The Secrets Sisters Keep: A heartwarming, funny and emotional novel (The Devlin Sisters Book 2) Read Free

love them.’
    ‘I can’t believe I have nice clothes. Me, Julie, in outfits that weren’t purchased in Primark!’
    Sophie laughed. ‘Enjoy it. You deserve it. Now, don’t be nervous, and if you see Victoria, duck.’
    Oh, God, I’d forgotten about Victoria. Her son, Sebastian, went to Castle Academy. He was in the same form the triplets were joining. There were two classes of twenty boys in each year and I was praying Sebastian would be in the other one. Victoria had been one of Sophie’s friends in the Celtic Tiger days, when Sophie was married to Jack and lived the high life. Victoria might have been beautiful and stylish, but she was shallow and nasty underneath her perfect year-round tan. The minute Jack and Sophie had lost everything, Sophie hadn’t seen her for dust.
    ‘I won’t be on Victoria’s radar,’ I said. ‘I’m far too dowdy for her.’
    ‘You never know,’ Sophie replied. ‘Now that you’re a millionaire, she might take a shine to you.’
    ‘After that time I bumped into her and told her I thought she was a low-life for treating you so badly, I don’t think she’ll be rushing over to me.’
    ‘True. But I was thrilled you did it.’
    ‘To be honest, I’d say Victoria will have a heart attack when she sees me and the boys, lowering the tone at Castle Academy.’ I giggled.
    ‘Well, if you’re talking to her and she’s being her usual condescending self, ask her how Gerry is. Her beloved husband is currently shagging one of my models – Amber.’
    ‘Really?’
    ‘Yes, and he’s not even bothering to be discreet. He took her to Le Jardin last week, on a busy Friday night.’
    ‘What age is Amber?’
    ‘Twenty. He’s a creep.’
    ‘Poor Victoria,’ I said, feeling a tiny bit sorry for the snobby cow.
    ‘Don’t pity her too much. Remember what a weapon she was to me.’
    ‘Don’t worry, Sophie. Me and “Vicky” are not going to be bosom buddies. Somehow I don’t see her inviting me and the boys over for playdates so they can trash her immaculate house.’
    Sophie laughed. ‘What a lovely thought! Now, go and do your makeup. Use that new eye shadow you bought last week – it’s really flattering. And you’re just as gorgeous as any of those other mothers.’
    ‘I am not, but thanks anyway.’
    ‘Gotta run. I’ll call you later. Good luck.’ Sophie hung up and I went to put on my face.

    W hen I got back downstairs to call the boys, I looked out of the window to see Harry, the triplets and Tom all running about with muddy knees. Having grown up a lonely only child, Harry was thrilled to have four boys to wrestle and play football with. He was in his element. I often felt very left out. As the boys got older, they needed me less. It was all about Harry now. They wanted him to play football, wrestle and play the Wii with them.
    I secretly hoped Tom was gay. I needed someone to hang out with. There was so much testosterone in the house that I sometimes felt suffocated. I loved my boys, but I did envy my sisters, who had daughters they could go shopping and watch  Tangled  with.
    I called them all in, and while Harry went to change his trousers for work, I tried to get the mud out of the triplets’ brand-new school uniforms with a wet cloth.
    Eventually we got into the car. I was delivering the older boys while Harry was dropping Tom to his old school. Thankfully Tom would have a couple more years of ‘normal’ school before going to Castle Academy.
    ‘Good luck today, boys,’ Harry said, sticking his head through the car window. ‘Sorry I can’t be there for your first day, but I have a very important meeting with a fund manager. I’ll see you later. Be good and enjoy this wonderful opportunity. Castle Academy is a school for champions.’
    ‘Is it a school for Premier League footballers?’ Luke asked.
    ‘Did Ronaldo go there?’ Leo wanted to know.
    ‘No, you idiot, he’s from Portugal,’ Liam said.
    I started the car and drove off, waving to Harry as