"What a beautiful house you have, Mrs. Walsh."

"Thank you, yes. Well, it was very good of you to come. You're a very helpful girl, they all tell me."

"That's nice to hear!" Ania felt her face go pink with pleasure.

"So I suggest you give them a hand in the kitchen," Rosemary Walsh said.

"The kitchen?" Ania was startled.

"Yes, out that way, towards the back." Mrs. Walsh was shepherding her out.

Ania didn't want to leave the little gla.s.s dish on the table. "Your present, Mrs. Walsh?" she said, trying to reach for it.

"Go on, dear, don't keep them waiting. They're dying for some help."

"Help?" Ania was bewildered.

"Washing-up, dear. Hurry now."

This couldn't be right. She had a printed invitation. n.o.body could have thought she was coming to do the washing-up. Is this what Carl had meant when he said that naturally she would be at his parents' party? That he couldn't do it without her? He had meant she would be working in the kitchen?

She felt she had no choice but to do as she was told.

There was n.o.body in the kitchen. The waiters were all out serving the buffet. Some gla.s.ses had been brought back and the colored plates and trays that had held the canapes were on the table.

Sadly Ania filled a sink with soapy water and began to wash the gla.s.ses. She was polishing them by the time a tall young woman came in.

"Hi, I'm Cathy" she said. "Who are you?"

"I'm Ania," she said in a low voice.

"And what are you doing washing the dishes?"

"I am helping you."

"No, no. We stack all these in racks and put them into our van. They get washed back at base."

"But Mrs. Walsh said-"

"Mrs. Walsh is a horse's a.s.s!" Cathy said.

"A what?"

"It doesn't matter."

Just then a tall, handsome man came into the kitchen. Cathy spoke to him. She sounded very angry.

"Tom, this is Ania. That cow sent her in here to do the washing-up."

Ania was upset to have caused all this trouble. "You see, I thought I was a guest but actually I was the help," she said.

Tom and Cathy exchanged looks.

"We'll get you back into that room at once!" Cathy said.

"No, please, please please, please don't upset Mrs. Walsh any more. I have already annoyed her by coming here. Her son invited me and I must have misunderstood." don't upset Mrs. Walsh any more. I have already annoyed her by coming here. Her son invited me and I must have misunderstood."

"Where's the son? I'll find him." Tom was all action.

"I beg you not to," Ania said. "Really, I am begging you on my knees. It would make everything so much worse. Just let me stay here. I can put the plates into the racks if you show me." She was holding Cathy's arm as she spoke.

"But her son? Your friend?" Cathy said.

"... would think I am even more stupid than I am. I am happy to help here and then I will go away."

Her beautiful lace sleeves were all wet and soapy from the washing-up.

"This is all wrong," Tom said.

"Sometimes that's the way things are. All wrong," Ania said.

Tom and Cathy were supervising the lobster and salmon buffet and preparing to wheel it into the main room. The twins were carrying the trays round. The bar waiter was opening two kinds of wine and the waitress was laying out the plates and cutlery.

The party was in full swing.

There would be no speeches and no cake. Rosemary had read that such things were vulgar and nouveau riche. Bobby had wanted to tell everyone how happy they had been, but she had won that battle. Much more sophisticated to let people see see their happiness rather than braying about it. their happiness rather than braying about it.

Fiona looked around for Ania and couldn't see her. She must have gone to the ladies' room or maybe she had found Carl. But no, Carl was there chatting away to a group. He came to greet Fiona.

"Where's Ania?" he asked.

"I left her out on the balcony," Fiona said, and they went back out together to look. But there was no sign of her.

"She's looking terrific. She could be a model," Fiona said.

"She's very beautiful, yes." Carl was straining to see where she could be. Suddenly Fiona saw the small unopened gift on a side table.

"This is where she must have been standing after I left her. I'll take the parcel in case she wasn't able to deliver it properly. Let's find Declan and go and see if we can find her." But Ania was nowhere to be found.

Eventually Carl and Fiona went into the kitchen.

"Can I help you?" Cathy had quite liked the young man at first, but now she felt only scorn for him.

"I was just looking for a friend," he said.

"Ania?"

"Yes, yes," he answered quickly. "Is she all right?"

"I think so. Yes."

"But where is she? I've been looking for her all over."

"She's gone home," Tom said.

"But was she sick? Is she okay?"

Cathy shrugged. "Not particularly now. She ruined her dress doing the washing-up."

"What the h.e.l.l was she doing the washing-up for?" His face was very angry.

"Your mother asked her to help us. It wasn't necessary, but then a taxi came with more ice and we sent her home in that."

"No, no. She can't have gone home. My mother surely never asked her ..." no. She can't have gone home. My mother surely never asked her ..."

"Oh, she did, Mr. Walsh," Cathy said. "And Ania didn't want us to call you," she added.

"I am going to go into that room and punch Rosemary's lights out!" Fiona said. "Okay, Carl, so she is is your mother, but this really is going too far." your mother, but this really is going too far."

His face was like stone. "No need. I'll do it myself," he said.

"Carl?" Fiona was nervous now.

"Not physically. Relax."

"There are still people there. Maybe you should sort of wait."

"Go home now, Fiona. Take Declan with you. Make a big fuss about how late it is. That's what would help."

"Don't forget that your father-"

"I won't forget that. Please, Fiona, go."

She and Declan stood in the hall shouting good-bye to people until finally the remaining guests realized that the party was over.

The Scarlet Feather vans had been stacked and were revving up to leave. Maud and Simon waved excitedly from the front seat. Declan's taxi was waiting.

"Was it a good night?" the taxi driver asked.

"No, it was s.h.i.tty, actually," Fiona said.

"Oh, well, you can't win them all," the driver said, shrugging.

This smartly dressed young couple, going to a party at a house that was worth at least three million and they still still couldn't enjoy themselves. That was life in modern Ireland for you. couldn't enjoy themselves. That was life in modern Ireland for you.

Ania was so grateful to the kind catering people who had got her out the back door so quickly and without fuss. Apparently there had been some misunderstanding, where they they thought the Walshes were arranging the ice and the Walshes thought that Scarlet Feather was doing it. Cathy had cut through any problems by ordering a taxi to deliver four bags of it. thought the Walshes were arranging the ice and the Walshes thought that Scarlet Feather was doing it. Cathy had cut through any problems by ordering a taxi to deliver four bags of it.

It hadn't been the only misunderstanding that night.

How could could I have been so foolish? A I have been so foolish? Ania. wondered, as she sat in the back of the taxi. Carl was just being nice giving her an invitation. They had always meant for her to come and help. Her face burned with the shame of it all. wondered, as she sat in the back of the taxi. Carl was just being nice giving her an invitation. They had always meant for her to come and help. Her face burned with the shame of it all.

The taxi pulled up in her street and she got out. "Are you sure I don't have to pay you?" she asked fearfully.

"No, they pay by the month. You're all right."

Please, may there be no one around, Ania prayed. Everyone in the restaurant knew she was going to this party. She had shown them her outfit only a few hours ago. She managed to slip through the door and up the stairs without catching anyone's eye. The flat was dark and quiet. Ania lay down on her bed and let the tears come. She sobbed until her ribs ached. Then she stood up and took off her new dress. She put it on a hanger, the sleeves, of course, totally ruined. When she felt strong enough she would take them out, but now she had other things to do. Ania prayed. Everyone in the restaurant knew she was going to this party. She had shown them her outfit only a few hours ago. She managed to slip through the door and up the stairs without catching anyone's eye. The flat was dark and quiet. Ania lay down on her bed and let the tears come. She sobbed until her ribs ached. Then she stood up and took off her new dress. She put it on a hanger, the sleeves, of course, totally ruined. When she felt strong enough she would take them out, but now she had other things to do.

She dressed in her jeans, sweater and anorak, then took out a big plastic wallet of money from under her mattress. She looked through the bundles of euros with unseeing eyes.

The last guest had gone. Carl helped his father get up from his armchair. Carl looked at the long, curving staircase. It would be a challenge.

"Would you like to sleep downstairs, Dad, rather than facing that journey up?"

"You know, I would, son." Bobby Walsh had a sofa bed in his small study, near the kitchen. It seemed very tempting.

"I'll run up for your pajamas and dressing gown."

Rosemary Walsh was touring the house, peering behind objects in case gla.s.ses or cutlery had been overlooked. She examined the kitchen carefully. They had been true to their word, these caterers-everything was left in pristine condition. The unused food had been wrapped, labeled and installed in either fridge or freezer. She jumped when Carl spoke right beside her.

"Mother, can you come into the front room, please. I want to talk to you."

"Can't we talk here?"

"No. Dad is sleeping in the study and I don't want to disturb him."

"You shouldn't encourage him to take the easy option. He'll never get better if he doesn't make an effort."

"The other room, Mother."

Rosemary shrugged.

Carl sat on a tall chair.

"That's not very comfortable."

"I don't feel very comfortable," he said.

"What is is it, Carl? We're all tired. Can't it wait until tomorrow? The party went well, didn't it?" it, Carl? We're all tired. Can't it wait until tomorrow? The party went well, didn't it?"

He said nothing.

"I mean, they were expensive, those Scarlet Feather people, but they did deliver. And I suppose they were polite to the guests, even if a little lacking in charm to those who actually pay them."

"They brought enough staff, then?"

"Yes, they had two odd young people who were apparently trainees. We didn't have to pay for them, and do you know, they turned out to be relations of the Mitch.e.l.ls, the law family."

"So there were plenty of hands on deck?"