Circle of Friends Part VII

Jack reacts very differently to Simon; he accepts that the baby is his and that he has to marry her. He goes to see Benny and tells her that he is going to have to marry Nan, because she is having his child. She is devastated, but Eve tells her she must put on a brave face and be the one who tells his group of friends about the upcoming marriage... she doesn't want to be pitied by them. Benny takes her advice and they go out on the town, meeting friends and telling them the news about Jack and Nan. Eve is furious with Nan for taking advantage of Benny's absences to steal her boyfriend, and she finds it hard to hide her anger. She also wonders about Nan's relationship with Simon, and why that came to an end. Nan isnt talking. Meanhwhile Sean has moved into the hotel and is soon proposing to Dorothy, the owner, and they plan to get married. Benny's mother starts working in the shop and seems to be enjoying it. She tries to get over Jack and is relieved that he has gone to work in his uncle's law office and isnt coming in to college. Eve had planned a party in her cottage, and the group had been buying in food and drink for it. She hopes that Jack will have enough common sense not to turn up. The day of the party arrives and the party is going well when Jack suddenly turns up, with Nan. Aidan tells Eve that in spite of his faults, Jack is his friend and he cant snub him because he is getting married to Nan so she agrees to be polite. Nan seems very cool and calm, though nobody is very friendly to her. Then, she makes a remark about the piano in the cottage.. and Eve realises something. Some of the locals had said that they heard music from the little house, and she suddenly guesses... Simon plays the piano, so the noise must have been him playing it, which means that Nan sneaked into Eve's cottage to have sex with him.. and then later with Jack. The baby is not Jack's, its Simons. Eve has always had a hot temper and she loves Benny, and is enraged to hear that Nan not only stole into her home with 2 different men, but also worst of all, stole Benny's boyfriend. She has been using a knife to prepare food when Nan came to talk to her, and still holding the knife she shouts at Nan and the other girl backs away, and falls into a glass door. Nan is badly cut and Eve is horrified though she did not harm her. Aidan and another of the boys get Nan into a car and take her to hospital, and she is looked after. Her injury is fixable but the shock and loss of blood cause her to miscarry.