Page 45 of Prudence
Something in his expression softened as he stared down at me. “I’ll see what I can do. In the meantime, pack a bag with everything you might need. Be quick about it, and don’t go into the bathroom or kitchen. It’s not safe.”
Deirdre’s bedroom door opened, and Gigi emerged, looking tired. “Dad, what’s going on?”
“You might have to miss tennis this morning, honey,” he said.
“Oh, no,” Gigi responded, her eyes sparkling as she clearly tried to disguise her glee. The tennis lessons must’ve been something she’d asked for and subsequently wanted to drop, but her dad refused to let her. I’d been there with Deirdre a couple times, namely when she was determined to attend ballet for which I’d had to pay a few hundred pounds for the outfit and lessons, and after two weeks, she’d promptly decided it wasn’t for her anymore.
Deirdre emerged then, and I quickly explained about the leak and that we’d be staying at the hotel for a few days. My daughter didn’t appear too upset when she heard where we’d be staying. The Balfe Hotels were notoriously fancy, and even though I’d insisted on a basic room, I wondered if they even had any rooms like that.
Derek went downstairs to examine more of the damage in the kitchen while I hustled Deirdre into her room to pack a bag, as well as everything she might need for school on Monday. When we were finished packing, Derek was still in the kitchen, quietly grumbling to himself.
“Who exactly did you buy this house from?” he asked, annoyed.
“Oh, um, Ian and Susan Doyle were the couple’s names. Why?”
“Just wanted to check if it was anyone I knew so I could give them a piece of my mind. I’ve been examining your plumbing system, and it doesn’t look like much of it’s been updated or worked on in over thirty years. Your taps are so worn they could snap off in my hand, and don’t even get me started on the boiler. I’m fairly sure they don’t even make that model anymore.”
“I was aware that the house was going to require some work before I bought it. I was planning to make a start on hiring contractors this month. The leak has forced me to start a little earlier is all.”
“These things should’ve been repaired before the sale went through,” he continued to grumble.
“Hey, you don’t need to be mad on my behalf. I knew about the issues with the place. Honestly, I had difficulty even getting this house and was outbid several times before the sellers finally accepted my offer.” I realised too late that I should have kept my mouth shut because he seemed even more furious, a blood vessel pumping in his neck.
“I can’t believe …” he began but then caught himself as he raked a hand through his hair, like every new piece of information I offered just stressed him out even more. Exhaling heavily, he continued, “There’s a room ready for you at the hotel. Just go straight to the reception desk and give your name. They’ll sort you out. If you could let me have your keys, I’ll give them to Paddy when he and his team arrive. That way, they can do the repair work without you needing to be here to let them in and out every day. I’ll make sure they clean up after themselves when they’re done.”
“All right, if you’re sure they’re trustworthy?” I said as I dug for my keys in my handbag.
“I wouldn’t let them anywhere near your house if they weren’t,” he responded, and the fervency in his voice took me by surprise. Honestly, after the last few weeks of Derek actinglike I was an inconvenient presence in his life, it was jarring that he was helping me out like this. It reminded me of how he was when we were younger, always there when I needed him. I took comfort from it even though I was confused by the change. Maybe I’d somehow proved I deserved a little of the friendship we’d once shared. He was shedding some of his armour, showing me a glimpse of his old self, and I couldn’t deny the warm tingles I felt every time he cast me a glance, his gaze no longer hard but filled with something softer.
“Okay, well, here you go,” I handed over the keys and felt a tiny jolt of awareness when Derek’s fingers briefly touched mine. That same transfer of heat from earlier made my stomach flutter.
Lowering my hand, I continued to grapple with the fluttery sensation in my stomach and went to tell Deirdre that it was time to leave. I wasn’t used to a man like Derek taking charge of household emergencies. Colin and I had never lived together, and though I’d had sleepovers with my previous partners, I hadn’t actually experienced living with a man before. It was tough with Deirdre because I had to be so sure about someone before I fully let them into our lives, and I’d never managed to get to that point of trust.
“Thank you,” I said to Derek when he grabbed our bags and carried them out to my car. Gigi decided that she’d come to the hotel with us so she and Deirdre could hang out for a few more hours. It appeared that the post-concert blues had started to kick in, and the both of them were consumed with discussing when Purple Beatrice might come do a show here again.
When we got to the hotel, the receptionist handed me a key to a room on the top floor. The location should’ve tipped me off right away, but I was too busy talking to my mam on the phone and rearranging the dinner I’d planned to host tomorrow evening. We’d have to have it at theirs instead.
“Oh, my goodness!” I heard Deirdre exclaim when we stepped into the room and discovered it wasn’t a room but an entire suite and, by the looks of it, one of the fanciest they had.
“This is the Talbot suite,” Gigi said, confirming my suspicions. “It’s the largest in the entire hotel.”
“Look at the view,” Deirdre went on as she hurried over to the window. “You can see the sea from here.”
Immediately, I pulled out my phone to text Derek.
Me: You’ve put us in the largest suite in the entire hotel. I said a basic room would do.
His reply came several minutes later.
Derek: All the smaller rooms are booked for the golf tournament. The suite is the only one free at the moment.
Me: This is too much. Surely there’s something smaller available.
Derek: Quit stressing and enjoy the space. I’ll stop by later to let you know how much the repair work is going to cost.
Maybe he was right. I should just enjoy the luxury, especially since there was a large home repair bill coming my way. The sea view was especially beautiful, but I just didn’t want to feel like I was taking advantage of his kindness. Deirdre was already unpacking in one of the rooms, so I took the other one. A little while later, I told Deirdre I’d bring back something for a late lunch and left her and Gigi to hang out while I went for a walk on the beach.
Approaching the elevator, I hit the button for the ground floor. The doors opened, and I stepped inside, stopping a few floors down to let another person on. As the doors slid open and I saw it was Derek’s father who was waiting to get on, my heart gave a swift, nervous thud. I’d always been awkward around Padraig Balfe, and it didn’t look like that was going to change any time soon. I found it difficult to be cordial with the man whowas accountable for the worst period of my aunt’s life. Still, I managed to paste on a tight smile.
