Page 23 of The Granddaughter's Irish Secret
‘Oh, I’m not sure about that,’ Noel said. ‘I think the gardens of Magnolia Manor are even better. There is such peace there, and the view over the ocean is fantastic. And the house… So beautiful, with such a fascinating history. All those people who lived there through the years, especially the women, were all so interesting.’
Rose nodded, her eyes on the view. ‘Yes they were actually. I’m doing some research right now, going through the family archives. Well,’ she added with a derogatory little laugh, ‘I’m actually ploughing through a jumble of papers, letters, photos and other junk that were shoved into one of the attic rooms during the renovation downstairs. “Family archives” sounds as if there is some kind of order. But that’s far from the truth.’
‘So you have a lot of work ahead of you?’ Noel asked. ‘Sounds daunting. Except if you’re interested in history.’
Rose looked at Noel and smiled. ‘Sure it’s a lot of work. But I adore history. Always have. Because history is about people, and I want to find out how my ancestors lived, about their passions and interests and everything else. Looking at their stiff figures in paintings and photos doesn’t tell you much other than what they looked like.’
‘And that they wore tight corsets,’ Noel quipped. ‘I love history too. If you need help, I’d be happy to come and assist with the ploughing.’
‘Really?’ Surprised, Rose smiled at Noel. ‘That would be great.’
‘Your grandmother asked me to do some cataloguing of her assets anyway, so I can look out for anything of value that we might find.’
‘Then it’ll be part of your work for her,’ Rose remarked. ‘You’ll be doing something useful at the same time.’
‘Exactly. I’m not very tidy though, as Lily might have told you,’ he warned her. ‘But it could be good to have a fresh pair of eyes that might see things from a different angle.’
‘I know what you mean. And that is very useful during research, so yes, I’ll give you a shout if I get desperate.’ She turned to look at the hotel entrance where she saw guests beginning to arrive. ‘I think we’d better go inside. The bride andgroom will want this very spot for the photos. And to be honest, I’m dying for a drink after the fright of seeing Gavin again.’
‘Yes, that must have shaken you up a bit,’ Noel remarked.
‘It was a huge shock,’ Rose said. ‘I didn’t expect to see him there. But then…’ She paused, then suddenly laughed. ‘When he started talking to me in that condescending way, I realised that I didn’t feel anything at all for him. It was a bit like looking at a pizza when you’re not hungry. And that was a huge relief.’ She started to walk towards the hotel. ‘I’d better take my overnight bag and check into my room before dinner.’
Noel followed Rose. ‘I like your metaphor. Not that I think your ex looked like a pizza, but I get what you mean. And I’m glad he didn’t upset you.’
‘Let’s forget about him,’ Rose said as they walked up the steps with her bag. ‘Well, he’s here and he’ll probably make some kind of soppy speech, but then we can ignore him and dance the night away. If you like dancing that is.’ She suddenly realised how little she knew about Noel, even though they had met on many occasions – family dinners and meetings about the new apartments. But she didn’t know who he really was or anything about his personal life, apart from the fact that he lived in an old house in Anascaul with his elderly father.
‘I like dancing,’ Noel said. ‘Not good at it really though.’
Rose laughed. ‘Me neither, so we’re a perfect match. I’ll step on your toes and you’ll step on mine.’
‘I’ll try not to,’ he promised.
‘I’ll hold you to that. But now, while I go check in and put my bag in the room, you go on to the bar and get yourself a drink.’ Rose took her bag and started to walk to the reception desk.
‘I’ll wait for you,’ Noel called after her. ‘And we’ll get that drink when you come back.’
‘You’re such a gentleman,’ Rose said, smiling.
‘I do my best.’
Rose felt so happy she had asked Noel to be her plus one. He was such a kind man.
She was still smiling when she went into the lift, her keycard in her hand. She was on the second floor and the room was easy to find. Rose quickly put the bag on the bed, took off her jacket and hat and looked at herself in the mirror. The topazes gleamed in the light of the bedside lamp, looking nearly real. Rose touched them and wondered if anyone would guess the truth. Probably not, just as she had been convinced they were real until she had been told otherwise. Oh well, there was nothing much she could do until she found out what had happened to the real necklace. If she ever did.
11
The evening turned out to be more enjoyable than Rose had expected. Mostly because of Noel. To her surprise, he proved to be more fun than she would have believed at first. Yes, he was a little awkward and shy with the Dublin crowd but, as the evening wore on, he seemed to find his feet. He was simply himself, a country lad at heart with a love of nature, hillwalking and birdwatching, and the female guests seemed to warm to him.
‘He’s so unusual,’ Kate said as they touched up their makeup in the ladies’. She was one of the girls from the office in Dublin. ‘He told me all about the birdlife on the coasts around here at this time of year. Did you know that many of the migratory birds stop here to feed on their way to the Arctic, where they nest in the summer? And that the ringed plover has been spotted in this area?’
‘Eh, yes,’ Rose said as she applied blusher. ‘I spent most of my childhood here, so that’s something we learned at an early age.’
‘How lucky you were,’ Kate said. ‘Must have been fun to be here when you were a kid. Not that I’d like to live here now, but the odd visit is great.’
‘I live here permanently now,’ Rose cut in. ‘And I love it.’
‘Do you?’ Kate looked at her in astonishment for a moment. ‘Wasn’t it hard to adjust after all those years in Dublin? And being with Gavin and everything…’ Her voice trailed away as she glanced at Rose in the mirror. ‘Sorry, didn’t mean to be tactless. I’m sure it was devastating, him going off with another woman like that.’
