5 Peppermint Grove

by Jackson, Michelle

  “Emily,” Ruth prompted.

  “Yes, that was her name – how did you know?”

  “She died only recently – Brian was asking around. A nephew inherited the house and she had lived alone for years. Oh my God – that would make her my granny!”

  Angela gently pinched her daughter’s hand. “No, they are not family – none of them – you are a Travers and we are your family.”

  Ruth realised that Angela had dealt with the trauma in her own way many years ago and had come to terms with it to a great extent – until recent events had stirred it all up again. Now it was her own turn to deal with it.

  Her mind was racing – this meant that she was really half-Australian and that the house in Peppermint Grove was her ancestral home. In a funny way it might just be the key to her future – a future with the man rebuilding it.

  Chapter Fifty-five

  Michael was high on adrenalin as he walked out of the interview. He had done his very best. But then it began to perturb him that he had spent so much of the time talking. While he was in full flight he felt that he was giving the interview panel what they wanted to hear. But with each step he took along Custom House Quay doubt began to seep in. He was strolling through the middle of the Famine memorial statues when panic hit. The panel had never said if or when they would call him for a second interview or let him know if he had the job. He stopped to look at the gaunt sculpted figures and scrawny mongrel at the back of the pack and winced – a stark reminder of the Irish Holocaust. How many of those poor souls boarded ‘coffin ships’ to be part of the famous Irish Diaspora? What if he didn’t get this job – or one of any worth? Would he have to set off on his travels again? After all, he was forty now and there were thousands of younger graduates with masters and doctorates knocking around that would do the job for half what he expected to be paid.

  He continued walking until he came to Butt Bridge and crossed over in the direction of College Green – he had promised Julia that he would go straight to her after the interview.

  Julia made Michael a cup of coffee and shut the door of her office hard. She didn’t want Gillian listening in on their conversation.

  “Go through it again with me. Why do you think it was such a disaster?”

  Michael shook his head. “It’s been five years since I’ve had an interview and I’d hardly call the one that I had for the job in Singapore an interview – they headhunted me. I rambled on too much, Ju – I was like the Duracell Bunny.”

  “It’s natural to feel that way after an interview – don’t worry about it. Did you make massive mistakes?”

  Michael gasped. “That’s just it. I can’t think of anything that I said that was of any merit. I was good about blowing my own trumpet alright but one of the panel was just staring at me – she never even asked one question but she was writing it all down like an android of some sort.”

  Julia didn’t know what to say to help. “Come on, let’s get out of here and go for a walk on Grafton Street – do you want to go to Bewleys?”

  Michael nodded.

  All the while they walked he talked and rolled his eyes and shook his head.

  Julia stopped when they came to the top of the street.

  “Hang on – what’s the worse that can happen?”

  Michael frowned. “I won’t get the job – isn’t it obvious?”

  “We don’t know that yet and if you don’t there are other jobs in Ireland. It’s not like you’re going to starve – you could rent out the apartment and live with us for a while?”

  “Granddad and I would end up in the pub every night if I moved in! No, I need my own space. I’m not like you, Ju – I’ve lived on my own too long.”

  “Well, here’s another idea – I wasn’t joking when I said you could work for me – I need someone to share the responsibility and you are perfect – it might be nice for you to get involved in the marketing and other areas – not always doing figures – what do you say?”

  Michael looked at her. “Thanks, Ju – I don’t want to seem ungrateful or anything but I would need a good salary.”

  “We could look at share options – I might like to split the company up a bit and we would be running it together? I’m thirty-five this year and don’t want to be a career woman all my life – watching those around me this last few months has made me assess just what the hell I am doing with my life!”

  They walked on.

  “It’s a nice suggestion, Ju, but let’s just wait and see – I get the feeling that you’re only trying to make me feel better.”

  Julia shook her head. “No, Michael, I have selfish motives of my own here. I am too caught up in the business and I need to diversify – your timing is perfect. Just think about it, please?”

  Michael nodded his head although he was convinced that she was only trying to make him feel better after his lousy interview.

  Dylan was on his way into Odette’s house and he smiled when he saw Julia’s car there. He hoped that she hadn’t forgotten about the upcoming St Patrick’s Day parade. If only there was some way that he could have got on friendly terms before now! But it was really too late – he would be gone in two weeks and she was now busy with her brother and the rest of her family. It was blatantly clear that Gillian had tried to trap him when she asked him to meet her. She said she wanted to discuss the pressures that Julia was under but as they chatted he could see that she wasn’t concerned for her boss at all. She had even tried to make a pass at him and in a way he felt sorry for the silly girl.

  Julia answered the door as Odette was in the kitchen serving dinner for the children.

  “Hi, Dylan – Odette was hoping that you were coming for dinner tonight – she has prepared a lasagne for us all.”

  “Sounds delicious – when you live on your own anything you don’t have to make yourself is good.”

  “Believe me, when you live with your family anything you don’t have to cook is good,” she said with a smile.

  The warmth that she greeted him with made Dylan relax. He hadn’t been putting his foot in his mouth with Julia recently – maybe the entire family had just become more considerate of each other in light of what they had all been through.

  “Hi, Dylan,” Odette said happily. “I made us all a big dinner. The kids have no school tomorrow so the long weekend has begun.”

  “I’d like to take them to the pictures tomorrow afternoon if that’s okay with you, Odette?” Dylan said.

  Odette nodded. “That would be great, thanks – I want to do a spring clean. The weather has been so lovely I want to make the place nice.”

  Julia and Dylan were pleased to hear the positive tone in Odette’s voice.

  “I’ll be in work tomorrow but I could meet you after the movies if you like?” Julia suggested to Dylan.

  “Great – I’m going to take them out to the Brass Monkey in Howth – you know they love to see the seals and if the weather is anything like today it will be lovely.”

  “We can all go?” Julia said, looking at Odette.

  “Well, if you don’t mind, I’ve had an offer from my neighbour to go to a fundraiser – a kind of girlie day out in aid of the lifeboat. I might just go along if I feel up to it.”

  “That’s a great idea,” Julia nodded. “Okay, Dylan, let’s book that and I’ll see you after work.”

  It was a strange set-up but Odette was getting much-needed support and Julia wanted to help in the same way that Dylan did. The fact that she was warming to his company was just a consequence of that – but a nice one!

  Peter came through the door of his apartment and slouched straight onto the couch. It had been a rough day and he had seen some things that he would have been much happier not to have seen.

  Lydia stepped out of the bedroom on hearing him enter.

  “Hi, Peter – you’re home late?”

  He shook his head. “I’ve had the most horrendous day, Lydia – I can’t talk about it.”

  Lydia did want to talk –
she wanted to talk about everything between them. She wasn’t happy just pottering along. She had thought that Peter was a fast mover and wanted to be settled like her. Instead he had just been perfect at enticing a woman enough to think that she had a guy who was ready to commit. But the fact was that he wasn’t the commitment type or else he would have married his previous girlfriend. Julia had warned her about men like this before but Lydia had never suspected for an instant that Peter was one of them. She could see herself in five years’ time still living in his apartment and no change in their status. She wasn’t desperate to have a big white wedding but she wanted kids – and soon.

  “Peter, I think we need to talk about things – I can’t go on like nothing has happened for us. I laid my cards on the table and we need to see where we are going.”

  Peter turned on the TV. The news was on.

  The headlines showed that there had been a rise in sex offenders and the treatment centres were brimming over.

  Peter waved the remote control at the TV. “Do you see what’s out there, Lydia – the scum that I have to pick up and prosecute – the things that are happening to young men and women and children all over the city.”

  “I just want to talk about our future.”

  Peter looked at her with the severe wildness that she had seen in his eyes the night that they had spent together in the Unicorn. “What is the future going to be like – will Dublin be the sort of place to bring up children?”

  “We can move if you like – down to Waterford – where your parents are.”

  Peter hissed. “I live with horror everyday, Lydia – I know that you want to paint a pretty little world around you but I just want to live for now and enjoy what I have – what we have. Why are you so determined to ruin it? Jesus, we are only six months together! Most women wouldn’t put this sort of pressure on until they were six years going out.”

  Then Lydia realised that she had to be strong and do something about her situation immediately. She was lucky that she saw it clearly now before she fell any further.

  “I don’t think you have any intention of taking our relationship to the next stage.”

  “It’s getting less likely now, isn’t it?” he said wryly.

  “I th-th-think I should move out.” Her voice trembled. Her stomach was flipping.

  He just looked up at her and raised his eyebrows but showed no real emotion.

  “I’m going,” she said.

  She took her coat and bag and slammed the door behind her and he didn’t try to stop her.

  Chapter Fifty-six

  The next morning Ruth rang Brian. She wanted to make sense of all of the information that Angela had told her the night before. When she heard his voice at the end of the line she felt relief.

  “G’day, Ruth – what did you think of Little Creatures?”

  “Well, I certainly won’t forget that place in a hurry – Brian, my mum told me the most unbelievable story – I’m finding it difficult to digest the news. When can I see you?”

  “I’ll meet you after work. Come to Peppy Grove.”

  Ruth sighed. How ironic – that house was where her father had lived. But he was a brute and it made her feel bad about herself.

  “Okay – I’ll clock off early and call by about two.”

  “Ruth, are you okay?”

  “I’m a bit shook but I don’t want to talk about it over the phone. I’ll see you about two o’clock.”

  “See you then.” He wanted to say ‘I miss you’ but didn’t want to sound soppy. He couldn’t wait to see her.

  When she hung up she was tempted to call Julia but she heard her mother stir – she would try to call when she got into work.

  Ruth parked outside Number 5. She would have loved to see the old house – maybe Brian still had a photograph. Her mind raced. The owner was her cousin in some way – albeit very distant.

  Julia hadn’t been on Skype so Ruth figured that she might have stayed over in Odette’s and had her phone offline. Either way the news could wait. She needed to digest what her mother had told her the night before. Anyway she was keen to see what Brian thought of her news.

  Brian was around the back and Ruth asked one of the builders to tell him that she was here. When he came around he could see that she was shaken by something. He planted a kiss on her lips and hugged her tightly.

  Ruth was so happy to see him. Her view on the world was completely different after last night – she wanted to tell him at once what she had learned.

  “Fancy going for a cappuccino – there’s a little place on the river?” he suggested.

  “That sounds perfect.”

  “We can walk to it if you like.”

  They began to stroll in the warm sunshine past the Yacht Club and the serpentine bay.

  Ruth launched into her tale straightaway, hurriedly getting it off her chest.

  “It’s crazy but my father isn’t who I thought. My mother was raped by Charles Walters’ son who died in the car accident – it turns out that he is my biological father.”

  Brian stopped dead and turned to her, his eyes wide. “Your father?”

  Ruth nodded – she was shaking now.

  “Charles Walters, the father, wanted to make amends and offered money and said he wanted to see his grandchild. But my mother wanted nothing to do with him.”

  Ruth looked up at Brian and he hugged her tightly. It helped sharing her distress with him.

  “It must have been so difficult for her,” he said. He put his arm around her shoulders and helped her to walk on.

  Ruth’s eyes welled. It was incredibly difficult to accept what she had learned. These characters that had been associated with the house were blood relatives.

  “Yes, I-I-I – eh, I just realised that Emily was my grandmother and she spent all those years on her own in the house with no family. It must have been terribly lonely and all the while I suppose she knew that I existed on the other side of the world.”

  Brian was shaking his head in disbelief. “That’s a crazy story. You know, I don’t have much to do with the Arthurs chap but it strikes me that you are the real heir to Number 5.”

  Ruth stopped still in her tracks.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, from what I gather they had to give it to this nephew – grand-nephew, mind! Because he was next of kin. The old lady didn’t leave a will . . . wait, I have the name of the solicitor – I might do a bit of detective work!”

  “Brian!” Ruth warned. “What are you up to?”

  “I’m not sure about the law – let me look into it but from what you say you are the closest living relative to Emily Walters.”

  If it was true it would be amazing but Ruth was concerned. “I don’t want to upset the past – I mean, things should be just left the way they are.”

  Brian shook his head. “I believe your ancestors are trying to get through to you – why else did you have those strange feelings on Rottnest? It’s all a bit too spooky. And this house is your destiny . . .”

  Ruth blinked back the tears. It had been a remarkable few days. She was disturbed about her mother’s revelation but she was so happy to have Brian back in her life that it counterbalanced her distress. Besides, she felt that things were unfolding around her beyond her control. The universe had stepped in and all she had to do was let her future happen.

  “Brian – I know that you are trying to help but I don’t want to have anything to do with that family – I mean, after what happened to my mother . . .”

  Brian paused. “I’m sorry, Ruth – I’m being insensitive – of course I wouldn’t dream of interfering. You know what is best.”

  He stopped walking and hugged her tightly.

  “I just want to be at peace with this huge news. I haven’t spoken to my father yet!”

  “Of course – and I am here for you – you know that?”

  Ruth looked up into his clear blue eyes and melted as he leaned forward and kissed her the way that she loved to
be kissed.

  Chapter Fifty-seven

  Michael got an email to thank him for coming to the interview but the position had been filled. He was gutted beyond words. He went into the kitchen where Horatio sat sipping a mug of tea.

  “I didn’t get the job, Granddad.”

  Horatio looked up at his grandson. “What’s for ya won’t go by ya, son! If you didn’t get it there’s a reason.”

  Michael wished his grandfather was right but he was feeling very dejected right now.

  Julia walked into the kitchen behind him.

  “Morning, everyone!” she breezed. “I see Mum came back late last night – is she up yet?”

  “I haven’t seen her but I heard her car drive in at all hours,” Horatio said. “Michael has a bit of unfortunate news but I told him it could be a blessing!”

  Julia looked at her brother. “The job? Did you hear?”

  He nodded. “I didn’t get it – I got a generic email. I swear, I leave everything in Singapore to come home for this and all I get is a generic email!”

  Julia patted her brother on his back. “It’s okay – Granddad is right – there are lots of other opportunities and you did say that you would like a change or a challenge.”

  “But I need to earn money too!”

  “Well, as I told you, I need help. I’ve been relying on Gillian too much and I really need a stand-in that I can trust.”

  “But I don’t know the business,” Michael said defensively.

  “Michael, you have been in business for years! It won’t take you long to figure it out. You can come into work with me today.”

  Michael groaned.

  “That’s a great idea!” Horatio agreed.

  Carol stepped into the kitchen as he spoke. “Morning – what’s a great idea?”