Page 164 - The Letter By Ann Newhouse

As I described the new set of nursery paintings I was working on, James seemed more interested in Sherry telling him her story of how she left the Emerald Isle and ended up in Devon. Conveniently omitting her marriage to Brian. And not mention of Paul. I left them chatting and went into the office to pick up my recent cheque. As we were leaving and wishing them a Happy New Year I witnessed a slip of paper swiftly exchanging hands between James and Sherry.
As Lilli had fallen asleep I suggested going for lunch to a little Bistro where we could talk. As we ate lunch Sherry confessed she wasn’t really happy being with Paul, his attitude towards Jenny, making out she was being childish and jealous.
‘I think he really likes her and for some reason won’t admit it’, she looked at me I think she wanted me to tell her she was being silly.
‘I understand’, I confessed, ‘at the beginning of our relationship she flirted with Rex nonstop under my nose, I got angry with Rex because he laughed at me and said he had no interest but admitted to enjoying the attention. The only difference is he dated her and told her he was not interested and that he wanted me it took a while, but she got the message’.
Sherry nodded understanding.
‘When Paul’s wife died’, I continued, ‘she turned her attention on him again. She can still rile me, I have to admit, sometimes even when she hasn’t done anything’. Taking a sip of my coffee I realized I was jealous of her youth and confessed this to Sherry, ‘only the other night I got angry with Rex because he complemented her saying she was smart and good looking. I knew how stupid and childish I was being’. We both looked at each other and went into a fit of giggles. Suddenly realizing how silly we both had been.