Page 19 of The Secret Bookshop in Ireland

‘How wonderful,’ Ciara said. ‘Congratulations. You must be over the moon.’

‘He’s happy out,’ Liz said, beaming at her brother. ‘But he pretends to be very modest about it.’

Oisín frowned at Liz and then laughed. ‘Oh, okay. I might be a little overbearing with the self-praise at times.’

‘You have the right to be proud of what you’ve achieved,’ Maureen said.

Oisín bowed. ‘Well, thank you, lovely lady. You’re very kind.’ Then he showed them a few other paintings, which were mostly landscapes he had produced to order, and then told them that the rest were just works in progress. They wandered slowly back up to the deck where they sat for a while just to enjoy the sunshine and the beautiful landscape around them.

The party came to close when the sun dipped low behind the green hills and Ciara and her mother decided to head home before dark. They thanked Oisín and Liz for a wonderful evening and started to walk back through the woods that were in deep shadow. Brian bounded ahead, checking back now and then as if to hurry them up.

‘Lovely dinner,’ Ciara said.

‘Yes,’ Maureen agreed. ‘Very nice. Those two are a little – unusual. But so friendly and generous. I was just thinking about what Oisín said about those women and what they had promised each other.’

‘You mean their mission, or whatever it was?’ Ciara asked.

‘Yes.’ Maureen looked thoughtful. ‘They had some kind of plan, Oisín said. I’m just wondering if leaving you the house and the money might have been part of that plan. I also suspect that young man knows more than he let on.’

‘Really?’ Ciara asked, glancing at Maureen. ‘What makes you think that?’

‘The sins of the fathers,’ Maureen said, looking thoughtful. ‘Something happened between the O’Tooles and the Fitzgeralds at some stage in the past. And it could have something to do with Martha giving everything to you. We just have to find out what happened and then we will know.’

‘Could be.’ Ciara kept looking at her mother as they walked. Ma had always had this eerie ability to see a deeper meaning in things that seemed quite straightforward. Did she think that there was a hidden motive in Martha’s will?There had to be, Ciara thought,otherwise why give everything to someone she had never met?

‘He seemed very taken with you,’ Maureen said, a smile playing on her lips. ‘Lovely young man with good manners and a real artistic talent.’

‘Husband material, you mean?’ Ciara asked.

‘Maybe,’ Maureen said. ‘You could do a lot worse.’

‘You’re already planning the wedding in your head,’ Ciara accused. ‘Stop it, Ma. I’ll know when the right man comes along.’Maybe he already has, she thought secretly.Even if he’s not available.She felt a stab of sadness as she remembered the woman Ronan had spoken to on the phone.

Much later, when she was finally in bed, Ciara stared out into the dark, starlit night. The only sound she could hear was the leaves of the trees rustling in the wind and the odd hoot froman owl. She thought about the day that had just passed and how her mother had insisted on coming with her to Cherrywood. She hadn’t known Maureen was so sad and lonely and that she yearned to get away from the house she had lived in for nearly forty years. Ciara had thought her mother fairly content, even though she must miss her husband. But when they had arrived at this remote village, she had watched her mother beginning to relax and find the peace she needed. There had been a new light in Ma’s eyes as they settled into the old house and Ciara realised that the soft, clean air was doing wonders for Maureen. But it would be madness to even contemplate keeping the house and moving here, even if now, with the lovely spring weather, the idea was very enticing.

Ma had seemed to pick up her life after becoming a widow, but now Ciara suspected it had been just a façade, the truth being hidden behind a brave face in order not to upset her only daughter. Ciara was happy to have the company of her mother, who was both practical and astute. It was good not to be alone now that night had fallen and everything seemed a little eerie and strange in this isolated village.

She thought about Oisín and Liz, brother and sister living in that tower. It seemed such an idyllic setting where Oisín must feel very inspired, judging by his art. But Liz seemed on edge, as if she was constantly looking over her shoulder expecting someone to pounce on her. And then they had both told Ciara that they had barely known Martha Fitzgerald, who seemed to have been some kind of recluse during her last few years. But Ciara suspected they were hiding facts about this woman that they were reluctant to share. She would have to get to know them better and make them trust her. Especially Oisín, whose green eyes had studied Ciara when he thought she didn’t notice. He was madly attractive but also somehow mysterious, which she found intriguing.

Then her thoughts drifted once again to Ronan. There was something about him that had sparked her interest. It wasn’t his effortless upper-class style, or his polished manners that aroused her curiosity; it was his kindness and empathy. Ciara wondered about Elaine – the woman he’d spoken to on the phone and what that complicated relationship was all about. It hadn’t seemed very affectionate even if Ronan had said ‘I love you, too’ which had sounded very forced to Ciara. There had been immense sadness deep in his eyes and she wondered what caused it, and if she could make it better.Oh, don’t bestupid, she told herself.I’ll never see him again, so what’s the point of even thinking about him?But still, she couldn’t get his sorrowful gaze out of her mind.

ELEVEN

Ciara and Maureen spent the following morning unpacking and sorting everything into the right cupboards. The kitchen now had the basic equipment for cooking a meal, the fridge was stocked with the food they had brought, even if it was in dire need of a complete restoration. The bedrooms looked quite cosy with the beds made up with duvets and pillows. Only the living room was a little bare, but that could be fixed with rugs and throws and perhaps some more lamps.

‘We need to get some things to make the living room look lovely in any sales brochure,’ Ciara said.

‘I think we should go to Enniskerry and see what they have in that interior design shop we passed on the way here,’ Maureen suggested as they took a break over a cup of coffee in the kitchen.

‘I’d say that shop would be madly expensive,’ Ciara protested. ‘We only need a few rugs and cushions to brighten things up. No need to spend money on things we’re not going to keep. We should go down to Wicklow town and see if there might be a charity shop or maybe go into Dunnes and see what they have.’

‘But I’d like to help you get a few really nice things,’ Maureen argued. ‘I can easily afford a rug or two and some lamps. You can use them in your flat afterwards. Why don’t we go downto Powerscourt for lunch in the Avoca café and then do a little browsing in the shops there? My treat, of course.’

‘Oh, Ma, I don’t want you to spend a lot of money on me,’ Ciara said. ‘You might need to keep it for a rainy day.’

‘Don’t be a boring stick-in-the-mud,’ Maureen chided. ‘I want to have some fun before I die. And the most fun I can think of is doing up this little flat, even if it’s just temporary. I can’t wait to get stuck into that bookshop, too. And the garden could be made into a lovely space. And,’ she added, ‘I have put money aside for that rainy day you mentioned, just so you know. But let’s not worry about that now.’

‘Okay,’ Ciara said, smiling at her mother, who had seemed so glum before they came to Cherrywood. That sorrow seemed to have left her as they embarked on their new adventure and Ciara realised how much Maureen needed a change of scene, if not a change of life. ‘I formally allow you to spend money on this flat and maybe even to buy gardening tools. I know you’re dying to start digging up the garden.’