Everything to Gain. Barbara Taylor Bradford
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Название: Everything to Gain
Автор: Barbara Taylor Bradford
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Исторические любовные романы
isbn: 9780007330836
isbn:
‘I bet it’s to do with a man.’ Sarah grinned at me and winked.
‘I’m impressed. How did you guess?’
She burst out laughing. ‘She has that look. The look, the one that says “I have a man and he’s all mine.” A guy might not recognize it but every woman does.’
‘My mother’s getting married.’
‘Golly gee whizz! You’ve got to be kidding!’
‘No, I’m not.’
‘Good for Auntie Jess. Who’s the man?’
‘David Nelson. I think you’ve met him once or twice when he’s been at my mother’s.’
Sarah let out a low whistle. ‘He’s quite a catch, I’d say. Very good-looking and successful, and younger than her.’
‘Are you sure he’s younger?’
‘Yes, I am. My mother said something to me a few months ago about Aunt Jess and David, and she mentioned he was about fifty-eight.’
‘Oh, only four years, that’s not much. Anyway, my mother looks a lot younger than he, don’t you think?’
‘Yes, she does.’
‘I can’t imagine why she wants to get another face-job, though. She doesn’t need it, in my opinion.’
If Sarah was startled by my comment she did not show it. She said, ‘No, she doesn’t, but she may feel insecure, worried about her age. That’s the way my mother is now that she’s turned sixty, always attempting to look younger. A lot of women think that’s a milestone, I guess.’
I shrugged. ‘Maybe. On the other hand, sixty’s not old. In fact, it’s considered young today. This morning, when my mother mentioned she wanted to have a little nip and tuck, I tried to convince her she didn’t need it. But she’ll do what she wants, she always has.’
‘I wonder if she’s told my mother? About getting married.’
‘I don’t know. But don’t say anything, Sash, just in case she hasn’t. As I said, it’s a secret. Mom hasn’t even told my father yet, nor has she talked to her lawyer about a divorce. She just made her mind up in the last couple of days … at least, that’s the impression she gave me.’
‘I won’t tell a soul, I promise, Mal. And I’m really glad for Auntie Jess, glad she’s happy.’
‘I am too.’ I paused, staring at Sarah without saying anything for a moment, then I flopped down opposite her.
‘Is something wrong?’ she asked, frowning slightly, pinning her beautiful dark eyes on mine.
I shook my head. ‘No. I had a sort of … well, a sort of revelation earlier. My mother was fussing with the potato salad, and I suddenly found myself remembering an incident with a potato salad that happened on another July fourth morning. When I was five. I’d buried it deep and forgotten all about it. Anyway, the memory came back, at least a fragment of it, and I started thinking about my parents and their relationship when I was little, and I suddenly felt rather sorry for my mother. It struck me that she must have suffered greatly when she was a younger woman.’
Sarah nodded in agreement. ‘Looking back, she probably did. She was always alone. You two were always alone. At least that’s the way I remember it.’
I was silent for a moment, before murmuring, ‘I had the most awful feeling inside this morning, Sashy …’
‘What kind of feeling?’
‘I felt sick at heart. I suddenly understood that I’d been unfair, that I’d probably done my mother a terrible injustice – and for years.’
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