gracie now? I can’t believe you sometimes – you have to stir the pot, whether it’s friends or family. Why can’t you leave her be? She’s got more than enough on her plate without you adding your bleedin’ two-pennorth …’

  Again, Jennifer smirked. ‘And you always have to take Gracie’s side against me, your beloved twin. But not to worry, I’m off home now. Do you know, it’s great without you there. We all get along like a house on fire and Mum is so much happier with just me!’

  ‘Oh bugger off, you smug cow!’ Jeanette interrupted her angrily. ‘I know you’re up to something and if I find out you’re causing trouble for Gracie, I’ll make you suffer for it, I promise.’

  ‘I could always ask Sean if I could come and live here as well. I could share with you, couldn’t I? Twins in a bed, like we used to be, eh?’

  ‘I’d sooner share with Ghenghis Khan. He’s safer than you, you nutcase. I swear you’ve got a bleedin’ screw loose …’

  Jennifer laughed long and hard as she strutted out onto the landing. With a flourish she snatched up her coat and handbag from the hallstand at the top of the stairs.

  ‘Me? But you’re not allowed to be horrid to me, sister Jeannie. I’ll tell Mum that you’re both ganging up on me. Who do you think she’ll believe?’

  Jennifer sauntered off down the stairs with a backward wave, leaving Jeanette steaming mad. She knew with certainty that her sister was playing games with Sean and she hoped that he wasn’t playing back – but from his behaviour towards his wife lately she guessed that he was.

  ‘What did Jen want today?’ Jeanette asked Sean as they were having dinner.

  ‘She wanted to see you; she asked if she could wait. I knew you wouldn’t be long …’

  Sean looked down at his plate and concentrated on cutting into his lamb chop but there was a slight redness rising up his usually pale face.

  ‘Well, that’s a bit bleedin’ strange because I wasn’t supposed to be here. I said that this morning. It’s just chance that I came home early …’

  ‘Yes, you did say you wouldn’t be home. You told us both,’ Gracie said. ‘Maybe Sean wasn’t listening? Or else he forgot, he forgot when I was going to see Ruby as well.’

  ‘Oh for the love of God, what’s going on with you two?’

  Sean pushed his chair back so fiercely it crashed backwards onto the floor, and at the same time tipped the table away from himself sending the crockery flying, nearly hitting Gracie on her pregnant bump. It was her speediness in crossing her arms protectively that saved her from it.

  ‘Oi, be careful, you could have hurt her and the baby! Bloody hell, Sean, that was so dangerous … and unnecessary …’ Jeanette snapped as she stood up and started pushing everything back into place. Gracie meanwhile was still sitting in her chair, looking stunned.

  ‘Oh give it a rest, the pair of you! Everything is always my fault,’ he shouted furiously. ‘Your sister comes round here, your sister, not mine and I’m supposed to remember who’s going where and doing what? I don’t fucking care what you two are doing or not doing. I’m sick of it, I’m sick to death of this whole fucking marriage thing!’

  ‘It was just a joke, of course we don’t expect you to remember what everyone’s doing. It was a joke,’ Gracie said quickly trying to ease the atmosphere. She looked at her sister. ‘Sean’s been workin
g hard lately, he’s tired.’

  ‘Too right I’m tired, sick and tired of all this nonsense going on here. I’m off out to get some peace. I’ll be back when I’m back …’

  With much crashing and banging, Sean stormed out, leaving both young women shocked.

  After the main front door slammed shut, making the window frames rattle, Gracie looked at her sister.

  ‘What was all that about? It came from nowhere.’

  ‘You said it yourself,’ Jeanette murmured with a shrug, ‘he’s just over-tired and being bad-tempered. It’s what men seem to do! Miserable idiots, the lot of them. Mick was starting to get like that, which is why he had to go …’

  Gracie forced a laugh but she couldn’t hide her distress at seeing her husband lose control as he just had. She hugged her bump protectively.

  ‘It wasn’t like him to do that, I don’t understand …’

  ‘Saint Jennifer can have that effect on people. Five minutes with her would make the Pope himself feel like shooting someone.’

  ‘Oh, that’s not fair! Jen’s not that bad,’ Gracie said. ‘It was probably something I said. I seem to upset him all the time lately, can’t do right for doing wrong.’

  Jeanette put her arm round her sister and hugged her in an unusual display of sisterly affection.

  ‘It’s him, darling, not you. He’s being unreasonable but maybe he is just tired and bad-tempered. Even Dad used to get like that sometimes, remember? Now you stay there, and I’ll clear up. Then we can just sit and listen to the wireless in peace, or dance. We could put some records on and have a dance …’

  Gracie sat down heavily. ‘Not a good idea but thanks Jeannie, I’m glad you’re here. It’s all a bit strange, isn’t it?’

  ‘Pardon? Oh go on, say that again, just once more’, Jeanette rubbed the back of her hand across her brow feigning shock. ‘Oh my good God, did you really just say that?’

  Both sisters laughed but it was uncomfortable laughter because they both knew there was something very wrong about Sean’s completely irrational eruption over something so minor.

  Gracie was noticeably bewildered but Jeanette was inwardly seething; she knew that it had something to do with her twin sister being there earlier and she could guess what had gone on. Jennifer had played games with her sister’s boyfriends in the past but Jeannie hadn’t expected this, not with Gracie and Sean being married and expecting a baby.

  She hoped she was wrong because that would be too sinister, even for Jennifer.

  SIXTEEN

  ‘Come with me, Sean,’ Jennifer McCabe begged, ‘please come and talk to Mum and Dad. They’ll tell you it’s all true. I want you to know what she’s like and if they tell you, you’ll have to believe them …’

  ‘We have to stop this. I’ve told you, can’t be doing this anymore. Please Jennifer, please go away. I don’t know what I was doing messing around with you.’

  ‘But when you know that what I’m saying is true you’ll be able to leave her with a clear conscience. Please?’

  Because his guilty conscience was driving him to distraction Sean had tried his best to distance himself from her but she wasn’t having any of it. Jennifer was nothing if not determined and he was increasingly weak when it came to her. After he had lost his temper so dramatically when Gracie had so nearly caught him out Sean was quite rightly jumpy whenever Jennifer was around but she was having none of it. He was also well aware of Jeanette’s watchful eye on him whenever she was around. As the weeks went on he became increasingly guilty but he couldn’t seem to do anything about it.

  Sean Donnelly was losing control of the situation.

  ‘No, Jennifer, I can’t do it. I don’t want to do it – I have a baby to think of. If it wasn’t for the baby …’

  ‘But we can be together, it’s possible,’ she continued, her words tumbling out. ‘If you’ll just listen to me about Gracie, no one will blame you for leaving her when they know why you had to.’

  ‘Now stop this. I’m not leaving Gracie and that’s a fact. I’m not. She’s having our baby in a few weeks, can you imagine the scandal? I’d lose everything, my family would disown me …’

  ‘But you’d have me …’

  Jennifer had been hanging around outside the Palace hotel, waiting for Sean to finish work and although he tried to disentangle himself from her, she kept grabbing his arm and pulling him, trying to get him to stop and talk to her, to listen to her telling him about his wife.

  ‘Just come with me,’ Jennifer pleaded. ‘Let me prove it to you. Let Mum tell you. Your precious Gracie had a baby years ago. She had to go to St Angela’s and it was adopted, she’s been lying to you all these years …’

  Sean stopped in his tracks.

  ‘St Angela’s? What do you mean, St Angela’s? I thought that was …’ he paused mid-sentence. ‘Isn’t that where the wayward girls go?’

  ‘It is! I heard Mum and Dad talking about it. Before you and Gracie got married, she went to see them, to tell them not to say anything to you. Seems it was some squaddie she picked up on the seafront and she ended up with a bastard bun in the oven.’ Jennifer dropped her chin and fluttered her eyes, feigning sadness. ‘Sean, I’m sorry, I didn’t want to tell you like this but I love you. I couldn’t let the lie continue …’

  Sean was confused. He didn’t want to believe a word Jennifer was saying because he knew she was trying to get him away from Gracie, but there was something about her insistence that unsettled him, especially as he remembered that Gracie hadn’t wanted him to meet her family in the first place. He tried to think but couldn’t, because Jennifer was going on and on at him.

  ‘You’re lying …’

  ‘And she’s been seeing him since you’ve been married, someone else told me,’ Jennifer continued, the spiteful lies pouring out of her mouth. ‘That Ruby, her friend from the hotel where she works, knows all about it. You ask her – she even let them use a room there. I mean, when you think about it, it probably isn’t your baby she’s carrying, it’s his …’

  ‘Stop it now! I don’t want you saying things like that about my wife – who’s also your own sister, for pity’s sake. Look at me, Jennifer, I don’t believe you.’

  Sean spoke so quietly he was almost whispering, scared someone would see or hear them, because they were still too close to the Palace for comfort. Standing on the pavement nearby he was all too aware Gracie still had friends at the hotel from when she worked there herself. Perversely he thought that while he could explain Jennifer away at the flat, there was no excuse for them to be arguing in public. He could easily imagine the questions if someone overheard the conversation.

  Dropping her hands down to her sides Jennifer shrugged and turned away. ‘Okay. If you don’t care that she’s making a fool out of you then that’s your business but come and talk to Mum. She’ll tell you what she’s like. You’re a good man, Sean – you deserve to hear the truth.’

  Sean looked straight into her eyes. ‘If that’s what you thought and if it’s true, why wait until now to tell me?’

  ‘I wasn’t in love with you before.’

  Despite the fear of being seen or heard, Sean was suddenly relieved the confrontation was in public, because in private, when they were alone together, he simply couldn’t resist Jennifer McCabe. She did things to him that he’d never experienced before and she drove him crazy with lust.

  He had tried to put an end to it but he wanted to be with her every second of every day in a way he had never wanted with Gracie. Every waking moment he found himself thinking of her and reliving their time together; he was completely besotted with his own sister-in-law, but every so often an element of doubt about her crept into his mind. He found it hard to accept that someone who seemed so demure in public could behave like an experienced whore in private but when he had asked Jennifer about her experience, the experience she had used to so successfully seduce him, she had simply laughed.

  ‘Don’t all girls do this with the man they love? And you�
��re the man I truly love so I do things with you I’ve never done with anyone else. It’s instinctive and it’s just you, Sean. I promise. Just you.’

  He hadn’t been completely convinced about her sincerity or her truthfulness but he was wearing the blinkers of lust combined so nothing else truly mattered. He was besotted. Even at that moment, standing in the middle of Southend High Street, he wanted to snatch her up and drag her off to bed. For a split second he thought about going back to the hotel with her but he resisted.

  ‘I have to go,’ Sean said quickly. ‘Gracie’s expecting me and I don’t want to see you again. You’re lying about her. I know you’re lying.’

  This time Jennifer let him go. As he cycled away, she smiled after him, her eyes bright with manic pleasure, knowing full well he would be back.

  And even if he didn’t come back then she would just go and find him and reel him in. She walked round to the bus-stop plotting and planning her next move because she knew that Sean wasn’t convinced. Yet.

  But she had no doubt he would be, after the coup de grâce she was intending to deliver the very next day.

  Jennifer McCabe was brimming with excitement the following day when she and her mother got off the bus at the top of the High Street. As they started to walk down the street, she began her speech.

  ‘Mum, I’ve been thinking,’ Jennifer said, as casually as she could. ‘I want you to tell Sean about Gracie and that baby. The one she had at St Angela’s. You should tell him, you know, it’s your moral duty …’

  Dot McCabe stopped in her tracks and turned to look at her daughter walking alongside her. Her expression was neutral but her hands were tightly clenched around the wicker handle of her shopping basket. Jennifer had a very slight smile playing on the edge of her mouth; she looked as if she really wanted to grin widely but was fighting it.

  ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ Dot shook her head, feigning puzzlement. ‘Now let’s get the shopping. I need to be back in time to cook your father’s meal, I have to get to the fishmonger and back while it’s still fresh. I’ve got no time for your flights of fancy, Jennifer McCabe.’