The Lake

The man’s speech was slurred, as if he were crying, or drunk, or possibly both. But the line was clearer and Peggy recognized Tom Devereaux’s voice, pleading. She glanced back up at Carla, who was stalking across the room towards her, eyes burning. The handset was snatched from her hand and she was met with the back of Carla’s head. She hesitated for a moment, before moving away from her sister, and back behind the bar. Coleman had returned and was hoisting himself back up onto his stool.

‘You’re drunk.’ Carla spat the words into the receiver; her head bowed low, her back to the bar. Peggy hovered, moving glasses unnecessarily around on a shelf beneath the bar. She caught Frank’s eye, but his face was expressionless.

‘You’re full of shite, Tom.’ The tirade continued behind her. ‘Off home with you now. I’m sure she’ll have your dinner waiting.’

Peggy wasn’t shocked at her sister’s tone exactly, more at the fact that some other person could be on the receiving end of it. She’d assumed that Carla only spoke to her siblings like that. She almost pitied Tom Devereaux. He might be an adulterous ass, but she couldn’t wish Carla’s ire on anyone. She looked at Frank who seemed to be concentrating on looking disinterested. Coleman was busy muttering nothing good into his pint glass.

‘Don’t you dare Tom.’ Carla’s voice was getting louder. Peggy looked anxiously around the room, but no one seemed to be taking any heed of her.

‘It’s bad enough I’ll have to look at you on Monday morning. Go to bed. Sleep it off. With your wife.’

The handset was slammed up against the phone and Carla stood staring at it for a moment. Suddenly, she swung around and glared at Peggy, her eyes blazing.

‘What?’ she spat at her. ‘What are you looking at?’ Then she seemed to notice Frank watching her, and she turned and walked through the door leading to the house. Peggy watched her go. She considered following her for a second, but quickly decided against it. Turning back to the bar, she looked at Frank.

‘That’s Carla. She’s the quiet, reserved one.’

Frank smiled at her. ‘So how many of you are there?’

‘Four.’ Peggy lifted a mineral glass from the little draining board next to the sink under the bar and started to polish it dry. ‘Two brothers, Carla, and me.’ She smiled. ‘I’m the baby.’

‘I see.’ Frank twisted his pint glass on the bar. Peggy noticed his eyelashes. They were long and fair. Not blond, but fair. Funny, she thought. She’d never noticed any man’s eyelashes before.

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