Chapter 19
NINETEEN
‘Oh, no,’ Marian said. ‘So it’s started, then. I was wondering when it would happen. The gossip, I mean.’
‘Well, I’m not going to join in with the gossipmongers,’ Colette said and got up as her granddaughters waved at her.
‘I just thought you should know. I have to go. The girls want to go to Ballyferriter for a swim and they’re getting restless.
Oh, and your husband is very attractive,’ she whispered in Marian’s ear before she left.
‘Okay, girls,’ she called to her granddaughters who kept asking to go to the beach.
‘Granny is coming. We’ll chat later, Marian,’ she said before she joined her grandchildren and ushered them into her car.
‘See you, Marian,’ she shouted through the window before she drove off.
‘What was that all about?’ Theo asked as he joined Marian. ‘You look a little startled.’
‘Just a bit of gossip,’ Marian said. ‘And she said you’re very attractive.’
‘Did she?’ Theo beamed. ‘What a lovely woman.’
‘I knew you’d like her if I told you that,’ Marian quipped, trying to push her concerns for Sylvia to the back of her mind ‘But maybe we should get going too? Lots more to see and the roads are narrow and winding.’
‘You didn’t tell me about the rest of the Fleurys. I mean, you did before you met them, but now that you have, I’d like to hear your impressions of them.’
‘I’ll tell you while we’re driving.’
‘Great.’
They got into the car and were soon driving towards Ballyferriter, a tiny village on the tip of the Dingle peninsula.
As she drove along the narrow country lane, Marian told Theo about the rest of the Fleurys.
‘Tricia is the mother of the three girls. Lovely woman. Her partner, Cillian, was her late husband’s best friend and they met up again after many years and fell in love.
I think it must have been Fred’s memory that united them or something.
Anyway, they live together in Tricia’s cottage and then Cillian sometimes takes off in his campervan and is gone for long periods.
Seems to be an arrangement that suits them. ’
‘Wouldn’t be my cup of tea,’ Theo remarked.
‘I know,’ Marian said, tempted to comment that he liked to be waited on hand and foot, but she bit back the sour comment.
No need to get into that kind of argument right now.
‘Then there’s Rose and Noel,’ she breezed on.
‘Rose runs the Magnolia business with the flats and the events and all that. Noel is a solicitor and works in Dingle. Rose is very nice, but a bit of a control freak, I think. She’s very like Sylvia in character. Noel is a darling.’
‘And the actor duo?’ Theo asked.
‘Vi and Jack,’ Marian filled in. ‘Gorgeous couple. Their twin boys are two and a half, so they’re kept busy all day long. They take turns to stay at home with them as they have to go on location sometimes, especially Vi. Jack has switched from acting to writing screenplays and directing.’
‘Interesting,’ Theo said. ‘But Lily and Rose also have kids, right?’
‘Yes. Lily has two children. Naomi, who’s nearly ten and Liam, who’s five and a half. I think Rose and Noel’s children are seven and four or something. But you’ll meet them all tomorrow at the barbecue.’
‘I’m a little nervous about it, I must confess,’ Theo said. ‘I don’t like being scrutinised.’
‘Ah, they won’t scrutinise you,’ Marian assured him.
She knew she was the one who would be questioned, if Claire found out about the letter she had come across.
But Theo wouldn’t be silly enough to mention it, then tell Claire the reason why she’d fled to Ireland in the first place.
‘They’ll give you a beer and clap you on the back and ask you what sports you like. Don’t worry about it.’
‘Okay,’ Theo said, not sounding convinced. ‘I am looking forward to the trad music event in the pub tonight, though.’
‘Yes, that’ll be fun. And you’ll meet Dominic and then you’ll at least know him. I’ll tell him to have a drink with us afterwards.’
‘Great,’ Theo said. ‘That’s someone I’ll be interested to meet.’
Marian glanced at him. ‘Why him particularly?’
‘No reason,’ Theo said, looking coy. ‘Just something that occurred to me about him.’
‘I see,’ Marian said, her mind drifting to what Colette had said.
The gossip has started, she thought. How long will it take before it’s all over town? I’d better tell Sylvia tomorrow. I could reassure her about what Sean said. Maybe the secret he is writing about isn’t as scandalous as I fear.
Marian was still on edge that night as she made her way to the pub on a bike she had borrowed from Rose.
This way she could have a drink without having to use her car.
Theo would meet her there as his B&B was nearby.
After bumping into Colette earlier, she knew she had to get Sylvia on her own tomorrow and tell her what was going on in town.
She might already know, of course, as by now everyone must be talking about what was in the description of that book.
There had been one or two hints from people she knew when she popped into the local grocery shop on her way back from their drive, but she had shrugged and said she had no idea what it was about.
She was sure the pub would be alive with the story, but as Marian entered, all eyes were on her and Theo, and she realised that they would be the subject for discussion tonight.
‘Why is everyone staring at us?’ he muttered in Marian’s ear.
‘Because they haven’t seen us together yet,’ she replied. ‘And now they’re wondering who you are and if we’re an item.’
‘Are we?’ he asked, looking curiously at her.
She took his hand and kissed him on the cheek.
‘For tonight, yes. I’ll introduce you to a few people as my husband and then they’ll all know within minutes.
’ She pulled him along with her and stopped at a table with three couples she knew.
‘Hi,’ she said in a loud voice to make herself heard in the noisy pub.
‘I don’t want to interrupt, but I just want to introduce you to my husband, Theo. He has just arrived from Australia.’
The group smiled and waved and shouted: ‘Hi, Theo, welcome to the Kingdom.’
‘Thank you,’ Theo shouted back over the din of many voices laughing and chatting.
‘Enjoy the music. They’re a great band,’ a woman called.
‘I’m sure I will,’ Theo replied, beaming at them.
There was a buzz in the pub while they sat down and waved and smiled at everyone and then ordered two pints of Guinness and crisps and olives to nibble on.
Then everyone seemed to have forgotten about them as The Fiddler’s Elbow arrived on the small stage at the end of the pub and started to play.
The music was so amazing that Marian forgot all her problems as she clapped and stamped her feet in time with the beat of the jigs and reels.
Dominic’s voice rang out across the silent, enthralled crowd, singing both sweet ballads in Irish and popular songs in English.
Marian watched as Theo was completely entranced by the music and Dominic’s singing, so moved that he had to wipe a tear from his eyes, and squeeze Marian’s hand so tight it hurt.
She felt suddenly so close to him and realised that she had started to enjoy his company the way she used to in the old days.
Then, when the band took a break, she went to the stage and introduced Theo to Dominic and then went to join two of the women from the book club while the men had a chat.
It was Tricia’s friend Maggie, and another woman who introduced herself as Phil.
She explained that they were there to listen to Dominic’s band.
‘Your husband is very handsome,’ Maggie said before the conversation moved to the new gossip in town: the forthcoming book by John Peters and the connection with the Fleury family.
‘It’s all over town,’ Phil said. ‘And everyone is wondering if that gambling debt story is true and then trying to guess what Sylvia was up to in the sixties.’
‘I don’t think anyone knows that,’ Marian said.
‘Well,’ Phil said. ‘My mother went to school with her and she remembered when Sylvia came back from Paris, newly engaged to Liam, who she had met somewhere in France. They got married very soon after that, and everyone wondered why the wedding was so rushed.’
‘I can imagine what they thought,’ Marian said, amused.
‘Yeah, well in those days, when someone got married, everyone counted the months between the wedding and the birth of the first child,’ Phil said with a smile.
‘But then, my mum said, Fred was born a whole ten months after that so the gossip died down and Sylvia was soon a very respected member of the Fleury family. In fact, she ran the place nearly straight away, Mum said.’
‘But now they’re all wondering what happened in Paris,’ the woman called Maggie interjected.
‘Maybe it should stay in Paris?’ Marian suggested.
‘Ah, but the cat is out of the bag now,’ Phil cut in. ‘And you can’t put it back in, if you see what I mean.’
Marian nodded. ‘I do.’ She didn’t want to say too much about what she knew. ‘Well, the proof of the pudding is in the eating,’ she said. ‘Or in this case, the reading of the book.’
‘I’d say it’s going to be something spectacular,’ Phil remarked.
‘I can’t wait to find out,’ Maggie said.
‘Shh, they’re back,’ Phil said as the band reappeared on the stage.
Marian went back to her table and waved at Theo, who was slowly approaching through the crowd as the first bars of ‘Danny Boy’ rang out. He sat down and shot a wide smile at Marian. ‘Great guy,’ he whispered.
Marian was about to ask him what he had been discussing with Dominic but then all was quiet again in the pub as the band played on and Dominic sang a few ballads before they finished and bowed to the standing ovation and shouts of ‘More!’
As the lights dimmed and they all filed to the exit of the pub, a lot of people came up to Theo and Marian to say hello and welcome to Theo.
Marian stepped outside and breathed in the cool air, a relief from the heat and stuffiness of the crowded interior.
She was happy that Theo had received such a welcome and felt it was a good omen to the rest of his stay.
Maybe he would feel differently about Kerry, Ireland and her need to stay here for good.
She said a little prayer to the stars twinkling above her in the dark sky, hoping it would all come true in the end – in one way or another.
‘Are you tired?’ Theo asked behind her.
Marian turned around and smiled at him in the dim light. ‘Not really. Just enjoying the cool night air after the heat inside.’
He took her hand. ‘Such a nice evening. Everyone was amazingly friendly. And the music was great. Thanks for bringing me here tonight.’
She touched his cheek, wanting to kiss him but then felt it was too soon.
She didn’t want to rush things. They still had so much to discuss.
She knew she loved him but she had an odd feeling of not wanting to let him in just yet.
She had found a wonderful freedom here and a family that had welcomed her as their own and she didn’t want to lose that.
‘I’m glad you enjoyed it,’ she said softly.
‘I really did.’ He squeezed her hand. ‘But now you have so much on your mind and things to resolve. And I need to think about a lot of stuff, too.’
‘Thank you for understanding,’ she said. His words had reminded her of Sylvia and what might be in that novel. She suddenly felt an urge to get back home and get to the part that would reveal whatever it was Sean had discovered. ‘I have to go,’ she murmured.
‘I know,’ Theo said. ‘Goodnight, Marian. See you tomorrow.’
After saying goodbye to Theo, Marian cycled home so fast her legs burned.
She had to read the rest of John Peters’ book to see what was in it that would be so damning to Sylvia.
It had to be something he had found out and then used in his story, possibly exaggerated for effect, which would make the gossip even more juicy.
If it was really bad, she would have to contact him and make him delete the worst bits.
How she was going to do that, she had no idea.
She only knew that even though she had not said anything about Sylvia’s past during that fateful night on the plane, her story had sparked his interest and inspired him to write this novel.
Once home, Marian parked the bike in the bike shed and hurried up the stairs, arriving breathless to the flat where she threw her handbag on the sofa and went into the bedroom to find her Kindle that had slipped from her bed.
She picked it up from the floor, switched on her reading light and lay down, opening her Kindle and started reading.
The story, although absorbing, was still not at the place where the fictional grandmother reminisced her youth, so Marian flicked through a few chapters until she found what she was looking for: a flashback to 1960.
The young woman had just arrived in Paris and…
Marian held her breath while she read on. This was incredible, mind boggling and quite shocking, really. If this was true, and Sylvia had really been involved in something like this, Marian knew she had to contact Sean as soon as possible.