Chapter Twenty-Seven
She was about to reply when Mrs Devaney called for everyone’s attention. The causeway had been deemed safe enough for cars to cross, and almost-normal service would resume. Repairs would be ongoing but for now if people wanted to leave by car they could. The Chinese guests would have to walk across or be ferried in several carloads and collected by a second coach on the other side. Everyone clapped and cheered, although Nick had enjoyed the almost enforced isolation with Gabe. She wondered if it would have been so much fun if he hadn’t been here on the island as well.
‘Well then,’ said Gabe. ‘Shall we make plans? I propose today we explore the hills, tomorrow some more family research. Then a cycle ride – I’ll let you win. After that there’s a marathon that I was thinking of signing up for in York, we could make a weekend of it?’
By now Nick was properly laughing. It sounded too easy and wonderful. It felt reckless and spontaneous but what the hell.
‘Yes to all that.’
Now Gabe was laughing as well. And then he stopped and smiled shyly at Nick.
‘Good,’ he said softly and then smiled again as his breakfast arrived and the two began to make plans for the day’s walk.
** *
Half an hour later Gabe knocked on Nick’s door. She had changed into a pair of shorts, with a T-shirt and a jacket. She was wearing trainers but had her new walking boots and socks in a bag.
‘You look nice,’ said Nick as she opened the door. ‘Letta the Bold. Ready to take on the world.’ She waved him in and smiled as he kissed her on the cheek. This was something she could get used to.
‘Am I dressed okay? Hill walking isn’t something I’ve ever done before.’
‘You’re perfect and we’ll have Ohana with us so it’s not like we’ll be doing anything too tricky.’
‘Tricky? Who mentioned tricky?’ Nick looked at him in mock alarm.
‘Well, we survived a tidal wave, an avalanche will be nothing to us.’
Nick laughed and then looked worried, trying to work out if he was joking. Was Ireland known for avalanches? Maybe he meant landslides. After all the rain could he mean mudslides. Her mind raced through all the possibilities – then Gabe burst out laughing. She stopped and realised he had been pulling her leg. Laughing at herself she threw a cushion at him.
‘You should have seen your face! I promise you there will be no avalanches. Today is going to be perfect. I can feel it in my bones.’
Nick smiled. She felt the same but first she needed to arrange her return crossing. ‘I’m just going to confirm my booking for the ferry, and then we can go. ’
‘It’s a shame that you can’t fly back with me. It’s going to be very dull without you.’
Nick felt herself blush. ‘Well, I’ll call you the minute I get back to London.’
‘I could meet you at the ferry terminal?’
‘And then we’d both drive back to London from Wales in two separate cars?’ Nick hated to be pragmatic in the face of such a romantic gesture, but romantic gestures only went so far.
‘Fair point, I—’
‘Hello, yes, I’d like to confirm my booking for tomorrow.’ Nick mouthed an apology to Gabe for cutting him off and then reached over for her diary and pen.
Stepping away, he started to tidy up her morning tea set for housekeeping. It was much easier for them if everything was on one tray. Looking away from Gabe, Nick carried on chatting on the phone.
‘Yes, the ten o’clock sailing. One car, one cabin. Yes, oh sorry, yes my name is Nicoletta Byrne.’
Behind her a cup crashed onto the metal tray and startled, Nick turned round to see Gabe with his back to her on the floor trying to pick up the broken pieces of pottery. The voice on the other end of the line tried again and Nick found her attention torn between the two.
‘Sorry about that. Small accident at our end.’ She watched as Gabe stood, wondering if he had cut himself. His face looked ashen and if she didn’t know better, she thought he was about to cry.
‘Hang on a minute,’ she said to the person at the other end of the phone. ‘Gabe, is everything okay? ’
Gabe looked at her blankly and then seemed to shake himself.
‘I’m fine. Let me go and let reception know. Carry on with your call.’
Nick watched as he left the room and then glanced over at the broken cup, had he broken something else as well? He had looked devastated.
‘Hello?’
Apologising, Nick put the incident out of her mind and continued to check the details for the crossing. Once confirmed she checked the weather forecast and saw with relief that it should be a calm crossing. Whilst she waited for Gabe to return she looked up some of the stock markets until her activity monitor beeped on her watch and she realised she had been sitting still for over an hour.
Surprised that Gabe hadn’t returned she headed down to reception to see if they knew what had happened to him. The desk was busy as guests were leaving and new guests arriving now that the causeway was stabilised. Roisin saw Nick and waved an envelope at her. Nick came around to the side of the counter.
‘Gabe asked me to hand you this. Said to say he’s sorry.’
Roisin handed Nick the envelope and returned to her queue of guests. Walking through to the lounge, Nick sat down and opened the letter.
-Dear Letta. Sorry, family emergency. Had to go home. Gabe.
Nick turned the page over but that was it. Ten words. Puzzled she dialled his number, but it went straight to voicemail. Instead of leaving a message she sent a quick text .
-Hope all is okay? Let me know if I can help in any way. I’ll be home the day after tomorrow and will have time on my hands if you need anything. I’ve had a lovely weekend because of you. See you shortly. The next round is on me.
Friendly, helpful, concerned. Hopefully not needy. The last thing she wanted was to sound clingy, but she was suddenly aware of how much she was already missing his company. They had discussed going to the theatre next week as well as going out for a drink to celebrate their seven-day anniversary of the Battle of the Causeway. Now he had disappeared.
Feeling deflated, she headed back to her room where Ohana was still asleep and began to write up her notes. The day’s exploration of the hills no longer seemed as appealing on her own, so she decided to catch up on the family research instead.
***
Two hours later she called Ari.
‘I’ve hit a dead end.’
‘How so?’
‘Da’s mother is called Mary Margaret Byrne and may well be still alive.’
There was a pause at the other end of the phone.
‘I see… popular name and likely that she is still alive. ’
‘Exactly. There are so many Mary Margarets or Margaret Marys over here that I’d have as much success as looking on Facebook as searching the records.’
‘Okay. Well, you won’t be the only person who has hit this blank wall. What do the people in the research centre say?’
Nick thought back to her earlier conversation with Mairead.
‘She says to hire a local private investigator and let them take over the search.’
‘Well then, what’s the issue?’
Indeed. There was no issue, it was the sensible course of action.
‘I don’t know. I’m feeling guilty about leaving. Like I haven’t finished my task.’
There was a pause before Ari continued. ‘That doesn’t sound like you? You’ve found the name of Da’s mother. You’ve found out loads of information about Da. In fact, you have easily hit your targets and accomplished more than we could hope for. Unless—’ she paused again thinking ‘—is there another reason why you are leaving early? Has it been too draining? Honestly, Nick, you have so much on your plate right now. Are you okay?’
Nick hurried to reassure her sister – the last thing she had meant to do was worry her.
‘Honestly, I’m fine. It just seems to have ended abruptly.’
‘And there’s nothing else making you want to leave.’
That was the nub of it. Nick knew it was time to go, but she also knew that one of the reasons she was eager to leave was that she wanted to see Gabe again and that was making her feel guilty that she was in some way betraying her father.
Ari continued. ‘Truly, Nick, you’ve achieved loads. Come home or stay on and have a proper holiday. Either way, you’ve gone as far as you can for now.’
Listening to the wisdom of her sister, she called the ferry company and arranged for a night crossing that evening. The sooner she was back in London the sooner she’d be able to help Gabe if needed and honestly, the appeal of the castle had suddenly dissipated.
Something new was beginning to grow and she wanted to investigate it. Smiling, she headed home.