Chapter 23
TWENTY-THREE
Fretting wildly, breathlessly I rush down through the square past Heartwell Hall towards Castlemoon again.
I’m intrigued to see Jimmy in a very animated conversation with two men outside the door.
Out of nowhere, my mind replays my night inside with Dan and our kiss.
More villagers hurriedly file past me and there is an air of urgency about the place.
I take a second to catch my breath, hang back and watch Gráinne and Giselle, deep in conversation, head inside arm in arm.
‘What is going on?’ I whisper as I recognise the bald man who was driving the power hose truck and told me to hug the brambles moving a doorstop. Just before the door shuts, without thinking, I slip in.
At the very back of the hall I find the furthest corner bench and I sit quietly.
The noise level is ferocious. People are all talking at once with raised voices.
I can’t make out what anyone is saying. Then, I watch as Dan steps out onto the stage.
Just in front of the couch we sat on together.
I slump further down on the hard bench. A complete hush falls over the hall.
‘Thank you all for coming,’ Dan says as the mic gives feedback and hisses. He takes it out of the stand and holds it in his hand, his shoulders slumped forward.
‘What the hell is going on, Dan?’ A man stands up in the first row.
‘Sit down, Ben. I will explain all,’ Dan says.
‘Is it sold?’ Another yell from the back. ‘Have you sold the castle?’
Oh no, I think. My eyes open wide and I grip the edges of the bench.
‘Tell us the truth, man. That’s all we ask.’ I recognise Aaron.
Jimmy stands up. ‘We deserve to know, pal.’ His voice is kinder.
‘You can’t do this to our village!’ Another raised voice.
Gráinne jumps up. ‘Can everyone stop shouting at him!’ She throws her hands out wide.
‘He needs to be honest with us!’ a woman yells.
Betsy stands up. ‘What do Esther and Michael say? What does this mean to Heartwell? To our tourism? For my café?’
‘If you will all just let me explain?’ Dan shifts his weight from foot to foot, worry etched on his forehead.
Clare stands up now. ‘Did you sell Castlemoon, Dan, yes or no?’
Loud rumblings of ‘answer her’ echo around the hall.
Then I see Terry stand out beside Dan. He raises both hands in the air, brings them down slowly by his sides.
‘Ladies and gentlemen, come on, we’re better than this.
Let the lord speak to you all. Let Dan talk.
Given all he does for every one of you, has done over the years, have some respect.
’ Terry’s calming accent seems to work. Dan throws him a look of relieved thanks.
I notice his free hand and the clenched fist.
‘As you all know Castlemoon is struggling. This is not breaking news, people. The hotel is losing money hand over fist. I can’t stop it, no matter how hard I try.
And believe you me, I have tried. So, that’s why I’ve called this meeting.
Yes, the rumours are somewhat true. You all know I was in New York last week and, yes, there has been an offer to buy Castlemoon .
. .’ Dan goes on about no deal being signed just yet but his hands seem to be tied.
As I listen, my heart in my mouth, Terry leaves the stage.
The villagers gasp and voices are raised even louder, people stand and everyone talks over one another, hands are waved in the air. It’s loud and chaotic.
‘Knew it!’
‘Told you!’
‘This is our castle!’ someone shouts from the back beside me. It’s deafening in my ear.
‘Calm, calm down, people, please. If – and it’s still an if – Castlemoon is sold, we are assured the new owners will keep it exactly as it is.
I’ve made that abundantly clear. We shook on it.
There will be no changes at all, except ones for the best. No one will even notice it has changed hands.
Nothing will change, you have to trust me.
I would never lie to you all. But they can fix the roof, repair the cracks, fix the windows, and make it more affordable for all of you to celebrate weddings, christenings and twenty-first birthdays in your castle.
They can save Castlemoon. That’s what you all want, right?
Isn’t that what matters most?’ Dan says in that heavy voice I have come to know and my heart aches for him up there.
‘There has to be another way!’ Another angry voice.
‘Excuse me.’ There’s a light tap on my shoulder. I spin around. ‘What are you doing here?’ Terry bends over and speaks slowly in my ear.
‘Oh, Terry, hi, I—’ I whisper as Dan continues to talk from the stage.
‘This is private Heartwell village business.’ Terry’s voice is completely different. Unfriendly. Stern. Scary.
‘Oh.’ I look at him, more than a little bewildered.
‘You are not a part of this village. Kindly leave. Now.’ Terry’s eyes are blazing and I keep looking at him in utter confusion.
‘Terry? It’s me Maggie?’ My hand flies to my chest as though I’m pointing out who I am.
‘Oh, I know exactly who you are, madam, we both do!’ Terry raises his booming voice now. ‘Taking notes, are you?’
‘W-what?’ My head spins as Dan stops talking and everyone turns to look at me.
‘Get. Out,’ Terry repeats, slowly but with force.
‘I-I’m sorry, I didn’t realise.’ I scramble to my feet.
‘You are not welcome here.’ Terry throws his arm out wide to the exit door, his index finger pointing straight at it like a compass needle.
I stumble out the door, trying to catch my breath, feeling humiliated and utterly confused at Terry’s behaviour. Is it to do with Frederick? How could it be? He can’t know that I’ve been asked to file a report, can he?
* * *
Back at Castlemoon, I slam my bedroom door with a bang and with my eyes shut tight I lean my back against it, trying to catch my heaving breath. My chest burns from running up the hill. Hot tears of embarrassment run down my wet cheeks.
I collapse onto the bed and my head hits something hard.
‘Ow!’ It’s my MacBook, Dictaphone and the Canon camera.
All of them are propped up on my pillow, my satchel beside them.
‘What the?’ I flip open the laptop with haste and the screen has been mysteriously fixed.
It’s perfect. ‘How in the—?’ Even though relief floods through me for my recovered work, I grab for the room phone and dial reception.
There’s no answer. I ring again. And again. Eventually someone answers.
‘Who had access to my room?’ I spit. I’m furious and upset.
‘Whaddya mean?’ the male voice asks lazily.
‘I’m in room nine. Someone took my stuff from downstairs, they got the screen fixed on my MacBook and put it back in my room! That’s just creepy! And illegal!’ I’m really raging now.
‘Oh.’ They say quietly.
‘I want to speak to someone in charge!’ I spit. ‘Now!’
‘I’m afraid no one is available right now.’
‘Well I want answers!’ I say, appalled by what is going on. Logically, I know my reaction is more about how I’ve just been utterly humiliated by Terry and the fear I will never see Dan again, the only man that’s ever made me feel this way, after I leave.
‘Right, so.’ The voice is still on the line.
I hang up. Tears continue to fall fast. I dial my mom.
‘Good afternoon, honey!’ Dorothy shouts and just hearing her friendly voice makes me feel better.
‘Hi M-Mom.’ My voice comes in sharp breaths. I’ve never realised just how much I rely on her to be there for me . . . and she always is. Always.
‘Are you alright? Are you crying?’ Mom’s voice is raised and shrill.
‘No, no. Just a bit of a head cold. I j-just wanted to check in.’ I sniff and sniff.
‘Take some Vitamin C, a few oranges, none of that drugstore stuff. All is good, George is here. He’s painting the back wall.
I’m going shopping now for our Christmas dinner.
I’m doing two starters now, a prawn cocktail for us and a smoked salmon roulade for him .
. . we are, well, dating, I guess you can call it.
’ She rushes on. ‘I miss you, can’t wait to see you. How is the article coming along?’
It feels wonderful to hear a friendly voice and I tell her how happy I am she’s found love with George.
I feel calmer as I chat to her for a while, even happy to be getting Alice’s latest varicose vein update.
I just listen as I gaze out the window in a daze then I jolt when I see Dan’s jeep speed up the driveway.
My breath quickens. Dan and Red hop out and Terry drives around the back, gravel spraying.
Quickly, I hide behind the white drapes.
The meeting didn’t last long. I say goodbye to Mom and tell her I love her.
This is nuts, I think, shutting my eyes tightly.
All of this work has been towards me getting my promotion so I can finally do what I want to do: write about love and be able to afford a new place.
I must not lose sight of that. I have to forget any romantic illusions I have about Dan.
It’s obvious that Terry has heard something and doesn’t want me here, and he’s Dan’s right-hand man.
Thoughts fly through my head as I pace up and down the room.
I simply have to get back to my real life, to my actual commitments.
Now, I have the MacBook back, I will concentrate on submitting the best article I can tonight.
My career depends on this! My breathing calms as I stop pacing, giving myself an excellent pep talk in my head. My phone rings in my hand.
‘Eliza?’ I answer. Though we’re really good work friends we rarely contact each other outside working hours.
‘Hey Magpie,’ Eliza says, but her tone is unusually low and serious.
‘Is everything okay?’ I sit back down on the four-poster bed, cross my legs under me, pressing the phone closer to my ear.
‘I’m fine, but I’m here with Ben. Is it okay if I put you on loudspeaker?’
‘Of course.’ I feel an immediate sense of dread and I’ve no idea why but I have a tightness in my chest.
‘Hi Maggie,’ Ben says.