Page 25 of The Book of Irish Secrets
‘I’d say it’ll put your organisation skills to the test,’ Pierce said. ‘Not to mention your patience. Sylvia wants everything to be just so. If it isn’t…’
‘She’ll throw a hissy fit?’ Claire suggested.
‘Of course not. Sylvia doesn’t do hissy fits. She will make you feel very small with a cutting comment, that’s all. And you have to be up front about everything. Sylvia doesn’t like being kept in the dark about anything.’
‘Even scarier,’ Claire said with a tiny shiver, as she thought of what she was hiding from Sylvia and everyone else.
‘Oh, you’ll be grand,’ Pierce said. He stood there for a while, looking at Claire through the gloom. Then he bent down and kissed her lightly on the cheek. ‘Goodnight, Claire. I’m so happy you came here.’ Then, not waiting for a reply, he walked away up the hill.
‘Me too,’ Claire whispered, putting her hand on her cheek.
The letter Finola had found arrived the following morning when Claire was having her breakfast in the cosy dining room at the B&B. There was a lovely view down the hill through the tall window and Claire could see as far as the harbour where fishing boats and little dinghies went to and fro on the choppy water.
Mrs Madigan handed the envelope to Claire with a curious look. ‘This just arrived for you. Express mail, no less. Must be important.’
‘Yes, it is,’ Claire said, nearly choking on her piece of soda bread at the sight of the letter. ‘Something personal,’ she added as she put the envelope that contained the old letter Finola had found beside her teacup. ‘I’ll look at it in a minute.’
‘Of course,’ Mrs Madigan said. ‘So,’ she continued, holding the teapot aloft, ‘you’re leaving soon to take up residence at Magnolia Manor, I hear.’
‘I am,’ Claire said. ‘I thought I’d stay one more night here and then be off tomorrow as it’s Sunday. If that’s okay with you.’
‘I suppose,’ Mrs Madigan said, ‘our humble abode couldn’t compete with the manor. More tea?’
‘Yes please,’ Claire said. ‘I have been very comfortable here,’ she continued. ‘It’s a very nice B&B. But I’ll be happy to have my own place and do my own cooking and all that.’
‘Of course.’ Mrs Madigan filled Claire’s cup to the brim. ‘In any case, we’ll have a full house for St Patrick’s in a few weeks. It’ll be nice to have a rest before then. We don’t usually take in guests until then anyway. We made an exception for you.’
‘Yes, that’s what your husband said.’ Claire looked at the envelope as she gulped down her tea and finished her breakfast. Then she grabbed it and got up, nearly knocking over the chair.
Mrs Madigan laughed. ‘In a hurry to read that letter? Must be from someone very important to you.’
‘It is,’ Claire said. ‘Thanks for breakfast, Mrs Madigan. And you know what? I’ve just decided to move out today, so could you have my bill ready when I come downstairs?’
Mrs Madigan pursed her lips. ‘Of course. No problem.’
‘Great. Thanks,’ Claire said and raced out of the room and up the stairs clutching the envelope to her chest.
Once in her room, she slammed the door shut and sat on her bed tearing the envelope open. It contained a note from Finola and another envelope that was yellow with age, the writing barely visible. ‘Mr Louis Fleury,’ Claire mumbled to herself, ‘Villa Magnolia, Killiney, County Dublin. Oh yes, I remember that house.’ It was a pink Victorian villa perched on a hill with wonderful views of the sea and the coastline all the way to Bray. They had gone to look at it with Auntie Rachel when she was around twelve ‘My childhood home,’ Auntie Rachel had said, looking a little wistful. ‘It was a lovely house to grow up in.’
The memory of that day long ago flashed through Claire’s mind as she carefully pulled the letter out of the old envelope. Then she read what it said at the top and her heart did a strange flip. She had expected the letter to be from Cornelius, but it was from someone else. Someone completely unexpected.Oh wow, Claire thought, feeling goosebumps everywhere.This is a huge surprise.And when she started to read, she felt that this letter changed everything, taking her quest to solve the family mystery in a different direction…
TWELVE
Magnolia Manor, Dingle, County Kerry
May 1925
Dear Louis,
I’m sure you will be surprised to receive a letter from me as a long time has elapsed since we said goodbye on that wet and windy day. I have always felt sad about the subsequent pain I caused you and the rift between you and Cornelius that, to this day, is causing both of you such bitterness. I know the two of you will never get back to what you were and that is all my fault.
I recently saw a notice in The Irish Times that you had married a young woman called Helen. I wanted to write to you then but I didn’t have your address. But by a stroke of luck, I managed to get my hands on the Dublinarea phone book and there you were! I can’t tell you how excited I was to see your name and address and that you are now living in Killiney, which, I believe, is a very nice place, situated by the sea. So, dear Louis, with this letter, I want to send you and your new wife all my best wishes. I hope now that so much time has gone by, that you will find it in your heart to forgive Cornelius. Be happy, dear Louis, and cherish your wife.
With all my best wishes for your future happiness,
Caroline
Claire read the letter twice, her pulse racing. There was such sorrow in that letter and she wondered what had happened to make Louis leave his childhood home forever. And why did Caroline say it was all her fault? Was this about a love triangle? Had Louis and Caroline been together at some stage and then broken up? Did Cornelius then step in to take his twin brother’s place? Or was there something else behind all this? Claire went through all the possibilities but couldn’t come to a conclusion. She had hoped to get closer to solving the mystery but now she needed more clues. Maybe they were to be found in that little attic room at Magnolia Manor? She needed to get there as soon as possible. She would be moving in today, but hadn’t told Rose about her decision. She had to tell her immediately. Claire picked up her phone and started to punch in the number, hoping Rose would pick up.
