Page 32 of The Book of Irish Secrets (Magnolia Manor #5)

TWENTY-FOUR

Later that day, just after lunch, Karina invited Claire to have coffee with her in the garden as the sun was shining and she had put out the garden furniture.

Happy to have a break in the sunshine, Claire sat down on one of the chairs while Karina fetched the coffee from the kitchen.

Then she settled on the other chair and closed her eyes, turning her face to the warm sunshine.

‘Oh, this is heavenly,’ Karina said with a contented sigh. ‘It’s been so cold and wet lately. But now I feel spring is truly here.’

‘I know.’ Claire sighed as she felt the sun warming her. She followed Karina’s example and closed her eyes. ‘I always feel that spring doesn’t truly arrive until after St Patrick’s.’

‘You’re right,’ Karina agreed and then sat up, opening her eyes.

‘I think we need to do a little work despite the sunshine.’ She put on a pair of sunglasses and pulled a writing pad from under the cups on the table and handed it to Claire with a pen.

‘I thought we’d go through the menus now.

I’d like you to write down what I read out to you and then email it all to Maura.

She’ll take it from there. Easter is late this year, as you know, by the way. ’

‘That’s right,’ Claire said. ‘It’s about a month away.’

‘Yes, it is,’ Karina agreed. ‘You can take Easter week off if you like as there isn’t much happening then.

The party and wedding season will be in full swing after that so better to rest up, I think.

Brendan and I are spending Easter in Spain with our daughters and their children.

We’re renting a villa in Nerja for the week.

It’s always good fun. I like to recharge my batteries before the party season begins.

Then it’s all go until late August, beginning of September.

By then you might regret having taken this job. ’

Claire tried to smile but felt a knot in her chest. ‘I enjoy working with you,’ she said vaguely.

I love living here , she thought as she felt the warm sun on her face and breathed in the soft air, as the sound of seagulls filled the air overhead and the waves could be heard in the far distance.

I have truly come home. I only wish I could stay.

‘That’s fabulous,’ Karina said. ‘I’ve never known anyone to settle in so fast. It’s as if you were meant to land on my doorstep.

’ She paused, noticing Claire’s downbeat tone.

‘So… the menus,’ she continued. ‘For next Friday’s wedding, as it’s the evening, we will start with champagne and finger food and then follow with a starter of lobster bisque, followed by fillet of beef en cro?te or a vegetarian option… ’

Claire scribbled furiously as Karina talked, trying to keep up. Then she had finally come to the end and they finished their meeting. Karina got up and said she’d be in the kitchen and told Claire to finish her coffee and not rush back to her desk but to enjoy the sunshine.

‘Just relax,’ Karina said. ‘It’s such a gorgeous day. You seem to have a lot on your mind. Email the stuff to Maura before you go home.’

‘I will,’ Claire promised and put the list under her mug to stop it from blowing away.

Then, when Karina had gone into the kitchen, she sat back, feeling herself slowly relaxing, enjoying the warmth of the sun, the smell of the herbs that were beginning to grow in Karina’s herb garden.

Claire let her thoughts drift for a moment, emptying her mind of all the worrisome thoughts.

A few minutes later, footsteps on the gravel woke her from her trance and she opened her eyes expecting Karina back.

But to her astonishment, it was Jo sitting on the garden chair.

Claire blinked. ‘Hi,’ she said. ‘I was nearly drifting off there. I thought you were Karina.’

‘No, it’s me,’ Jo said. ‘I needed a break from the books.’

‘Of course,’ Claire said. ‘Hard work, isn’t it? The Junior Cert, I mean.’

‘It’s okay,’ Jo replied, wrinkling her pretty nose. ‘Just a bit boring. And stressful. Everyone in my class are such swots. There is a lot of competition and everyone wants honours in every subject. You’d think it was the Leaving Cert the way they go on.’

‘I know,’ Claire said. ‘I remember what it was like when I did it.’

‘Did you do well?’ Jo asked, looking at Claire with interest.

Claire shrugged. ‘Not really. I think I got a few honours but not in anything that mattered, like maths or science. There was this girl in my class who was brilliant in everything. And she was pretty and popular. I hated her.’

Jo giggled. ‘I know what you mean. There’s a girl like that in my class too. Her name is Christina and she’s brilliant at everything, even sports. Popular and really beautiful too. She doesn’t even have acne. I hate her.’

‘There is a Christina in every class,’ Claire said. ‘And in every year at uni too. They are there to make us suffer, I’m sure of it.’

‘So what do we do to beat them?’ Jo asked.

‘We ignore them and do our own thing,’ Claire said. ‘Pretend they don’t exist. That makes them furious but they can’t do anything about it.’

Jo’s glum expression brightened. ‘Oh, great. I’ll remember that. Thank you.’

‘You’re welcome,’ Claire said. ‘Happy to help.’

‘Are you and my dad dating?’ Jo suddenly asked after a moment’s silence.

‘Oh no,’ Claire exclaimed. ‘Absolutely not. We’re only just getting to know each other. We’re just friends, nothing more,’ she added, wondering what Pierce had said about her to Jo.

Jo nodded. ‘Okay. Good to know.’ She got up. ‘I have to go back and do a bit more studying. Dad says he won’t take me out for pizza if I don’t work.’ She walked away, closing the door to the kitchen with a bang.

Claire could hear Karina saying something that sounded like a scolding. Jo must have disturbed her aunt when she was in ‘the zone’, Claire assumed. But that was what teenagers were like. They burst into a room and left just as fast when they got what they came in for.

Jo, Claire realised as she went over the conversation, had come purely to find out if Claire and Pierce were involved in any way.

Are we? Claire asked herself. If I leave, it’ll be all over anyway.

But she knew they were getting close and becoming more than friends.

They liked each other and she felt such comfort in his presence.

She was sure he felt the same about her.

The vibes were there and they seemed to get closer every time they met.

That had felt good and very promising. But what about Jo?

Was she jealous of anyone her father might be involved with?

Or maybe she was hoping that her parents would get back together?

It didn’t seem possible that it would ever happen, but Jo might still be hoping for the family to be reunited.

Claire hadn’t liked the idea of coming between Pierce and his daughter and his disapproval of her behaviour had worried her as well.

But now that she had nearly decided to leave, those problems would be solved.

It would take her a long time to forget him, and maybe she never would, but at least she wouldn’t have to feel guilty any more.

Telling herself sternly to stop overthinking and get back to work, Claire took the list with the menus and reluctantly got up from her chair.

If she was going to leave, she wanted to do as much for Karina as she could before she left.

Sitting here worrying wasn’t a good idea.

It would only make her miserable. She slowly walked down the corridor and into her office and sat down at the desk, turning on the computer, focusing her mind on her tasks.

It wasn’t until she was finished for the day that her thoughts went back to her family research and how Pierce had said he’d do some of his own detective work.

Claire decided to tell Pierce there was no need for him to try.

She would pretend to give up her research for the moment.

That was another lie, as she felt she had to come to the end of the road before she left.

She was so close, she felt she could nearly touch it.

She would continue her search until she found what she was looking for, and then decide what to do.

Right now was not the best time to talk to Pierce, as she had put him off with her snappy goodbye.

In any case, Jo had said they were going out for pizza tonight.

Better to wait until he was free to listen.

She walked out of the office and down the corridor, noticing how quiet it was.

Karina must have finished for the day and gone out with her husband. It was nearly seven o’clock, after all.

Claire went out the front door and walked down the street to where she had parked her car.

‘Hey, Claire,’ someone called.

She turned around and discovered Pierce and Jo. ‘Hi, there. I’m off home.’

‘We’re going for pizza,’ Pierce said. ‘Would you like to join us? It’s the brand-new pizzeria on the Strand. Their pizzas are supposed to be amazing, according to the first reviews.’

‘Well…’ Claire started, her stomach rumbling at the thought.

‘I don’t want to ruin your father-daughter evening.

’ She felt awkward about having brushed him off on the phone earlier.

Maybe she should join them just to make him feel better?

She looked over at Jo, who appeared relaxed at the invitation.

‘We’d love you to come,’ Pierce insisted. ‘I bet you were just having leftovers for dinner or something anyway.’

Claire laughed, forgetting her misgivings. ‘Well, yes, I was. But okay, I’ll come with you, if that’s all right with Jo.’

Jo smiled. ‘Sure, that’ll be great,’ she said.

‘Brilliant,’ Pierce said, looking a lot brighter.

‘It’s only pizza, not dinner at the Ritz,’ Jo said. ‘Where is the Ritz anyway?’

‘London and Paris,’ Pierce said. ‘But I bet the food isn’t as good there. And I’d say the waiters are pretty snooty. I prefer dinner at Luigi’s Pizzeria. Much more fun.’

‘And we’d have to dress up at the Ritz,’ Claire filled in. ‘Such hard work to look glamorous if your name isn’t Christina.’

Jo laughed. ‘Oh, yeah.’

‘Who’s Christina?’ Pierce asked.

‘You wouldn’t know her,’ Claire said.

‘Whatever that secret code is, I don’t want to know,’ Pierce said. Claire mentally crossed her fingers that Jo would stay positive towards her.

When they arrived at the restaurant, they were greeted by a handsome young man who introduced himself as Marco, Luigi’s son.

He showed them to a table in the restaurant that had the vibes of Italy with checked tablecloths and straw-covered Chianti bottles turned into lamps on every table.

An Italian ballad wafted from the sound system and the walls had posters with photos of Rome, Naples and other Italian towns and villages.

There was a mouthwatering smell of garlic and herbs all through the restaurant.

‘I suddenly feel very Italian,’ Pierce said as they sat down. ‘Even though I’ve only ever spent two days in Rome on a school trip when I was fourteen. But now I feel I’m back there.’

‘That’s the idea,’ Marco said he handed them their menus. ‘How about a drink before dinner?’

‘I’m driving, so I’ll just have a Pellegrino,’ Claire said.

‘And my daughter is under-age and I’m a responsible father,’ Pierce said. ‘So Pellegrino for me, too and Coca-Cola for my daughter, please.’

‘Ah, and I thought the bella signorina was over eighteen,’ Marco said with a grin at Jo. ‘My mistake, scusi. ’ His accent was a mix of Italian and Irish.

‘No problem,’ Jo said, blushing. ‘I wasn’t offended.’

‘Oh, great,’ Marco said, shooting her a wide smile. ‘It’s hard to guess anyone’s age, really. Your mother looks very young to have a daughter your age, though.’

‘I’m not…’ Claire started.

‘She’s not my mother,’ Jo snapped. ‘Just my dad’s friend and they only just met.’

Marco looked at once uncomfortable. ‘I put my foot in it again, didn’t I?

I’m really sorry. Shouldn’t have tried to second guess who you all were.

My dad will kill me when he finds out. We only arrived recently, so we don’t know that many people yet.

And I’m studying for my Leaving Cert, so I only work here in the evenings. ’ He drew breath.

‘Hey, it’s okay,’ Jo said, her eyes softening. ‘Of course you couldn’t know and I won’t tell your dad, I promise.’

‘Phew,’ Marco said. ‘Thanks. You’re a star.’ He stepped back. ‘I’ll get your drinks and let you take a look at the menu.’

They studied the menu in silence while Pierce looked at Claire and rolled his eyes. ‘Well, that was a little awkward,’ he said. ‘Poor lad. But you were nice to him, Jo.’

Jo smiled with a dreamy look in her eyes. ‘Yeah, well he’s only eighteen.’

‘And not bad looking either,’ Claire said.

Jo smiled. ‘No, that’s true.’

‘He seemed to like you,’ Claire said. ‘Because you were nice to him.’

‘Do you think so?’ Jo asked, her cheeks turning pink.

‘Definitively,’ Claire assured her. ‘He was so embarrassed when he thought I was your mother, and you put him at ease.’

‘Yeah, I suppose.’ Jo suddenly scowled and picked up the menu. ‘Can we order now? I want a pizza with chorizo and lots of cheese,’ she said before excusing herself to go to the bathroom.

Pierce looked at Claire when Jo had left. ‘I’m so glad you came. You’re brilliant with her. So calm and understanding, even now when she suddenly turned sour.’

‘I like her, despite her mood swings,’ Claire said. ‘It’s not easy being fifteen these days. And she’s smart.’ She smiled at him. ‘And she adores you.’

‘I hope you’re right,’ he said.

‘I know I am. But I also want to say sorry for being so abrupt to you on the phone earlier. Didn’t mean to upset you.’

‘I know. You were busy. Don’t worry about it.

’ Pierce put his hand on Claire’s and squeezed it.

Claire wanted to talk to Pierce about her research, to say that she had decided to stop looking for the moment and that he didn’t need to help her.

But then she looked up and saw Jo standing by their table, glaring at them.