PART II
Chapter Five.
There were so many stories about Quentins, it was hard to sort out which they could use and which to throw away. Setting up a movie seemed to cost a great deal of money. They pored over their budget with anxious faces. Sandy had some money in a savings account which she willingly put into the fund. Nick mortgaged his flat and raised a reasonable sum. But, of course, if they were going to make a film that would win prizes and awards, they would have to have high production values and it would mean asking for serious finance from the King Foundation. They had received their application form and took great care over filling it in.
Til have to work much harder than you two because I have nothing to invest," Ella said. "So today I brought us a bottle of champagne that a customer gave me in Colm's last night. Imagine, he said he didn't want to insult me with money! If he only knew how ready I was to be insulted with money."
They laughed as they got great tumblers and poured it out. They toasted Firefly Films, Quentins, and the King Foundation in New York.
When they had finished the bottle of champagne, Nick had said they must be realistic. They were looking for something that was way out of their league. "It's not Mickey Mouse money this time," he said, frowning.
Sandy tried to make light of it. She hated to see Nick frown. "Don't knock Mickey Mouse. He made a lot of money for Walt Disney in his time," she said.
He grinned feebly. "Sandy, I'm only saying aloud what we're all thinking. Maybe we can come up with another terrific idea. Ella got us this far. All we need is another leap now."
Ella saw the shadow pass over Sandy's face. "I didn't get us very far. It was Sandy who wrote out the whole proposal that won the pitch. And in addition, as soon as this champagne's finished I'm going to have to leave you and look for more paid work with other people. I hate to do it, but you know the scene."
"Are your parents in the shed yet?" Nick asked.
"Yes, we all are, but we actually call it the Annexe, to make ourselves feel better."
"Is it very cramped?" Sandy wanted to know.
"Not too bad, amazingly. Colm knew some builder in the early days, and they do each other favours. Anyway, this fellow built us a grand place with lots of windows in the roof so at least there's plenty of light coming in and there's a whole bank of storage lockups so that my mother can keep things for when we get out of debt again. I even put my things in there."
"And will you? Ever get out of debt?" Nick was blunt.
"I don't know. I wouldn't think so, but it's a start, and my father's calmed down again. For a while I thought he was going to be in a mental home. People know he's doing his utmost to pay them back and that's a help. And two of the flats are already occupied in what we now call the Main House; two more ready by the end of next week. That's not a bad recovery." She forced her voice to sound cheerful.
Sandy and Nick nodded with respect. Compared to what the Bradys were going through, their own problems were small. They would find the money for their project, or they wouldn't - at least they didn't owe real money to anyone.
"What work are you going to do?" Nick asked.
"Deirdre's got me a part-time job up in her lab. I've got two nights a week waitressing in Colm's, two nights a week for Scarlet Feather - you know, your pals Tom and Cathy - weekends in Quentins and, wait for it, two hours a week teaching a pair of twins maths and basic science. They're something else, those two. They keep asking me am I part of the New Poor. I don't know where they heard the expression, but they love it."
"Doesn't sound as if there's much time for a social life," Nick said.
"Oh, Nick, I've had as much social life in the last two years as any girl needs!" she laughed "wryly.
"Was it as long as that?" He seemed disappointed that her affair had gone on for such a time.
"Give or take a bit," she said. "In my case, mainly give, but who's counting?" Afterwards Sandy asked her very confidentially, "Do you think Nick likes me at all, Ella, or am I just wasting my time?"
"Oh, I think he likes you a great deal, Sandy. But I beg of you, don't listen to me, what do I know about men and what they like and don't like? Nothing, that's what I know." Deirdre said that Nuala was coming over next week. "Great, let's get a bottle of wine each and entertain her," Ella said. "But wait, it will have to be after midnight or between four and six Wednesday and Saturday."
"Oh, God, I can't wait till you're back in teaching and have normal hours again."
"I'm not going back," Ella said.
"Of course you are."
"I can't afford to," Ella said simply. "Why don't we say we'll have a picnic in Stephen's Green? Nuala would like that, then I can get back to Quentins at six."
"I'll check it out," Deirdre said. "Bad news, Ella. I'm going to give it to you straight. Nuala doesn't want to meet you in Stephen's Green."
"Okay, where does she suggest?"
"This is the hard bit. She doesn't want to meet you at all."
"I don't believe you."
"It's what the lady says."
"Has she gone soft in the head or something?"
"It's to do with Don. Her husband and his brothers lost a lot of money because of Mr. Richardson. Apparently she's feeling a bit sore about it."
"Well, I'm sure she is, and so are a lot of other innocent people, but why doesn't she want to meet met I haven't got her bloody money." Ella was hurt and angry. "Oh, I don't know, some garbled thing about you having a fine time out in Spanish hotels with Frank's money."
"Isn't she a weak slob? Couldn't I do the same to her, moan and groan and say that it was at her awful in-laws" party that I met Don and ruined my life?"
"Leave it, Ella. She's not worth it."
"But you're still going to meet her?"
"Not if you don't want me to."
"Oh, meet her, for God's sake. What do I care?"
"Ella, come on now!"
"No, I don't care. What does one more small-minded, petty self seeker matter?"
"She used to be our pal."
"She's forgotten that pretty quickly."
Til tell you what she says," Deirdre sighed.
"If you must."
Til take her to Quentins, some time you're not working there."
"Yeah, make sure I'm not working when she's there. I've a neat way with very hot soup straight into someone's lap," said Ella. It was Ella's weekly lunchtime lesson with Simon and Maud. They lived with their grandparents in St Jarlath's Crescent. They were bright enough, but had missed out on some mathematics teaching. They were some kind of cousins of Cathy Scarlet. Ella had learned never to ask for too much detail. But then, she had never met children like Simon and Maud before. They insisted on telling her their whole life story and that they were really related to Cathy's ex-husband, the lawyer Neil Mitchell, but that through a lot of adventures and eventually court orders, they were now living with Cathy's mother and father, Muttie and Lizzie.
They had a dog called Hooves, who had a limp. They had a brother who "was on the run from the police in several countries. They had their own passports, which they had needed because they'd been to Chicago to dance at a christening party. On the plane, they had been allowed up to the flight deck. In Chicago they had . . .
"Sure, but I think we'd better get down to the algebra before I hear any more."
"Are we boring you?" Simon asked very earnestly. "People say we go on a bit."
"No, you're not boring at all," Ella said truthfully. "It's just that I am being paid proper money to teach you, and I don't want to cheat your grandparents or whatever."