Chapter 25
TWENTY-FIVE
As Elaine had promised, two men from the firm from Wicklow that provided satellite broadband arrived at the bookshop early on Monday morning.
It didn’t take them long to establish that there was a good signal.
After that, they gave Ciara a form to sign and then they proceeded to put up a satellite dish just above the living room window before they left, telling Ciara and Maureen to call if they should have any problems.
‘Wow,’ Ciara said after the van had departed.
‘That was quick.’ Sitting on the sofa, she took her phone from her pocket to find the connection and then put in the password that was written on the router.
‘I’m going to send Ronan a text through WhatsApp to ask him to thank Elaine.
This will be a real game changer for us and the shop. ’
‘Wonderful,’ Maureen said. ‘I’ll get connected myself in a minute to send a few emails before we leave tomorrow to organise our move.’
Ciara nodded. Things had been quiet between her and Maureen since Ciara had broken the news about quitting her job, but Ciara already felt Maureen was getting used to her ideas.
She even thought her mother might want to live here in the bookshop with her – though she hadn’t broached that subject yet.
‘Great, Ma. I know you felt it was good for us to manage without the Internet, but I think we’re better off to be connected. ’
‘Well, yes,’ Maureen agreed reluctantly. ‘We need it if we’re to run a business. But we should try not to spend too much time scrolling.’
‘I’ll try,’ Ciara promised, her eyes on the screen of her phone.
‘I can’t wait to get my laptop so we can get started on establishing the business.
I’m going to get in touch with some gardening firms straight away and see if we can get some quotes for what I want done outside.
’ She sent a quick text to Ronan and got an answer within minutes, saying he was delighted it had worked and that he would forward their thanks to Elaine.
He didn’t mention what had happened between them yesterday, but Ciara assumed he was busy with work.
Maybe he’d send her a more personal message later.
At least she hoped he would as their embrace in the dark corridor was still so vivid in her mind.
What he had said to her about his feelings for her was also fresh in her memory.
It had surprised and delighted her that he had had the courage to tell her how he felt.
His earnest hazel eyes had looked at her with something akin to love, which had touched her even more than that kiss.
Maria was inconsolable when Ciara moved out of her flat a week later. ‘This is terrible,’ she said, her eyes glistening with tears. ‘I’ll never see the lovely Brian Boru again. I’ll miss you too of course, Ciara but…’
‘I know,’ Ciara said, patting Maria on the shoulder as she stood outside the apartment building, her van half-loaded with her possessions. ‘You love Brian as much as I do.’
‘Yes I do.’ Maria nodded and fell to her knees, putting her arms around Brian’s neck, her dark hair mingling with Brian’s grey fur. ‘I love him like my own child. It breaks my heart to say goodbye to him.’
‘But you can come and visit us often,’ Ciara argued. ‘It’s not a goodbye forever.’
‘It won’t be the same,’ Maria sobbed into Brian’s rough fur. ‘I could be with him every day when you lived here. We went on lovely walks together when you were at work and it was so wonderful.’
‘Maybe you could get your own dog?’ Ciara suggested, anxious to be on her way. Maria was sweet and kind but she was inclined to dramatise everything. It was a huge wrench for Ciara to leave the flat that had been her home for the past few years and Maria’s outburst wasn’t helping.
Maria got up. ‘Maybe I will. They do allow dogs in this building, which is unusual, so I might get my own dog to take on walks.’ She kissed Ciara on the cheek. ‘I’ll be in touch and come and see you soon. Goodbye, querida Ciara. You have been a good friend and neighbour.’
‘So have you,’ Ciara replied. ‘Thank you for all your help with Brian. See you soon in my new home. I will miss you terribly.’
‘Me too. Good luck,’ Maria said, drying her eyes on a tissue as she watched Brian jump into the back of the van. ‘I hope Brian won’t miss me too much.’
‘He’ll get used to it,’ Ciara said as she opened the door to the driver’s seat and got in.
‘Bye, Maria.’ Then Ciara started the van and drove slowly away, glancing at the apartment building in the rear-view mirror for a moment with a feeling of loss.
She was saying goodbye to her old life with a mixture of sadness and fear.
Had she been wrong to burn all her bridges and move to a remote place in the Wicklow mountains?
Time would tell if she had made the right choice, but right now, as she looked ahead, her new life beckoned and gave her a thrill to think about it.
She had found out the truth about her father’s identity.
Now she had to find her own future in the place from where he had come.
Maureen had moved out of her house a few days before Ciara and had been busy since she had arrived back at the bookshop with some of her own belongings.
When Ciara arrived in the van with Brian, she found the gardeners they had hired already working hard in the back garden.
There was also a firm putting in new cabinets and a sink and draining board in the kitchen, the old stuff already loaded at the back of their truck.
While all this was going on, Maureen was busy painting and decorating in the bookshop and had already painted most of the bookshelves, cleaned the big window and found someone to fit a new stove.
‘Gosh,’ Ciara said, standing in the doorway of the bookshop with Brian at her side, ‘you’ve been busy.’
‘No time to waste,’ Maureen said with a tired smile. She pushed her hair back from her forehead and sat down on a stool. ‘But I think I’ll take a break now that you’re here.’
‘I should think so,’ Ciara said sternly, taking the paintbrush from Maureen. ‘You have done enough for today. It’s four o’clock, so it’s time to finish.’ She looked around the shop, admiring Maureen’s work. ‘It looks amazing but I don’t want you to make yourself sick.’
‘I’m fine,’ Maureen said. ‘Just a little tired. I think the kitchen will be finished in a little while so I can cook us something nice.’
‘You will not,’ Ciara declared. ‘I’ll unload the van and then I’ll drive down to Powerscourt and get something ready-made from their shop. They close at six, so plenty of time.’
Maureen nodded, looking relieved. ‘Good idea, pet. Do you need a hand with your stuff?’
‘No,’ Ciara said as she heard a truck drive off. ‘I think you should rest now. I hear the garden people leaving so it’ll be quiet there. You could go and take a look at what they’ve done.’
Maureen smiled and got up. ‘That’s exactly what I’ll do while you go and get something nice from the Avoca shop.
You could leave Brian here with me. He’ll want to see the new garden too.
And…’ She paused with a serious look in her eyes.
‘I have something to tell you. Something important. Will you come with me into the garden?’
‘Of course.’ Ciara let Brian off the leash, and then they both followed Maureen out through the back door.
The garden was nearly all dug up and what would be herbaceous borders had tiny plants sticking up through the black earth.
There was a bench under the big oak and they carefully made their way there, walking on the gravel path that ran through the newly seeded lawn.
Brian followed them and seemed to understand that he had to be careful, lifting his paws high with each step.
Once they settled on the bench with Brian lying at their feet, Maureen folded her hands in her lap and looked at Ciara. ‘It’s going to be such a lovely space. And just listen to that birdsong.’
‘It’s gorgeous,’ Ciara said, as she looked around. ‘And it’s a grand evening. But what is it that has you looking so perturbed?’