Page 63 of The Granddaughter's Irish Secret
Noel put his hand on her arm to stop her. ‘Hold on. I want to tell you what Henri meant.’
‘What?’ Rose asked, feeling suddenly breathless as she saw the expression on his face.
‘He meant I should tell you how I feel about you,’ Noel said, and stepped closer to Rose. ‘How I’ve been in love with you ever since that night on top of Conor Pass.’
Rose felt her knees go weak as she saw the look in Noel’s eyes. ‘Oh, Noel,’ she said, tears welling up in her eyes. ‘That’s so sweet.’
‘Oh I know,’ Noel said with a sad expression. ‘I’m sweet, but you could never love someone like me. A tall nerd from the sticks.’
‘You’re wrong,’ Rose said, standing on tiptoe to put her arms around his neck. ‘That’s exactly the kind of guy I can love. With all my heart. And if you don’t kiss me, I’ll never speak to you again, you tall, wonderful nerd from the sticks. The best sticks in the world, actually.’
Noel’s eyes lit up – his arms went around Rose’s waist, picking her up, swinging her around and then kissing her long and hard. Then he let her go and looked at her, his bright blue eyes shining. ‘I had no idea. I thought you were still moping after Gavin.’
‘Is that why you never asked me on a date?’ Rose asked.
‘I was trying my best not to show how I felt.’
‘And I thought you were in love with that ex-girlfriend, Sally. You were talking about her all the time until I wanted to scream.’
‘I was just making conversation. And maybe trying to make you jealous.’ Noel leaned over and kissed Rose again.
She closed her eyes and leaned back in his arms. She wanted to stay there for a very long time, to just feel the joy of being loved by this man, so honest and kind and true. Someone she could trust and who would always be there for her. She just knew that, this time, it was going to last. ‘I think I loved you even before you rescued me. But it wasn’t until I was on the outing with Henri that I really knew. He was the one who told me. I laughed off the idea but then…’
‘Then?’ he asked.
‘Then you were so sweet and came with me to Kinsale. It was when I walked out of the house that morning. You were standingthere in the sunshine beside your car waiting for me, and I saw the light. I mean I felt that bolt of lightning they talk about.’
‘Amazing.’ Noel looked as if he had just won a million euros in the lottery.
‘And you know what?’ Rose continued. ‘At that moment, I didn’t really care about the necklace or if we would ever find it. I just wanted to be with you.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
Rose sighed and stepped away from him. ‘Because you started talking about Sally. So I thought…’
‘But I told you what I felt about her, which is precisely nothing,’ Noel protested. ‘It was just fun to catch up.’
‘I know that now.’ Rose picked up the bag with the gold coins. ‘This has to be put away in the safe. Do you know the combination?’
‘No, why would I?’
‘As Granny’s special confidant, I thought you might,’ Rose said with a slight edge in her voice.
‘Rose,’ he pleaded. ‘Please don’t start that again. You said?—’
‘I know.’ Rose put her arms around his waist. ‘Sorry. I’m just a little raw after your revelation. And these gold coins make me feel funny. We’ll just put them in the desk for now and then Granny can deal with it.’
‘Good,’ Noel said, giving her a little squeeze. ‘We have to put all that behind us. We might never find the necklace, you know.’
Rose sighed. ‘You’re right. And I’m just going to have to come to terms with telling Granny.’
Rose smiled all the way down the corridor, until she reached the double doors that led into the ballroom. She stopped for a moment to collect herself, preparing what she was going to say to calm the troubled waters. But then she heard that someone had stepped in already. Someone who was trying to make herself heard in the din of arguments and angry voices. Then, whennothing else seemed to work, there was a piercing whistle that stopped everyone in their tracks.
28
Rose laughed and walked into the ballroom. She knew that shrill whistle. When she was a small girl climbing trees in the garden, she had pretended not to hear her grandmother calling her in. But then Sylvia would put two fingers in her mouth and let out a whistle that could be heard all the way down to the shore. Rose had known she’d better behave and come at once, or there would trouble. Even now it brought her back, and she felt like she had to obey or else. She tiptoed in, not wanting to attract attention, and smiled as she saw what was going on.
Sylvia, a pen stuck in her hair, holding a clipboard, was standing on the catwalk beside a distraught Vicky. After the showstopping whistle, Sylvia was now talking loudly to the group of women standing just below her. ‘Now listen, girls,’ she said sternly. ‘Stop arguing at once. We have to row this boat ashore, and pull together. Eileen Moore, I heard you were going on about a size issue? I have spoken to the boutique and they will change the size ten dress to a size sixteen, which I believe will fit you better.’
