A Silver Lining by Christine Murray Read Free Book Online Page B

Jude’s, a secondary school for girls in the heart of the estate, with an atrocious academic reputation. Daniel couldn’t understand why she continued to work there, and was always on at her to change her career. With her college results she could work in a large company, like her sister Charlotte did, he urged. She’d make better money and have an easier life. Maybe he had a point, but Rose really loved her job. It was challenging, sure, but that was part of what she loved about it.
    Rose manoeuvred carefully into her parking space. Across the car park she saw Frankie standing outside the front door, without a cigarette in her hand, which was unusual for her. Rose raised a hand in greeting and Frankie hurried over.
    ‘Well you certainly took your time,’ Frankie complained as she climbed into the passenger seat.
    ‘And good morning to you too,’ Rose said drily.
    ‘I need a cigarette.’ Frankie continued as if Rose hadn’t spoken. ‘Can I smoke in your car?’ She rummaged in her shoulder bag for her cigarette case, solid silver and engraved, a birthday present from her doting father.
    ‘I’ve no problem with you smoking, but is there any particular reason that it has to be in my car?’ asked Rose.
    ‘Roger has decided in his infinite wisdom that members of staff are no longer allowed to smoke outside the building,’ said Frankie sarcastically. ‘Apparently it sets a bad example to the students.’ She placed a cigarette in her mouth and lit it from a lighter that produced a flame so big Rose was worried it would singe her fringe. The flame caught and Frankie took a deep pull on her cigarette. ‘So until my car comes back from the garage I have to either smoke outside the school gates with the students, or smoke in other peoples cars. The only other person I know well enough to ask is Emily, and you know how worked up she gets about the smell of smoke.’
    Rose did know. Emily Jenkins taught Irish and geography. By dint of being their side of fifty she occasionally sat with Frankie and Rose in the staff room, even though they didn’t really have all that much in common. She’d had a bad experience last year when a sixteen year old had sprayed a desk with deodorant and set fire to it. It hadn’t spread but there were still scorch marks on the ceiling and one wall of classroom 23.
    Frankie was originally Francesca Devereux. Her mother was Irish, her father was French, and both of them were loaded. She’d grown up in London, and attended one of those elite girls’ schools, the kind that have adverts in the back of Tatler alongside glossy pictures of hundred year old buildings, lacrosse sticks, and students in ridiculous wide brimmed hats. Money wasn’t everything though, and her relationship with her mother was so bad that, when she’d finished school, she’d immediately left London for Dublin and university. Her grandmother, Nana Anna, had taken her in, and she still lived with her in her large red brick house in the affluent suburb of Ranelagh. Her cousins all bitched heavily that she was only doing it for the inheritance.
    Frankie was one of those women that seemed to radiate cool. With her long slim limbs and clipped London accent, she seemed like she should be having her cigarette backstage before a runway show, instead of before a morning of teaching tearaways in a rundown west Dublin school. Her hair was a rich thick brown and was worn long with a heavy fringe. Her skin was a flawless cream and her eyes were the colour of chocolate.
    Coupled with that, she was extremely fashion-conscious. Not only was she always up to date with recent trends, she wore them with a twist that made the look completely her own. In the early days of their friendship Rose had tried to raise her game and put more effort into her appearance, getting up earlier to put some manners on her flyaway blonde hair and buying a multitude of scarves and accessories that she couldn’t quite pull off. But she’d always come up