Chapter Thirty-Nine #2
I pull out the shaving mirror and put on some tinted moisturiser, then a dusting of eyeshadow, mascara and a light pink lipstick.
I finish it off with a lick of lipgloss, smack my lips together and then look in the mirror.
There is a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.
I feel happy with how I look. I wonder if Sean will turn up this evening.
My whole body aches for him all over again.
I want to tell him that there’s nothing going on between Dan and me.
But I know I’ve got to keep away from him.
I can’t let what happened on the boat happen again.
I run my hands over my hips and go back into Margaret’s room.
‘Wow!’ I say as Margaret turns to me.
‘Wow yourself!’ she beams back. Margaret is wearing a deep blue short dress with a long fish tail at the back. She’s got pale shimmering tights on, blue high heels, several hairpieces, and matching diamanté earrings and tiara.
‘You look fantastic,’ she says, staring at me, her mouth open. ‘Where did you get that dress from?’
I look down at it. My hand touches the little pearl around my neck.
‘It was my wedding dress. Maire altered it for me.’
‘It’s so you! It’s perfect!’
‘The only thing I’ve realised is that I don’t have any shoes to go with it.’ I look at my feet. ‘I threw away the matching shoes.’
‘I’ve got just the thing,’ Margaret says, and dives into the bottom of her wardrobe. ‘Here!’ she pulls out a pair of shoes and turns to me. She’s holding a pair of light pink ballet-style pumps.
‘Oh, Margaret, they’re perfect!’
‘They’re yours. I’ve only worn them once.
They’re not me, but they’re definitely you,’ she smiles.
‘Right, let’s go and get this party started,’ she says, scooping up her little clutch bag.
I slip on the shoes and she hangs on to my arm for dear life as she totters down the stairs and out into the bar.
There’s a wolf whistle from Frank, and Patsy gives her a proud hug.
‘We’ll be over now. Good luck, love,’ he shouts after us as we totter out into the drizzle. Margaret holds her clutch bag over her head and we clip-clop our way to the library.
Evelyn arrives and takes up her post by the door. Contestants from outside the area turn up and Evelyn directs them behind the screen of books. Even Rosie’s sister, Lily, has decided to enter. I think it’s the chance of dinner for two with Dan that has brought in a lot of the contestants.
‘Not entering yourself?’ says Frank as he sidles into the row of seats behind me. The library begins to fill up. Margaret slips out from behind the book screen to see me.
‘All OK?’ She bobs down as if trying to hide herself from the public.
Evelyn and John Joe’s family are here supporting their daughter and a daughter-in-law-to-be, who are both entering.
Rosie and her parents and the kids are there supporting Lily.
Joan the library’s cleaner, who’s six foot tall with an American football player’s shoulders, is taking part along with the girls from the hairdresser’s.
All of them are short with matching hair colour, and Siobhan, the owner.
There’s Brid from the bank who’s wearing a brooch in her suit lapel and has decorated her thick glasses with tinsel for the occasion.
Deidre, one of the school teachers, who’s heavily pregnant with her fifth child, but has brought a huge following from her class.
Even the local vet and the Polish basket-maker from Galway market have come.
Gerald brings in Grandad, and Evelyn negotiates him a place down the front after much chair moving.
‘Brilliant turn-out,’ I whisper to Margaret.
‘Oh, I need another wee. It’s the nerves.’ She looks around. ‘Is he here yet?’ she whispers, not taking her eyes off the room.
I shake my head before realising she’s not talking about the same person I am.
‘Oh, no,’ I shake my head again. Just then my heart gives a lurch as Sean appears in the doorway. His hands are shoved into his pockets. People turn to look at him. He spots me and I spot him. I raise my hand in a half wave and he starts to make his way towards me.
‘Oh, look, there he is,’ says Margaret, standing up straight. ‘Dan, over here!’ Dan’s standing in the doorway behind Sean. He rubs his hands together and smiles round at the gathered audience.
‘Excuse me,’ he says, and pushes past Sean towards Margaret. Sean’s face darkens as Dan passes him. Dan slides into the seat next to me, stretches out his long legs and rests his arm around the back of my chair.
‘So, we all set?’ he looks around at the makeshift venue. ‘Would you do me a favour?’ he hands me his camera. ‘I need plenty of shots for this chapter in the book.’
‘Sure,’ I say. I’m much happier hiding behind the camera than I am in front of it.
‘I’m going back there.’ Margaret points to the makeshift green room but she’s looking at Sean. ‘Enjoy yourselves!’ She winks and disappears.
‘No, wait …’ But she’s gone, leaving me with Dan, his arm still around my chair.
‘Actually, I’ve got to check on the um … food,’ I point towards the desk where Frank is now tucking into the sausage rolls. I brush past Dan and he grins.
‘You carry on, I’ll just get a feel for things.’ He stands up after me and walks towards the podium.
Sean’s still standing at the back of the room. His face brightens a little when he sees me and the butterflies do the pogo in my stomach.
‘Hey,’ he says.
‘Hey,’ is all I can reply.
‘Sean, you came!’ Margaret appears from nowhere and throws an arm around him. He keeps his hands in his pockets but smiles affectionately.
‘I see he’s making himself at home,’ Sean nods towards Dan who’s adjusting the microphone to the right height. I stifle a smile but should really defend Dan. He’s the one pulling in all the punters.
‘He’s doing a great job.’
‘You would say that, now that you and he are …’ Margaret does that head shaking thing again.
My mouth drops.
‘What? Margaret!’
‘Sorry, I know it’s meant to be a secret but you can trust Sean. And I think it’s so sweet!’ She claps her hands together. ‘Rather wish I’d bagged him for myself now.’
‘No, it’s just …’ I’m lost for words. I look back at Sean’s face, and it’s as if the dark cloud has just rolled in again and is threatening a storm.
I can’t say anything. I can’t say that it was Sean, not Dan, in front of Margaret. But saying nothing means he believes I’m now actually with Dan. Oh, bugger it!
He turns to leave.
‘Not going already, are you, Sean?’ Margaret looks gutted.
‘Just came in to see you had everything you need. And I see you have.’ He looks straight at me. I am bursting with indignation. I have to say something.
‘It’s not like I was in a relationship or anything. I’m a free woman. I’m not hurting anyone …’ I’m just digging myself a deeper hole.
He turns to leave, running straight into Nancy who arrives on a cloud of Coco Chanel.
‘Oh, I thought I’d find you here.’
My bravado disappears.
‘I never hid anything,’ he whispers under his breath to me.
My heart is banging so loudly I think everyone else can hear it. Margaret is glaring daggers at Nancy.
‘Good evening everybody,’ Dan booms across the room, stopping everyone’s conversations.
‘I’m just leaving,’ Sean says to Nancy.
‘Oh no, not yet. All the press are here. Besides, I have a surprise later,’ she smiles naughtily. Sean doesn’t react.
‘Any more entrants before we begin?’ Dan continues. ‘This is, as you all know, for the title of Pearl Queen and her Princess for the Dooleybridge oyster festival in just a week’s time.’
‘You can stay, I’m off,’ says Sean.
‘You can’t go,’ Nancy suddenly looks unusually flustered.
‘Why not? You don’t need me here. All you need is my oysters,’ he says through gritted teeth.
‘But I’d like you to stay,’ she pouts. ‘Besides, without me those oysters won’t have homes to go to.’ She smiles sweetly. I can’t believe she just said that.
Sean takes a deep breath.
‘Of course,’ he says.
‘Besides, I think I’d look rather good on the front page of the Galway Gazette as the Pearl Queen.’ She throws off her coat and Sean catches it over his arm as she sashays her way towards Evelyn to give in her name. Margaret glowers. This looks like war.
The contestants gather on stage and then one by one Dan will talk to them.
Once they’ve answered his questions they’ll walk off the stage and down through the audience to the waiting area.
There is a wall of ice between Sean and me as we stand at the back of the room watching.
Dan approaches his first contestant and we all clap politely. Nancy is contestant number 7.
The competition has really livened up by the time Dan gets to Nancy. ‘So, Nancy, as festival organiser, what does bringing back the Dooleybridge oyster festival mean to you?’ Dan asks.
‘Well, I think the business opportunities are obvious. It will open more doors when we take the oysters produced here overseas, it will help people recognise the name and make it a brand. That can only be good for local suppliers.’ We all clap and Evelyn and John Joe nod their heads in agreement.
Sean leans over and whispers in my ear, ‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything.’
I wonder if I’ve heard him right. What does he mean? Sorry it’s worked out like this or sorry it ever happened? My mind is buzzing.
Margaret is contestant number 8. She doesn’t wait for Dan to ask the question. She grabs the mike out of his hand.
‘This festival will put Dooleybridge back on the map. People will come here and see what a fab town it is. It’ll make us famous worldwide and everyone will want to visit.
The festival will remind people what a great town this once was and can be again.
Dooleybridge is gonna rock!’ she shouts, and Frank, Seamus and Padraig, Evelyn and John Joe are up on their feet.
Grandad is rolling backwards and forwards in his chair with glee.
There’s a short interval where the rest of the sausage rolls and pasties are devoured and half the audience go outside for a fag break.
‘You were great,’ I tell Margaret. Sean hands Nancy her coat and says nothing.
‘And our Pearl Queen is …’ Everyone is back in their seats and the contestants are biting their nails on stage. Dan has obviously been watching X Factor and is keeping the audience waiting for ever.
I’ve got everything crossed for Margaret. She wants this so much and she deserves it. None of this would be happening if it wasn’t for her.
I hold my breath.
‘… Nancy Dubois!’ Dan announces with a fake drum roll.
Some of the room claps, others mutter the word ‘fixed’ and a few just get up to leave.
Nancy steps forward to accept her diamanté crown, the one Margaret hand-picked and has been practising wearing for weeks. Margaret looks like she’s been kicked in the guts.
‘And the runner up is … Margaret!’ And the whole place erupts with cheers and clapping.
Those who had been leaving stop and join in.
Margaret straightens herself and steps forward to where Dan is waiting to greet her.
He gives her a small bouquet, much smaller than the Queen’s, and then goes to kiss her on both cheeks.
Margaret, all of a dither, goes the wrong way and they end up meeting in the middle, on the lips, while the photographer from the Galway Gazette clicks away.
Back at the pub, it’s busier than it has been in ages.
‘I need you to help,’ Patsy calls to Margaret, who puts down her clutch bag and totters behind the bar. I sit on the stool at the end of the bar.
‘I really hope you don’t think I did that on purpose,’ Margaret is still fretting about the kiss and is apologising to me. At least it’s taking her mind off the many acts of violence she wants to commit on Nancy.
‘Of course not,’ I laugh and wave a hand, wishing I could tell her that there’s no reason for her to feel bad. ‘Honestly, it’s fine.’
Nancy arrives, holding onto her tiara and carrying her bouquet. There are large daisies among the flowers, Margaret’s favourites. Her posy is in a pint pot at the end of the bar. It’s mostly chrysanthemums.
Margaret is serving drinks. Sean comes in behind Nancy, who is chatting with the Gazette owner and Dan.
‘Let me get some drinks,’ she says, smiling all the way to the bar.
‘Prosecco, please, a few bottles, and hand them round,’ she instructs Margaret, who turns away and bites her bottom lip in fury.
Sean stands beside me but says nothing. I can smell his aftershave, soft yet spicy.
I feel as though he’s waiting for me to say something, but I can’t think what.
It’s like we’re back to where we started in the pub.
Only this time there is so much stuff that I want to say.
Like how I can’t bear standing this close to him and not being able to touch him.
Like how I love the way his hair is too long and falls round his face and drives him nuts.
Like how I love how passionate he is about his oysters and how I loved the night we looked up at the stars together.
There are many things about Sean Thornton that I have come to really love, I realise as I stand there.
‘Now then, if we’ve all got a glass,’ Nancy says, ‘I’d like to thank everyone for coming, for making this a very special night. And to make this even more special,’ she looks to me and then to Sean, ‘I’d like to announce my engagement to my partner, Sean Thornton!’
She raises her glass and the photographer clicks away as she kisses Sean’s surprised face. My hand flips over, sending my Prosecco all over the bar and me at the same time.
‘You’re engaged!’ I blurt out, and Nancy looks at me and smiles.