Chapter 24
TWENTY-FOUR
‘Dan! W-what?’ I take the piece of paper from his hand, read the top line:
CASTLEMOON REPORT:
FOR FREDERICK MACKEN ACQUIRED FINANCE
BY MAGGIE GRACE
PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL
‘H-how did you get this?’ A watery sensation floods my mouth. Oh no. Not like this!
‘Never mind how I got it. You really are a piece of work. Now, if you don’t mind, we’d all like you to get your stuff and get out of the castle!’ Dan paces around the corridor, his fists balled tightly.
This can’t be happening. I was so happy just a few hours ago.
‘Dan, let me explain? Please!’ I beg him.
‘Not a hope in hell,’ he roars at me.
‘Please, Dan!’ I implore.
‘You work for the man who wants to buy this place yet you never said. Terry found CCTV picking you up searching through the registration book at the desk and taking photos of it! Who are you really, Maggie Grace? Do not lie to me!’ Dan’s eyes look so sad, so dark, so hurt.
‘I don’t work for Frederick Macken. Well, not really .
. .’ I feel like collapsing, my legs feel like rubber.
‘Please, Dan, let me at least try to explain that report to you, which I never filed by the way! I tried to tell you a few times today about all this, I swear. Please listen to me!’ I beg, unsure of how to get him to sit and listen to me.
‘Terry found your computer in the Sweet Orange Room and I asked him to take it to Joe in the repair shop to fix the crack I was responsible for, as a surprise to you. When he opened it to show Joe the damage they saw this! It was left unlocked. Stupid rookie error!’
‘This is what happened,’ I start, talking over his shouts, I have to just explain. ‘Listen to me!’
He stops. His breath still coming in short, sharp pants. His hair falls over his eyes.
‘Please, listen to me. It is not what it appears to be. Look at me?’
And he does, he really does. Slowly, I take his shaking hand. He uncurls his fists and I pull him inside and make him sit on my bed.
I tell Dan my entire story right up to what Ben and Eliza have just told me. I leave nothing out.
‘The dirty rat!’ Dan punches his fist into his palm.
‘I know,’ I gasp, trying to control my own breath. ‘But you believe me? Say you believe me?’ I’m desperate to hear him say it.
‘I believe you,’ Dan nods, ‘but I made him sign a contract that stipulated he can’t do that. Well, I mean, he said he wouldn’t. The contract was to say the building would be preserved, and the staff . . . not necessarily that it would remain a hotel.’ He looks so full of despair.
‘He says he will keep some staff on to work in the gym and as cleaners for the apartments and it will have a front desk, Ben told me that too.’ I don’t try to soften anything for him.
‘Maggie, you have to file the article now!’ Dan says. ‘They won’t be getting their greasy hands on this place but your promotion can still stand. It will remain a hotel! File it!’
‘No!’ I shake my head, my curls flying wildly around my face.
‘But this is your job! This is what you’ve wanted for so long. To write about love,’ he says, always selfless.
‘No, I won’t let those kinds of people near this place. I’d rather keep it on my desktop forever. Amanda could easily have called me to tell me, she’s as bad as him. They are horrible, greedy people. I’m out.’ I acknowledge my own words with a sharp dart of reality.
‘I gotta go!’ He stands up, head in hands, his fingers dragging through his hair.
‘What are you going to do?’ I gasp.
‘I need to think. I need to call another emergency town meeting. Come with me?’
‘No, I-I can’t. I can’t face them again. Terry was horrible to me and rightfully so.’ I drop my head, slumping my shoulders.
‘It’s okay, I’ll talk to him and explain. Meet me outside in ten minutes, please?’ He takes a long, slow breath in as I nod.
‘But us, you and me?’ My words tumble out. I can barely wait for his answer.
‘We can talk later. I’ve a castle to save!’
And that’s good enough for me.
* * *
Pulling on my green wool coat, I rush down the stairs but forget to step over the top step and almost lose my footing. I take them two at a time, so desperate am I to see Dan, to grasp for his hand. I try to slip past Mary, who spots me at the last minute.
‘I believe you asked to speak to me, lovey?’ Mary steps out, her face curious.
‘Sorry, it’s okay, Mary. False alarm.’ I stop for a second.
‘I have to go.’ I keep moving, calling back over my shoulder, darting out through the heavy castle door.
Outside is a clear blanket of snow, no sign of Dan.
I turn circles, walking through the fresh snowfall out into the car park where I hit the Rolls-Royce just three days ago.
It’s hard to fathom and make sense of it all, but I am a different person since that happened.
I am a better version of the woman who left New York.
I have found my backbone at last. I have found roots that I didn’t even know I needed to find so badly to complete me as a person, and most importantly of all I have found what I know is true love and I’m not afraid of it anymore even if I can’t keep it. It’s all thanks to Castlemoon.
‘I’m not afraid of love anymore,’ I whisper as my breath fogs around me. I stand up on the small grey stone wall and just look up at the castle as the snow flutters perfectly past my eyes.
‘Careful.’ His warning call echoes, always looking out for me.
Dan comes out towards me from behind the castle, Red now panting by his side.
‘I love how your first reaction is the wellbeing of the castle,’ he says to me.
‘Of course it is.’ I look up at Castlemoon again, standing protectively, looking down on us.
‘I’ve made my decision. I can never sell Castlemoon.
I won’t sign it over to Acquired Finance, Frederick what’s his face and his tiny vultures.
He lied to me and I hate liars. More than anything, I hate liars.
I’m pulling out of the deal.’ He looks calmer, more composed now that he’s made his decision.
‘Good for you.’ I fist pump.
‘I do owe him back his deposit of ten thousand euros, though. Terry’s been over the contracts with me on the phone and he’s trying to reach our solicitor who’s abroad. That money must be paid back a week from today or the deal remains intact.’ His tone gathering regret.
‘We can raise that money, right?’
‘Well, I’m heading back down to the hall to tell everyone.
Most of the village are still there. They, are drinking the leftover mulled wine according to Terry, who’s been patiently answering their questions while I came up to confront you.
I’m sorry that Terry booted you out of the meeting like that . . .’
‘He was right!’
‘It nearly broke my heart.’
‘I’m so sorry, I swear I was going to tell you today about my part but I had no idea about the rest until that call with Eliza and Ben.
I was led to believe the deal was already agreed that the castle would remain as is and that everyone was happy.
I was so caught up in my own selfish world about getting a stupid magazine feature in print that I didn’t open my eyes properly. Call myself a journalist!’ I facepalm.
‘I understand why you did it, I know it wasn’t malicious.’
‘As you heard, the village was distraught when I told them I was thinking of selling – they had no idea how close I came. I was trying to protect them but I forgot how much this old castle means to us all.’
‘It’s so special,’ I say.
‘By all accounts they have been fundraising with buckets to save Castlemoon all year behind my back and have quite the fund in the credit union. It may well pay for some of the deposit. Terry filled them in on everything, says they are all down there plotting ways to raise more money.’ Dan’s eyes dip, his foot moving back and forth across the fresh snow.
‘I saw that but you were also planning the céilí fundraiser?’ I ask, still wondering why that was.
‘Shit! The céilí! That’s tonight!’ He looks pale again and stressed as he tries to figure all this out. My heart aches for him.
‘It’s okay, I can help, I’m here. Let me help,’ I beg.
‘I only went ahead with this céilí because I hoped the money we raised could go to a private hip operation for Mary, which in fact, believe it or not, is six thousand euros including respite. Now it looks like I’m going to need it towards the Acquired Finance deposit too.
I don’t have it, Maggie. I used three thousand five hundred of it to fix the Rolls-Royce and pay overdue bills. ’
‘But you told me it just needed a bumper? Why didn’t you claim off my insurance?’ I can’t believe this.
‘Ack, I didn’t want you getting into any trouble with your boss and I still feel horrible at how I treated you when that happened. I was a bit obnoxious.’
‘Dan!’ I can’t believe he did that for me. Again, another reason to love him even more.
‘Listen to me. You can do this,’ I say, suddenly feeling calm and in control, ‘I believe in you. We will find a way.’
‘You being here is a total blessing. Someone sent you. I’d never have known Frederick’s plans to turn the castle into luxury apartments. He promised me face to face he was going to keep it as it was, staff especially. A gentleman’s handshake,’ he recounts again.
‘Like you said, Frederick is a liar. He couldn’t shine your shoes.’
‘My poor parents would have died. I thought I was saving the castle, not killing it!’ Dan paces again in the snow, his footprints making circles.
‘I see that now, and you will.’ I put my hands on both his shoulders to steady him. ‘You can do this.’
‘You’re right. It may kill me but I’ll save Castlemoon. It’s my destiny,’ Dan says, his voice wrought with emotion.
‘Exactly, the castle, it’s everything. How I feel about this building, the village, it’s beyond my wildest dreams. . .’ I tell him honestly. Dan’s eyes don’t leave mine as snow sticks in his dark hair. A huge truck noisily drives up and smothers the rest of my sentence.
‘The céilí band, that’s Seán and the lads,’ Dan says as Red barks and jumps up and down. ‘I gotta help them in.’
‘Let me do it.’ I clutch his arm. ‘You go.’
‘Sure?’ His eyes are filled with gratitude.
‘Yes,’ I tell him firmly.
‘I can’t believe tomorrow is your last night.’ His eyes seem darker as Seán jumps out of the truck.
‘Me either.’ I gulp.
‘Fáilte, Dan, mo chara,’ Seán greets him in Irish.
‘Maggie’s gonna get ye set up in the Heart Ballroom, I’ve to run off for a bit.’
‘It’s not true, is it? That yer selling the castle?’ Seán asks, sliding open the truck doors.
‘No, Seán. Castlemoon is not for sale.’ Dan smacks his wellington and Red bounds beside him as they traipse through the snow, off towards the jeep.
Shivering, I move back inside into the welcome heat of Castlemoon as the trad band follow me. The Heart Ballroom is ice cold. I light all the candles, pull the chairs into a smaller circle.
‘Tea? Coffee?’ I offer the band as they tune their instruments.
‘No thanks, Maggie,’ they call back. I see Mary’s notepad and pencil stub on a table and I scribble down my cell number.
‘Here’s my number, just shout if you need anything at all,’ I tell them.
As the band continue to soundcheck, my head is spinning with an idea. It’s been spinning around and around and now it won’t stop. I run up the stairs.
Back in my room, I busy myself at my desk. I re-read my article. It’s really good if I do say so myself. Maybe the best thing I’ve ever written! Before I get to work, I open my email and bring up the address I’m looking for:
to: Amanda.Crosse@
from: Maggie.Grace@
date: Dec 22, 2025, 19.29PM
subject: CASTLEMOON
Amanda,
Sending me to Ireland was the best thing you could ever have done, I can never thank you enough.
Unfortunately, I will not be in a position to file my article and I am officially resigning from my position at Ultimate Locations Wedding Magazine with immediate effect.
Maggie Grace.
A wave of relief floods through my veins.
I have no time to think about what will happen when I get back to New York.
I have no time to think about being unemployed and having to move back in with Mom and, soon enough, George.
Right now I’m bursting with this idea. Right now I have to go find Kate and Jimmy.