The Perfect Gift

by Emma Hannigan

  He stood, looking awkward.

  ‘I’ve never felt let down by you in all the years we’ve known one another,’ she said honestly. ‘But I’ve seen a side of you that I don’t appreciate. Liv’s marriage has fallen apart, Róisín is under huge pressure with her business and I’m working all the time with no support … What have you been doing? Skipping the light fandango.’

  ‘I know,’ he said rubbing his face. ‘I got caught up in being a singleton like Jimmy. I think I always admired him. He coped so well raising Tara after his Eileen died. When Tara married that Spanish fellow and moved away, I honestly thought he’d sink into a deep depression, but he did the opposite. He was out most nights, working away during the day and travelling the world like a modern version of Christopher Columbus.’

  ‘And now you don’t think he’s the bee’s knees?’ Keeley asked with an eyebrow raised.

  ‘I’m fond of him. He’s a great man. But all he’s doing is attempting to fill the lonely hours of each day and evening. He’s like someone possessed,’ Doug said. ‘He’s hyper and he only needs a wink of sleep and he’s up and looking for something else to do.’

  ‘I thought you loved his fun-loving nature,’ Keeley said with a distinct lack of sympathy.

  ‘I do. He’s a force of nature, God bless him. But dear Lord, I couldn’t spend another week with him, Keeley. He’s turbo-charged and hasn’t an ounce of common sense. He throws himself into every idea without so much as a backwards glance.’

  Keeley cocked her head to the side and stared at Doug. ‘So the real reason you’ve come home is because Jimmy is like a teenager. You can’t keep up, so you thought you’d come home after all?’

  ‘Yes, but not just that …’

  ‘Do you know what, Doug? I’m not sure I like this arrangement any longer. I’d hate either of our girls to play second-fiddle to any man. I’ve told Liv in no uncertain terms what I think of Martin’s carry-on. I try to lead by example and I can assure you, I’ve no intention of being treated like an afterthought.’

  ‘What are you saying?’ Doug asked.

  ‘I think you should go and we should spend a bit of time apart. Take stock of things. Have some time out from one another.’

  ‘Why? After all this time … do we really need to know if we want to be together? I think you’re being a bit ridiculous, Keeley.’

  ‘Actually I don’t think I’m being the ridiculous one. Quite the opposite. I’m the one who’s been slaving away and washing and cooking and cleaning like Cinderella for years. I mightn’t ever get to go to a ball, but I sure as hell won’t spend another day being taken for granted.’

  Doug picked up his bags and dragged them outside. As she saw him speeding off in his jeep, Keeley realised she was relieved. If nothing else, she wouldn’t have to do all that washing and ironing.

  She fully expected to fall in a crumbling heap at any moment. She held her two hands aloft. No shakes. She walked from her art room and clicked on the kettle. The phone rang and she ignored it. The caller’s voice came out over the speakerphone as it clicked to the answer machine.

  She listened as they left details of when they’d like to come. As soon as the message ended, she walked to the machine and pressed the Record button.

  ‘You’ve reached Keeley’s B&B. I would like to thank you for your business over the years and to let you know that I am no longer taking bookings. All previously booked rooms will be honoured, but from September first I will cease trading as I embrace retirement. Once again, I would like to thank all my patrons for their wonderful support over the years.’

  Decision taken, she thought, as she made a cup of tea. She thought of the packed case under the bed. A ripple of excitement shot through her. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine what it might feel like to kiss Claus.

  Keeley had no idea what she’d do next, but as far as she was concerned, she wasn’t putting up with half a life for one minute longer.

  Chapter 37

  Róisín had been in Nourriture since very early in the morning. She couldn’t sleep. There was so much going on in her head, from Liv’s marriage to how she felt about Rob to her ridiculously impulsive move yesterday. She’d no idea why she’d hired Mouse. It had all come about by chance. Niamh, who’d been working with Steve and Eoin on and off, had said she was off to Spain for a year, so she’d panicked and hired Mouse. There was something enticing about the young Dublin girl. She was so enthusiastic and Róisín had never met anyone so keen to get ahead. But what on earth was she going to do if everything went belly-up?

  Brigid arrived in and started baking. Steve appeared and began to set up the tables and before she knew it, the village was alive. The buzz of the new day did what it always did and gave her fresh hope.

  She was busy tapping away on her calculator for what felt like the hundredth time as she tried to work out whether or not she could afford to take on the small unit at the end of the village, apply for planning and build. Her fingers kept slipping on the buttons and she ended up with ridiculous figures.

  ‘Hello love,’ Doug said.

  ‘Dad!’ she said coming around to the front of the shop. ‘I thought you were away?’

  ‘I was, and I came back.’

  ‘So why do you look so dishevelled?’

  ‘Do I?’

  ‘Eh, you look like you’ve the worries of the world on your shoulders and you’re so crumpled you could have slept in the ditch.’

  ‘I got back from Spain on a really early flight and your mother kicked me out of the house.’

  ‘I beg your pardon?’ Róisín laughed. ‘Did you waltz in while she was in the middle of serving a pile of breakfasts? Is that it? This is your roundabout way of saying you want me to feed you, I suppose?’

  ‘No, love. Your mother asked me to go. As in, leave her alone and stay some place else.’

  ‘Oh my God,’ she said, in shock. Her conversation with Keeley here in the shop that they never got to finish flicked through her mind. ‘I think you’d better come up to my office and tell me exactly what’s happening.’

  They went up the stairs to her office and she shut the door behind them.

  ‘I don’t know what’s come over me lately,’ he said. ‘I knew I was being a horror and I couldn’t stop. So Keeley, being Keeley, has put her foot down and told me to go for a while. Apparently we’re both having a think about what we want from the future.’

  Róisín felt like she was having an out-of-body experience. Yes, Keeley had talked about feeling unappreciated, but she’d honestly thought it was a phase and her mum would buck up, as usual. She really hadn’t thought she’d take it this far. Was there some sort of a curse on them all? Why were their lives falling apart?

  ‘This is insane,’ she blurted. ‘You two are like two peas in a pod. How has it come to this?’

  ‘I’m actually not sure,’ he said. ‘It seems your mother has been very unhappy for some time. I’ve been acting like an idiot and it’s all come to a head.’

  Róisín was so torn. Her dad looked heartbroken, but she was genuinely cross with him for making her mum feel so bad.

  ‘This is only temporary,’ she stated confidently. ‘You need to prove to Mum that you love her.’

  ‘But how?’ he asked, looking like a helpless child.

  ‘You can start by helping me organise her sixtieth party. You can get cracking on the invite list. I’m doing the food and drink and entertainment. I’ll speak to Liv and ask her to pitch in too. Between us, we’ll show Mum just how much she means to us.’

  ‘You’re on!’ Doug said, looking brighter. ‘Will we tell her about the party or will we spring it on her?’

  ‘I think she ought to know that we’re doing something because I have spoken to her and suggested a night. So I don’t want to add to her current delicate state of mind by letting her think we’ve all forgotten or can’t be bothered.’

  ‘OK.’ Doug looked perplexed.

  ‘I’ll tell her the date and time and that
’s it. It’ll be a bit like that Don’t Tell the Bride show, where the bride has to step aside and the groom organises the wedding.’

  ‘Do you think Keeley will go for that?’ he asked, looking unsure. ‘I’m not certain your mother will take kindly to us shutting her out of proceedings.’

  ‘I actually think it’s exactly what she needs right now. She’s feeling taken for granted and fed-up. She needs to slow down and start thinking of herself for a change. This is our opportunity to show her that we’re not all drains on her life all the time.’

  Róisín knew that her father was so flummoxed at being told to sling his hook, he’d agree to take up stilt-walking and fire-eating if it meant getting back on side with Keeley. But she’d been watching her mother lately and it was clear she was reaching the end of her tether in more ways than one.

  ‘So are you on board with me?’ Róisín asked. ‘Will we show Mum how much we care?’

  ‘Yes. Let’s do that,’ he said. ‘Meanwhile I’m going to have to ask Liv if I can camp at her place for a bit.’

  ‘Dear me,’ Róisín said. ‘Her place is really ending up as a halfway house, isn’t it? I suppose you’ve heard that she and Martin are on the rocks?’

  ‘I could swing for that man,’ he said. ‘How dare he hurt my girl like that.’

  Róisín gave him a reproachful look. ‘That’s a bit pot and kettle, if you don’t mind me saying, Dad.’

  ‘I wasn’t unfaithful to your mother. I would never do anything to intentionally hurt her … you’ve got to believe me, Róisín …’

  ‘Let’s just try and make things better, OK?’ she said.

  Doug went off to ask Liv if he could stay in the other spare room for a while. Róisín gave him full instructions of how he was to pitch the idea to her.

  ‘Don’t forget to say that you’ll help with the children and maybe you could offer to do that shelving and stuff she wants in the kitchen? She has to go into the hospital for this skin-graft surgery tomorrow, so it’s actually good timing. Offer your services as the manny while she’s in hospital.’

  ‘I’d be happy to do it. It’d keep my mind off the horrible stuff and I’d feel less guilty for landing in on her.’

  Róisín waited for her father to drive off before she called her mum.

  ‘I suppose he’s been over to you giving out yards and saying I’ve lost my marbles, has he?’ Keeley said.

  ‘No, he’s not angry, Mum. I’d say he’s more like a puppy dog that’s been beaten with a rolled-up newspaper.’

  ‘He deserves it, Róisín,’ Keeley said. ‘I won’t put up with being taken for granted and treated like dirt. Enough is enough, and he can go off and have a long, hard think about his behaviour.’

  ‘I understand, Mum,’ Róisín said. ‘But I can’t help feeling sorry for him. He’s not nasty or cruel. He was acting like a total doofus. No excuses there, but there were no malicious intentions, I don’t think.’

  ‘Yes, you’re probably right, love,’ Keeley said evenly. ‘But the result remains the same. I am the one who has been made to feel like a dogsbody. Unless I stand up for myself, I’ll end up hating my life.’

  ‘OK Mum,’ Róisín said. ‘Listen, I know you’re not in a celebration mood right now, but we’re organising a birthday bash for you. We’ll let you know the date and time and that’s it.’

  ‘Really?’

  Róisín smiled as she heard the cogs in her mother’s brain turning in surprise.

  ‘You deserve it and I think it will be a good way for Dad to apologise.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Keeley said.

  ‘No problem. Mum?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘For the record, I think you’re dead right. I love Dad, but he’s been acting like he’s young, free and single lately. It’s not fair to you.’

  ‘Thanks, love.’

  ‘Oh and by the way, I’ve signed him up to mind Billy and Jess while Liv’s in hospital.’

  ‘Well done,’ Keeley said. ‘Not that I don’t want to mind the little cherubs too. But I think the more can be dumped on him, the better. A taste of his own medicine won’t go astray.’

  Róisín hung up and immediately made some calls about the party. She called in every favour she had. She was completely organised less than an hour later. All she needed was to confirm some details nearer the time.

  Joseph from the Thatch came into the shop and asked to speak to her.

  ‘How are you, Joseph?’ she asked, hoping he wasn’t going to be the bearer of bad tidings.

  ‘I’m well thanks, love. I just wanted to give you the heads-up on young Mouse. I believe you swiped her from me yesterday?’

  ‘Oh I’m sorry …’ she said, blushing.

  ‘I’m only kidding,’ he said. ‘She’s a great girl and I’d love to keep her on, but I won’t have the volume of trade once the kids go back to school. So you did me a favour. She hasn’t much experience and my place was the first time she’d ever worked.’

  ‘She mentioned that.’

  ‘She’s learning to read and write and I can’t tell you how eager she is. All I wanted to say is that if anything goes pear-shaped, will you give me the nod? I wouldn’t like to see her stuck. She has incredible potential and I’ve a soft spot for her. She’s a great little young one.’

  ‘That’s kind of you,’ Róisín said. ‘I’m sure she’ll be honoured to know you’re looking out for her.’

  ‘Ah don’t mention that I was here,’ he said. ‘She mightn’t like that. I’d hate her to think I was checking up on her.’

  ‘Fair enough, Joseph,’ she said. ‘Thanks for dropping by.’

  Róisín had liked Mouse instantly, too. She was choosing to ignore the nagging voice in the back of her mind that was telling her she could possibly end up looking for a job herself if things didn’t pan out. But what was the point of going on without hope?

  The previously sunny skies suddenly clouded over and what seemed like an instant later, the summer rain was bouncing off the pavements, sending a horde of tourists into Nourriture. The rest of the day seemed to pass in a flash as they sold out of pretty much all of their food. She and Brigid were run off their feet, but finally it was time to pull down the shutters and count the day’s takings.

  She was about to lock the doors for the night when Rob appeared.

  ‘Can I have a word in private?’ he asked.

  They went up to her office and sat down. He looked very serious and Róisín felt a wave of dread wash over her.

  ‘You’re not going to like this,’ he said gravely.

  ‘Try me.’

  ‘I told you I’d dig about and try to find out the background to Nourriture and your landlord and all that, and I’ve been doing just that. I’ve been working on it flat out, but there’s a big problem.’ He took a deep breath. ‘You know I told you I thought I recognised the German fella who stayed at your mother’s B&B?’

  ‘Claus?’ she asked. ‘Yeah, but then you said it mustn’t be him …’

  ‘It was and is the same guy.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘He’s been sniffing around my father’s land in Limerick and we told him we don’t want to do business with him.’

  ‘So he’s an investor,’ Róisín said, nodding. ‘That’s hardly the crime of the century.’

  ‘Not if you’re doing things legally and legitimately,’ Rob said.

  ‘But he’s retired now and his wife and sister have both passed away recently,’ Róisín pointed out. ‘He seems very low and out of the game.’

  ‘Or so he’d like to have you believe.’

  Róisín listened in horror as Rob told her what he’d discovered. Claus, it seemed, was not the person he’d made himself out to be.

  ‘I’ve had him checked out, Róisín, and the news isn’t good. He’s been ducking and diving for a long time and the walls are closing in on him now. He absconded from Germany several months ago and there’s a warrant for his arrest.’

  ‘Why?’

/>   ‘It seems he’s involved in a very complex pyramid scheme. He gets money from other business people and promises to get them a massive return on their funds. Then he uses the money to buy properties. The money he generates from rent is used to keep the original investors off his back.’

  ‘But isn’t that a vicious circle that will close in on him eventually?’

  ‘It already has,’ Rob said. ‘He’s in a lot of trouble and a lot of debt. But now that he’s moved his operations further afield from Germany, he’s bought himself time, among other things.’

  ‘My God, so he’s a total crook?’

  ‘It’s worse than that,’ Rob said. ‘He’s a serial womaniser and has conned a lot of women out of their entire pension funds.’

  ‘But his sister and wife …’

  ‘He’s never been married and the so-called sister is no blood relation. She’s his sidekick. They work together at times and then split the proceeds.’

  ‘The rotten louser,’ Róisín said, shaking her head. ‘We met Ida and Mum was really taken with her. She was so upset about her death. She’ll be in bits when she hears it was all a fake.’

  Róisín shook her head in disbelief, thinking about Keeley and how she was behaving at the moment. It made her wonder.

  She looked up at Rob. ‘I think he’s made quite an impact on my mum, now that you mention it. I hope she hasn’t given him any money. What she has is hard earned and I know she doesn’t have a big pension.’

  ‘Well, from what I can make out, this guy isn’t too picky. He’ll take what he can get. But you haven’t heard the best of it,’ Rob said. ‘Claus is the one offering your Mr Grace the money to buy Nourriture.’

  ‘What?’ Róisín screamed. ‘But that’ll never work. He’ll kick me out of my business and I’ll be left high and dry for no reason. By the sounds of it, he’ll be caught soon and we’ll all end up losing.’

  ‘Precisely,’ Rob said. ‘So I suggest we set up a meeting with Mr Grace. I need to get some paperwork to back the story up and then I can see your deal being back on track.’