Page 31 of Perfect Wives
‘I was born in Kilkenny, near Cork,’ she replies, ‘but we’ve lived in England since I was thirteen.’
Marc steps forward then, his hand held out. ‘And I’m Marc, Tasha’s husband.’
She smiles. ‘Nice to meet you.’
Then the shock of her appearance must wear thin because I register what she’s said. Rowan had chicken pox. Could Keira have it now? I step back, pressing a hand to my stomach. Not wanting to catch something that could harm my baby. Keira’s eyes track the movement, her brows arching.
‘I’m pregnant,’ I say, my voice sharper than I intend.
‘I know, and don’t worry, I had it as a kid.’
‘What do you mean, you know?’
‘It was obvious,’ she replies. You weren’t drinking at the pub, and you kept turning a funny shade of green and running off to the bathroom. It wasn’t hard to figure out. What are you, four months?’
‘Three,’ I correct, wrapping my coat tight around myself as my pulse starts to race. There’s something about Keira that puts me on edge.
‘Sure it’s not twins? You’re big for three months.’ Keira winks then laughs at the confusion on my face. ‘I was a midwife before I had Rowan and started my own business. I’m not some random woman who goes around telling women they look more pregnant than they actually are.’
A midwife. I guess that’s how she saw what Georgie and Tasha have missed in the last few months. Although I can’tblame them. Georgie does everything at two hundred miles an hour. Tasha is so consumed by her parents and the girls that she barely remembers to brush her hair. It doesn’t matter anyway. They know now, and they’re happy for me.
‘Anyway,’ Keira continues, stretching her arms above her head like she’s just rolled out of bed, ‘I’m so sorry I missed the quiz night. I totally forgot until I was getting into bed. My brain’s been nothing but calamine lotion and CBeebies for the last week.’ She laughs, but the moment she takes in our expressions, her smile falters. ‘Is everything OK? You all look like you’ve seen a ghost.’
It’s Nate who answers. ‘One of our neighbours died this week. We found out last night. It’s hit us all hard.’
Keira’s eyes widen. ‘Oh.’
Georgie launches in then, explaining about the police and the investigation and just how awful it is. She’s speaking fast, barely drawing breath, but I notice she doesn’t say Jonny’s name.
‘That’s awful,’ Keira says, her gaze moving to each of us in turn.
A shout rings out across the playground, drawing our attention. Another dad waves to Nate, and he and Marc step away to say hello. As they move, I feel the weight of Keira’s gaze settle on us, her expression unreadable, but the question in her eyes sends a ripple of unease through me.
‘Your neighbour who died…it was Jonny, wasn’t it?’ Keira says, eyebrows raised again.
Georgie nods.
‘That’s scary.’ Then her expression shifts. ‘I assume you haven’t told anyone about our little chat at the pub?’
Keira holds my gaze like she’s trying to read something in me.
‘Why would we?’ I ask as a finger of cold traces down my spine. ‘It was only a joke.’
She opens her mouth to reply, but then Mrs Gardner, the head teacher, is striding towards us, calling out to Keira and Rowan, hand waving, smile wide.
Just before Keira turns to greet her, she steps closer, eyes darting between the three of us before landing on Georgie. ‘Joke or not, can you imagine if anyone found out?’ she says before whirling round, shaking Mrs Gardner’s hand and introducing Rowan.
They move through the crowds of parents and children, and I stare after her, my pulse thudding in my ears.
‘What the hell?’ Tasha whispers. ‘Did that feel like a threat to anyone else?’
‘What do you mean?’ Georgie asks.
‘The way she said, “Can you imagine if anyone found out?”’
‘I don’t think she meant it like that,’ Georgie says, but there’s something in her voice, some tiny fracture of doubt, that tells me she isn’t sure.
I shake my head. All I can think about is that moment when Nate told her about Jonny’s death. She didn’t even flinch. It was like she already knew.
