Page 7 of The Girl with the Irish Secret
Vi knew she had to get to Kerry as soon as possible to start her research. She had told Leo she would be there for Christmas, as if her relationship with her family was normal without any problems or bad feelings. But that was far from thetruth. Her sisters were still not talking to Vi after that falling-out the year before, and her grandmother had not got over her disappointment in Vi, even though she was still affectionate whenever they spoke.
Unconditional love, Vi thought, knowing Granny would always love her no matter what, which made her feel even more guilty. All this made it very difficult to plan a visit to her childhood home. She would have to negotiate carefully with her grandmother in order to stay at Magnolia Manor for Christmas and beyond, and then do her best to mend fences with Lily and Rose, who both lived nearby with their families. It seemed like a very high mountain to climb.
Lily was married to Dominic, an engineer and local contractor, and lived in a gorgeous house overlooking Ventry beach with their two small children. Rose and her husband, Noel, and eighteen-month-old daughter had recently moved out of the gatehouse of Magnolia Manor into a newly built bungalow on the hill above Dingle town. They both seemed to have perfect lives, happy marriages and lovely children. Despite what Vi had said to them during that horrible argument, she often felt envious of her sisters. She sometimes thought she would never have what they had, and when her career seemed stuck, it felt even worse, having nothing to be proud of.
But now she could at least go back home with something to show for all her hard work. Perhaps they might finally be proud of her?
Vi knew she had to go to Kerry soon in order to find out everything she could about Kathleen O’Sullivan. She felt apprehensive about calling her grandmother but she couldn’t put it off much longer. As she went into the Tube station, she promised herself she would call that evening and be completely honest. It would be hard, but it was the first step to areconciliation that simply had to happen very soon. Otherwise, how could she work on a film that was set in her own back yard?
Vi didn’t have to call, however, as her grandmother beat her to it. The phone rang that evening just as Vi had opened the door to her tiny studio apartment in Croydon. She fished the phone out of her bag, stepped over the debris of books and scripts on the floor and sat down on the easy chair in front of the window, without checking the caller ID.
‘Hello,’ she said, ‘this is Violet Fleury.’
‘Of course it is,’ her grandmother’s voice said in her ear. ‘And this is Sylvia Fleury, your grandmother.’
Vi shot up from the chair. ‘Granny! I was just going to call you.’
‘Of course you were,’ Sylvia said, her voice light. ‘How could you not when you’re going to star in a film that’s going to be shot at our manor? I just heard the news from that producer woman. Liz – something. Quite a character, I have to say. Smokes cigarettes with a holder and argues like a man. But she had the decency to go outside when she wanted a puff, so I can’t complain. In any case, we had a good old discussion before she backed down. Pity, I was just getting into the swing of it.’ Sylvia drew breath.
Vi laughed. ‘Oh, Granny, I can imagine. You always enjoyed a good argument.’
‘A good one, yes,’ Sylvia said drily, ‘not like the one you had with your sisters just before you left in a huff. They’re still in a snit over it. How are you going to cope with them when you come here as the big star, I wonder?’
‘I don’t know,’ Vi said miserably. ‘I’ll have to wear a big hairshirt and crawl to the cross.’
‘You might indeed,’ Sylvia remarked. ‘Although that sounds a little uncomfortable.’ She paused. ‘So when are you coming over? I believe the filming starts in April.’
‘I have to go to Kerry way before that,’ Vi replied. ‘I need to do some research on Kathleen O’Sullivan and that will take some time. I was hoping…’ Vi stopped.
‘Hoping what?’ Sylvia asked.
‘That I might come next week and stay until Christmas. I know it will be difficult and Lily and Rose won’t want me there but I’m hoping I can patch things up, or keep out of their hair. Whatever is best.’
‘Hmm,’ Sylvia said. ‘It could be difficult. But we have to try. Life is too short to carry a grudge. Family is all we have in the end, isn’t it?’
‘I know that now,’ Vi said.
‘Good.’ Sylvia took a deep breath. ‘All right, Violet, do come whenever you want. I’ll talk to your sisters.’
‘Thank you,’ Vi whispered. She wondered if Sylvia was proud of her. ‘Are you excited about the movie? It’s a dream come true for me.’
‘What dreams are they exactly?’ Sylvia asked.
‘I’m to star in a movie with Jack Montgomery,’ Vi said, surprised that her grandmother didn’t realise the significance of the part. ‘It’s the first time I’ve had a lead role. And with a very successful actor. Isn’t that so incredible?’
‘Oh,’ Sylvia said. ‘I would be careful if I were you. Reality never turns out like your dreams. Life is too complicated for that. You don’t know what hardship is around the corner.’
‘Oh, please,’ Vi begged, knowing her grandmother was, as always, just trying to stop her building castles in the air. ‘Don’t do the gloom and doom now. Let me be happy for a while. I know what you’re saying and I’m sure I’ll land back on earthwith a thump. But right now, I’m floating on a cloud and loving it.’
‘I see. Enjoy this happy moment, then. If you’re aware that it’s just for a while, you’ll be fine,’ Sylvia said. ‘But I think you should come here as soon as possible. You can have the gatehouse as Rose and Noel have moved into their new house. If you don’t mind being on your own.’
‘I’m on my own now,’ Vi said, looking around the dreary little flat. ‘I’ll be less alone in the gatehouse than here, I think. I can catch up with my old pals in Dingle anyway. I don’t have many friends here in London because I’m away so much on location. This is just a base, not a home, and never will be.’
‘That sounds a little sad,’ Sylvia said, her voice soft. ‘Maybe it’s time you faced up to that.’
‘Oh, I know,’ Vi said, remembering the old saying. ‘It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot. Family and friends are like the stars,’ she said to Sylvia. ‘You can’t always see them but you know they’re there.’
‘Exactly,’ Sylvia said, sounding satisfied. ‘And you know what? Even if your sisters are still angry, I’m not. I’d love to have you here with me. Goodness knows I could do with some company right now.’
