Page 203 of The Missing Sister

‘I can’t tell you how much, Katie. He was partly the reason I decided to come on my Grand Tour after my husband died. I thought it was time to put the past to rest.’

‘Did your husband know about it?’

‘No. I agonised about telling him, but knowing Jock, he’d have gone to hunt him down and the whole nightmare would have begun again. I just wanted a completely fresh start. I haven’t told my children either, but I’m going to have to tell them now, Katie. They both think I’ve lost it, which I have a bit recently. The strange thing is, as I set out to find Bobby, some other people were trying to find me too,’ I confessed. ‘And I thought...’

‘That Bobby was after you again. Jaysus’ – Katie raised her eyebrows – ‘you’ve certainly led a more interesting life than I have. So, who are these people trying to find you?’

‘That reallyisa story for another day.’ I checked my watch. ‘My kids will be back at any moment. Please don’t tell them what we were discussing this morning. When I find out what’s happened to him, I will.’

‘I’ll just say we were talking of the old times, which is true. Take that with you, Merry,’ she said, pointing to the family tree. ‘Have a look at it in more detail another time...’

There was a knock on the door. ‘Come in!’ I called.

‘Hi, Mum, the surf was fantastic out there!’ said Jack, walking into the room with Mary-Kate. His eyes fell on Katie, who smiled and stood up.

‘Hello there, you two. I’m your long-lost Auntie Katie, and you are?’

‘I’m Jack.’

‘And I’m Mary-Kate. So you’re the sister I’m named after?’

‘She is,’ I smiled as Katie embraced Jack and then Mary-Kate.

‘What a legacy you’ve been given: named after the both of us. Sure, you’ve the best qualities of your auntie, and the bad ones of your mammy.’ Katie winked at my daughter.

‘I don’t have any bad qualities, do I, kids?’

‘Of course not, Mum,’ said Jack as he and Mary-Kate rolled their eyes.

‘Maybe you two can tell me more about what my naughty little sister’s been up to in the past few years,’ Katie chuckled. ‘We’d be up for that, wouldn’t we, Jacko? I love the colour of your hair,’ Mary-Kate added.

‘Ah, thanks. I’d be having to get the red roots from a bottle these days, mind. I always wanted the blonde curls of your mammy when I was younger. Now so, I’m starving. Shall we treat ourselves to some freshly caught fish at An Súgán in town?’ she suggested.

Over lunch, at a lovely pub-restaurant in Clonakilty, Katie regaled them with stories of our childhood, some of which Jack had heard already.

‘She was always the clever one, see, and she won a scholarship to go and be educated properly at boarding school in Dublin.’

‘When she got older, did she have many boyfriends?’ Mary-Kate asked.

‘I’d say your mammy was more for her books than she was boys.’

‘But your auntie always was a one for the lads, weren’t you? There was always some fellow hanging around,’ I teased her, relishing the relaxed atmosphere after the tension of our earlier conversation.

By the time Katie had dropped us back at the hotel, I felt utterly exhausted.

‘So, your Uncle John’s already been in touch – all of us who are here around these parts are invited up to the farm on Sunday night, including grandchildren. No sign of kiddies for you yet, Jack?’ Katie asked.

‘I just haven’t found the right woman to be their mother yet,’ Jack shrugged. ‘Bye, Katie. It was a pleasure meeting you.’

‘And you. Never thought I’d see the day.’ Turning to me, she said, ‘Call me, Merry, and we’ll talk some more, okay?’

‘I will, thanks, Katie.’

Inside the lobby, I told the kids I was going for a rest, and handed Jack the car keys.

‘Go and explore, but stick to the main roads for now. They’re not big on signposts around here.’

‘Okay. Are you all right, Mum?’ asked Jack.