Page 130 of The Girl with the Irish Secret
‘Really? That’s fabulous news,’ Vi exclaimed. ‘What a relief.’ She looked at him for a moment. ‘So you pulled out all the stops and said you’ll resign?’ she asked, even though she suspected what had happened.
He looked a little sheepish as he met her gaze. ‘No, I chickened out in the end. It was actually her own research thatdid it. We should be able to start filming just before the Magnolia party that Sylvia has invited me to.’
‘I hope so.’ Vi nodded, her mouth full. ‘Are you going?’
‘I’m not sure I can.’ Jack paused. ‘You see, there is something else I want to tell you. I’m going to be in an Ibsen play in the West End in April and we start rehearsing very soon.’
‘What?’ Vi stared at Jack. ‘When did this happen?’
‘Only a few weeks ago. I always wanted to do theatre and especially Ibsen. It’s been my dream for a long time. And now, this theatre producer got in touch with my agent and asked if I could do it – I jumped at the chance. That’s why I pulled out of the movie but I couldn’t tell you. It was all under wraps until now. It will be in the papers tomorrow.’
‘Oh.’ Vi looked at Jack, unable to think of anything to say. She understood that he wanted to realise his dream but at the same time felt miffed both that he hadn’t told her and that he had pulled out of the movie just like that. ‘Well, that’s… I mean…’
‘And I did have a bit of a change of heart before that. I started to think that the film would be a lot better without me,’ Jack said. ‘With you in it…’ He suddenly reached out across the table and took her hand. ‘It would be complicated.’
‘Complicated? Because…?’ Vi stared at Jack, holding her breath.
‘There is something between us,’ he said in a low voice. ‘Something I know you feel too.’
‘Something?’ Vi whispered, forgetting her pizza. ‘Like what?’
‘Like attraction and chemistry and perhaps, in time – love?’ Jack looked suddenly shy.
Vi kept gazing into his eyes without replying. Was this true? Did he really feel the same connection between them that she had felt since the beginning? She met his eyes and saw, not the glamorous film star, but the man behind the glitzy façade. Aman who had been through a difficult childhood and youth, had a complicated relationship with his family and had somehow lost his roots. ‘Something like that,’ she said. ‘I didn’t know how you felt, but yes, it was there all the time. Especially after your first visit and I saw how affected you were by everything here. And how you kind of melted into the family and connected with Granny.’
‘That’s only part of it.’ Jack kept holding on to her hand while he spoke, his eyes gleaming with emotion. ‘It’s all part ofyou, my darling Violet. What makes you so special and unique. You’re smart and strong and beautiful and funny as well. And as stubborn as hell. I’ve never met a woman like you – or your sisters or your grandmother and even your little niece.’
‘You’re in love with them too?’ Vi asked, smiling.
‘Not as much as I’m in love with you,’ Jack declared, leaning over the table and placing a light kiss on her mouth. Then he sat back and smiled at her. ‘There. I said it. What do we do now?’
Vi got up and went to his side. ‘Kiss me again, maybe?’
Jack shot up from his chair. He put his arms around her and their lips met in a long kiss. In his arms, Vi felt a sense of security that she had never felt with any man before. All her fears and hesitations disappeared as he pulled away for a moment and looked deep into her eyes with an expression she knew was not pretence or acting, but came from real feelings. Then he kissed her again, and this time she kissed him back, her heart full of happiness and gratitude to have found love at last.
EPILOGUE
The Dublin premiere ofThe Irish Girl’s Secret, the Kathleen O’Sullivan movie, was a glittering event. The red carpet was rolled out on the pavement outside the Savoy cinema and all the glamorous people of Dublin were photographed against a backdrop of shamrocks and tiny silver harps. Hundreds of people were lined up outside the barriers and there was a roar of excitement through the crowd as Jack Montgomery, in black tie, stepped out of a limousine and held out his hand to help his date for the evening get out. Then there was complete silence as the woman, in a red dress with a fur-trimmed cape around her shoulders, stood beside Jack smiling at everyone.
‘Who is this amazing-looking woman?’ a reporter asked, holding a mic.
‘It’s Sylvia Fleury,’ Jack said into the mic. ‘The lady of the manor where the movie was filmed. But the spotlight should not be on me, but the stars who I see arriving now,’ he said as another car drew up in front of the cinema, and Vi and Peter Black got out. Vi was dressed in a green full-length gown with the Fleury emeralds around her neck. Jack stood between her and Peter, telling the reporters how proud he was to haveproduced this amazing story and how moving the performance of the actors was.
Vi blinked in the glare of the flashes from many cameras and did her best to smile and do a twirl to show off her dress. Then Liz and Dave and more stars of stage and screen arrived and the spotlight was off her for a while. Rose and Lily came to her side and the three of them posed for the cameras as Jack introduced them as ‘the Fleury bouquet from Kerry’.
‘That’s a lovely dress, Violet,’ a female reporter remarked. ‘Who is it by?’
‘I have no idea,’ Vi said. ‘I found it in a charity shop for ten euros.’
‘That’s amazing,’ the reporter said, looking at Vi with respect.
‘So whatwasthe Irish girl’s secret?’ another reporter asked.
‘You’ll find out when you see the movie,’ Vi replied with a broad smile.
Jack came to Vi’s side and put his arm around her waist. ‘And that is all we’re going to say. Now, please come into the cinema and watch the story with us. I’m sure you’ll be just as amazed as we were when we found out.’ He gently pushed Vi forward. ‘Come on, enough questions,’ he mumbled into her ear. ‘It’s freezing and you’ll catch your death standing here.’
Vi pulled back. ‘Just a minute. I thought my mum would be here by now. She was supposed to come early but there is no sign of her.’
