Page 36 of The Widow’s Irish Secret (Magnolia Manor #4)

Later that evening, the girls fell asleep in Tricia’s bed when she read them a bedtime story.

She ended up nodding off herself as she lay between the two little girls with Paddy the kitten on her chest again.

Then they were all jolted awake around ten o’clock by Tricia’s phone ringing on the bedside table.

Sophie started to cry and Naomi tried to comfort her while Paddy raced out of the room in a panic.

The Tricia picked up the phone and discovered it was Cillian calling her.

She had to tell him she’d call him back but it took over an hour to get everyone to settle.

She was finally able to pick up her phone an hour later and found a text message from him that made her heart skip a beat with joy.

I’m not giving up on us , he wrote. I think we should spend some time together and see if we can find the solution to our problems. Let’s take a walk on the wild side, throw all our fears and troubles into the wind and see what happens.

What do you say? If you agree, I’ll let you know what my plan is. Just give me a yes or a no.

Tricia didn’t hesitate. It made her spirits soar to learn that he didn’t want to let go, either as a friend or something more.

She didn’t care what he meant, she just didn’t want to lose him.

If they became simply friends, that would be better than having parted on bad terms with a strained silence between them.

She quickly texted back with a yes and a smiling emoji.

His answer came back within seconds. How about I pick you up on Friday evening for a magical mystery tour?

Lovely , she replied. Can I bring my new kitten? He is very well behaved.

Yes, that would be nice. I like cats. We will explore new places and create new memories for only you and me. See you then. Cillian xx

Tricia smiled, knowing that they would go somewhere she had never been to with Fred or anyone else.

This way they would have their own memories.

That sounded good to her, even if his suggestion frightened her.

It was like embarking on a journey without a destination or plan.

It clashed with her love of order in everything.

But he was that kind of man: a free spirit who would go where his latest whim took him.

She wondered how that would work if they truly became a couple.

He was right, though. They needed to be together away from curious glances and gossip.

She knew she had to forget about the secret he was keeping from her and not press him about it.

She thought about her legal tangle in Donegal, that she hadn’t dared reveal to him.

It had been on the tip of her tongue to tell Cillian but then she decided there was no point until she knew what would happen to her.

It could change things between them when he found out.

She wished she could tell him, but something had stopped her.

But now, here he was, wanting to give them a chance.

Tricia sat back on the sofa and smiled into the darkness.

This was what she needed. A mad adventure with a wild, unpredictable, sweet man who seemed to love her despite her age and wrinkles and slightly saggy body.

How could she resist? She now felt a real need to tell him everything.

If his feelings for her were as genuine as they seemed, then he wouldn’t judge her too harshly.

The little girls went back home on the Thursday, happy with the ‘Granny holiday’, as they called it.

It had been fun but exhausting, Tricia thought as she waved goodbye.

She realised that minding small children at her age was quite a challenge.

The girls had, on the whole, been well behaved but it had been quite difficult to stick to discipline about bedtimes and trying not to spoil them too much with treats and outings.

They had tried it on several times, telling Tricia how Sylvia would give them sweets, buy them toys and let them stay up very late.

But Tricia didn’t fall for that, even though she did treat them to things they didn’t get to do at home.

Rose had not managed to find out anything about Kieran O’Grady in Dublin, despite her efforts.

There was nothing much about him at the National Gallery, apart from the biography they had gone through earlier.

But she promised she’d take another look at the old papers in storage in the manor.

‘You never know what might have been overlooked,’ she said.

While she tidied up after the visit, Tricia thought of the weekend ahead.

Spending a few days together in Cillian’s campervan would be a good test of their relationship.

It would answer many questions, not only about who they were now but also if they were truly compatible.

It might end in tears – or be the beginning of something wonderful that would last for a long time.

When the phone rang later that night, Tricia was still thinking about Cillian and the weekend ahead. She answered with an absentminded ‘Hello?’ her mind on what she should pack.

‘Tricia, it’s Noel. I have something to tell you. Do you have a moment?’

Tricia sat down on the sofa. ‘Yes? Did Naomi forget something? I thought I packed everything she brought.’

‘It’s not about Naomi,’ Noel said, his voice serious. ‘It’s about something I heard from a lawyer at the conference I was at. Something about you and Sean’s will.’

Tricia felt her blood run cold. Here it was. The sword that had been hanging over her since she left was finally coming down on her head. ‘Oh,’ she said. ‘That.’

‘Yes. Something about you pressuring Sean to sign something that gave his estate to you,’ Noel said. ‘Look, I haven’t told Rose about this, nor anyone else. But it’s very serious, as you must know.’

‘Yes,’ Tricia whispered. ‘But, Noel, I didn’t know what I was doing. I was so stressed and Sean was so ill and then… We needed to pay the medical bills so Sean gave me power of attorney.’

‘You signed a document without having it witnessed,’ Noel cut in. ‘And then you tried to use it…’

‘But nothing happened,’ Tricia filled in. ‘I didn’t have to use it in the end.’

‘I know, but the document is still there in the records. With your signature. That awful man Terence, the nephew, is trying to use it.’

‘I know. It’s been all over the local papers,’ Tricia said, her voice breaking. ‘I was so stupid. I knew it was wrong but…’

‘It was both wrong and illegal,’ Noel said. ‘And then there is the issue of Sean changing his will in your favour.’

‘Was that illegal too?’ Tricia asked.

‘No, it seemed to have been done according to the law,’ Noel replied. ‘But his nephew claims you manipulated your late husband when he wasn’t quite himself.’

‘That’s not true,’ Tricia snapped, feeling upset, mostly with herself.

Was everyone going to find out what she’d done, before she had a chance to make amends?

‘He’s making it up. Sean changed his will just after we married a long time before he fell ill.

The date is on the document and the witnesses… ’

‘Are all dead,’ Noel said. ‘But there is nothing illegal about that. It’s the fiddling with the bank account that landed you in trouble. Do you have a solicitor?’

‘No,’ Tricia croaked, her throat dry with fear. ‘Just the man dealing with the probate. I can’t afford huge legal fees. So I thought I’d try and solve it myself somehow.’

‘You can’t,’ Noel said. ‘You need a solicitor, and you have one right here for free.’

‘Who?’

‘Me, of course,’ Noel said. ‘I’ll see what I can do. Sean’s nephew seems to want you to turn the farm over to him.’

‘I know, and he’s trying to scare me into it,’ Tricia said. ‘By threatening me.’

‘Well, that’s illegal, too, of course,’ Noel said.

‘Tricia, this is a huge mess but I’ll do my best to find a way out.

I won’t tell anyone, not even Rose. I can’t promise anything, but I will have a word with my colleagues up north and see if we can sort it out in some way. In the meantime, try not to worry.’

‘That’s easy for you to say.’ Tricia heaved a huge sigh. What if everyone else found out this way too? ‘But oh, Noel, you have no idea how relieved I am to have you on my side. I felt so alone with all this hanging over me.’

‘Why didn’t you ask me before? You must have known I’d be happy to help,’ Noel said. ‘I mean, I don’t want to see my children’s grandmother behind bars.’

Tricia tried to laugh. ‘I know you’re joking but that has seemed very real to me until now.’

‘That was never a possibility,’ Noel reassured her.

‘Oh, my mobile is ringing and it’s my colleague in Donegal.

I’ll call you back in a sec.’ Noel hung up while Tricia sat there wringing her hands.

She had been thinking about asking Noel for help, but then Rose might have heard about what trouble Tricia was in and that would have been hard to deal with.

Of course Noel was not going to tell Rose, she realised now.

He had to keep it confidential. How stupid she had been not to tell him. Then her phone rang again.

‘Me again,’ Noel said. ‘It’s going to take a little time to sort this out after all. So you have to be patient. It could mean you’ll be found guilty of some kind of minor fraud. But I’ll do my best to get you off the hook. That’s all I can promise right now.’

‘Thank you, Noel,’ Tricia said.

They said goodbye and Tricia hung up with a feeling of dread.

She had to tell Cillian before he found out from someone else.

How would he react if he believed even for a moment that she had done something illegal just for money?

Their little weekend trip was the only chance she had to tell him the truth.

Her only chance to convince him she hadn’t done anything wrong.