Page 38 of The Widow’s Irish Secret (Magnolia Manor #4)

The Saturday morning proved to be as enchanting as the night before.

Tricia found Cillian in the breakfast room in the B&B tucking into a full Irish breakfast of bacon, eggs, black pudding, sausages and grilled tomatoes.

‘Just an occasional sin,’ he said, looking slightly guilty.

‘My diet is usually very healthy except for the odd slip-up now and then. I knew Bridget does a great fry-up, so I couldn’t say no. ’

‘Of course not,’ Tricia agreed while she helped herself to yoghurt, fruit, a slice of brown bread and a mug of tea.

‘I’m afraid that’s not my kind of treat and I’m no good at cooking it either.

So if we’re to spend a lot of time together, you’ll have to say goodbye to the full Irish breakfast, except for when we stay in hotels. ’

‘You’ll probably save me from an early grave,’ Cillian said. ‘I bet your choice of breakfast is the secret to your youthful looks.’

‘You’re not going to get around me with flattery,’ Tricia remarked, trying her best to look serious.

‘So how am I going to get around you, then?’ Cillian asked.

‘You don’t have to.’ Tricia opened the pot of yoghurt. ‘Just be yourself and stop trying. I like you just the way you are, you know.’

Cillian smiled and put his hand on hers for a moment. ‘Thank you for saying that. And also for coming with me this weekend when I knew you were in the middle of doing up your house and getting close to your grandchildren. Not to mention Vi’s wedding and everything.’

‘It was good to take a break,’ Tricia said. ‘I’m not that busy right now. Vi wants to do her own wedding with Jack so I don’t have much to do about that except to help choose the flowers and get my old wedding dress altered to fit her. That is if she’s going to wear that and not Sylvia’s dress.’

‘What does Vi want?’ Cillian asked.

‘She wants to wear my old thing that looks like a meringue with whipped cream.’

Cillian waggled his eyebrows. ‘But you would love her to wear it.’

Tricia sighed. ‘Yes, I would, to be honest. I thought I looked wonderful in it at the time.’

‘You did. I was there, remember? Fred’s eyes welled up when he saw you coming down the aisle on your father’s arm. I was a little tearful myself too. You were a vision.’

‘That’s so sweet of you to say. Vi would look beautiful in anything so even the meringue dress is okay for her to wear. She has her heart set on it and I don’t want to disappoint her.’

‘Of course you don’t.’ Cillian finished his breakfast and drained his cup of coffee. ‘If you’re ready, we’ll do that hike. And then we continue our voyage of discovery.’

‘Fabulous.’ Tricia swallowed the last piece of bread and got up. ‘It’s a nice day for a hike too. Not too warm and a nice cool breeze.’

‘The views from the top of Mount Brandon are spectacular.’

The drive to the start of the hike didn’t take long and they were soon walking up the steep slopes, both of them a little out of breath which forced them to stop and rest here and there.

But then, finally, they were at the top and looking out over Brandon Bay and the islands beyond.

They stood silently, hand in hand, and admired the view, smiling at each other.

A man who had just arrived offered to take a photo of them and Tricia gave him her phone.

Cillian put his arm around Tricia’s waist and they both smiled as the stranger took several shots and then handed back the phone.

‘You looked so cute standing there together,’ he said. ‘Are you on your honeymoon?’

‘In a way,’ Cillian said. ‘We’re on a kind of second-chance voyage, getting to know each other.’

‘You look very much in tune already,’ the man said.

They smiled at each other and then thanked the man before they walked back down the slopes to the car where Paddy the kitten greeted them with a loud ‘miaow’ as if he was wondering where they had been. Then they drove off, Paddy on Tricia’s lap and Cillian humming a happy tune.

They continued back to Dingle and then took the road to Tralee and on to Listowel and Limerick, where they stopped for a quick lunch.

Then off they went again, through the Burren and then through Galway to Clifden, where they could either stay in a hotel or in the campervan that they had parked in a designated spot at a camping site.

They had also enjoyed a swim at the little beach near the camping site and then tried to decide where to stay.

‘It’s up to you,’ Cillian said. ‘I’m happy sleeping here but if you’d rather?—’

‘No, I wouldn’t.’ Tricia leaned over and kissed his cheek. ‘But first I need to speak to you about something.’

Cillian looked intrigued. ‘What is it?’

‘Something I need to tell you. But maybe we could have dinner somewhere nice and talk?’ She smiled reassuringly at him as she felt a surge of love for the man she had known nearly all her adult life.

It felt like the right moment to tell him everything.

She was sure he’d understand her once he knew what she was running from. He just had to.

‘Sounds good,’ Cillian replied just as Tricia’s phone rang in the van. She rushed in and groped around in her large handbag and pulled it out and saw it was Vi calling.

‘Vi? Has anything happened?’

‘Yes,’ Vi said and sobbed. ‘It’s Granny. She’s in hospital in Tralee. Her heart…’ Then there was more sobbing. ‘She seemed to have had a heart attack or something. Can you come?’

‘Oh, no,’ Tricia said, horrified. ‘How terrible. Is anyone with her?’

‘Yes,’ Vi replied. ‘Lily went with her in the ambulance. Rose is on her way there now, so we should go too. Jack’s on his way back so I’m waiting for him. But you could drive over and be there very soon, can’t you?’

‘But… but I’m not at home. I’m in Clifden.’

‘What? In Clifden?’ Vi exclaimed. ‘What are you doing there?’

‘I’m on a little bit of a break with Cillian. We’re… Oh, never mind. I’ll come as soon as I can.’

‘Okay,’ Vi said. ‘See you there. I’ll tell Lily to call you as soon as there’s any news.’

‘Thanks. I’ll leave straight away.’ Tricia hung up and then her knees wobbled and she had to sit down on the seat at the back of the van.

She couldn’t believe it. Sylvia having a heart attack.

But she had seemed in such good form last Sunday.

Tricia had always thought Sylvia was invincible, always in the middle of the action, always bright and present and on hand whenever she was needed.

Cillian walked back from the driver’s seat. ‘Trish? What’s wrong? Who was that on the phone?’

‘Vi,’ Tricia said, still in shock. ‘Sylvia has had a heart attack and she’s in hospital in Tralee. We have to go back straight away. Oh, I can’t believe it. Sylvia, the tower of strength, in hospital? It doesn’t seem possible.’

‘Well, you have to take her age into account.’ Cillian sat down beside Tricia and took her hand. ‘I know you’re very fond of her despite your differences. She is – was – your mother-in-law, so you must be quite close really.’

‘Of course we’re close,’ Tricia said irritably.

‘You don’t have to tell me that. Sylvia has always been important to me.

Yes, we’ve had arguments and I always felt I wasn’t really good enough for Fred in her eyes.

But she was kind to me when we were first married and helped me through that tough time when I lost both my parents, one after the other.

Liam was a darling, too, so they became like substitute parents when I was pregnant with the girls.

I don’t know how I would have managed without them. ’

‘And then Sylvia helped you with the girls after you lost Fred,’ Cillian said quietly.

Tricia nodded as tears pricked her eyes.

‘That’s true. I think the girls were a huge comfort to her when she had lost her only child.

Lily and Rose, anyway. I kept Vi close to me as she was so small then.

Sylvia was there for me despite her own terrible grief.

’ She wrung her hands. ‘I have to go and see her as soon as possible, if only to tell her how much she means to us all.’

Cillian got up. ‘We’ll go as soon as you’re ready.’

‘But it’s late and you’re tired,’ Tricia argued. ‘I can take a train or bus to Tralee.’

‘Sylvia is important to me too,’ Cillian said in a tone that didn’t allow argument. ‘We’re going together and that’s it. Now get dressed and we’ll go.’

Tricia quickly changed out of her swimsuit and then, their romantic evening shattered, they began the journey back to Kerry and the hospital in Tralee.

Tricia hugged Paddy and stared ahead at the road illuminated by the headlights, thinking about poor Sylvia and what she might be going through.

Darling Sylvia , she thought as if in a prayer, please don’t leave us, we wouldn’t be able to cope without you.

Hang in there and I’ll be by your side very soon.

Cillian glanced at Tricia. ‘Sylvia is a tough old boot, you know. She’ll get through this and then she’ll be back home in no time annoying the pants off us as usual.’

‘Do you think so?’ Tricia asked. ‘Or is it just wishful thinking?’

‘I’m absolutely sure of it,’ Cillian stated.

‘I hope you’re right. I wish we’d hear from Lily soon.’

They were approaching Limerick when Tricia’s phone rang. Her heart raced as she picked it up. ‘Lily?’ she said.

‘It’s not Lily, it’s Ilse,’ the voice said. ‘I know you’re gone on a trip up the coast with Cillian but you must have heard the news by now. About Sylvia, I mean.’

‘Yes,’ Tricia said. ‘Sorry, Ilse, I have to hang up. I’m expecting Lily to call any minute.’

‘I know,’ Ilse said, her voice trembling. ‘I just wanted to say that it wasn’t my fault. I just happened to mention the wedding dress and then everyone started to shout and then Sylvia… Oh, it was awful. That’s all I wanted to say. I’ll hang up now but we can talk later. Bye.’

‘How weird,’ Tricia said when Ilse had hung up.

‘What did she say?’ Cillian asked.

‘Something about the wedding dress and a row and then Sylvia collapsing or something. What on earth was going on?’

They were interrupted by the phone ringing again. This time it was Lily.

‘Mum? I just spoke to the doctor.’

‘What did he say?’ Tricia gripped the phone so hard her hand hurt while she waited for a reply.