at all. So is she okay?'
He nodded. 'Yes, well, on the surface anyway.'
Celine gave up the pretence of studying her menu. 'Maybe I'm missing something, Daddy, but exactly what is wrong with her?'
Frank looked away from her cold stare. 'She's upset, love, it's understandable.'
'No it bloody isn't,' Celine hissed. 'I used to be married to her brother. How I live my life now is none of her business.'
Frank patted her hand. 'Of course it isn't, love, but Brenda is very conservative, you know that.'
'Narrow-minded, more like!'
Frank paused as their drinks were put in front of them and shook his head when the waiter asked if they were ready to order. He took a grateful drink of his pint and smiled at his daughter. 'Let's enjoy our evening. Forget about Killmont.'
'Gladly,' Celine snapped and picked up her menu. She couldn't believe it but she was remarkably close to tears. In part she felt hurt that her father was spending so much time consoling Brenda — he wasn't even related to her!
'Beef Chop Suey sounds good,' Frank was saying.
Celine smiled despite herself. 'Have you ever tried anything else, Daddy?'
He closed the menu and smiled at her. 'Why would I when I've found something I like?'
The waiter arrived back and Celine ordered Kung Po Chicken.
'Hah!' her father said. 'The words kettle, pot and black spring to mind!'
Celine laughed. 'Okay, okay, so I'm not feeling adventurous tonight. I need comfort food.'
'And why's that?' Frank asked.
She shrugged. 'Who knows. Tell me about Brenda.'
Frank looked wary. 'I think it would be better if we talk about something else.'
'No, really, it's okay. I promise not to shout or throw your dinner over you.'
Frank smiled. 'Thank God, I'm starving!'
Celine's eyes narrowed. 'Are you trying to tell me you didn't eat in Brenda's?'
Frank's eyes twinkled. 'You know me too well. Just one scone.'
'So, how is she?'
Frank sighed. 'I know you don't want to hear it, love, but she's quite upset. I'm not sure why. Like you say, you're barely related now. Maybe knowing there's another man on the scene means she has to accept Dermot is gone.'
Celine softened. 'I had no idea you were into amateur psychology.'
'Huh!'
'How's Alan coping with all of this?'
Frank frowned. 'Well, that's what worries me. I think he's had enough. He's been very irritable lately, even on the golf course.'
'Really?' Celine was surprised. Alan was the most laid-back, easy-going character she'd ever met. He was a solid, reliable man that you could always depend on.
Their food arrived and Frank waited until they were alone again before answering. 'Yeah, I know, I've never seen him like this.'
Celine piled rice onto his plate. 'Do you think it's serious?'
'I really don't know.'
'I hope they work things out. I can't imagine what Brenda would do without Alan. I'd offer to have a word but I'm the last person she'd want to talk to.'
Frank nodded. 'I asked her to come with me tonight but she wouldn't.'
Celine sighed at the sadness in his eyes. 'Don't worry about it, Dad. You can't make it happen. If she doesn't want to know me, that's her decision. It does bother me, you know. She's Dermot's only sister. We never had much in common but I thought we'd always be friends.'
'I'm sure you will be. Just give her a chance to calm down. Now, tell me about you. How's the job going?'
For all of ten seconds Celine considered telling him about Fergus but decided against it. 'Okay,' she said instead.
'Silly question, I suppose, when you're only a few days in the job.'
'Yeah.' Celine wondered what she would tell him if she decided to leave Close Second and where she would go.
Frank didn't seem to notice her preoccupation and was happily tucking into his food.
'Have you ever met anyone else, Daddy?'
'What do you mean?' Frank looked up at her.
'Another woman?'
'No, of course not!'
'Why "of course not"? You were only fifty-six when Mum died. That's very young to be alone.'
Frank raised his eyebrows. 'That's good
He nodded. 'Yes, well, on the surface anyway.'
Celine gave up the pretence of studying her menu. 'Maybe I'm missing something, Daddy, but exactly what is wrong with her?'
Frank looked away from her cold stare. 'She's upset, love, it's understandable.'
'No it bloody isn't,' Celine hissed. 'I used to be married to her brother. How I live my life now is none of her business.'
Frank patted her hand. 'Of course it isn't, love, but Brenda is very conservative, you know that.'
'Narrow-minded, more like!'
Frank paused as their drinks were put in front of them and shook his head when the waiter asked if they were ready to order. He took a grateful drink of his pint and smiled at his daughter. 'Let's enjoy our evening. Forget about Killmont.'
'Gladly,' Celine snapped and picked up her menu. She couldn't believe it but she was remarkably close to tears. In part she felt hurt that her father was spending so much time consoling Brenda — he wasn't even related to her!
'Beef Chop Suey sounds good,' Frank was saying.
Celine smiled despite herself. 'Have you ever tried anything else, Daddy?'
He closed the menu and smiled at her. 'Why would I when I've found something I like?'
The waiter arrived back and Celine ordered Kung Po Chicken.
'Hah!' her father said. 'The words kettle, pot and black spring to mind!'
Celine laughed. 'Okay, okay, so I'm not feeling adventurous tonight. I need comfort food.'
'And why's that?' Frank asked.
She shrugged. 'Who knows. Tell me about Brenda.'
Frank looked wary. 'I think it would be better if we talk about something else.'
'No, really, it's okay. I promise not to shout or throw your dinner over you.'
Frank smiled. 'Thank God, I'm starving!'
Celine's eyes narrowed. 'Are you trying to tell me you didn't eat in Brenda's?'
Frank's eyes twinkled. 'You know me too well. Just one scone.'
'So, how is she?'
Frank sighed. 'I know you don't want to hear it, love, but she's quite upset. I'm not sure why. Like you say, you're barely related now. Maybe knowing there's another man on the scene means she has to accept Dermot is gone.'
Celine softened. 'I had no idea you were into amateur psychology.'
'Huh!'
'How's Alan coping with all of this?'
Frank frowned. 'Well, that's what worries me. I think he's had enough. He's been very irritable lately, even on the golf course.'
'Really?' Celine was surprised. Alan was the most laid-back, easy-going character she'd ever met. He was a solid, reliable man that you could always depend on.
Their food arrived and Frank waited until they were alone again before answering. 'Yeah, I know, I've never seen him like this.'
Celine piled rice onto his plate. 'Do you think it's serious?'
'I really don't know.'
'I hope they work things out. I can't imagine what Brenda would do without Alan. I'd offer to have a word but I'm the last person she'd want to talk to.'
Frank nodded. 'I asked her to come with me tonight but she wouldn't.'
Celine sighed at the sadness in his eyes. 'Don't worry about it, Dad. You can't make it happen. If she doesn't want to know me, that's her decision. It does bother me, you know. She's Dermot's only sister. We never had much in common but I thought we'd always be friends.'
'I'm sure you will be. Just give her a chance to calm down. Now, tell me about you. How's the job going?'
For all of ten seconds Celine considered telling him about Fergus but decided against it. 'Okay,' she said instead.
'Silly question, I suppose, when you're only a few days in the job.'
'Yeah.' Celine wondered what she would tell him if she decided to leave Close Second and where she would go.
Frank didn't seem to notice her preoccupation and was happily tucking into his food.
'Have you ever met anyone else, Daddy?'
'What do you mean?' Frank looked up at her.
'Another woman?'
'No, of course not!'
'Why "of course not"? You were only fifty-six when Mum died. That's very young to be alone.'
Frank raised his eyebrows. 'That's good
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