Page 34 of The Secret Bookshop in Ireland

‘On the road to Dublin.’ Liz wrapped the little picture in tissue paper and put it in a paper carrier bag with the T-shirt. ‘That’ll be eighty euros altogether. Cash or card?’

‘Card,’ Maureen said, digging in her handbag and then produced her credit card. ‘My treat,’ she said to Ciara.

‘Thanks, Ma.’ Ciara smiled at Liz. ‘I’ll put on the T-shirt when I get home.’

‘I know the watercolour is a bit expensive,’ Liz said apologetically as she took the payment. ‘But it’s framed and Oisín decided the price.’

‘I think it’s a bargain for a beautiful little picture,’ Maureen said. ‘He’s a great talent. I hope he’ll do well.’

‘Thank you,’ Liz said, handing Maureen the bag with her purchases. ‘And thanks for coming into the shop. See you soon, I hope.’

‘I’m sure we will,’ Ciara said, smiling. ‘Bye for now.’ She followed her mother out of the shop and they walked together down the street towards the van.

‘Did you notice how Liz was reluctant to tell us where that old house is?’ Maureen asked.

‘Yes, I did,’ Ciara replied. ‘But maybe it was because she didn’t want us to know too much about her great-uncle. Could be that it’s still a sensitive issue with the family.’

‘I’d like to see that old wreck,’ Maureen declared when they reached the van. ‘Could we take a detour up the road to Dublin, just to see if we can find it?’

‘You read my mind,’ Ciara said and got into the van.

They drove slowly through the village and then past the school and church on their way up the road that led to Dublin. Maureen scanned the side of the road, looking for a gate or even the ruin of that house in the painting. She suddenly grabbed Ciara’s arm. ‘There. That entrance with the crumbling gateposts. Looks like there’s a house at the end of the lane. I think you can park just beside it.’

Ciara slowed down and looked. ‘Yes,’ she agreed. ‘That looks like the entrance to a property that might have been quite important once.’ She parked the car just inside the gateposts, opened the door and got out just as Maureen did the same on her side. They looked around, finding themselves in a clearing surrounded by overgrown laurel bushes. There was a path through what looked like a tunnel under the boughs of trees.

‘It’s so dark,’ Maureen remarked as they made their way forward towards a shape that had to be the remains of a house.

‘I know,’ Ciara said, ducking her head under low-hanging branches. ‘Keep going. I can see light and a granite wall. That has to be the house.’

‘There was a sign near the gatepost that said TÍR NA NÓG,’ Maureen said.

‘Oh? I didn’t notice that.’

‘It was hard to read and had nearly disappeared under the nettles,’ Maureen explained. ‘It’s a bit of a cliché, really, to call a house Tír na nÓg, I think.’

‘I forget what it means,’ Ciara said as she reached the end of the overgrown path and could finally stand up straight.

‘It means the land of eternal youth,’ Maureen said. ‘From Irish mythology.’

‘Sounds lovely,’ Ciara remarked. ‘Oh, look,’ she said as crumbling walls came into view. ‘That’s the house – or what’s left of it.’

Maureen joined Ciara in front of the ruin and looked up at the gaping windows and the rafters of what must have been the roof. The air was full of the sound of crows cawing as they flew around the top of the house, some of which was overgrown with ivy. ‘I have a feeling Oisín painted it from the back,’ she remarked. ‘The light must be better there.’

‘Yes,’ Ciara agreed. ‘But the whole place feels a bit sinister. Let’s go around the house and take a look and then we’ll go.’ Her phone pinged as she walked around the side and she saw that it was a text from Ronan. Once she was around the back of the ruined house, she sat down on what remained of a stone wall and looked at the message.

Call me when you can, I have found out something that might interest you.

SEVENTEEN

‘What’s up?’ Maureen asked as she joined Ciara on the old wall.

‘Message from Ronan,’ Ciara said. ‘Hold on, I’ll call him back.’ She pushed the call button and waited for Ronan to answer.

‘Hi, Ciara, how are you?’ he said.

‘I’m grand,’ she replied. ‘We’re still settling in and trying to decide what to do with the house.’

‘You got my text message?’