The Faithless - Martina Cole [8]
Celeste grinned once more, she was always so good-natured it made Cynthia want to hit her.
‘Don’t you mean for who? Didn’t you tell her, Mum?’
Mary flapped her hand with feigned discretion. ‘Why would I? It’s your news to tell.’
‘Come on then, Celeste, out with it.’ Cynthia sounded bored now, as if anything to do with her sister was beneath her. Which, as far as Cynthia was concerned, pretty much summed up how she felt about Celeste and her excuse for a life.
‘I’m seeing Jonny Parker, have been for a couple of months.’
Mary watched Cynthia as she digested this little bit of information, saw the shock as it occurred to her what that statement actually meant in real terms.
‘He’s too old for you.’
Celeste laughed, a happy, loud laugh, a natural laugh that made her look prettier than she actually was. She too had the arresting Callahan blue eyes and blond hair, although she didn’t have the striking glamour of her sister. She might be a pale imitation in looks but Celeste’s beauty came from within, from her nature. She had a wonderful lust for life, and she honestly believed that everyone was nice and kind, like her, and that if you treated people decently they would reciprocate.
‘What you talking about, Cynthia? He’s twenty-seven, and I’m nineteen. Eight years ain’t much now, is it? It ain’t like I’m thirteen and he’s twenty-one. He’s such a nice bloke, Cynth, treats me like a queen.’
Cynthia forced a smile on to her face; her sister couldn’t know how this news was really affecting her. ‘Well, you make sure he carries on treating you like that, OK?’
Celeste nodded happily, and Cynthia saw the genuine pleasure on her face. She turned to her father. ‘What do you think about it, Dad?’
Jack Callahan shrugged. He was already half cut, having been down the local pub for the best part of the day. He tried to focus on his elder daughter for a few seconds before saying amiably, ‘What’s to think? He’s a nice enough fellow, and you can tell he thinks the world of her. Did you know he’s bought the bookies on the high street? He’s a dark horse, that one. He already owns a couple of pubs. This one here will be living the life of Riley if she plays her cards right!’
‘Oh, Dad!’
Celeste was crimson with embarrassment at her father’s words, and they all laughed at her discomfort at being the centre of attention, but knowing that she loved it really.
‘Gabby can be your bridesmaid, she’d make a gorgeous little attendant!’ Mary’s voice was loud, and she watched her elder daughter carefully; if Celeste decided to settle down with Jonny Parker, and it looked more and more like that was going to be the case, Cynthia needed to accept it as soon as possible. Jonny and Cynthia had a history, not that Celeste knew that, but Mary knew that Cynthia had set her cap at him years ago. He had not been averse at first – no bloke was when she looked at them with her lovely face – but he had realised very quickly that Cynthia was seriously high maintenance and had dropped her so fast it had made her head spin. She was now hoping Cynthia would not feel the urge to enlighten her younger sister of that fact. Not that Celeste would be all that bothered, but Mary suspected from her reaction that Cynthia had never quite got over Jonny. And, as much as her elder daughter aggravated her, she still wouldn’t like to see her hurt. But, more than that, she didn’t want her younger child’s happiness compromised because Cynthia was jealous. And jealous she might be, because Jonny Parker was going places, and that meant that Celeste would be going with him.
Mary Callahan looked at her granddaughter, the light of her life, and wondered, in the glow of her Christmas tree, what the future held for them all.
Knowing her elder child like she did, she knew that her younger daughter’s life could be destroyed in an instant. But, if that ever happened, Mary would retaliate in a heartbeat because, if push came to shove, her younger child would win hands down. Cynthia had been given her chance with Jonny Parker many moons ago, and she had played it all wrong. Now he