5 Peppermint Grove Read Online Free

school yesterday. Charlotte is only five and she told me that she hated me yesterday and that I was the worst mother in the world.” Odette sobbed harder. “I wish they were babies again and really needed me.”
    Julia was knocked for six. She had never seen her sister like this before. She really needed to talk to her in greater detail about how she felt. She wasn’t dressed as perkily as she normally would be which made Julia wonder if she was slightly depressed. But what had she to be depressed about? She would find out.
    “Put your coat on, we’re going for a nice lunch.”
    Odette blinked back the tears and looked up at her sister. “Thanks, Julia.”
    Julia felt so loved and needed. She would take her sister to a lovely little deli on Wicklow Street and fix her!
     
    Ruth was the second caller to Julia’s office – she arrived just before five o’clock.
    “Can I see Julia, Gillian?” she asked the receptionist.
    “Yes, I’ll call her now.”
    Gillian spoke with Julia – then told Ruth to go ahead.
    Julia was putting the last details of her summer brochure to rest and had recently introduced cruises into the catalogue.
    “Hi, Ruth,” she said, signing off the last few samples and getting up to give her friend a hug. “Did Tourism Ireland call you?”
    Ruth nodded. “Thanks so much, Julia. I can’t believe how well connected you are – well, actually, I can believe it – but I have an interview next week.”
    “Good!” Julia smiled smugly. “And any word from Ian?”
    Ruth quickly changed the subject. “And I need help finding something to wear for the interview.”
    Julia looked at her phone. Almost five – she could go. She had done a good day’s work in the office and she had time to spare as this was Carol’s bridge night (bridge night out , that is) and her grandfather liked to just get a Chinese for himself.
    “Right, we’re taking a walk around Grafton Street.”
    “Great – I don’t know where to start!”
    “River Island – if we don’t get fixed up there we can try BT’s. Fancy a bite to eat after?”
    “Oh yes.” Ruth smiled – she felt so much better now that Julia was there to sort her out.
     
    Chapter Three
     
    Seven o’clock in Singapore. Michael turned over in his bed and sighed. He could go to the gym before work or he could think about her! Against his better instinct he closed his eyes and pictured the lovely Lydia. With her straight blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes, people often mistook her for a Swede. But she was very much an Irish girl and one who knew how to light up a room with her presence. She was clever and witty and intelligent and why he had never asked her to marry him baffled him. He would be forty soon and was beginning to wonder what he was doing with his life. He had ridden the Celtic Tiger for the first half of the noughties and split as things went sour in the economy. Coming to Singapore had been a good decision – he now owned his apartment in Sutton and could live there if and when he decided to return to Dublin. But the last two years had felt shallow and were now at the point of becoming monotonous. It wasn’t too late to call Julia. She would throw some light on his situation and help him clear his head.
    “Hey, sis,” he called into the laptop.
    Her Skype clicked on.
    “Michael!” Julia was surprised. She loved the fact that she could see his face as she spoke with him even though he was on the other side of the world.
    “I’m thinking of coming home for a holiday soon.”
    “But it’s so near Christmas – can’t you come home for that?”
    “It’s not easy – not a Christian country over here – you know that.”
    “But I thought by now you would get the time – Mum would love to see you sooner though . .  .” She paused. “Actually cancel that – Mum doesn’t seem to have time for anyone at the moment unless they play bridge!”
    Michael laughed. “How’s Granddad?”
    “Good – he’s thinking of taking