Chapter 19
Jules was outside the café clearing the tables. ‘You two look fresh of face… If I didn’t know any better, I might even think you’d been sailing?’
‘Well, you might be right. Your powers of deduction are impressive,’ said Lucy. ‘And we survived. No capsizing. And I feel okay.’
Jules smiled at her. ‘This is progress. I was the same when I was learning to drive. Failed my test four times. Just couldn’t pass.
And then drove into that bollard. And then refused to get into a car.
In the end, Henry took me out every night for a month.
Forced me to face my nemeses, i.e. roundabouts. And hill starts. And reversing.’
‘And Lucy’s going to do a bit of design again,’ I said.
‘So I might not be able to do as many shifts… see how I go,’ she said.
‘That’s okay.’ Jules looked pleased. ‘We were only a stopgap until you got back on your feet. So are you?’
‘Am I what?’
‘Back on your feet?’
‘I think I might be getting to the point where I’ve poked a toe out.’ Lucy turned to me. ‘Fancy a drink this evening?’ she asked. ‘My treat. I owe you.’
‘I’m going to Charlie Richmond’s party,’ I explained. She and Jules looked at each other. ‘You could come along?’
‘No thank you,’ said Jules, with a laugh. ‘I’m washing my hair.’ He patted his shorn scalp.
‘No, you’re grand,’ said Lucy. ‘Busy… you know…’
‘What’s going on? Why does everyone dislike him?’
‘He did something and refused to apologise,’ said Jules. ‘One of those people who just don’t care.’
‘It’s lots of things,’ said Lucy. ‘He’s always been arrogant, but he crossed a line.’
But they wouldn’t say any more and I left her tying on her apron and wrestling with the coffee machine.
The Richmonds seemed to be a family who weren’t well thought of in the village, but Charlie had come across as a little desperate to please, which made me feel a little sorry for him.
And he’d invited me to the party, and I thought I should go.
Granny Annie always used to say that hosting a party was one of the most generous things someone can do, and the least you can do is turn up.
I walked through the village, past the pub where I had sat with Henry, and turned into a small cobbled lane.
I walked past old buildings which were now done up as modern offices and at the end was a large old warehouse, from which Finnuala’s foghorn emanated.
‘It needs to be painted. Eddie, who can you get in? We’ll need it done tonight. ’
Inside, I saw she was talking to an older man who had grey hair which looked as though he had been electrocuted, its strands shooting straight up, and he wore his checked shirt and shorts – which seemed to be a kind of uniform for the men over a certain age around here.
She smiled when she saw me. ‘And here’s our gooroo. Morning, Kerry-Anne!’ She turned around the room, making eye contact with everyone. ‘Those who haven’t met our gooroo, this is Kerry-Anne Daly.’ There were older women who looked up from what they were doing and gave me a wave and a smile.
The man with the shock of hair stepped forward and shook my hand. ‘Eddie Dunne at your service. Mary’s brother.’
‘Lucy and Henry’s uncle?’ I said, shaking his hand.
‘You’d be right about that.’ He smiled back at me.
‘How’s Henry getting on at the boatyard?’ asked Sheila to Eddie. ‘Keeping it going for you?’
‘Oh, he’s more than keeping it going,’ said Eddie.
‘He’s brought in a whole new client base.
Specialising in wooden boats, won’t take the fibreglass ones at all and he’s brought craft back into it.
People are coming from all over Ireland and the UK to see him.
One boat has just gone back to the Hebrides yesterday.
Quiet now, with all the boats in use, but this winter he’ll need to take on more help.
I thought it would be too quiet a life for him, but he’s a man who knows his own mind. ’
A small man in a brown suit and practically bald except for long, wispy strands trained over the top of his head stepped into the room.
‘Kerry-Anne Daly?’ He held out a thin hand to shake.
‘Barry Kelleher from the council. We were in email contact regarding grants and public orders and section two, paragraph c, of the community development act of 1998.’
‘That’s right.’ I shook his hand. ‘Thank you for coming to see us.’
Finnuala spoke next. ‘Yes, thank you, Barry, although it is your actual job to promote community development, is it not? You must have been pleased and relieved to have received Kerry-Anne’s email, so you would be able to justify your existence?’
‘Well…’ Poor Barry shifted from foot to foot. ‘There isn’t enough community development, I’ll give you that.’
‘But you’ve been busy, haven’t you, Barry,’ said Eddie. ‘You’ve been requisitioned on to the regatta committee? Isn’t that right? You must have friends in high places?’
Barry cleared his throat. ‘I may or may not have received the nomination from one of Sandycove’s most successful businessmen, but as I said in my acceptance speech, I will remain utterly impartial and fair.’
Finnuala spoke first. ‘Barry’s here to talk to us about the local enterprise and community grant that we are entitled to.
Kerry-Anne sent me on all the information last night, which I have absorbed.
It is my belief that because we will be working with so many members of the community, we cross over into many elements, such as business… ’
‘Keeping the elderly occupied,’ offered Eddie.
‘Yes, keeping us off the streets. Mental health.’ Finnuala turned to Sheila. ‘What else?’
‘Creative development,’ said Sheila.
‘Yes! Genius. Creative development.’ Finnuala beamed at Barry. ‘There! So we might qualify for several grants. How many can you give us?’
He looked at his clipboard. ‘Perhaps, I could wrangle three. Something fell through, so there is an extra going. Well, when I say fell through, I mean, fell through. It was an accident involving a Velux window. Thankfully there are no broken limbs, but until the insurance claim can be sorted out, the grant has been suspended.’
‘Three grants,’ said Finnuala, looking delighted. ‘Well, thank you, Barry. Sheila will set up a company bank account this very afternoon and the monies mentioned can get paid into that.’
Sheila walked Barry out, and Finnuala turned to me.
‘Now, gooroo, isn’t this good news? The knitting circle is back in business.’