Chapter 15 #2
Fintan nods, a look of admiration on his face.
‘Ah, now I know who you’re talking about – he doesn’t fit the typical solicitor stereotype, which threw me off.
He’s a decent guy – he shouldn’t beat himself up over what happened; it was an awful accident.
Tragic. It shook the whole town. And not the first tragedy he’s met with either.
But he’s doing his best and that’s all anyone can do.
He helped Jacinta and I out with some computer issues – we’re both none too savvy when it comes to the modern technology… ’
Did I hear that correctly? James shouldn’t blame himself for something? What awful accident occurred?
Kayla senses my confusion and quickly jumps in to change the subject and lighten the tone. ‘So, The Tap House, is that a pub?’
Jacinta nods excitedly. ‘Aye, it is indeed. They’re open till midnight most nights, often later than that, live music and the like – you’ll find James in there at some point of the week.
Very sociable, knows everyone, but sure, he’s working every hour God sends, no time for anything except a few pints in the village. ’
‘Bless me soul, brothers and sisters! Will you listen to our good lady here? Sure, she wants the whole town to know their business! Jacinta’s like a Sky News reporter – up to date with the goings-on, whether we like it or not.’
Jacinta feigns innocence and stares wide-eyed at us all before continuing with her story.
‘It’s true though, they do keep late hours at the office…
James is always there late – you can see the lights on from the street.
Someone told me they heard he’s working on some big mess of a will – when there’s a will, there’s a headache… ’
Kayla looks at Jacinta curiously. ‘What do you mean? What messy will?’
Fintan takes a deep breath, clearly amused by his sister’s chatter. ‘Well, now we’re curious, are we not?’ He laughs heartily.
Jacinta smirks as she looks back at her brother before responding to Kayla. ‘Well, I hear tell that James O’Connor has been out and about trying to find the inheritor of Mick Kennedy’s estate.’
In perfect unison, they both bow their heads, make a sign of the cross and whisper, ‘May he rest in peace.’ And then they both just snap back into the present moment, right back into the chat where we left off.
I’m feeling overwhelmed as I attempt to take in the new facts about Mick Kennedy before we even hit Innisfree.
My mind is spinning in circles, overloaded with a myriad of questions and thoughts.
It feels like a never-ending cycle of information, and although I want to know as much as possible, I’m struggling to keep up.
‘Big mystery who Mick left it all to – he had no children, no wife, no family… but he left it to someone.’ Jacinta shakes her head in amazement. ‘Cases like that don’t come around here often, if ever!’
Fintan pats his sister’s shoulder reassuringly.
‘Now, Jacinta, don’t get ahead of yourself – I’m sure he’ll figure it all out.
’ He turns to Kayla with an apologetic smile.
‘As much as my sister loves to spread rumours around town, none of them are ever malicious… just idle gossip.’ He squints at me, his brows furrowed.
‘Have I seen you before? There’s something familiar about you. ’
Jacinta gapes. ‘Are you a famous person? A musician or an actor? What have we seen you in?’
I shake my head firmly. ‘Not in the slightest. Nothing since I played a donkey in the school nativity.’
Jacinta snickers, but Fintan keeps on scrutinising me.
‘That’s not it… Gosh, I can’t put my finger on it.’
Jacinta turns to him. ‘Could you please stop gawking at the lady like she’s a criminal on a wanted poster? It’s way past your nap time, Fintan. Let your poor brain take a break and you’ll remember.’
Kayla nudges me, as if to prompt me to come clean.
I take a deep breath before speaking. ‘Actually… James O’Connor has found the mystery heir. It was my mother.’
Jacinta and Fintan both gasp in astonishment at my revelation.
‘Your mother!’ Fintan exclaims, shaking his head in disbelief.
I smile reassuringly. ‘And that’s why we’re here – to check it out and go from there.’
Fintan’s hands fly to his face. ‘Well, on my oath, I see it now… Rose Clarke. As I live and breathe, Rose Clarke is your mother… Am I right?’ He fixes his gaze on me with a round-eyed look of astonishment.
I nod, unable to contain my own surprise.
‘Yes! Wow, yes. Do I really look that much like her?’ Three decades had passed since anyone’s last sighting of my mother back in Innisfree, but, as James had warned, the villagers seem to have a long memory – an almost supernatural ability to recall faces and names from the distant past. Could it be this easy for me to uncover pieces of my history?
All I need is a few conversations with the right people, asking the right questions – voila!
Jacinta is practically bouncing on the spot now, clutching at her necklace in amazement as if trying to take it all in. ‘Well, well, well! Mick left the lot to Rose Clarke… and now her daughter is here to claim it!’ She puts a hand up to her forehead in an exaggerated gesture of shock.
Fintan shakes his head. ‘I can’t believe it.’ He looks me up and down with sparkling eyes. ‘I knew it – I knew there was something about you.’ He grins warmly at me before continuing. ‘No wonder you looked familiar! You have your mother’s features! The hair, the eyes…’
I smile gratefully at Fintan before replying, ‘It’s true – although she unfortunately passed away. So that’s why James came to see me and asked me to visit.’
‘Oh, a beautiful woman, taken too soon,’ says Jacinta, her face creasing in concern. She takes my hand in hers, the soft skin of her palm cool against my own. ‘I’m so sorry for your loss, Daisy. My sincere condolences.’
Jacinta and Fintan both lower their heads and utter a silent prayer this time around.
‘Thank you,’ I reply, my voice little more than a whisper.
For a moment, we sit in silence, all lost in our own thoughts.
Fintan nods thoughtfully and looks around the bus.
‘Well, it’s no surprise that there was a veil of silence over the whole matter,’ he says finally before clapping his hands decisively.
‘Goes to show, nobody really knows what goes on behind closed doors.’ He smiles at me warmly, but Jacinta coughs into her fist, giving him a warning look.
‘How did you know my mother?’ I ask, curious now.
‘She worked for me for a little while. Very hard worker was Rose; she was always willing to put in a shift wherever she was needed,’ Fintan says, a faraway look in his eyes.
‘She was a lovely girl,’ adds Jacinta. ‘A free spirit, very beautiful, I was always so jealous of her long wavy hair… she was like a film star.’
I’m not sure how to respond. It feels strange to be talking about my mother with someone who knew her. ‘Thank you,’ I say.
Jacinta nods. ‘Ah, but she had a light inside her – that’s what made her so special. It shone out of her eyes, especially when she laughed. I can still see her laughing, throwing her head back, that cascade of hair tumbling down her back… She had many admirers, her choice of men.’
Fintan pauses and shakes his head, wringing both hands. ‘So, The Lake House has passed on to you now?’
I nod.
‘How did they find you? Nobody knew anything about Rose since the moment she left – decades ago. It was like she vanished into thin air.’
‘I’m not sure,’ I tell him honestly. ‘All I know is that Mick left her his estate and everything else is still a mystery.’
‘Hmmm,’ Jacinta mutters, her eyebrows coming together in a contemplative fashion. ‘So James O’Connor, as executor of the will, tracked you down and brought you here. And what did your mother tell you about why she left Innisfree?’
‘Nothing,’ I reply, my voice wavering. ‘She never said a word.’
‘I see,’ Fintan responds slowly, his tone shifting.
‘Was she happy here?’ I ask, needing to know.
‘Yes, for a long time,’ Jacinta says. ‘But this place was too small for the likes of Rose Clarke, so when I heard that she’d upped and left in a midnight flit, I wasn’t surprised. She needed something more, something bigger than this town could offer her.’
‘Do you know why she left?’ I ask, my heart sinking at the thought of why my mum had chosen to leave everything here for a difficult life in a cramped London bedsit, trying to make ends meet from week to week, always worried about eviction and what lay around the next corner.
Was it the promise of a better life, or was it something else that pushed her away?
I’m already left with even more questions than before I arrived.
‘Nobody will ever get to the real truth,’ Jacinta says, shrugging. ‘Just small talk, idle gossip. You know how it is in a small place.’
I don’t actually. But think I’m about to find out.