by Ali McNamara
I have to smile. It’s so obvious.
‘I didn’t know Father Duffy was looking for them though, or I’d have given them to him.’
‘No, you did the right thing,’ I tell him. ‘You were told to protect the house and these pages, and that’s exactly what you did do – admirably. And protecting the house is what you will continue to do in the future – won’t he?’ I turn to Finn and an unusually quiet Kiki.
‘Of course,’ Finn says. ‘It’s good to know the house is in safe hands.’
‘Kiki?’
‘Yes, I’m sure you’ll continue to do a great job,’ Kiki says flatly.
‘Kiki, I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you,’ Eddie says, going over to where Kiki sits. He kneels down next to her chair. ‘But you understand why, don’t you?’
‘I guess. I don’t like being lied to, that’s all.’
‘I didn’t lie to you, ever.’ Eddie insists. ‘I just didn’t tell you the truth. I wanted to, if it makes any difference, but I couldn’t break my family’s vow.’
‘He’s right, Kiki,’ I say. ‘Much as I wanted to know who the caretaker was of this place, I wouldn’t have wanted Eddie to come out and tell me – it wouldn’t have been right. Even though we know now, we’re the only ones that do, and we’re going to keep this a secret, aren’t we?’
Kiki looks at me and nods. Then she gazes down at Eddie.
‘No more secrets OK?’ she insists, to Eddie’s obvious delight. ‘Next time I won’t be so forgiving. And I can assure you, you don’t want Kiki Fisher as an enemy.’
Eddie takes Kiki’s hand and kisses the back of it, then he looks into her eyes with such tenderness and love that I’m quite taken aback.
I knew Kiki and Eddie were fond of each other, but I hadn’t realised how much until I see the look that passes between them.
‘Well, I think this calls for a celebration!’ Finn says. ‘Let’s all recover from this morning’s events, and tonight we’ll re-group and have a little get-together at The Stag – my treat.’
We all give a cheer.
‘Right, Eddie. We’d better be getting back to work – Donal will be having kittens, puppies and who knows what else if we’re gone for much longer.’
‘Yes, boss!’ Eddie salutes.
‘Are you girls going to stay here?’ Finn asks.
‘Yes, I’m going to be needing Kiki’s help for a while,’ I say, looking at Kiki.
Kiki groans. ‘Are we back to work again?’
‘Not just yet. No, this afternoon I’m going to need your help packing. It’s time I left this house for someone that really needs it. I’m moving back to the hotel.’
I turn to Finn, who looks as pleased as I feel at the thought of me returning to The Stag.
After all, without a stag, a raven, and a mischievous dog we wouldn’t be where we are now . . .
Forty-Two
A few hours later, my things are all packed up and ready to go back to the hotel. The time has come to say a grateful goodbye and thank you to The Welcome House.
‘Thank you,’ I whisper, standing alone in the middle of the hall, while Kiki takes the last of my bags down to the car. ‘You’ve helped me more than you could ever know.’
The house is silent, but as I leave and close the front door behind me, I’m sure I hear it say, ‘You’re welcome.’ With a shake of my head, I put it down to the strong wind that’s blowing through the trees at the bottom of the path.
On our arrival at the hotel we’re welcomed by Donal, who rushes over to greet me.
‘Did you find them?’ he asks.
‘I did,’ I tell him gleefully.
Donal claps his hands together in delight. ‘How?’
‘Let’s just say we were right about the symbols,’ I say. ‘The clues were right in front of us all along, and the map was correct. Would you like to see the pages before I give them to Father Duffy?’
‘Oh, yes, I would like that very much,’ Donal says in a hushed voice.
‘Let me get unpacked first, and I’ll bring them down before I go over to see Father Duffy before dinner.’
When I arrive at Father Duffy’s house and present the pages to him, I’m still thinking about the sheer pleasure and enjoyment Donal had derived from seeing them. It prompts me to make a suggestion: now that Father Duffy has the full set, maybe the time has come to bring the Book of Tara out of hiding.
‘I think you could be right, Ren,’ he says, nodding slowly. ‘The monks made these books to keep the stories of the Gospels alive. They only hid them away in order to preserve them. Now that the threat of the Norsemen has gone and it’s safe to bring the Book of Tara into the open, I’m sure the monks would want as many people as possible to see it.’ He smiles. ‘It looks as if they were right: our red-headed saviour did come to save the day.’
‘I don’t know about that, Father Duffy,’ I say, blushing. ‘But I’m pleased the pages are back where they belong.’
‘So did you solve the mystery of The Welcome House too?’
I shake my head. ‘Not fully, no. I think that particular legend is best left alone now we have the pages back, don’t you?’
Father Duffy smiles an enigmatic smile. ‘I couldn’t agree more. We must let the house continue to work its magic for generations to come, just as it has done for you, my dear . . . ’
*
I’m on my way back from Father Duffy’s house, heading towards the hotel, when the wind, which has been gusting since I left The Welcome House, suddenly becomes even stronger.
Goodness, I’ll be blown away if you get any stormier, I think as I lean into the wind. But suddenly the wind changes direction and pushes me hard from behind. The gust is so strong, and I’m so taken by surprise, that it pushes me out into the road.
A Land Rover has to brake hard to avoid hitting me.
‘Are you OK?’ A head appears from the driver’s window as I gather myself and hop back on to the pavement.
‘Yes, I’m so sorry,’ I call back. ‘The wind changed direction and blew me out into the road.’
‘It’s Ren, isn’t it?’ the driver says, and as I look properly at him I realise it’s Dermot, the owner of the hotel.
‘Yes, it is. Hello.’
Dermot pulls into the kerb to allow traffic to pass, then he gets out and comes over to me.
‘Are you sure you’re OK? Would you like a lift to the hotel? We’re on our way there ourselves.’
I look back at the vehicle and see a dark-haired woman sitting in the passenger seat.
‘That’s my wife, Darcy,’ Dermot explains. ‘We’re just popping into The Stag to see how Megan is getting on.’
‘She’s doing very well, from what I’ve seen. Yes, if it’s no trouble, I’d be grateful for a lift. This wind is so strong, it’s an effort to stay on the pavement.’
Dermot ushers me to the Land Rover and opens the door for me.
‘Hello,’ I say to Darcy as I climb into the back seat.
‘Hi,’ she says, turning and smiling at me. ‘I saw what happened – did the wind suddenly change?’
‘It sure did,’ I say as Dermot gets into the driver’s seat beside her. ‘I’ve never felt such a strong shift in wind direction.’
Darcy looks purposefully at Dermot, who shrugs in reply before pulling out into the traffic.
‘Ren, that’s your name, isn’t it?’ Darcy asks, turning to look at me again.
‘Yes.’
‘Ren, what I’m about to ask you may sound odd . . . but has anything strange happened to you since you’ve been here in Ballykiltara?’
It’s a short journey, but by the time we arrive at the hotel, Darcy and I have managed to cover a lot of ground.
Dermot pulls up just to the side of the hotel steps and then he too turns to face me. ‘When I first came to live on Tara, I wasn’t a believer in this so-called magic that seems to operate around here.’
‘Dermot, it’s not “so-called”,’ Darcy corrects him. ‘You’ve seen it happ
en yourself, many a time.’
‘Doesn’t mean I have to fully believe it, eh, Ren?’ he winks.
Darcy growls.
‘If you remember rightly, Darcy, you didn’t believe either when you first came to the island!’ he reminds her.
‘That’s true, I didn’t. But I allowed the magic to change me, and change me for the better. You have to accept the change first, and when you do, life suddenly becomes a lot clearer. Whatever Dermot says, he accepted the change, and so did our lovely Finn – who I believe you know well?’
‘Er . . . yes, sort of,’ I reply, unsure how much they know. Gossip seems to spread pretty quickly at the hotel, but could it have spread to the owners too?
‘There is something very unusual about anything associated with Tara,’ Darcy continues. ‘I don’t know why or how, but there is, and if you feel the wind change, Ren, like you did today – and so strongly too – then it’s time for you to change. My advice to you is, don’t fight it.’
‘And there ends the sermon,’ Dermot says, grinning at me. ‘I must apologise for my wife, she’s passionate about helping people and there’s no stopping her when she finds someone she considers to be in need. Today, Ren, I’m afraid that was you.’
‘No need to apologise,’ I smile. ‘There is something a bit odd and a bit magical about this place, I have to agree. But how it’s going to change me, I’m not quite sure.’
‘You’ll know soon enough,’ Darcy says. ‘Be sure to let me know if you need any help. I was like you once, Ren . . . lost. The spirit of Tara helped me find happiness, just as I know it’s going to help you.’
‘Right, let’s leave young Ren alone now,’ Dermot says. ‘I need to park this thing, otherwise they’ll all know we’re here – if they don’t already. Then they’ll all start making a fuss. I hate fuss.’
‘Thanks for the lift,’ I say, climbing out of the car. ‘I really appreciate it, and all your advice too.’
‘My pleasure,’ Darcy says, smiling.
‘One more thing,’ I say, as something occurs to me. ‘I’ve heard all about the two of you from various different people here at the hotel. I think your story of how you set up your island is fascinating. Has anyone ever written about it?’
‘We’ve had a few articles written, why?’
‘Oh nothing, just a thought, that’s all.’
‘Come on, Darcy,’ Dermot calls. ‘One of the porters is coming out.’
‘Hold on to that thought!’ Darcy calls as Dermot begins to pull away. ‘See you soon, Ren!’ and she waves from the window as Dermot heads towards the guest car park.
‘There you are, Ren,’ Eddie says as he comes hurrying down the steps towards me. ‘How did your visit with Father Duffy go?’
‘Very well,’ I reply vaguely, my thoughts preoccupied with my trip back to the hotel. ‘Don’t worry, Eddie, Father Duffy doesn’t know anything. He’s delighted to finally have his pages back, though.’
‘Good. Good.’ Eddie’s gaze follows the large black Land Rover disappearing into the car park. ‘By the way, was that Dermot O’Connell I just saw driving into the guest car park?’
Finn has reserved us a corner table in the bar tonight, which is fine with me. I’m not in the mood for anything elaborate. All I want is a nice cosy evening with my friends, not worrying about anything or anybody.
Kiki is getting ready in the bathroom, and I have a while before our agreed meet-up time, so I decide to take a stroll down to the stables.
As always, the horses have a calming effect on me as I wander through the stable yard, stopping occasionally to stroke any long furry noses that pop over the stable doors.
‘How happy you are here,’ I tell Alfie as I stop to stroke his black nose. ‘This is your perfect home, isn’t it, here in this stable. I can’t blame you, I always feel happy here too.’
How strange it is that I spend all my time looking for other people’s perfect homes, but I’ve yet to find my own. Not somewhere I can be truly happy anyway.
I think about this as I continue to stroke Alfie’s nose. The stable isn’t the only place where I feel happy in Ballykiltara, though, is it? I always feel calm here, but I’ve felt happy most of the time I’ve been in this little Irish town, probably happier than I’ve ever felt in my whole life.
I think about what Darcy had said in the car earlier, about how I should allow the change to come, and it’s while I’m here, surrounded by animals, that it hits me like a bolt of lightning. Suddenly I know exactly what that change must be.
Our celebratory evening in the bar is a great success. It’s everything I’d hoped it would be: chilled, relaxed and filled with laughter. It’s such a joy to spend time with Finn, Kiki and Eddie now the weight of The Welcome House isn’t on our shoulders.
‘I know I shouldn’t bring this topic up tonight,’ Kiki says after we’ve eaten and are relaxing with our drinks, Finn and I snuggled into one side of the corner booth, Kiki and Eddie on the other. ‘But what are you going to do about Ryan Dempsey? Now we know the secret behind The Welcome House, we know it’s never going to be for sale. And you haven’t found him an alternative property.’
‘You’re right, you shouldn’t have brought that up tonight,’ I tell her. ‘This is supposed to be a work-free evening. But, since you have, I’ll let you in on what I’ve decided: I’m going to let this one go.’
Kiki looks stunned, ‘No way!’
‘Yep. I’m going to have to disappoint Mr Dempsey.’
‘Why is that so hard to believe, Kiki?’ Finn asks. ‘Surely there have been times when Ren hasn’t been able to find a property?’
‘Not on my watch,’ Kiki says, taking a long sip from her glass. ‘No, siree-bob!’
‘Perhaps things have changed?’ Finn says, squeezing my hand.
‘They have indeed,’ I say, gazing back at him. ‘They’ve changed quite a lot in fact. It’s knowing that I can let the hunt for the perfect property go that has made my next decision so much easier.’
‘Ooh, what decision?’ Kiki asks. ‘It’s all coming out tonight!’
‘I’m giving up property hunting.’
‘What!’ she shrieks, so loudly that almost everyone in the bar turns to see what’s wrong. ‘Sorry,’ she whispers. ‘What?’
‘I’m going to sell my business and give up looking for the perfect home for other people, because I think I’ve found my perfect home. Right here in Ballykiltara.’
‘No way!’ Kiki says again. ‘When did you decide this?’
‘Earlier this evening, when I was at the stables. I realised I’ve been happy since I’ve been here. I’ve spent so long searching for other people’s perfect homes; I’d neglected to look for one for myself. I knew something felt different about being here almost as soon as I arrived – what, I didn’t realise – it was because I’d come somewhere that felt like home.’
‘I can’t believe you’re going to sell your business,’ Finn says, looking astonished. ‘I thought it meant the world to you?’
‘It did. Until I came here, my business was everything to me. Now I realise that was part of my problem; I needed other things in my life to make me truly happy, but I had no idea what those things were until I came to Ballykiltara. I shouldn’t have trouble selling the business,’ I continue while everyone stares at me in amazement. ‘I’ve had plenty of generous offers in the past, but I’ve always turned them down because I couldn’t see a reason to sell. Now I can.’
‘But what will you do here?’ Eddie asks. ‘If you’re not hunting for houses?’
‘Once I’ve found somewhere to live and to work, I’m going to go back to writing.’
‘I didn’t know you wrote? I mean, I know that’s what you told everyone to throw them off the scent, but I didn’t know it was the truth.’
‘I used to, a long time ago.’ I turn to Finn; his astonishment has now waned slightly and he gives me a reassuring nod. ‘It was a very special animal who took me away from writing many years ago, and now seve
ral special animals have played their part in giving me a reason to go back to it. Finn, I include your Fergus in that.’
‘I’m delighted to hear it. Fergus will enjoy having you around.’
‘Will you?’ I whisper.
‘You bet I will.’ Finn leans in to kiss me, but there’s a loud ahem from Kiki.
We turn towards her.
‘This is all lovely and romantic and everything, and I’m thrilled you’re happy, Ren. Really I am. But what about me? If you’re going to give up property hunting, you won’t need me any more, will you?’
This is the bit I’ve been dreading – telling Kiki.
‘I’m sorry, Kiki; I didn’t want to break the news like this. I’d planned to tell you tomorrow, when we were on our own, but—’
Kiki holds up her hand to stop me.
‘It’s fine,’ she says calmly. ‘Honestly. As a matter of fact, I have some news that I’d been dreading telling you . . . ’ She looks at Eddie. He nods his encouragement.
‘I’ve decided to stay on in Ballykiltara too – to be with Eddie. But, unlike you, Ren, I’m not sure what I’m going to do here.’
I stare at Kiki – amazed, pleased and excited all at the same time.
‘You’ll find something,’ Eddie says, gazing at her. ‘We’ll look for it together.’
Kiki nods and squeezes his hand. Beaming happily, she turns back to me. ‘I knew this place was magical the minute we arrived here. I told you so, didn’t I, Ren?’
‘You did indeed,’ I have to agree.
‘I can probably find you something here at the hotel to tide you over,’ Finn says. ‘I can’t promise it will be as glamorous as being Ren’s assistant, but we don’t pay too badly, and I hear the boss is quite reasonable.’
Kiki leaps up and flings herself at Finn. ‘Finn, you are amazing!’ she cries, hugging him. ‘Isn’t he amazing?’ she asks Eddie, turning back to him.