Page 30 of The Book of Irish Secrets (Magnolia Manor #5)

TWENTY-TWO

Claire blinked as the lightbulb in the ceiling lit up the little room.

She sighed as she looked at all the shelves, wondering where she should start.

She saw what looked like a shoebox on a shelf at the very top and she stood on tiptoe to reach it.

She just about managed to get it down without the contents spilling onto the floor.

She clutched it to her chest and looked at what appeared to be all kinds of documents with scribbled notes here and there.

She sneezed several times as dust rose in a cloud from the box and she had to fish a tissue from her pocket to blow her nose and wipe her eyes.

She was about to sit on the rickety old stool again but decided to take the box into her flat instead in order to study everything in detail.

She wasn’t very hopeful that she would find anything; it would be too much to expect.

But at least she would be looking at everything in the comfort of her flat instead of the cold, dusty room.

Claire picked up the next document, which was Liam’s birth certificate, followed by a photo of Caroline holding the baby, who was dressed in a lacy christening gown, the very same that had been used for every Fleury baby since the middle of the nineteenth century, she had read in Auntie Rachel’s book.

But Louis’ offspring had not had that privilege.

Claire wondered if it was still in use. There were also a few Christmas cards that looked ancient, and a Valentine’s card for Iseult from an anonymous admirer.

Claire had come to the bottom of the box and was ready to give up, but then…

What was this? Two documents stuck together and a note on top.

The documents were the birth certificates for Cornelius and Louis, born in 1886, and the note stapled to the top of it said: Louis Fleury was born ten minutes before his brother Cornelius.

It was signed by a Doctor Conor Higgins, present at the birth .

Claire stared at the note, stunned by what she had just read.

So it was true. Louis had been born before Cornelius and had been the rightful heir to Magnolia Manor.

This was sensational, incredible and shocking, even though it confirmed her suspicions.

But if he was the heir, why had Louis walked away from this wonderful place, never to come back?

That was the toughest nut to crack and Claire was now more determined than ever to find out the truth, even if she had to dig in the archives forever.

She knew she had been right to worry about the Fleurys’ reaction to all this.

If she presented the Fleurys with this document that proved without a doubt that Louis had been the rightful heir, would they doubt her motives?

Would they suspect that she had come to claim the rights to the estate on behalf of her family – Louis Fleury’s great-grandchildren?

After what they had been through with that old gambling debt that could have lost them everything, would they not be still traumatised?

And now Claire arrives waving a document in their faces that could mean they yet again risked losing their home.

This was a problem that had concerned her earlier, and now she realised that she had been right.

The rest of the papers in the box were of no importance. Still wrestling with the problem, Claire put the birth certificates back where she had found them, hidden under the other papers. Then she put the box under the bed. Nobody would think of looking for anything there.

When she was satisfied that the box was safe, Claire sent an email to Marian filling her in on what she had found.

Then she decided to go for a walk as it had stopped raining and the stars and the new moon lit up the garden sufficiently for a stroll on the gravel paths.

Some fresh, cool air would clear her mind and calm her down after her recent discovery.

There was so much to think about and to digest and she needed to decide what the next step should be.

She longed to talk to Pierce about it, but felt she had to be careful.

He had said he was still doubtful about her having deceived the Fleurys and not been upfront about who she was, despite his interest in her quest. Now he would probably believe the worst if she told him about the birth certificates.

It would be best not to show them to him, or anyone else, she decided.

In any case, as his daughter was due to arrive, he might be too preoccupied to worry about Claire and her research – and his misgivings about her behaviour.

She wondered idly what his daughter was like.

Karina had hinted at teenage dramas, but hopefully it wouldn’t be too difficult to deal with for Pierce, who had such empathy and understanding of other people’s problems. That girl was lucky to have a father like that, Claire decided.

The short walk in the cool air did the trick and Claire found herself relaxing while she listened to the nighttime sounds.

An owl hooting overhead as it swooped past. The distant sound of the waves pounding the little beach beyond the shrubs.

The leaves of the magnolia tree rustling in the wind.

It was all so magical and comforting and Claire felt a jolt of pity for her great-grandfather Louis, who must have been constantly homesick for the house and gardens of his childhood.

Would she ever know what had prompted his departure?

And then… now that she knew more, Claire wondered if it would not be better to simply leave, go back to Dublin and forget the whole thing.

She had been so driven to find out the truth that she hadn’t considered anyone’s feelings.

But now that she had met the Fleurys and found out how kind and generous they were, she was beginning to feel more guilty than ever.

I should give up and go back to Dublin , Claire thought as she got into bed.

But oh, how can I when I feel so at home here?

She wished she had never started this whole project and simply come to Kerry as herself – Claire Fleury, a relative who just wanted to get to know her distant cousins.

It might have caused a few raised eyebrows, but not much more.

But now she had opened a can of worms and she couldn’t go back.

She had to reveal her true identity soon.

But how much should she tell them? The whole truth – or just a part of it?