Unfaithful (The Complete Trilogy) Read online

  Chapter 17

  "Nite, nite darling, I love you too. Give my love to Shona. Tell her I hope she feels better soon," Jackie rolled over on her makeshift bed in Shona's sitting room and read the text message from Colm that had just bleeped through on her mobile phone. She groaned, suddenly feeling incredibly guilty. I wonder if he suspects anything, she pondered as she lay there, staring up at the ceiling. What am I doing? She asked herself. I'm cheating on my wonderful kind, caring, loving husband who absolutely adores me for sex with a stranger. I could lose everything. Her mind was racing.

  Her heart started pounding in her chest, and try as she might she simply couldn't go back to sleep. She tossed and turned for what seemed like hours before finally deciding to get up. She crept quietly into the kitchen, not wanting to wake Shona and boiled the kettle for a cup of tea. Her head was beginning to ache from drinking too much wine and her stomach was turning over from overindulging in the Chinese food.

  She went to the bathroom to see if she could find any paracetamol for her headache. Shona's bathroom cabinet was in an even worse mess than her kitchen cupboards. Jackie had to empty the entire cabinet just to find the tablets. She downed two pills with a quick swig of left over wine and wiped her mouth on a rather grubby looking hand towel.

  Her eye was caught by something shiny glittering at her from the waste basket under the sink. Jackie peered inside and picked out the broken edge of a photo frame. It looked familiar and indeed it was familiar, Jackie had given her sister the frame for her last birthday gift. It had cost a fortune in Debenham's department store so she wasn't too impressed to see it smashed in the bin. She picked it up to see if she could salvage it and hastily dropped it into the sink where it clattered into a few more pieces. "Shit," Jackie muttered under her breath, hoping that the sudden noise hadn't woken her sleeping sister.

  She peered at the photo which was still lodged in the frame. Shona's pretty face smiled back at her. She was standing beside a strikingly handsome man, who had his arm slung across her shoulders. Jackie felt sick. "It can't be," she whispered, "please God, don't let it be him." She scrutinised the man's face; those piercing blue eyes, that cheeky confident smile, reminded her so much of Sean! It can't be Sean. Jackie tried desperately to convince herself, that the man in the photo couldn’t possibly be him. Her mind raced. Oh God, I must be going mad. She sat on the toilet seat and tried to steady her nerves. This was worse than cheating on Colm, she thought, much worse. If Sean and Mark are the same person, then Shona will be beyond devastated if she discovers the truth.

  She hurriedly put the broken frame back in the rubbish basket and threw a few more tissues on top of the photograph. She took a few deep breaths and quietly tiptoed back to the sitting room, taking her tea with her. Thankfully, Shona was sound asleep. She checked her mobile phone; it was half past two in the morning. Her mind turned over.

  How on earth was she going to find out for certain if Mark and Sean were the same? Maybe, just maybe there was the smallest chance that they were lookalikes. She'd read in one of her glossy magazines that everyone had a double somewhere in the world, who they usually never met. Jackie felt her heartbeat return to almost normal as she tried to reason with herself that it was too much of a coincidence that Mark and Sean were the same.

  She wracked her brains for any information that Shona had told her about Mark. The only thing she could remember was that Mark was a photographer who was married and had a son. She didn't know anything about Sean, other than the fact that he, too, was married.

  They had agreed not to tell each other anything too personal about their lives. All they wanted was an escape from the mundanity of their daily lives and responsibilities. Neither of them wanted to leave their spouses, they just wanted some simple, uncomplicated fun. It seems like it's about to get a whole lot more complicated, Jackie groaned as she buried her face in the pillow.

  Chapter 18

  Rebecca sat in the waiting room of her doctor's surgery, mindlessly flicking through that day's tabloid newspaper. She checked her watch for what seemed like the hundredth time, believing that hours had passed but she hadn't even been waiting for ten minutes. The surgery was very busy that afternoon. Several people were coughing and spluttering, clearly afflicted with heavy colds. A young man was nursing a badly bandaged arm and a little girl was loudly playing with toys in a corner of the room.

  "Daniella, stop that noise," the little girl's mother scolded her.

  "I don't want to!" she shouted, promptly throwing herself on the ground and kicking and screaming the temper tantrum out of her little body.

  Rebecca smiled sympathetically in Daniella's direction and sighed deeply.

  "I know how she feels," Rebecca caught the eye of a heavily pregnant woman who was sitting opposite. "I wish I could express myself like her." The woman rubbed her huge stomach and shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

  "Me too," Rebecca replied emphatically.

  "Any day now," the woman continued, as she leaned back in her chair. "I can't wait until this baby is born. My back is destroyed from the weight."

  "I can imagine," Rebecca smiled.

  She cast her mind back to her pregnancy with Christopher. She'd suffered from terrible morning sickness that had lasted throughout the pregnancy. She'd been extremely sensitive to smells, pleasant or otherwise. She'd even been forced to stop wearing her favourite scent, Escape by Calvin Klein, as it literally made her throw up every time she'd caught a whiff of it.

  She'd carried a lot of extra water during the pregnancy too, which had made her stomach protrude awkwardly. She'd suffered from terrible leg cramps which had made sleeping very difficult.

  The only positive was that she had lost almost two stone in weight by the time she'd given birth. Pregnancy hadn't been easy then, and she'd been eighteen years younger, she dreaded what pregnancy would be like in her forties.

  "Mrs. McNamara," Dr. Hill called pleasantly from the other side of the waiting room. Rebecca jumped as she heard her name. She smiled in acknowledgement and crossed the floor to the privacy of the doctor's room.

  "So, what can I do for you today, Mrs. McNamara?" Dr. Hill smiled kindly at her, as he closed the door softly.

  He had been the McNamara family doctor for years and Rebecca had grown very fond of the old man. He had a thick shock of white hair which stood on end. His grey suit was slightly crumpled and his jaunty tie was askew. His beloved wife had passed away a few years previously and Dr. Hill was still getting used to life without her.

  "Well, I think I might be pregnant, Doctor.” Rebecca got straight to the point.

  "I see," Dr. Hill said carefully. He turned to his computer and scanned Rebecca's patient file.

  "Eighteen years since your first pregnancy. How long has it been since your last period, Mrs. McNamara?"

  "Almost two months," Rebecca replied, "but my periods have always been irregular."

  "Are you experiencing any nausea or tenderness?" he asked, "any spotting or discharge?"

  "My breasts are very tender, and I have had a few fairly mild bouts of nausea over the past few weeks, no discharge or spotting."

  "We'll soon find out," Dr. Hill said assuredly. He passed her a small bottle and asked her for a urine sample.

  Dr. Hill turned and beamed at Rebecca, "congratulations, Mrs. McNamara, I am delighted to confirm that you are pregnant."

  Rebecca's heart sank and a bout of nausea overwhelmed her. She rushed to the sink just in time. "I'm so sorry," she apologised profusely, as Dr. Hill handed her a glass of water and some tissues.

  "No need for apologies, my dear, it can't be helped." He clearly hadn't registered his patient's distress at the confirmation of her pregnancy.

  "What happens now?" she managed to whisper as she slowly sipped the cool water.

  "We'll need to organise a mid-wife and ante natal care for you, my dear. Hmm, from the dates you have given me and bearing in mind that your periods tend to be quite irregular, I believe you are nine weeks preg
nant. Obviously, we shall take a blood test just to get that confirmed absolutely."

  "What stage is the baby at now?" she asked.

  "Your baby's face, hands and feet are beginning to develop now," Dr. Hill smiled, "and they will be fully formed by week twelve."

  She sniffed in an effort to hold back her tears and the sudden lump in her throat. She sipped some more water and gulped loudly.

  "We must also remember that you are an older mother so we will need to take a little extra care of you during this delicate time." He patted her knee reassuringly. "First things first, you’ll need to start taking folic acid and some vitamin D supplements." Dr. Hill got out his notepad and began scribbling at speed. He rummaged about in his desk and pulled out several leaflets with more information for Rebecca to read. "I shall make an appointment at the hospital for your first scan as soon as possible," he continued, half talking to himself and half talking to Rebecca. "I highly recommend attending your ante natal classes. Your midwife will discuss breastfeeding tips, nutrition, diet and exercises. It's important to remain as active as possible throughout your pregnancy, as the fitter you are the easier the labour and weight loss afterwards. You'll be seeing your midwife about eight times from week sixteen, more often if you or your baby is having any problems."

  "What happens next?" Rebecca managed to ask.

  "I'll arrange for the midwife to contact you and you should be having your first ultrasound within the next week or two," Dr. Hill explained. "We should be able to determine conclusively when your baby is due from the scan and how many babies you are carrying."

  "Pardon!" she cried, quickly snapping out of her daze. "What do you mean, how many babies?" "You never know, Mrs. McNamara, it may be a multiple birth. Your scan will confirm this. Your second scan will take place when you are about twenty weeks. This ultrasound will check for any anomalies or structural abnormalities in your baby. I'm sure you remember from your first pregnancy that these scans are completely painless and have no known side effects on mother or baby."

  Rebecca sat there, watching him. She felt numb and found herself smiling and nodding mechanically. Her mind and heart were racing. It was real now. She was officially pregnant, possibly with twins or triplets! One baby at a time was more than enough, too much, she thought. Dr. Hill handed her several leaflets. "Remember to take it easy, Mrs. McNamara," he continued, "plenty of rest, fresh fruit and vegetables, water and your supplements. Some gentle exercise is also important. No smoking or alcohol, obviously. Your midwife will be in touch with you shortly. Do you have any questions for me?"

  "No, I think you've explained everything, thank you doctor."

  "My pleasure.” He beamed at her. "Take care of yourself my dear."

  She nodded again and made her way towards the door, shoving the leaflets into her handbag. "Mrs. McNamara?"

  Rebecca turned to look at him before opening the door.

  "Congratulations."

  Rebecca smiled tightly and quickly left the surgery. She couldn't get to the privacy of her car fast enough. Her mind and heart were racing. It was real now. She was officially pregnant, possibly with twins or triplets! Congratulations to me.

  Chapter 19

  "You know I love you, don't you?" Colm looked directly at his wife as she fluttered about the kitchen getting the children's lunches ready for school.

  "I love you too, darling," Jackie replied automatically, as she expertly wrapped sandwiches whilst simultaneously balancing baby Charlotte on her slim hip.

  He took her hand for a minute and said it again, "I mean it, I really love you."

  "Me too, darling.” Jackie was beginning to feel a little unsettled by the intensity of her husband's words and the earnest look in his eyes.

  "Why don't we do something together today, just the two of us?" he suggested.

  "I'd love to, darling, but I can't," Jackie replied quickly. “I promised Shona I'd spend the morning with her and I simply can't cancel. She's in a terrible state about Mark."

  "Of course," Colm answered quietly. He sipped his strong, black coffee and buried himself in the morning newspaper.

  "Rain-check, darling?" Jackie kissed him lightly on the lips as she gathered the children and their school paraphernalia together and bustled them into the car. She was glad of the distraction that Emmet and Charlotte provided. She could sense something wasn't quite right with her husband and she had too much on her mind to deal with it at the moment.

  "Sure," he sniffed. He slowly finished his coffee and gazed unseeingly out of the kitchen window. He felt utterly desolate and alone. He didn't want to believe that his beloved wife was cheating on him, but there were too many indications to the contrary. She was unusually happy and chirpy, she had started dressing sexily, her interest in sex had increased dramatically and her attitude towards him was quite distant and slightly dismissive. She had suddenly developed a new-found interest in her friends and was becoming ever-more evasive towards him.

  His phone rang suddenly, breaking his train of thought. It was Kevin, his old school friend.

  "Hi Kev mate," Colm answered.

  "Hiya mate, do you fancy coming to Kilkenny with me at the weekend for a stag party?"

  "No, I'm not really in the mood.”

  "Ah come on, it's been months since we've had a lads night out. I'm sure Jackie won't mind having the place to herself for the weekend."

  "Hmmm, that's what I'm afraid of."

  "What's up with you?" Kevin asked, detecting the disconsolate note in his old friend's voice.

  "I think Jackie might be cheating on me."

  "Gees, mate, are you sure?"

  "I'm not sure, but I'm fairly certain," Colm responded feeling slightly irritated. "She's been dressing a lot sexier lately and not answering her phone for hours sometimes. I don't know what it is exactly, but she's changed towards me. I picked up her phone the other day and she'd had a call from The Four Seasons Hotel."

  "It doesn't necessarily mean anything, mate. You know what women are like; they're always changing their image and their attitude."

  "No, there’s something different about this."

  "Well, why don't you tell her that you're going out with the lads on Saturday, which will give her plenty of time to organise something and then we can follow her, see what she gets up to if anything."

  "I don’t know," Colm sounded doubtful.

  "I know I'd want to know one way or the other if my wife was cheating on me," Kevin insisted. "Thanks mate, I'll let you know." Colm hung up the phone. He put his head in his hands and could feel a thumping migraine coming on. He wished he could quiet his doubts and his racing mind. Kevin was right. He had to know one way or the other, not knowing was tormenting him too much. He grabbed his mobile phone before he could change his mind and texted Jackie that he was going out for a few drinks in Kilkenny on Saturday night with Kevin and that he'd be staying overnight. The kettle had barely finished boiling for his second cup of coffee when his mobile beeped Jackie's text reply.

  "No problem, darling, it's been a while since you've had a boys' night out. Xxx.”

  Then he texted Kevin and confirmed their plans. He didn't know what he would do if his worst fears were indeed confirmed. Saturday night would either be the beginning or the ending of his life as he knew it.

  ~~**~~

  Jackie sat in her car and stared at her mobile phone. She was willing herself to call Sean and arrange to meet him on Saturday night. Colm had given her the perfect opportunity to meet Sean and end things with him. She would confront him and ask him if he was indeed Mark. She shuddered at the thought. He was her sister's lover and her lover too. The thought made her want to step out of her skin. She texted Sean and arranged to meet him at The Four Seasons on the following Saturday night. He replied before she'd started the engine.

  "Wear something sexy," he texted.

  She felt enthralled and repulsed at the same time. There was something just so magnetic about Sean. She'd find it difficult to resist him an
d even more difficult to end their relationship, but she believed that it had to be done. She couldn't risk Shona finding out. She knew it would destroy her sister.

  Chapter 20

  "Turn a little more to the left, baby, chin up, that's it, perfect, gorgeous!" Mark instructed Penelope as he snapped his camera over every angle of her beautiful face and body.

  Her long black hair was piled high on top of her head and hung in loose tendrils around her face. She was wrapped in a sheet of delicate silk through which could be seen her erect nipples and long, naked legs. She wore the highest pair of heels that Mark had ever seen which caused her to stick her pert bum out. He could look at her all day long, she was so gorgeous.

  "All finished, darling," Mark said, at last, rubbing his neck.

  They'd been in the studio most of the morning, working on Penelope's portfolio and Mark's neck and shoulders were aching. He was also absolutely ravenous as he had left home before dawn. He hadn't wanted to wake Rebecca, who had been in the most peculiar mood the previous day.

  He could sense that there was trouble brewing between them and he really didn't relish the prospect of having a blazing argument with her. He felt vaguely guilty for his "indiscretions" as he liked to refer to them, but any guilt was quickly dismissed by his belief that what his wife didn't know couldn't possibly hurt her.

  "How did I do?" Penelope asked coyly as she walked towards him, letting the sheet slip from her naked body as she walked. She sashayed across the floor and all Mark could do was watch her, breathless. No woman had ever had this effect on him. He'd been with beautiful women before, but there had been nobody quite like Penelope. There was something other worldly, ethereal about her. She completely entranced him. He knew that he didn't love her but he was madly in lust with her, maybe even infatuated with her.