The Rose Garden Read Online Free PDF Page B

encouragingly. ‘You’ll fill your life with other things … keep busy … It’s what I do.’
    ‘Oh Roz, I’m sorry – I didn’t think.’
    ‘Come on, let’s have a nice brandy before we go to sleep,’ Roz offered. ‘I’ve organized for us to meet Helen and Anna for lunch in the National Gallery tomorrow. They’ve that new Walter Osborne exhibition on.’
    ‘Well, I couldn’t miss that!’ Molly teased, slowly sipping the warming brandy.

Chapter 7
    LUNCH IN THE GALLERY WITH THE GIRLS WAS FUN. SHE AND ROZ and Helen and Anna had all known each for years and the girls had been so supportive of her since David’s death.
    ‘We’re thinking of going to Italy next spring for a few days. Why don’t you come too?’ asked Anna, who had gone through a messy divorce about six years ago. ‘There’s so much to do and see, with galleries and places to visit.’
    ‘Plus lots of nice meals and vino! It will be a laugh,’ promised Helen.
    ‘Let me think about it,’ she smiled, suspecting this lunch was a bit of a ready-up. She hadn’t been on holiday without David for years, but if she were to go away, this sounded exactly the type of holiday she would like – no couples, just the girls.
    ‘It would do you good!’ said Roz firmly.
    After lunch she had mooched around Grafton Street and bought a new dress for herself.
    ‘No black!’ Roz had urged, passing her a soft, oyster-coloured shift dress from the rail in Pamela Scott’s. She had tried it on and was surprised how well it fitted. She must have dropped a dress size without even trying.
    ‘But where would I wear it?’ she worried.
    ‘In Italy!’ laughed Roz, persuading her to buy it.
    Afterwards Roz had disappeared off to give a lecture to some Japanese exchange students. ‘It will be all questions about fairiesand leprechauns, no matter what I tell them!’ she sighed. ‘Listen, I’ll see you at home later, okay?’
    Molly wandered around town, taking in the shops and the crowds, the buskers playing on Grafton Street. She loved Dublin; it was such a great city, full of music and heart.
    As the shops started to close for the night she walked towards O’Connell Bridge and up along the busy quays towards Doyle’s, the restaurant where she was meeting Grace. She went up a few steps and was shown to a table beside the window, where the waitress brought her a jug of water and the menu. She had just started to read it when Grace arrived in a flurry of long legs in skinny jeans, a fitted suede jacket and a tumble of golden-red hair, the exact same colour as her dad’s.
    ‘Hi Mum,’ she said, hugging her tightly. ‘You look great! What have you been doing all day?’
    ‘Lunch with a few of the girls and a bit of shopping – I even bought a dress.’
    Grace peeked in the bag.
    ‘And I love your new jacket!’ Molly exclaimed.
    ‘Vintage – only eighteen euro in the market near Christchurch,’ smiled her daughter proudly.
    ‘How are things?’
    ‘Great, Mum, everything is great,’ said Grace, flopping down across from her. ‘College is fine, the house is fine, though our landlady is a bit of a weirdo. She’s always coming in to check on things.’
    ‘That’s not right.’
    ‘I know, but the house is so handy. I can cycle or get a bus to college and our road is full of student houses so there are great parties … So we’re all planning to rent it again next year.’
    ‘And what about while you’re away during the summer?’ pressed Molly.
    ‘I’m only away backpacking for six weeks, but Sophie andNiamh will still be there and when we get back they’ll be going to Greece. So it will all work out, don’t worry!’
    Molly did worry – about rent money and about her daughter heading off around Europe with a gang of friends, planning on sleeping on trains, beaches and in the odd hostel as they backpacked around Holland, Germany, France, Italy and Croatia.
    The waitress came and took their orders, both of them opting for the dish of the