Page 43 of The Granddaughter's Irish Secret
‘He wouldn’t go that far, but he’d give me a ticket,’ Noel said with a laugh as he drove up the street.
‘So what do I do now?’ Rose asked as they drove along the seafront. ‘Should I just give up? Learn to love my fake necklace?’
‘Give up?’ Noel said incredulously. ‘Never. Aren’t you a Fleury girl with the Fleury spirit? We’ll go back into a time machine and search for the Lincoln family, and find out what the connection is. What were you thinking?’
‘I wasn’t,’ Rose said, her spirits rising. ‘You’re right. Thank you for giving me that kick. I’m back in the saddle, I’m going to find out who had the copy made and who replaced it for the real one. Could be impossible, but I’ll have to try.’
‘Well, you know how that old saying goes,’ Noel quipped. ‘The difficult we do immediately, the impossible takes a little longer.’
‘I’m ready,’ Rose declared. ‘Even if it takes all summer.’
19
They didn’t get very far in their research that afternoon – or the following Saturday when Noel came back to help out. Penny Lincoln, the owner of the original necklace, had not been in touch either. Rose had called Melanie Blennerhassett to ask if she had passed on the request, but all Melanie said was that Penny had promised to be in touch when she had the time. Then she had said goodbye very curtly and hung up. Disappointed and frustrated, Rose felt yet again as if she was up against a brick wall.
‘We have to find out who this Lincoln woman is,’ she said to Noel as they were tidying up after another session in the attic room. ‘There is nothing in the archives about them.’
‘We just haven’t found it yet,’ Noel soothed. ‘You have to be patient.’ He gestured at the shelves on the far wall. ‘There is all this to search through yet. But I also think you should ask your grandmother if she knows anything. Didn’t you say your great-grandfather was still alive when Sylvia came here as a newlywed?’
‘That’s true. But she said she didn’t ever meet Iseult, and that Cornelius never talked about her. They didn’t get on, apparently.’
Noel looked doubtful. ‘I wonder if there was some kind of rift or argument between them. Iseult might have done something Cornelius didn’t like. I mean, she’s in some of the early photos and then, after that, there’s no trace of her until that family group at this country house, whatever it was called.’
‘Willowbrook House,’ Rose cut in. ‘But where is it?’
‘It’s not around here, as far as I know. I’ve heard of a house by that name, but I don’t remember in what context. Where could it be?’
‘Could be in Cork,’ Rose suggested. ‘After all, that’s where Melanie Blennerhassett lives.’
‘Ask your grandmother,’ Noel urged.
Rose nodded. ‘Okay. I think you’re right. I’ll ask her. I think she’s downstairs with Henri right now. They’re going through the plans for the communal dining room and the gym. It has to be right for older people who want to keep fit. There will be a yoga room where they can also do Pilates and other fitness classes.’
‘Terrific idea. I’m sure it will be a busy place.’
‘Or a place nobody will go to,’ Rose filled in. ‘Following an exercise programme demands a lot of self-discipline.’
‘I’m sure some of them will turn up for a class or two. You might invite non-residents to join if there aren’t enough people.’
‘Great idea,’ Rose said. ‘But that’s for the future. I’ll go down now and see if I can catch Granny.’
Noel walked to the door and held it open. ‘I have to go too. I have a date a little later so I have to go home and change.’
‘A date?’ Rose asked as she passed him. ‘That’s exciting.’
Noel shrugged and closed the door behind them. ‘Not really. I met a woman I was at uni with earlier in the week. She’s hereon a bit of a break. Works in Cork city now. We’ll just catch up and gossip about legal cases and such. She’s a nice girl though. I always liked her.’
‘And pretty?’ Rose started down the stairs.
‘Yes, she is actually. I had a bit of a crush on her in the old days. Feels like a hundred years ago now,’ Noel added with a sad expression in his eyes. ‘She married someone else so I had to get over her.’
‘Ah,’ Rose said with great sympathy. ‘She broke your heart, did she? I feel quite cross with her now.’
Noel laughed as they arrived at the bottom of the stairs. ‘You do? That’s very nice of you.’
‘I’m not saying that to be nice,’ she replied. ‘I’ve become very fond of you during the past few weeks. You’ve been so kind and helpful. You don’t deserve having your heart broken.’
‘Neither do you, Rose,’ he replied softly. ‘And I’m fond of you, too.’ Then he backed away. ‘But now I’d better get going,’ he said, looking as if he was trying to regain his composure. ‘Let me know how you get on with your granny.’
