The Family

the time thereof, and when it happened – and it would happen – he would have all his soldiers in a row and ready to go. Jonnie Piper was a lot of things, but a fool wasn't one of them.

As they chatted about nothing, Christine watched her husband surreptitiously. She saw he was playing the big 'I am', and she knew that Jonnie and Mary were mugs if they thought this was the way they would always be treated from now on. Once Phillip had his in, he would go for the jugular, and she wondered what they would say if she let that little gem out of the bag. But she wouldn't – she was too tired, and too shrewd these days. Plus, she liked her way of life, and she knew that she had already pushed this man as far as he was willing to go. She had to watch her behaviour for a while, and enjoy the fruits of his labour. After all, what else was there for her? Her sons were off her hands, and her husband would once more be fully occupied all day and all night. He always was when he was setting up a new business, so she was going to lie back and enjoy the peace and quiet. They were all still chatting and laughing when she saw the car lights coming down the drive. She glanced at the clock, it was twenty past twelve.

'Who's that at this time of night?' Christine sounded worried and, getting up, she heard her husband laughing. 'What's going on, Phil?'

He grinned at her. 'It's your new car, darling, straight off the Ml. I ordered it from a geezer I know in Manchester.'

She heard the intake of breath from Mary, and they all got up and made their way out to the drive. It was lit up like Battersea Power Station, and the Bentley convertible was gleaming in the halogen lights.

'Oh, Phillip, it's lovely.' Even though she knew it had been delivered at this particular moment for no other reason than to impress Jonnie and his wife, she was still thrilled with it. Because she had mentioned it she had got it; these days that was all she had going for her, so she would use it to her heart's delight.

Declan was out of the car and handing her the keys.

'I wondered where you'd got to tonight!'

'Enjoy, Chris, it's a fuck of a motor.'

'Thanks, Phillip. I love it.'

'Your wish is my desire, babe.' He smiled amiably at her and walked into the house with the two men.

She knew she and Jonnie's wife were to ooh and ahh over the car while the three men talked the serious business of the night. It was strange though, now she had the car, she wasn't even that bothered about it any more. But the boys would love it, and that was something to look forward to; she saw so little of them these days. Her life was even emptier than before, and she knew that wasn't going to change. The boys had grown up and grown away, and she didn't know how to bring them back to her.

'Are you all right, love?'

Christine smiled at her new friend – she had few people she could call that these days – and said sadly, 'I'm feeling a bit emotional, I think.'

Mary put a friendly arm around her waist and said seriously, 'I'm not surprised, love, you don't get much change out of a hundred and twenty grand for one of them. You are a very lucky girl.'

Christine smiled, but she didn't answer her – she didn't know what to say. It always came down to the financial rewards, that was the trouble. But her life had cost her something far more precious – she had compromised her sanity. She was trapped, and she accepted that, because she could never leave her husband and, if she did, she would have nowhere to go. Phillip owned her, like he did this car, and everything around her.

Chapter Ninety-Five

Christine had taken the new Bentley for a spin, and ended up at her mother-in-law's. She often went round there when she was at a loose end; Veronica understood her better than most people. As much as she resented her mother-in-law at times, Christine knew that the woman would always fight for her in any way she could. In her marriage that was important, because Phillip listened to his mother, and that was only because she was his mother. Like most men, he had a romanticised image of her and she also knew that, in Phillip's mind, the woman lucky enough to give birth to him bad to be fucking special.

'Hello, love, you look well. I heard about the car, it's lovely.'

Veronica had never driven in her life, and had literally no interest in cars of any kind. But she knew this was a seriously expensive motor, and she also knew the neighbours would see it; that was her way of enjoying her daughter-in-law's good fortune.

'I love it. How're the arrangements going for the wedding?'

'Good, she's a very nice girl that Linda, and those children are really great kids.'

'I liked her. She gets on well with Breda and all. Even Phillip likes her!'

Veronica laughed with her then. 'I know, and he can be so fucking funny about people and their lifestyles, if you know what I mean.' It was the nearest she would ever get to criticising him, and they both knew it. But Veronica was amazed at her son's acceptance of a girl with four kids by two different men, and never a wedding ring on her finger.

'Jamsie's happy, that's what really matters. At the end of the day it's fuck-all to do with Phillip, isn't it?'

Veronica didn't answer the girl, she wasn't comfortable with this kind of talk about her son. 'Can I get you a cup of tea?'

Christine grinned. 'I'd rather have a drink, to be honest, but it's a bit early even for me! Tea will be fine.'

Veronica bit her lip, but she smiled anyway. 'Don't drink and drive, you know how I worry about you, child.'

Christine hugged the woman with genuine affection, she knew she really did care about her. Now her loving husband, on the other hand… It had occurred to her that the way he let her drink, he must harbour a hope she would wrap the car around a convenient lamp post. Yet she knew in her heart that wasn't true. In his own way he still needed her, whatever it was she had, whatever had attracted him to her in the first place, still kept him by her side. Because if any man had reason to walk out, he did. She knew if she had pushed a normal man like she had pushed him, they would have left long ago. But then he wasn't normal, was he?

She pushed the thoughts from her mind again, she had to stop dwelling on everything. The doctor said she had too much time to think, too much time on her hands. You had to laugh at men, it was all cut and dried for them. They knew nothing.

Veronica placed the teapot on the table and Christine got up and opened the biscuit tin. She ate a couple of digestives noisily – if you ate in this house you were all right. If not, you got a lecture about healthy eating and she wasn't in the mood. Plus, it pleased Veronica to see her eat, not that she ate very much these days. She still cooked, but she never had an appetite for what she produced. She enjoyed seeing the boys eat her food though, it was all they let her do these days, that and their washing and ironing, and the way things were going they wouldn't even need that soon.

'Are you all right, Chris? You were miles away again.'

Christine brought herself back to the present with difficulty; she was losing a lot of time lately, she would sit down and the next thing she knew hours had passed. It was the pills, she blamed everything on the pills. 'I'm fine, just a bit tired. I don't sleep that well, as you know.'

'You've seemed better in yourself lately, love, more lively, like.'

'Feel sick a lot of the time, to be honest. Tired out, and sick.'

Veronica grinned and said mischievously, 'Not pregnant, girl, are you? It's often the late ones that cause the trouble.' Veronica laughed in delight at the idea. She would be thrilled to have a new baby to fuss over.

But a cold hand of fear clutched at Christine's heart. Because she knew then, without a shadow of a doubt, that Veronica had identified exactly what was wrong with her. And that couldn't happen, she couldn't have another child. Not by him.

Veronica watched the blood drain from her daughter-in-law's face, and she was saddened that what her generation would have classed as good news was seen as something to fear by this new generation. This girl had money and time, the two things a child needed in life to thrive, yet the prospect of a new life filled this girl with