Free Red Letter Day by Colette Caddle Page A

wonderful clothes.
    When Marina walked into the shop she stopped in her tracks and stared at her friend. For the first time in years, Celine was wearing a skirt. The skirt of a very beautiful, well-tailored, toffee-coloured suit, with a thin black vest underneath. And she was wearing makeup. Not much, granted, just some subtle colour around the eyes and a touch of lipstick. But as Marina watched, she realised there was something else. Celine was holding a dress up against a customer, a frown of deep concentration on her face and a light in her eyes that Marina hadn't seen in a very long time.
    'Hello there. Can I help you?'
    Marina turned to smile at the owner. 'Hi. I'm a friend of Celine. I just came in to wish her luck.'
    Rose smiled. 'Well, as you can see, she doesn't need it. I'm Rose Lynch.'
    'Marina Flynn.'
    'The model?'
    Marina beamed at her. 'That's right, and one of your regular customers.'
    Rose chuckled. 'I know that, but not everyone likes me to comment on it.'
    'Oh, the snobs? Well, ask Celine, I brag about the amount of stuff in my wardrobe that's second hand. Especially evening wear.'
    Rose was all business immediately. 'A beautiful cerise cocktail dress came in yesterday — Dior — it would look lovely with your colouring. Would you like to try it on?'
    Marina shot a look at Celine. 'It looks like I'm going to have to wait anyway. Why not?'
    Celine finally spotted Marina as Rose led her to the changing room. 'Oh, Marina—'
    'Don't worry about me, darling, I'm in good hands.'
     
    'Isn't this the most beautiful dress?' Marina and Celine were sitting in Café Napoli and Marina was taking another peek into her shopping bag.
    Celine pulled a face. 'I hope you're not going to buy something every time you come to see me or you'll be penniless.'
    Marina smiled. 'Ah, but Rose and I have a deal.'
    'You do?'
    'Yeah. If I only wear it once and bring it back laundered and pressed she'll give me sixty per cent of what I paid for it.'
    'Is that good?'
    'It's great. In the shop across town they only give me forty-five.'
    Celine laughed. 'Where's Josh?'
    'With Mum, but I can't stay long.' She checked her watch. 'He has a swimming class at four. Now tell me everything. Are you happy with your new job?'
    'Yes, I think it's going to work out very well.' Celine told Marina all about Rose and Dominic and some of the other residents of Hopefield. 'It's a little bit cosier than I would like but I suppose that's the problem with small neighbourhoods.'
    'Have you told Rose about Kevin?'
    Celine looked nervously around to see if Tracy was within earshot. 'Of course not! She doesn't need to know about him.'
    Marina shrugged. 'It's not such a big deal.'
    Celine grimaced. 'Tell that to the person who was sending me hate mail.'
    Marina stared at her over her coffee mug. 'Celine, why didn't you tell me?'
    Celine shrugged. 'It's in the past. Now I'm going to concentrate on making a go of this job and no one in Hopefield is going to know anything about me.'
    Marina smirked. 'I wish you luck. This is Dublin, remember. Now, are there any nice men around?'
    Celine laughed. 'Well, the guy who owns the filling station down at the roundabout, his mother's trying to fix him up but I haven't seen him yet.'
    Marina nodded speculatively. 'There's money in oil.'
    'Then there's Dominic Nugent, he owns the newsagent's next door.'
    'Oh?'
    'Not your type,' Celine assured her. 'Baggy cords and cardigans.'
    Marina wrinkled her nose.
    'And then there's my landlord. Now he just might be your type.'
    Marina brightened. 'Describe him.'
    'Well he doesn't dress very well but he's good-looking and loaded.'
    'A low-key millionaire, sounds good. What does he do?'
    Celine grinned. 'He's a property developer, name of Richard Lawrence. Maybe you've heard of him.'
    Marina nearly choked on her coffee. 'The gorgeous Richard Lawrence is your landlord?
    'Yep, and a very generous one too.'
    Marina looked reluctantly at her watch. 'I wish I could stay and hear all about him