Page 47 of The Widow's Irish Secret
‘Oh.’ Tricia stared at him. ‘I didn’t think of that, either.’
‘Well, maybe you should cross that bridge when you come to it,’ Ted suggested. ‘I just thought I’d mention it so you’ll be prepared.’
‘I’m glad you did,’ Tricia said. ‘But first things first: is that painting really bythatKieran O’Grady?’
‘That would be good to know, of course,’ Ted agreed. ‘But now I really have to go. Have fun with the new member of the household. Let me know how you get on. And if there’s any news from the gallery, of course.’
‘I will,’ Tricia promised.
‘Good. Well, goodbye.’ He waved and continued to the front door.
Tricia thanked him and said goodbye and then went to join her new charge on the sofa, feeling suddenly exhausted. She lay back and the kitten climbed onto her and went to sleep, purring loudly. It was oddly comforting to have that warm soft little cat on her chest, and Tricia let her thoughts drift.
Cillian’s sour face and hasty departure played on her mind and she wondered if they would ever be able to sort out their differences. He had left both angry and hurt and that was probably the end of what could have been so lovely. That was sad but she would have to cope with it. Maybe she was too old forromance anyway. A bitter fruit to bite into, but she would have to face it.
Tired after the day full of controversies, with the kitten snoozing on her chest, Tricia felt herself nod off, only to be woken by her phone ringing. Startled, she picked it up from the coffee table, hoping it might be Cillian. But then saw that it was a Dublin number and wondered who it could be.
‘Hello, this is Tricia Fleury,’ she mumbled, still lying down with the kitten on her chest.
‘Oh, hello, Mrs Fleury,’ a woman’s voice said. ‘This is Barbara Delaney. I’m head curator at the National Gallery in Dublin. You sent me a photo of a painting a week or so ago.’
Tricia gasped and sat up, her heart racing, making the kitten jump away. ‘Oh, yes, I did.’
‘Sorry about not contacting you sooner but I’ve been on holiday until now.’
‘That’s okay. So you had a look at the photo?’ Tricia asked.
‘Yes.’
‘And…?’ Tricia held her breath while she waited for the woman to continue.
24
‘Well,’ Barbara Delaney continued, ‘it’s an interesting find and a very beautiful painting. But we’d have to see it in real life, of course, and do some tests before we can say who painted it and when.’
‘I understand,’ Tricia said. ‘But maybe you could tell me if you think itcouldbe a work by Kieran O’Grady. I mean, if you think it’s in the same style.’
‘I can’t tell you much before I’ve seen it,’ Barbara said. ‘But…’
‘But?’ Tricia urged.
‘Well, just between you and me, it looks very similar to some of his portraits. That was my take on it anyway. But then it could be a copy or someone trying to paint like him. We have to take a little sample of the paint and the canvas to establish when it was done. So, maybe I could come down to see it?’
‘Of course you can,’ Tricia almost shouted. ‘That would be absolutely fine. And you can stay with me if you need to spend the night.’
‘That’s very generous, but I’ll be fine in a nearby B&B or a small hotel somewhere in the area,’ Barbara said.
‘That’s fine. Could you tell me,’ Tricia continued, ‘if you know anything about Kieran O’Grady? I mean, anything that’s not on the very limited biographies online.’
‘I will look up what we have here in the gallery,’ Barbara promised. ‘All I know so far is that he was from Tralee. Isn’t that right?’
‘Yes, but we think he might have been born here near Dingle, in the cottage where I live and then he might have moved when he…’ Tricia stopped. ‘Oh, it’s a bit complicated. I can explain better when we meet.’
‘Yes,’ Barbara agreed. ‘That seems like a good plan.’
‘When can you come?’ Tricia asked.
‘Hold on. I’ll check my diary,’ Barbara said. ‘How about… the end of next week? I’ll bring my assistant who is also an expert of the Impressionists.’
