Collette Bonnar's short stories: The Scandal in Druid’s Way

“Did you hear there’s a new doctor in town?” Hilary Clarkson asked her friend, Carol Stanford.

“I heard,” Carol threw her eyes towards heaven. “It’s Malcolm Foley.”

“Do you know him?”

“Know him? I was once engaged to him.”

“No kidding! You told me that you had been engaged but you didn’t say who he was,” Hilary was gobsmacked.

“Oh, it’s of little consequence,” Carol flicked her eyelashes in distain. “I broke it off with him,” she fibbed.

“Really? But… he’s so easy on the eye. In fact, he’s drop-dead gorgeous.” Hilary’s mind drifted to Drew Stanford, Carol’s boring husband. She was amazed as to why her friend would ditch a handsome doctor and settle for a bank manager who had no personality and wasn’t exactly George Clooney Mark II.

The two friends were after finishing 18 holes at Druid’s Way Golf Club. Sitting in the clubhouse having coffee, they were having their usual chit chat. With that, two women arrived in. Carol immediately recognised the tall leggy blonde.

“Wow. She must be new to town,” Hilary followed her gaze towards the striking woman who was with the lady captain.

“That’s Olga Foley – Malcolm’s wife,” Carol told her friend.

“Mmm, so he’s well and truly spoken for,” Hilary said wistfully. At thirty-five she was still hoping to meet Mr Right.

Sensing her despondency, Carol suggested; “Why don’t we go out for dinner tomorrow night? We’ll try out The Yew Tree Restaurant, I hear the food is fabulous.”

“Good idea, we’ll get glammed up and see how the other half live,” Hilary was keen to dine at the new restaurant that she’d heard so much about. According to her friends it was a very upmarket spot. Since Carol moved into the neighbourhood, Hilary’s social life was beginning to look up.

As Carol let herself in home, her mind drifted to the earlier conversation she had with her friend. Her pride wouldn’t let her admit to Hilary that Malcolm Foley had dumped her. She’d eventually realised why he’d been so reluctant to get engaged - he’d never been in love with her in the first place. It was she who had pushed him into buying the ring. They had only been engaged a few months when Olga Bradshaw came back on the scene and shortly afterwards, the engagement was broken off. Olga had been Malcolm’s childhood sweetheart and it was obvious that he had never gotten over her. Carol had worked in the bank with Drew Stanford and married him on the rebound. She was since regretting it. Carol had never been popular with her colleagues and her catty; jealous nature left her with little friends. No one could understand what the dashing Doctor Foley saw in her and it was no surprise when he broke it off.

The following evening, the two friends arrived at The Yew Tree Restaurant. “Good evening, ladies,” the maître’d greeted them warmly. “Your table is this way.”

A short time later, two very glamorous women arrived and were shown to the table next to them. They ordered a bottle of champagne and after the sommelier poured, they clinked glasses and began to chat excitedly. One of the women was tall, dark-haired with sallow skin and deep-brown eyes. Her friend was a petite bubbly blonde. When the music on the sound system suddenly stopped, Hilary and Carol began to eavesdrop on the other women’s conversation. “Do spill the beans, Sabrina,” the blonde woman urged her friend.

“Promise me, you won’t breathe a word to anyone,” Sabrina’s eyes were dancing wickedly.

“Of course, I won’t tell anyone, I’m bursting to hear,” her friend enthused.

“Since I bought my holiday home, I’m finding that I’m spending more and more time in it. I’m having an affair with the local doctor. He’s gorgeous, his wife is blissfully unaware.”

“You hussy, so I’ll be seeing more of you. Cheers,” her friend toasted the stunning Sabrina. Carol and Hilary’s eyes were out on stalks. With that, the music came back on and the conversation at the other table was drowned out.

“Wow, take a load of that!” Carol exclaimed, clearly delighted that Malcolm Foley was cheating on Olga.

“I can’t believe it,” Hilary was stunned. “Best not to mention this, it’s not right to spread scandal and gossip.”

“You must be kidding. I’ll have a field day, telling all Olga’s stuck-up friends around town.” Carol could hardly contain her excitement.

True to her word, Carol told anyone who was prepared to listen about the big scandal in Druid’s Way. One night, Hilary and Carol were attending a prize-giving evening in the golf club. Hilary was feeling very annoyed with Carol; the rumour had spread like wildfire around the sleepy town about Malcolm Foley. What was worse, she’d heard on the grapevine that Doctor Foley and his wife had heard that it was Carol who was spreading the gossip. She’d confronted Carol about it but she just shrugged it off. “Well, we heard it from the horse’s mouth, it’s not as if I’m spreading lies.” Carol was still smarting over Malcolm’s rejection and had decided it was payback time.

Just as the speeches were about to start, Hilary and Carol couldn’t believe their eyes. Malcolm and Olga Foley arrived in with the two women from the restaurant. Carol was ecstatic. “So, he’s even flaunting her in front of his wife,” she whispered to Hilary who began to feel decidedly uncomfortable. Malcolm Foley was glaring over at them.

When the speeches were over, Hilary’s palms were sweating as Malcolm and the three women marched over to their table. “Let me introduce you,” he turned to Sabrina and her friend. “This is Carol Stanford, the pathetic woman who is spreading the malicious scandal about me. I was lucky enough to see sense and break off the engagement to her when Olga came back into my life.”

By now, Carol was bright-red in the face as she nodded towards Sabrina and began to bluster. “I heard this… this woman tell her friend in the restaurant…”

“It’s easy seeing you live in such a small world. Do you do nothing else except eavesdrop on other people’s conversations? Sabrina Fletcher happens to be Olga’s cousin and a famous actress to boot. She was telling her friend about a storyline in a popular American soap opera. Sabrina is the female star of Sycamore Valley,” Malcolm thundered.

“I thought…” Carol began.

“I’m not interested in what someone as sad as you thinks,” Malcolm raged. “But in future keep your dangerous gossip to yourself. Next time you mightn’t get off so lightly.” With that, Malcolm Foley ushered his group to the far end of the bar.

“The cheek of him,” Carol fumed.

“Stop there,” Hilary said. “He’s a total gentleman to let you off the hook like that. Carol, there is a saying; ‘Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are.’ So, our friendship has just come to the end of the line.”

Carol was left reeling as Hilary swept out of the club. All eyes turned on Carol as she rose to go, leaving her in no doubt who was the source of the latest scandal in Druid’s Way.