“You don’t appear to have heard me, Harry,” Aisling repeated. “It isn’t yours. It now officially belongs to Isobel Ross.”
Judith leapt from her seat and looked around her, her eyes blazing with fury.
“What the hell are you talking about? The only thing she owns is that stupid cottage!”
“Let me read an extract from the late Bartley Monroe’s will to you,” said Aisling, picking up a document.
You could have heard a pin drop as she began to read.
“I hereby bequeath the Manor House and land attached thereto to my relative Harry McQueen, his heirs and assigns, subject to the condition that the Manor House remains unaltered and remains in keeping with the original building plans and specifications attached hereto. In the event that there is any breach of the above condition, then the ownership of the property will revert to Kate Kennedy, my former housekeeper, her heirs and assigns, under the conditions stated above.”
Aisling fixed her gaze on Harry McQueen.
“You forfeited all rights to Monroe Manor when you concocted a plan to destroy it and actually brought in machinery and started to knock down a wall at the back of the building. The will states that, if this situation were ever to arise, ownership would revert to Kate Kennedy and her heirs. Isobel Ross’s Aunt Kate was given the cottage by Lord Bartley Monroe and, by giving it to her, he made her and her heirs ‘honorary Monroes’ to whom he would entrust the task of ensuring the preservation of it and the Big House itself. The clause in the will stops anyone from disturbing the foundations of the house or destroying its structure. Minimal damage has been caused as yet but I have in my hand a set of plans which disclose that our beautiful Manor House was to be toppled to the ground. I’ve taken the liberty of inviting Isobel’s solicitor here just in case you need further explanation. He’s very good, very good indeed. You should speak to him and see if he’s dealt with many cases of aggravated burglary in the past. I found cheque stubs that were going to a very peculiar source and have discovered that they were being paid to the head of a gang, the members of which now have thankfully been apprehended and won’t continue to vandalise the other establishments in the area. They were also responsible for burgling Isobel Ross and frightening her half to death. Honestly, for two such nasty-minded individuals you are both positively crap at covering your tracks.”
The journalists stopped scribbling into their notepads for long enough to produce Dictaphones and approach Harry and Judith demanding answers but not before one of the barmen waded in and caught Harry McQueen a perfect punch on the side of the nose and I had advanced towards Judith who couldn’t run away in her high heels . . .
When I arrived home the following day Frankie was waiting for me.
“Are you okay?”
“Oh, I’m fine, love. It’s been a very confusing few days. Some bits good. Some bits not so good.”
My bottom lip was threatening to start wobbling and I galloped into the house as I didn’t want my reputation of being a hard nut in the neighbourhood to be destroyed.
“Ach, pet, come here!”
Frankie put her arms around me and stroked my head whilst I sobbed on her shoulder.
“The only silver lining in this particular cloud seems to be the fact that we are now getting my wedding reception for free as obviously I won’t have to pay for it seeing as my mother now owns the hotel.”
“That was a real turn-up for the books, wasn’t it? How is your mum going to cope, though? She knows nothing about running or managing a hotel.”
“She doesn’t but there are a few people that she has come to know and trust that do. Aisling is going to take over the management of it, Darryl is running the restaurant and she has just hired someone whose speciality is going to be co-ordinating events there.”
“Who?”
“Let’s think. Who do we know that is a dab hand at organisation, has millions of contacts, has started a relationship with the bar and restaurant manager and loves to be in the thick of things?”
“Gabriel? Oh my God!” Frankie shouted.
“Yeah. It’s great. At least when he’s there I have him out of my hair.”
“You don’t seriously mean that,” Frankie said. “Admit it – you love having him around.”
“I will admit to no such thing.”
“Seriously, though, how amazing that so many problems have been cleared up all at once! Which leaves one big outstanding problem: what are you going to do about Georgina?”
“I’m going to keep hoping and praying that something will happen. This little fella normally helps me out.” I stroked the angel on my mantelpiece and then looked lovingly at the picture of my father which had pride of place beside it.
Chapter 61
A few months had passed and the wedding was creeping closer. I had been for several more fittings with Rose Malone and looked longingly at the building across the road every time I visited, knowing that it was where my mother spent a lot of time and that in a sense I had been with her even though I didn’t know her.
I was at a crossroads and wasn’t sure where to go next. Should I go back and confront the old nun for more information? Should I go to Social Services and demand that I see my Delaney aunt and ask her to explain the situation – or should I go back to my original plan and leave everything until after the wedding was over and I had time to think? I felt that the latter was probably the most sensible solution, my only problem being that my mother knew me so well and kept asking me what was the matter. I hated keeping things from her and felt that she had the right to know what I had been told.
“What am I going to do?” I asked Luke for the millionth time. “This is driving me nuts. I’d love to tell her but I know that she’ll think I’m exaggerating or simply not believe me.”
“Who told you the facts about Georgina?” he asked.
“Sure, you know who told me.”
“Well, given the circumstances and the fact that you think she won’t believe it if you tell her, why don’t you ask the nun to explain it to her?”
I pondered the idea and then dismissed it. Then started to think about it again.
“What do you think? Do you think it’s a good idea?” I asked Frankie later.
“Well, in the absence of all other suggestions or ideas, why not? Your mother will hear it all straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. She’s only going by what Social Services told her and as far as I can gather they were more than a little biased when they were drawing that particular picture.”
I looked at my angel and said a little prayer as I rang the number.
“Would it be possible to speak to one of your residents, please?” I asked the lady who answered the phone. “Sister Therese.”
Mammy complained all evening about how she hated being rushed, as well as asking questions and wondering aloud why she suddenly had to accompany me to Belfast.
“Rose wants your opinion on my dress,” I lied.
“Really? Well, I suppose she can see that I have a good eye for style. I don’t see why it has to be right now today, though. I’m very busy trying to get things organised at the hotel. You can’t expect me to suddenly drop everything just because you want me to comment on your wedding dress.”
“Stop grumbling and just trust me,” I said, wishing that she’d keep quiet. She was going to get the shock of her life once she realised that the road I had turned into didn’t take us to Rose Malone’s shop but instead to an old people’s home where she would be shocked yet again at the information that would be imparted.
“Ruby, my geography isn’t perfect but even I know that you’re going in completely the wrong direction.”
I parked the car, looked beseechingly at Mammy and put my hand on her arm. “Please come with me.”
Sensing the gravity of the situation, she followed me without a further word.
As we entered the nursing home I turned to her and quietly said, “I’m sorry that I couldn’t find the words or the courage to do
this myself but it’s hard. I hope that you’ll understand and that you’ll not be too disappointed and cross with me.”
“Ruby, please tell me what this is about?”
Mammy looked stricken and I was sorry to have caused her such distress. I took her by the hand and led her down the corridor to the room where I knew Sister Therese would be waiting.
“Come in, come in,” she beckoned. “Lovely to meet you, Isobel. You should be very proud of Ruby. It’s not easy to do the right thing all the time.”
I closed the door and went and sat in the garden, knowing that Sister Therese would be telling my mother the story of how a young girl with brown eyes and red hair had come to her many years ago desperately needing help.
Mammy came and sat beside me some half an hour later and without speaking put her hand over mine.
“I’m so sorry, love. All these years I’ve obviously been believing something that wasn’t true but, if it’s any consolation, I was only repeating it with the best possible intentions. I never meant to hurt anybody.”
“I know you didn’t, Mammy. You couldn’t possibly have known about the corruption and lies that you and Daddy were being fed.”
“I feel so guilty,” she said with tears in her eyes. “If you hadn’t gone ahead and tried to find out, we both would have died thinking that she hadn’t cared for you which is such a cruel thing for anyone to believe. I’m your mother and love you with all my heart but I feel so sorry for her. My baby son died which was a hard cross to bear but I can’t imagine what it must have been like to have a healthy beautiful little girl, only for her to be taken away. She must have been heartbroken. Probably still is. Probably wonders every day what you look like, what you’re doing, what sort of life you’ve had. Obviously that’s where you get your artistic abilities from.”
“And my bad temper and my stupid hair.”
We both smiled through our tears.
Mammy and I clung to each other and whispered words of comfort and regret. We stayed like that for a short time before Mammy brusquely straightened herself, wiped her tears and turned me round to face her.
“Ruby, you’re getting married soon and I think that we should leave everything until after that. You want to be able to enjoy your big day and not have anything hanging over you like a dark cloud. I know it will be hard but you have Luke to think of as well.”
“I think that’s a very wise idea, Mammy. But after, will you help me to find her?”
“I’ll swim seas, climb mountains or go to the end of the earth if I have to, sweetheart.”
Chapter 62
It was the week before the wedding and preparations were under way in all shapes and forms. Gabriel had everything running like clockwork and I had to admit that he was a godsend as he had organised everything to a tee.
I had gone to collect my dress from Rose Malone’s and brought her a voucher entitling her to stay in Monroe Manor for two nights. She had been overjoyed and had hugged me tightly when I was leaving and wished me luck.
Frankie and I were going to stay with Mammy the night before the wedding and Owen and Luke were being put up in the hotel. The wedding was going to take place in a small country chapel not far from where our grand reception was to be held.
“Shall we go down to Donegal earlier than planned?” Luke asked.
“Why would you want to do that?” I asked.
“You’ve finished work. I’ve nothing left to do and I think it might be a nice idea to relax for a few days and not have to worry about anything. Gabriel will be taking care of everything and it would be a nice chance for us to recover from the madness of the last few months.”
“Before we jump headlong into more madness, you mean,” I said, laughing. “That would be nice. I’ll go and have a quick bath and then I’ll ring Mammy and see what she says.”
“She says it’s fine. I asked her already.”
“Are you two plotting behind my back again?” I demanded in mock annoyance. “If I didn’t know better I’d say that you were both up to something.”
“Moi? Would I?”
“What about your parents? What time is their plane due in today?”
“They’re coming home on the four o’clock flight apparently and Mandy is picking them up at the airport.”
“Have they decided on anywhere yet?”
“I don’t think so although Mum said that she liked the look of Turkey and would perhaps like to settle there.”
(I bet she liked the look of it . . . lots of tall, dark and handsome Turks who have a thing for brassy blondes. What would there be not to like?)
“How does your daddy feel about that?”
“He’s not crazy about the idea although he says he’ll do whatever Mum wants as he’ll probably be in a Turkish bar most of the time.”
“Do you think they’re happy living like that?” I said.
“I know it sounds weird, Ruby, but they need each other. They most certainly do not have the most conventional marriage but I think they’re happy being able to do their own thing, safe in the knowledge that the other one will be there if they need them.”
“Please tell me that our marriage is never going to be like that?”
“I can assure you that we’ll be pillars of society and very much together but at the end of the day if everybody was like that the world would be a very boring place.”
We arrived at Mammy’s cottage later that day after a relaxed drive down but when we went inside Mammy was nowhere in sight. Instead Robbie was in residence and had the kettle on within minutes. I was glad to see that the pipe which I had got him was sticking out of his top pocket. I had been reliably informed that he used the box that the new one had come in to preserve his old Band-Aid-covered one which he still adored.
“I’ve been told to give you a cup of tea and then to bring you up to the hotel for seven o’clock and not a minute sooner.”
“Why?”
“I didn’t ask why,” Robbie answered gruffly. “I’m just doing as I’m told.”
“And where exactly do you think you’re going?” I demanded as Luke walked out the door.
“The instruction was to keep you out of the hotel. Nobody said anything about me not being allowed to go up, did they, Robbie?”
“Nope.”
“I feckin knew that you and my mother were in cahoots over something.”
Luke winked and said that he’d be back later. “And by the way your mother wants you to wear something nice,” he called out as he left.
Mammy came bustling down several hours later. I had just come back to the house after going to help Robbie unpack a new delivery in the shop (okay, what really happened was that Robbie said he’d got a new delivery in and that as he’d been instructed to guard me I was to go with him).
“Will I do?” I asked.
“You look lovely,” she said, appraising my black and green top which I had accompanied with leggings and black pumps. “I suppose that’s as close as we’ll ever get to seeing you dress like a girl before the wedding.”
I stuck my tongue out and followed her into the bedroom where she was getting ready to change her clothes.
“So what’s going on then? Why all the secrecy and having Robbie guard me like I’m some sort of delinquent?”
“You’re not a delinquent but you see I’ve found you and Robbie out in your secret. You actually like each other so I just thought I’d help out and facilitate your friendship.”
“Shut up, Mother.”
“Honestly, Gabriel is nowhere near as difficult as you are. He goes fishing with Robbie and has become quite popular with the locals since he and Darryl moved in together.”
The noise of a car pulling up outside alerted me to the fact that we had company and to my amazement I looked out and saw that Frankie and Owen and all the children had just arrived.
“Are you in on it as well then, Frankie?”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Whe
n I walked into the hotel there was most definitely a party atmosphere there. The red carpet had been laid out and there were lots of people I didn’t know walking around clutching glasses of champagne.
“You didn’t have to hire rent-a-mob, Mammy. I’d have been quite happy with just you lot.”
At this point Gabriel, who had just appeared dressed in a navy suit with a bright purple tie, started to laugh.
“Bless her! She thinks all this is for her. I know you’re getting married soon, sweetie, but seriously you’re not that important.”
“Shall we show her?”
“I think we should.”
I knew that Mammy had organised for a few of the other rooms to be reconstructed and put back to the way they were when Monroe Manor was still a family home in all its glory, and as I followed her up the stairs I could smell furniture polish and paint.
“Someone’s been busy,” I said.
Luke and Mammy stopped outside a door which was shut. Mammy put her hand on the handle and put a finger up to make an announcement.
“This, my dear Ruby, was done especially for you. There used to be an art room in Monroe Manor but most of the paintings, apart from the ones dotted around the foyer, were taken away and either put in museums or auctioned off after the house ceased to operate. I thought it was a lovely idea and asked some of our local artists if they would like to display their work here and they’ve agreed and this is the grand opening night.”
With a flourish she opened the door and I stepped into the room. The walls were all adorned with work from different artists with a special area dedicated to my favourite – the one and only Sarah Larkin.
“Is she here?” I asked, trembling with excitement.
“We couldn’t get hold of her but the manager at Caitlin O’Neill’s art studio said that he would keep leaving her messages.”
“Some of her paintings are very sad,” I commented, looking at them. “I’ve never seen these before.”
Anyone for Me? Page 33