You Have Gone Too Far by Carlene O'Connor

Author:Carlene O'Connor [O'Connor, Carlene]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington Books
Published: 2024-08-19T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 25

“ONE DRINK,” DIMPNA SAID. “BUT THEN I REALLY MUST GET BACK.” Dimpna had no idea whether or not Sheila had a secret, let alone intended to divulge it. Sheila was an excellent manipulator, and Dimpna was already regretting this.

“Grand.” Sheila grinned and headed for the sitting room. She gestured for Dimpna to sit on the sofa and headed to the corner liquor cabinet.

“My father was never much a of drinker,” Sheila said. “But he couldn’t resist having one of everything.” She poured two glasses of whiskey, then fetched ice cubes from the kitchen before returning. “I don’t have much to offer in the way of food.”

“I’m sorted,” Dimpna said.

Sheila sat next to her and lifted her glass. “I suppose it’s wrong to say cheers.”

“May the end be peaceful,” Dimpna said.

Sheila nodded, her eyes filling with tears. She turned her head for a moment, and when she returned her gaze to Dimpna, the tears were gone. It was as if Sheila had the power to will them away. When she wanted to, she’d always been good at controlling her emotions. They clinked glasses, and Dimpna took a sip. Sheila downed the entire thing in one go, then set the glass on the coffee table and stared at it. “I don’t understand,” she said. “He was fine last month. How did he go downhill so fast?”

“It happens that way sometimes,” Dimpna said.

“Do you feel like you’ve lost your father?” Sheila asked.

Dimpna winced. Sheila had always been blunt. “Yes,” she said. “In many ways. But I’m still glad to have him.” There were even parts of her father that were much softer now. And sometimes he broke into childlike glee, something the healthy Dr. Eamon Wilde had never done. At least not in front of her. Those moments were like seeing a glimpse of who her father could have been.

“My father left us for a long time,” Sheila said. “Not long after you left.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

Sheila snorted. “Don’t act like you didn’t know.”

Sheila wasn’t wrong. Dimpna had heard the gossip. Sheila’s parents divorced, and Danny Maguire took up with another woman, another family. “Where are Orla and Kevin staying now?” Dimpna asked. “Still with Kevin’s mother?” Was Orla a part of this other family? Was that the secret?

“My place,” Sheila said. “I let them take my place while I’ve been staying here.” She glanced upstairs in the direction of her father’s room. “Just in case.”

“I never even knew you had a cousin named Orla,” Dimpna said. “Is she on your mother’s side?” Dimpna intended to hurry this along. Sheila wasn’t the only one who could play coy.

Sheila’s mouth set in a hard line. “Father’s.”

As far as Dimpna knew, Mr. Maguire didn’t have brothers or sisters. From the look on Sheila’s face, she wanted to close the door on that subject. But there was more to the story; Dimpna could feel it. She wondered if Orla came because she’d heard that Mr. Maguire was dying. Not that she was accusing her of being after an inheritance.

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