Read Online Things We Never Say by Sheila O'Flanagan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sheila O'Flanagan
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easy as she’d expected, and she reckoned that an unquestioning payment of her credit card bills was the least he could do to compensate her for the fact that she had to put up with a lot of shit from other people with the Fitzpatrick name.
Another concern for Zoey – although it was for the future and not right now – was what would happen when they had a child of their own. She didn’t want her own precious baby playing second fiddle to the spoilt princesses Sorcha and Karen. She hadn’t discussed children with Donald yet. She wasn’t ready to give up on her social life and ruin her figure, nor was she sure that Donald was ready to start putting his second family ahead of his first.
Eventually, however, she hoped he’d disentangle himself from Disgruntled Deirdre and her grasping children. Just as she hoped he’d inherit a big chunk of his father’s estate. Zoey knew that Fred was a shrewd man; she reckoned he was far cannier than his sons. (She always took Donald’s assertion that he himself was a smart businessman with a liberal pinch of salt. A smart businessman wouldn’t have allowed himself to be shafted by someone like Deirdre.) She was aware that Lisette and Gareth were also hoping to cash in on Fred’s eventual demise, which was why she made sure that she called to Furze Hill every couple of weeks to see how he was. She always dropped in after she’d been for one of her many beauty treatments, and wore a low-cut top or a figure-hugging dress, which she knew Fred liked. It didn’t bother her that the old man ogled her. The way Zoey saw it, he didn’t have much time left and he might as well look because he was never going to get the opportunity to do anything about it. From her perspective, the time spent parading her assets in front of her father-in-law was an investment in her future.
She was hoping that it might result in him leaving the house to her and Donald. Zoey reckoned that they deserved Furze Hill. Donald was the eldest, after all, and he’d had to hand over his lovely Clontarf home to Deirdre. Gareth and Lisette’s house, Thorngrove, was huge. Suzanne lived abroad. So surely nobody could object to her and Donald getting Fred’s house? She could see herself having breakfast on the sun-drenched patio overlooking the sea (though it would have to be renovated first; at the moment the flagstones were cracked and uneven and a potential death trap. Mr Fitzpatrick was lucky that he hadn’t yet tripped over one and done worse things to himself than spraining his wrist). Furze Hill would be a big step up from their current home, and Zoey reckoned that Donald was entitled to it. After all, he’d been the son who’d stuck with the family business; surely he merited extra compensation for helping in its success?
However, despite the fact that her father-in-law was in his eighties, and had cheated death a few times already, Zoey wasn’t banking on Fred doing the decent thing and checking out just yet. Which meant that she still had to keep as much money as possible out of the claws of Disgruntled Deirdre and available to spend on herself, no matter how jumpy Donald got over the bills.
He hadn’t been too keen on the idea of a birthday party either, until she’d pointed out to him that it would be another occasion where he could provoke envy from his friends at having the most beautiful wife in the room. Zoey knew that the wives in Donald’s set couldn’t hold a candle to her, because most them were now relying on Botox, collagen and light-diffusing creams to look their best, whereas she still had the youthful, dewy complexion that they could only dream about. It was a boost to Donald’s ego to know that he was with Zoey, and she wanted to make sure it stayed boosted. Which meant looking her very best in front of all of his friends.
She knew she’d find the dress to help her do just that. And the right shoes, underwear, jewellery too … Zoey smiled to herself. She loved shopping. It was
Another concern for Zoey – although it was for the future and not right now – was what would happen when they had a child of their own. She didn’t want her own precious baby playing second fiddle to the spoilt princesses Sorcha and Karen. She hadn’t discussed children with Donald yet. She wasn’t ready to give up on her social life and ruin her figure, nor was she sure that Donald was ready to start putting his second family ahead of his first.
Eventually, however, she hoped he’d disentangle himself from Disgruntled Deirdre and her grasping children. Just as she hoped he’d inherit a big chunk of his father’s estate. Zoey knew that Fred was a shrewd man; she reckoned he was far cannier than his sons. (She always took Donald’s assertion that he himself was a smart businessman with a liberal pinch of salt. A smart businessman wouldn’t have allowed himself to be shafted by someone like Deirdre.) She was aware that Lisette and Gareth were also hoping to cash in on Fred’s eventual demise, which was why she made sure that she called to Furze Hill every couple of weeks to see how he was. She always dropped in after she’d been for one of her many beauty treatments, and wore a low-cut top or a figure-hugging dress, which she knew Fred liked. It didn’t bother her that the old man ogled her. The way Zoey saw it, he didn’t have much time left and he might as well look because he was never going to get the opportunity to do anything about it. From her perspective, the time spent parading her assets in front of her father-in-law was an investment in her future.
She was hoping that it might result in him leaving the house to her and Donald. Zoey reckoned that they deserved Furze Hill. Donald was the eldest, after all, and he’d had to hand over his lovely Clontarf home to Deirdre. Gareth and Lisette’s house, Thorngrove, was huge. Suzanne lived abroad. So surely nobody could object to her and Donald getting Fred’s house? She could see herself having breakfast on the sun-drenched patio overlooking the sea (though it would have to be renovated first; at the moment the flagstones were cracked and uneven and a potential death trap. Mr Fitzpatrick was lucky that he hadn’t yet tripped over one and done worse things to himself than spraining his wrist). Furze Hill would be a big step up from their current home, and Zoey reckoned that Donald was entitled to it. After all, he’d been the son who’d stuck with the family business; surely he merited extra compensation for helping in its success?
However, despite the fact that her father-in-law was in his eighties, and had cheated death a few times already, Zoey wasn’t banking on Fred doing the decent thing and checking out just yet. Which meant that she still had to keep as much money as possible out of the claws of Disgruntled Deirdre and available to spend on herself, no matter how jumpy Donald got over the bills.
He hadn’t been too keen on the idea of a birthday party either, until she’d pointed out to him that it would be another occasion where he could provoke envy from his friends at having the most beautiful wife in the room. Zoey knew that the wives in Donald’s set couldn’t hold a candle to her, because most them were now relying on Botox, collagen and light-diffusing creams to look their best, whereas she still had the youthful, dewy complexion that they could only dream about. It was a boost to Donald’s ego to know that he was with Zoey, and she wanted to make sure it stayed boosted. Which meant looking her very best in front of all of his friends.
She knew she’d find the dress to help her do just that. And the right shoes, underwear, jewellery too … Zoey smiled to herself. She loved shopping. It was
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