place. That wasn’t difficult – the competition wasn’t exactly Crufts standard. She smiled at the simile. She could stop an articulated lorry in its tracks when she was wearing the right top and the right make-up. Yet she knew that to Jonny Parker she might just as well be invisible. He spoke to her, he was polite to her, but she knew that he didn’t see her in any way that meant anything.
She, on the other hand, was always conscious of his presence; and he had just that – presence. It was no wonder he was doing so well in his chosen field – men as well as women were drawn to him. He was charismatic, dangerous and he knew the score better than the people around him. It was the one thing she could never get out of James, because no matter how much she kicked off, no matter how much she created, he would not, under any circumstances, tell her the extent of Jonny’s businesses. In fact, he told her absolutely nothing. He was another one getting too big for his boots; since he had started working full time for Jonny he was getting far too clever for his own good.
Cynthia sat at the table beside her sister, aware that she looked much better than her, and the knowledge was like a balm. She saw a lot of the men giving her the once over on the quiet. She was wearing a plain black silk dress that had looked like a rag until she slipped it on, and then it hugged her ample curves in such a way it was almost obscene. But that was the whole point of it; she acted as if she had no idea of the way she looked, and she enjoyed the way the women reacted to her even more than the men. She knew they all envied her – two kids and she still looked better than any of them. She smiled tightly as her sister poured them both a glass of white wine.
‘What do you think of Jonny’s restaurant, Cynth? It’s lovely, ain’t it? Really upmarket.’
Cynthia nodded and forced herself to answer her sister. ‘Beautiful, Celeste, really smart.’
Celeste knew that her sister was putting on an act, but she didn’t mind; after all, this was preferable to her causing murders, and Cynthia was more than capable of doing just that. To Cynthia, a good fight was all in a day’s work, and it was wearing at times. Celeste was a great believer in a quiet life. She could never understand her sister’s need to make everything a drama. She had a mouth on her, and she knew how to say things so they were not just hurtful, but also seemed to hold a modicum of truth. That was how she justified what she said. She was a hard taskmaster – she could destroy a person’s reputation with her insinuations.
She was vocal in her opinions on how kids should be brought up, and how women should act as mothers and wives, even though she never bothered with her own kids. She had an opinion on everything and everyone, yet she couldn’t see herself clearly or how people perceived her. If Cynthia only knew how disliked she was by both women and men, she would be genuinely surprised – not that she had ever cared what women thought of her, Celeste knew. But she was aware that her sister assumed every man she encountered found her as fascinating as she herself did. She loved herself all right, and it was a shame that love didn’t extend to the other people in her life. Maybe then she would be a happier person. Still, Celeste was shrewd enough to keep those thoughts to herself; she knew that everyone liked her because she didn’t express the majority of the thoughts that came into her mind. She had learned very young that it brought you nothing but grief.
Cynthia, on the other hand, saw it as her God-given right to tell it like it is in a vicious and demeaning way. Cynthia didn’t care if someone took it badly; she loved upsetting people, lovedthe negative vibe she created wherever she went. But it left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth, and Cynthia was now basically
persona non grata
with just about everyone in her orbit.
‘I wouldn’t eat here if you weren’t
She, on the other hand, was always conscious of his presence; and he had just that – presence. It was no wonder he was doing so well in his chosen field – men as well as women were drawn to him. He was charismatic, dangerous and he knew the score better than the people around him. It was the one thing she could never get out of James, because no matter how much she kicked off, no matter how much she created, he would not, under any circumstances, tell her the extent of Jonny’s businesses. In fact, he told her absolutely nothing. He was another one getting too big for his boots; since he had started working full time for Jonny he was getting far too clever for his own good.
Cynthia sat at the table beside her sister, aware that she looked much better than her, and the knowledge was like a balm. She saw a lot of the men giving her the once over on the quiet. She was wearing a plain black silk dress that had looked like a rag until she slipped it on, and then it hugged her ample curves in such a way it was almost obscene. But that was the whole point of it; she acted as if she had no idea of the way she looked, and she enjoyed the way the women reacted to her even more than the men. She knew they all envied her – two kids and she still looked better than any of them. She smiled tightly as her sister poured them both a glass of white wine.
‘What do you think of Jonny’s restaurant, Cynth? It’s lovely, ain’t it? Really upmarket.’
Cynthia nodded and forced herself to answer her sister. ‘Beautiful, Celeste, really smart.’
Celeste knew that her sister was putting on an act, but she didn’t mind; after all, this was preferable to her causing murders, and Cynthia was more than capable of doing just that. To Cynthia, a good fight was all in a day’s work, and it was wearing at times. Celeste was a great believer in a quiet life. She could never understand her sister’s need to make everything a drama. She had a mouth on her, and she knew how to say things so they were not just hurtful, but also seemed to hold a modicum of truth. That was how she justified what she said. She was a hard taskmaster – she could destroy a person’s reputation with her insinuations.
She was vocal in her opinions on how kids should be brought up, and how women should act as mothers and wives, even though she never bothered with her own kids. She had an opinion on everything and everyone, yet she couldn’t see herself clearly or how people perceived her. If Cynthia only knew how disliked she was by both women and men, she would be genuinely surprised – not that she had ever cared what women thought of her, Celeste knew. But she was aware that her sister assumed every man she encountered found her as fascinating as she herself did. She loved herself all right, and it was a shame that love didn’t extend to the other people in her life. Maybe then she would be a happier person. Still, Celeste was shrewd enough to keep those thoughts to herself; she knew that everyone liked her because she didn’t express the majority of the thoughts that came into her mind. She had learned very young that it brought you nothing but grief.
Cynthia, on the other hand, saw it as her God-given right to tell it like it is in a vicious and demeaning way. Cynthia didn’t care if someone took it badly; she loved upsetting people, lovedthe negative vibe she created wherever she went. But it left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth, and Cynthia was now basically
persona non grata
with just about everyone in her orbit.
‘I wouldn’t eat here if you weren’t
Similar Books
