Page 25 of The Book of Irish Secrets (Magnolia Manor #5)

SEVENTEEN

Claire shook off the memory of the past half hour and made her way back through the town.

The parade was over and everyone was drifting into pubs and restaurants for dinner with friends.

Claire looked forward to an evening with all the nice people she had met since she arrived.

It seemed strange to have this sense of belonging after only six weeks.

But this was Kerry and things were different here.

She spotted Rose and Noel down the main street, piling the children into their car.

Rose waved and shouted, ‘See you in a little while,’ before they left to put the children to bed.

Claire continued to Gleesons’ pub and went inside, where she saw Pierce sitting at the bar with a pint of Guinness.

He waved at her. ‘Hi, Claire, come and have a drink.’

She walked to the bar and sat on the stool next to him. ‘Yes, I need one.’

‘I’m guessing it wasn’t a pleasant conversation with your ex,’ he remarked kindly.

He turned to the waiter behind the bar. ‘A glass of Guinness, for the lady, please.’ Then he turned back to Claire.

‘It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me anything.

Maybe you’d be better off forgetting what happened, just for tonight? ’

‘Oh, yes,’ Claire said, feeling a surge of affection for this nice man. ‘I want to do just that.’ Then she grabbed the glass of Guinness that had just been put in front of her. ‘Cheers and lá fhéile Pádraig sona dhuit .’

‘ Mar an gcéanna duit, mo ghrá ,’ Pierce said with a grin, holding his own glass aloft.

‘Oh,’ Claire said and blushed at the words mo ghrá , which mean ‘my love’ in Irish. Or it could just mean ‘my dear’ , she told herself, trying not to read too much into it.

But then everyone arrived in the pub and the moment passed.

Lily, Rose and Noel walked in, followed by Karina and Sylvia, accompanied by a stylish-looking older man who must be Arnaud, Claire assumed.

He hadn’t appeared at Sylvia’s birthday party because his flight had been late so she hadn’t met him yet.

But now they were introduced, and he took her hand and kissed it, saying how enchanté he was to meet her.

Claire was immediately taken by the charm and apparent kindness of this elegant man who seemed so devoted to Sylvia.

They all mingled for a while until their table was ready. Lily’s husband, Dominic, came to say hello, but then had to join his band for a soundcheck. He then came back to the table and joined them for the meal and Claire had a chance to talk to him, as he was sitting beside her.

‘Hi,’ Dominic said, smiling at Claire. ‘I heard Karina is working you into the ground.’

Claire laughed and shook her head. ‘That’s not true. It’s very busy but I’m really enjoying everything.’

‘She’s an absolute treasure,’ Karina said from across the table. ‘I don’t know how I coped before she arrived like an angel of mercy.’

‘Oh, please,’ Claire protested. ‘I’m the lucky one. I mean, who lands a job and a great place to live after just arriving in town? It all seems so miraculous.’

‘Or written in the stars?’ Pierce suggested on Claire’s other side. ‘And here’s Brendan, right on cue,’ he added as Karina’s husband joined them.

‘Hello there, Claire,’ Brendan said and waved, then went around the table to sit down on the empty chair beside Karina, who gave him a kiss on the cheek.

‘Hello, darling,’ she said, beaming at him. ‘I’m glad you’re taking a little time off.’

‘All for you.’ Brendan took Karina’s hand and kissed it.

‘So now that everyone’s here, we can settle down to enjoy tonight’s special,’ Pierce said. ‘The famous Gleesons’ chowder.’

The serving staff handed around deep plates with the chowder that was more like a fish stew than a soup.

Pieces of fresh cod and salmon, mixed with mussels and shrimp, the fragrance of which was mouthwatering, filled the plates to the brim.

They passed around baskets of newly baked sourdough bread and it was all washed down with more Guinness.

Claire tucked into the food with gusto, forgetting all her problems and worries as she enjoyed the delicious food and drink.

Then the band struck up a lively tune and they all stopped talking to listen. Dominic sang several songs and then the rhythm became even more lively and everyone got up to dance the jigs and the reels.

Pierce held out his hand to Claire. ‘Will you dance with me?’ he asked.

‘Oh,’ she said, hanging back, ‘I’m not a great dancer. It’s years since I’ve been on any kind of dance floor.’

‘Ah come on,’ he urged. ‘Who cares if you’re good or not? Everyone is on the floor swinging their hips and shouting. It’s just a bit of fun on Paddy’s Day, not a competition.’

‘Okay,’ Claire said, deciding not to be a stick-in-the-mud.

She took Pierce’s hand and followed him onto the floor where they joined the dancing, shouting crowd.

The music was so hypnotic, Claire soon forgot her hesitation and found herself dancing as if she was born to it.

Her feet flew across the floor and she suddenly remembered the steps she had learned many years agon in her Irish dancing class when she was ten.

Pierce kept holding her hand in a tight grip as they danced and he looked into her eyes, which made her feel like a young girl at her first dance.

After that, she danced with everyone in turn, twirling and jumping and laughing, thoroughly enjoying herself.

She finally stopped to catch her breath and suddenly saw someone in the crowd looking at her.

It was Hugh, holding a pint of Guinness.

He quickly disappeared. Seeing him had given her such a jolt she nearly stopped breathing.

She stumbled away, finding their table and sat down, fanning her face.

Seeing Hugh like that and the way he had smiled at her reminded her of his threat.

She knew he could undo everything she had achieved with just a few words, but then, she wondered if anyone would actually believe him.

She knew, however, that the news would spread fast through town, whether they believed it or not.

The doubt would be there and then someone might do some research and find it was all true. It simply could not happen.

‘Are you okay?’ Pierce had noticed Claire’s distress and looked at her with concern.

‘I’m fine,’ Claire panted, dabbing her face with a paper napkin. ‘It’s just so hot here and the dancing kind of took my breath away.’

‘Me too,’ Pierce said and sat down with an exhausted grunt.

He poured water into a glass from a jug on the table and handed it to her.

‘Here. Have some water. I’m suddenly reminded that I’m not a teenager any more, or even thirty-five or so.

Can’t keep up with the youngsters who will bop away till dawn. ’

Claire nodded and drank deeply from the glass. ‘I know what you mean. Thanks for the water. I really needed this.’

‘So do I,’ Pierce said and poured himself a glass of water. He drank it down quickly and then looked at Claire. ‘How about going outside for a bit? Just to get some fresh air and to look at the stars.’

She looked at his red face, messy hair and kind blue eyes and suddenly knew that there was nobody she’d rather look at the stars with than him. ‘Oh yes,’ she said, getting up. ‘A bit of fresh air would be lovely.’

They pushed through the crowd to the entrance door and went out into the cool, dark night, and stood together on the street, looking up at the stars glimmering in the night sky.

Claire breathed in the air laced with salt, woodsmoke and a touch of garlic and herbs from the chowder they had just enjoyed.

She leaned against Pierce and smiled, feeling her hot cheeks cool and the air reviving her.

‘Thanks for making me go outside,’ she said. ‘I really needed a blast of cold air. It was getting very hot in there.’

He put his arm around her. ‘I hope you’re not cold?’

‘No, I’m fine for the moment,’ she said. ‘But I won’t stay out here long without a jacket.’

‘You look so nice in that green shirt, though,’ Pierce said, smiling down at her. ‘That colour suits you.’

‘Thanks,’ Claire said, happy that the dark hid her pink cheeks. ‘It was the only green thing I had.’

‘I had to put on this ridiculous dickie bow,’ Pierce said. ‘Or Karina wouldn’t have let me out of the house. “You have to wear something green on Paddy’s Day,” she said. “Or the fairies will come and get you.”’

‘Or the wicked leprechaun, as my Auntie Rachel would say,’ Claire filled in.

‘Scary women,’ Pierce said with a pretend shudder.

‘I like your dickie bow,’ Claire said. ‘It makes you look… nice,’ she ended feebly. ‘I mean that it makes you look like someone who doesn’t take himself too seriously.’

‘Unlike your ex?’ he asked. ‘He really takes himself seriously.’

‘Yeah, that’s for sure,’ Claire said with feeling.

‘I wasn’t going to tell you,’ Pierce started. ‘But he sidled up to me in the pub just before the music started. He asked if I knew you. I couldn’t deny it as we were sitting together.’

‘Of course not,’ Claire said, feeling a chill creeping up her spine which had nothing to do with the cold air.

‘I do hope the fairies will get him,’ Claire muttered.

‘Or the wicked leprechaun?’ Pierce suggested.

‘Him too. Oh, how I wish he had never turned up here,’ Claire said miserably.

Pierce took his arm off Claire’s shoulder and turned her around to face him. ‘He has something on you, doesn’t he?’

Claire stared at Pierce through the darkness, only illuminated by the lit windows of the pub.

‘Yes, I’m afraid he does. He knows something about me that might shock you.

’ Claire swallowed, suddenly feeling she had to tell him who she really was.

She knew he was fond of her, but what she was about to reveal might turn him away from her.

Despite that, she had a sudden urge to share the burden of her secret.

She had an odd feeling that if Pierce knew, he’d keep it to himself and not tell anyone until she was ready. She hoped fervently that she was right.

‘I’m not easily shocked,’ Pierce said. ‘But if you don’t want to tell me, I understand.’

‘I want to tell you,’ Claire said in a near whisper. ‘But…’

‘You want me to promise to keep it to myself?’ he asked.

‘Yes.’

‘Okay. I promise. Whatever it is, I won’t share it with anyone.’

‘Thank you.’ Claire paused. Then she started to tell him everything: her real name, the family feud, her quest to find out the truth and her wish to bring the two families together.

Pierce was quiet when she had finished, the only sound coming from the talking and laughing in the pub.

Claire stood there, waiting for him to speak, expecting the worst. He turned away from her for a moment, clearing his throat.

Then he looked at her again and finally made to speak, while Claire held her breath, waiting for his reaction.