didn’t want to show you up; I knew you’d be in the same old rag you always wear.’
Cian, in his usual sports jacket and chinos, raised his eyes to heaven. ‘Stop it, you two – behave yourselves.’ He gave Laura a hug. ‘Hi there. You look great.’ He
sniffed. ‘And something smells wonderful.’
‘That’ll be either my perfume or the dinner I’ve spent the day slaving over. Come in and meet the new bride.’
‘See, I told you they were here.’ Breffni poked Cian in the ribs. ‘It’s his fault; we’d have got here half an hour ago if he hadn’t been hogging the
bathroom.’
Laura grinned and shoved her friend ahead of her. ‘Yes, Breffni, I believe you. Get in there.’
Ruth stood quickly as they came in, a polite smile on her face. As Laura made the introductions, Ruth put out her hand. ‘Hi, it’s nice to meet you both.’ She sounded
nervous.
Breffni’s lightning glance swept over her. ‘Nice to meet you too, Ruth; I’ve been –’
‘Hey, long time no see.’ Andrew seemed to appear out of the blue.
Breffni swung around to him. ‘Hey yourself.’ She hugged him lightly. ‘Not since Rome, would you believe? And this is my Cian.’
Cian put his hand out to Andrew, wrapping his other arm around Breffni’s waist. ‘Hello, and congratulations.’
Andrew shook his hand. ‘Thanks, mate. And I hear you two have a little girl.’ He was looking at Breffni again.
She nodded. ‘Polly. Nearly two, and cute as a button; takes after her mother, except for the head of blond curls.’ She turned to Cian. ‘Get me a glass of red wine, would you,
love?’
Laura slipped away – time to get organised. In the kitchen she took the lamb from the oven, then got Donal’s bowl of spinach and Gruyère mixture from the fridge and spooned it
into the little filo cases that were waiting on a baking tray. She sprinkled on the pine nuts he’d toasted earlier and slid the tray into the hot oven. She was straightening up when a voice
behind her said, ‘You could have warned me.’
She jumped and turned around. Breffni pushed the kitchen door closed behind her. She held up one of the glasses of wine she was carrying. ‘I presume this is yours.’
‘You’ve left poor Ruth with three men? Warned you about what?’
‘About the fact that your brother is as gorgeous as ever – and that tan doesn’t do him any harm either.’
Laura looked closely at her. ‘Are you OK meeting him again Bref, really? I mean, you seemed fine in Rome, and I won’t go on about it, but –’
Breffni laughed. ‘Yeah, relax, course I am. I’m just saying he’s still gorgeous.’ She handed Laura the glass and sniffed the air. ‘Oh my God, something smells
fabulous. I’m so hungry I could eat the hind leg of a diseased pony.’
Laura smiled – when they were growing up, they went through a phase of trying to out-disgust the other by thinking up the worst possible ending to ‘I’m so hungry I could eat .
. .’ The outright winner was Breffni’s ‘. . . the coarsely grated toenails of a gangrenous elephant’.
Laura opened the fridge and pulled out a bag of mixed greens. ‘Here – as long as you’ve deserted poor Ruth, you can find a bowl and chuck that in. There’s a jar of
Donal’s dressing in the fridge, and some cherry tomatoes – but don’t add the dressing yet.’
‘OK.’ Breffni fished under the worktop and came up with a big green bowl. She pulled the bag open and tipped the leaves in. Then she took a sip from her glass. ‘This wine is
superb.’
Laura took a serving plate from the dresser. ‘Isn’t it? Ruth and Andrew brought it. Ruth must have picked it out – Andrew’s not a bit fussy.’
‘Obviously.’ Breffni opened the fridge door.
Laura looked at her. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
Breffni turned from the fridge with a little container of cherry tomatoes in one hand and a jar of dressing in the other. When she didn’t answer, Laura put her serving dish down.
Cian, in his usual sports jacket and chinos, raised his eyes to heaven. ‘Stop it, you two – behave yourselves.’ He gave Laura a hug. ‘Hi there. You look great.’ He
sniffed. ‘And something smells wonderful.’
‘That’ll be either my perfume or the dinner I’ve spent the day slaving over. Come in and meet the new bride.’
‘See, I told you they were here.’ Breffni poked Cian in the ribs. ‘It’s his fault; we’d have got here half an hour ago if he hadn’t been hogging the
bathroom.’
Laura grinned and shoved her friend ahead of her. ‘Yes, Breffni, I believe you. Get in there.’
Ruth stood quickly as they came in, a polite smile on her face. As Laura made the introductions, Ruth put out her hand. ‘Hi, it’s nice to meet you both.’ She sounded
nervous.
Breffni’s lightning glance swept over her. ‘Nice to meet you too, Ruth; I’ve been –’
‘Hey, long time no see.’ Andrew seemed to appear out of the blue.
Breffni swung around to him. ‘Hey yourself.’ She hugged him lightly. ‘Not since Rome, would you believe? And this is my Cian.’
Cian put his hand out to Andrew, wrapping his other arm around Breffni’s waist. ‘Hello, and congratulations.’
Andrew shook his hand. ‘Thanks, mate. And I hear you two have a little girl.’ He was looking at Breffni again.
She nodded. ‘Polly. Nearly two, and cute as a button; takes after her mother, except for the head of blond curls.’ She turned to Cian. ‘Get me a glass of red wine, would you,
love?’
Laura slipped away – time to get organised. In the kitchen she took the lamb from the oven, then got Donal’s bowl of spinach and Gruyère mixture from the fridge and spooned it
into the little filo cases that were waiting on a baking tray. She sprinkled on the pine nuts he’d toasted earlier and slid the tray into the hot oven. She was straightening up when a voice
behind her said, ‘You could have warned me.’
She jumped and turned around. Breffni pushed the kitchen door closed behind her. She held up one of the glasses of wine she was carrying. ‘I presume this is yours.’
‘You’ve left poor Ruth with three men? Warned you about what?’
‘About the fact that your brother is as gorgeous as ever – and that tan doesn’t do him any harm either.’
Laura looked closely at her. ‘Are you OK meeting him again Bref, really? I mean, you seemed fine in Rome, and I won’t go on about it, but –’
Breffni laughed. ‘Yeah, relax, course I am. I’m just saying he’s still gorgeous.’ She handed Laura the glass and sniffed the air. ‘Oh my God, something smells
fabulous. I’m so hungry I could eat the hind leg of a diseased pony.’
Laura smiled – when they were growing up, they went through a phase of trying to out-disgust the other by thinking up the worst possible ending to ‘I’m so hungry I could eat .
. .’ The outright winner was Breffni’s ‘. . . the coarsely grated toenails of a gangrenous elephant’.
Laura opened the fridge and pulled out a bag of mixed greens. ‘Here – as long as you’ve deserted poor Ruth, you can find a bowl and chuck that in. There’s a jar of
Donal’s dressing in the fridge, and some cherry tomatoes – but don’t add the dressing yet.’
‘OK.’ Breffni fished under the worktop and came up with a big green bowl. She pulled the bag open and tipped the leaves in. Then she took a sip from her glass. ‘This wine is
superb.’
Laura took a serving plate from the dresser. ‘Isn’t it? Ruth and Andrew brought it. Ruth must have picked it out – Andrew’s not a bit fussy.’
‘Obviously.’ Breffni opened the fridge door.
Laura looked at her. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
Breffni turned from the fridge with a little container of cherry tomatoes in one hand and a jar of dressing in the other. When she didn’t answer, Laura put her serving dish down.
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