Page 13 of The Widow’s Irish Secret (Magnolia Manor #4)

Feeling shaken after the sudden meeting, Tricia got up and walked to the bar, where people were gathered, chatting and sipping wine.

Meeting Cillian like that had given her a jolt.

A few years after Fred had died, the two of them had met in Dublin.

And sparks had flown. But it was still too soon after the tragedy.

She had felt as if Fred was standing between them and she was somehow cheating on him, even though he was gone.

It had taken her more than ten years before she had felt she could fall in love with someone else.

And then Sean had been there, offering her love, companionship and a safe haven at his nice farm in Donegal.

She had wanted to go far away from everything that reminded her of Fred.

Lily and Rose were at university and Vi at boarding school, all happy, at the beginning of their adulthood away from home.

She had been ready to go north to a new place where she could start afresh.

With Sean, she had been finally at peace and content, even if the passion and romance hadn’t been anything like what she had experienced with Fred.

But she couldn’t expect to feel like that for anyone else ever, so Sean provided a different life on a farm with sheep and cows and all kinds of other animals.

It had been a peaceful time full of new experiences until Sean had become ill and then died.

Tricia had been deeply grateful to him for taking care of her.

She missed him terribly but her grief was nothing compared to the devastation and loss she had felt when Fred had died.

And now she was back in Kerry and had planned to start a new adventure, one that Fred had wanted them to do together.

She felt she was picking up his mantle and that this new venture would help her heal at last. Would Cillian stir up feelings she thought were dead?

She felt he wouldn’t succeed in disturbing her peace.

She was stronger and older now and so much time had passed.

She was determined to go forward on her own, to live here with her daughters and their families without distractions.

I won’t let Cillian or anyone else rock my boat , Tricia thought as she joined Maggie and Colette, who were waiting to talk to her near the bar.

Maggie handed Tricia a glass of white wine. ‘Here, have some plonk while we share our experiences. How did you get on?’

‘Oh, they were all very nice,’ Tricia said. ‘And one of them was even someone I know – or knew,’ she added.

‘Was that the good-looking man at the end of the session?’ Colette asked.

‘The archaeologist,’ Maggie filled in. ‘He’s here on some kind of job, I heard. I was hoping he’d end up at my table. But he seemed to be heading straight to you without looking at anyone else. Did you arrange to meet again?’

‘No,’ Tricia replied, looking around. ‘He said “see you around” or something like that. I thought he’d be mingling with everyone and we’d meet up here at the bar.’

‘Maybe he left,’ Colette said. ‘I think I saw him heading for the door. Is he a bit shy?’

Tricia shook her head. ‘No, Cillian isn’t the shy type. He might not have felt like staying.’ She sipped her wine while the others looked expectantly at her.

‘So what did you talk about?’ Maggie said.

‘Nothing much,’ Tricia replied. ‘There wasn’t enough time to say a lot.’

Colette sighed. ‘No. I think the idea was just to give us a sample and then we’d mingle and meet up with whoever we found interesting.’ She smiled at a tall man who had just joined the group. ‘Hi there. Brian, was it?’

The man smiled at Colette. ‘Yes. I enjoyed our little chat.’ They fell into a conversation, exchanging more facts about themselves.

Maggie looked at Tricia and smiled, leaning forward. ‘Will we leave them to get to know each other better?’ she muttered.

Tricia nodded. ‘Okay,’ she whispered back.

‘Did you meet anyone else that took your fancy?’ Maggie asked. ‘Except for the silver fox from your past.’

‘Not really,’ Tricia replied. ‘What about you?’

‘Well…’ Tricia paused. ‘There was this guy who asked for my number and said he’d call.

But I’m not holding my breath as I see him chatting up another woman over there.

How about calling it a night and heading home?

It was a nice evening and all that but I’ve had enough of the wine and sausage rolls. ’

‘Me too.’ Tricia put her half-finished glass on the bar counter. ‘I’d be happy to leave if you are.’

They waved at Colette and made their way through the crowd, smiling at the men they had met and saying it was a fun evening and it would be nice to meet up again – or words to that effect.

Then they walked out of the hall into the cool, still evening as the sun slowly sank behind the hill across Dingle Bay and a lone seagull emitted a plaintive cry as it flew across the darkening sky.

Maggie took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. ‘Oh, this place… Isn’t it so soothing and healing?’

‘It truly is,’ Tricia agreed. ‘I’m so happy I came back. Aren’t we blessed to live here?’

‘We are.’ Maggie put her arm through Tricia’s and they walked slowly to Maggie’s car, chatting about the evening, the lovely weather and the people they had met during the speed dating event.

‘I’d have a go again,’ Maggie said as they got into the car. ‘Not because of meeting men but because I’m a bit lonely and it’s great to be with people our age who have lived as long as we have and been through a lot but come out of it still laughing.’

‘You’re right,’ Tricia said. ‘Nothing like being with people who danced to Abba, smoked cigarettes when it was still fashionable and wore those crazy nineteen seventies clothes thinking they looked fabulous.’

Maggie laughed and started the car. ‘Yes, the bell bottoms and the weird colours. And then the big hair and shoulder pads in the eighties. I used to binge watch Dallas and Dynasty .’

As they drove out of Dingle and up the dark road to Magnolia Manor, Tricia’s thoughts drifted to her surprise meeting with Cillian.

He had just left without a word and she wondered why.

Was he paying her back for her behaviour over twenty years ago?

She knew she had been unfair but it had been a very difficult time for her.

Now she felt differently. But maybe he would never forgive her.

She pushed the thoughts away and tried to look forward and concentrate on her new life and her project.

Better to put a little distance between her and Cillian for the moment – or maybe for good…