Page 81 of The Girl with the Irish Secret
‘Of course,’ Vi said. ‘I want to walk down the path and smell the sea and listen to the owl, if he’s still around.’
‘He is,’ Sylvia said, smiling. ‘Or maybe it’s a she? I think the bed is made down there in the house and Nora said she’d turn on the heating and leave lights on. You should be fine there.’
‘As snug as a bug in a rug,’ Vi said with a fond smile. She leaned forward and kissed her grandmother’s soft cheek. ‘Night, night, Granny. See you in the morning.’
Sylvia patted Vi’s cheek. ‘Sleep tight. We can have a lazy morning tomorrow. And then we could have lunch somewhere nice when you’ve settled in. How about that?’
‘Sounds perfect,’ Vi said, smiling. ‘Looking forward to it already. See you soon.’
She left her grandmother and stepped out of the house and into the dark courtyard. She turned the corner to walk down the moonlit path, the gravel crunching under her feet. She breathed in the smell of turf smoke and sea, and heard the owl hoot above her as its dark shadow swept across the lawn. It was both eerie and beautiful and it brought Vi back to her childhood. She thought of her grandmother’s words about how Vi had been their ray of sunshine during those dark days long ago. That thought made her feel more hopeful and she wished her sisters might remember her like that; the bright spark that helped them feel a little better.
Then her thoughts drifted to Kathleen O’Sullivan and what her grandmother had said.De mortuis nil nisi bonum… Don’t speak ill of the dead, she thought,but what did Granny mean by that?It made her suspect that Kathleen’s youth might not have been as sunny as everyone thought.
Maybe there were things behind the glossy Hollywood image that nobody knew about.
7
It only took Vi a week to settle in to the gatehouse. It was a much bigger space than she was used to; her accommodations in London had always been tiny bedsits and studio flats, for which she often had to pay astronomical rents. But here she had a whole house, with three bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs and a living room and small but cosy kitchen downstairs. The house had been renovated a few years ago, when Rose and Lily lived here, one after the other.
The living room was especially cosy, with a sofa piled with cushions in front of the fireplace and a bookcase crammed with books waiting to be read. There was a tiny patio outside where Vi imagined it would be lovely to sit once spring arrived. The largest bedroom had been cleaned and aired and the bed made up the first evening she was there. It was as if little elves had been around the house, lighting the fire, stocking the fridge and turning on the lamps, but she knew it was Nora and Martin. She had gone to bed feeling not the slightest bit lonely, knowing there were people nearby who cared about her. If only she could make peace with her sisters, life would be perfect. But real life wasn’t like that, so she would have to be patient and wait for theright moment to take the first step towards a reconciliation. She wanted to keep in touch with her little nieces and nephew, which had been difficult because of the rift. But now, if only her sisters could put the past behind them, she would at last be able to get to know the children as they were growing up. She wanted to be a real auntie who they knew they could have fun with.
Vi decided to forget about her sisters for a while and concentrate on her research into Kathleen’s early life. But first she had to watch the movies she had downloaded and do her best to learn how Kathleen used to speak and move and pick up any other mannerisms that were typical of her persona. She had found a voice coach who was willing to teach online through Zoom, which suited Vi perfectly. They would have daily sessions until Vi had perfected Kathleen’s voice and manner of speaking as much as she could. It was a daunting task, but one that Vi found very challenging and fascinating. The old movie star’s way of walking and moving she would have to study herself but she felt that would be less of a problem than the voice.
Vi became hooked on watching the movies. Kathleen was so graceful – nearly like a dancer – and when Vi found a more detailed biography online, she discovered that Kathleen had indeed studied classical ballet at a dance studio in Dublin. She had been the only daughter of the local teacher in a village near Castleisland, a small town not far from Tralee. She had gone to Dublin when she was seventeen to study drama and dance in order to become an actress on the stage. Then she had been spotted by a talent scout from Hollywood when she was in her final year and been cast in a few minor movies until her big breakthrough, starring against Henry Fonda in a blockbuster film set in Texas.
Vi wondered if the dance studio was still there and tried to find it by googling. She saw, to her delight, that it was still in business and that it was now also a gym and yogastudio combined which offered courses in all kinds of dance techniques, including Irish, flamenco and ballroom dancing. She decided to call them, just to see if they had any records of Kathleen O’Sullivan’s attendance. But it was over seventy years ago so it was a real long shot. They might not even know who Kathleen was.
She waited with bated breath while the phone rang and rang. Then, finally, someone replied.
‘On Your Toes dance studio, Finbarr speaking,’ a pleasant male voice said.
‘Hi,’ Vi replied. ‘I wonder if you could help me. My name is Violet Fleury and I’m doing some research into the life of Kathleen O’Sullivan. She was a movie star in the nineteen fifties, so maybe you don’t know who I’m talking about, but she was a student at your dance school in her youth.’
‘Of course I know who she was,’ Finbarr said. ‘She’s a legend here at our school. We have her framed photo on the wall in the reception area. She was spotted by a talent scout from Hollywood right here in the dance studio in nineteen forty-eight. And the rest, as you know, is history.’
‘Wow, that’s amazing,’ Vi exclaimed. She did the maths in her head. ‘She must have been only nineteen then.’
‘Something like that,’ Finbarr agreed. ‘Long time ago. She’s our most famous student. Not sure how I can help you, though, as that’s all I know. Apart from her movies, of course. I’ve seen one or two on TV years ago. Great looking woman.’
‘She was indeed.’ Vi paused. ‘I don’t suppose you know anyone who might remember her? I know it’s a long shot, but I thought I’d have a go all the same.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Finbarr said. ‘It was so long ago. I don’t think…’ He stopped. ‘Well, maybe… Hang on sec. There might be someone. A very old lady who trained with her. I mean, she’s old now, but she was only a teenager then. She used to come in hereto watch the lessons. Must be around ninety now, if she’s still alive. I have to ask if anyone knows where she is. Can I call you back?’
‘Yes,’ Vi said and gave him her number.
‘Great,’ Finbarr said. ‘I’ll get back to you as soon as I get the information.’
‘That’s very kind of you,’ Vi said.
‘No problem,’ Finbarr replied. ‘I’ve been a fan of Kathleen O’Sullivan for a long time. Are you writing a book about her or something?’
‘No, it’s for a movie based on her life.’
‘Oh yeah,’ Finbarr said. ‘I saw the press release inThe Irish Times. The actress playing her is so like her it’s spooky. Can’t remember her name.’
‘I know,’ Vi said with a laugh. ‘Great resemblance. Quite scary.’
‘Exactly. Hey, I’ll be in touch in an hour or so. Talk to you then.’ Finbarr hung up.
