Page 40 of The Widow’s Irish Secret (Magnolia Manor #4)

Sylvia was sitting up in bed reading the Sunday papers when Tricia arrived at the hospital the following morning.

Her grey hair was immaculate and she was dressed in a frilly white nightgown under a pink cashmere cardigan.

She had, somehow, managed to get a private room and it had taken Tricia half an hour and a lot of searching before she found the right door.

Sylvia looked up and smiled as Tricia approached her bed. ‘Tricia! How kind of you to come and see me. I thought you had gone for a bit of a drive with Cillian.’

Tricia pulled up a chair and sat down. ‘I had but then I got a call to say that you had been taken ill. So we turned around and came straight back. Thank goodness it wasn’t anything serious. You look as fit as a fiddle, I’m happy to say.’

‘And so I am,’ Sylvia said, putting down the newspaper. ‘A lot of fuss about nothing. I shouldn’t be here taking up a bed that’s needed for someone who is really ill. But they insisted I stay in so they can stick needles in me and tell me I’m old and frail.’

‘And you got your own room,’ Tricia remarked. ‘How on earth did you manage that?’

‘It must have been some kind of storage room at some stage,’ Sylvia replied.

‘It’s the smallest room I’ve ever slept in.

But they wheeled me in here last night saying I was talking too much and asking too many questions.

’ She shrugged. ‘That’s their story. I was just chatting to the other patients in my ward, asking them about their families and where they were from.

I didn’t want to share a room with total strangers.

If I knew a bit about their background, I’d feel I knew them better. ’

‘And did you also give them advice on health matters?’ Tricia asked, trying her best not to giggle.

‘Weeell,’ Sylvia said, looking only slightly guilty. ‘I might have said that if they had had a healthier lifestyle they might not be in hospital. Especially the woman in the bed next to me who was larger than she should be, if you see what I mean.’

‘I do,’ Tricia said. ‘But what about you? How are you feeling? You gave us all a fright yesterday evening. The girls were so upset. It must have even worse for you.’

‘It wasn’t a pleasant experience, I have to admit.

It felt like a real heart attack, so thank the Lord above that it wasn’t.

I’m fine now and we should forget all about it.

’ Sylvia sipped tea from a cup on the bedside table.

‘I’ll be out of here as soon as I can see the doctor tomorrow morning.

She’s going to give me a prescription for my blood pressure as that’s a little high.

Nice woman, if a little overbearing. But those career women often are. ’

‘I know what you mean, as I used to be one,’ Tricia quipped.

‘You were never overbearing, just very driven,’ Sylvia said. ‘But you’re calmer now.’ She paused and sat up straighter, studying Tricia. ‘Why didn’t you carry on with your weekend trip once you knew I was all right?’

‘We turned around when we heard the news.’

‘But then you must have heard it was a false alarm,’ Sylvia said, looking confused. ‘Why didn’t you turn back to continue your nice weekend?’

‘Because…’ Tricia started. ‘Sylvia, have you known all this time that Cillian and I have been seeing each other? And that we were getting to be more than friends?’

‘Yes.’ Sylvia replied. ‘But please don’t worry about my feelings about the two of you.

I was pleased when I realised what was going on between you and Cillian.

And I think Fred would want you to be happy.

I see the way you look at each other and it makes me happy too in a strange way.

It seems right for you to be together. I’ve always been very fond of Cillian. ’

‘Oh, that’s lovely to hear,’ Tricia said. ‘I thought you might think I didn’t have time for my grandchildren if I started dating. And then I was worried you would be upset about Cillian and me.’

‘Tricia,’ Sylvia said in a stern voice, ‘I think you have taken your role as mother and grandmother and daughter-in-law far too seriously. You don’t have to be at the beck and call of every single member of the family all the time.

You have to have your own life too. And when true love comes your way, you have to grab it and hold on to it for dear life. ’

‘I thought I was too old,’ Tricia mumbled. ‘I have been so lucky to have been with two wonderful men. Shouldn’t that be enough for any woman?’

‘Says who?’ Sylvia asked.

‘I don’t know. Someone up there in heaven or something.’

‘Rubbish,’ Sylvia snorted.

Tricia looked up again and met Sylvia’s critical gaze. ‘I do care about you, despite our differences. And I just didn’t want to upset you.’

‘It was guilt that made you push Cillian away?’ Sylvia asked.

‘Not quite.’ Tricia tried to explain how she felt even though it was complicated. ‘There’s just been so much going on…’

‘Like what?’ Sylvia asked, sitting up in bed. ‘I feel you have something on your mind that you need to get off your chest.’ She laughed. ‘Well, that sounded a little complicated. But go on, tell me what’s troubling you. I can tell it’s something serious by the haunted look in your eyes.’

‘It is,’ Tricia said. Then she took a deep breath and started to tell Sylvia the whole story, not leaving out a single detail, even her own actions.

‘So there you are,’ she ended. ‘That’s the dark secret I’ve been keeping from you.

I did something stupid and borderline illegal so I could get Sean the best care there was. ’

Sylvia’s eyes softened and she reached out and patted Tricia’s hand. ‘I’m glad you told me. How terrible it must have been for you. I can understand that you would have tried everything to make sure your Sean had the best care during his last days, even something slightly illegal.’

‘Oh, that’s wonderful to hear,’ Tricia said, feeling a huge sense of relief. ‘I thought you might be shocked by what I did.’

‘It would take a lot more to shock me,’ Sylvia said. ‘And now that Noel is dealing with all this, I’m sure he’ll have a solution. Don’t worry about gossips; I’ll make sure it won’t get around. You’re family and nobody would dare talk about you behind your back.’

‘Thank you,’ Tricia said, wondering how Sylvia would be able to stop the tongues wagging. But she was such a formidable woman who could do anything.

‘I don’t think anything can be worse than watching someone you love suffer,’ Sylvia said.

‘No, that’s true,’ Tricia said.

‘All will be well,’ Sylvia soothed.

‘I hope so,’ Tricia said. ‘But there is another thing that’s puzzling me. That woman, Ilse, seems to have crept into your heart. She seems to want to be in on every family occasion, including Vi’s wedding.’

‘Yes, she is a little overwhelming, all right,’ Sylvia agreed.

‘And I’m very cross with her for starting that row.

I have no idea why she tried to get involved.

In any case, Vi can get married in a swimsuit for all I care.

The only thing that matters is her happiness.

Ilse didn’t realise that and tried to earn Brownie points with me by butting in.

Nul points to her, is all I can say,’ Sylvia added with a cheeky smile.

‘She might be trying to get around you for some reason,’ Tricia suggested. ‘I don’t exactly trust her.’

‘She can’t get around me, don’t worry,’ Sylvia reassured Tricia. ‘But about what you just told me…’

‘Yes?’

‘You’ve been keeping all of it from Cillian, too, I imagine?’ Sylvia asked. ‘All this stuff about Terence?’

Tricia nodded. ‘I was going to tell him but then I got the phone call about you and…’

‘I’m sure he’ll understand,’ Sylvia said.

Sylvia was right, Tricia thought. ‘He’s been hiding things from me too,’ she said. ‘I have found it hard that he hasn’t been honest with me about his work.’

‘Perhaps you need to give him a bit of grace?’ Sylvia replied. ‘You’ve been trying to protect us; maybe he had a good reason for not telling you his story.’

Tricia nodded, and looked out of the window, deep in thought. Everything Sylvia was saying made complete sense. Had she been too harsh on Cillian? ‘Maybe you’re right.’

‘Of course I am,’ Sylvia stated, picking up her newspaper. ‘Now, I just want to read the papers and have good rest before I face the doctor tomorrow. And you, young lady, will go and find Cillian and try to get him to cool down. I’m sure he’ll be very happy to hear what you have to tell him.’

‘What’s that?’ Tricia asked.

Sylvia looked at Tricia over the news section of The Sunday Times . ‘I think you know. You will have to eat humble pie and tell him you have been really silly and then tell him you love him. Now off you go and try to be just a little bit selfish. Arnaud is coming to see me in a little while.’

‘Where was he last night?’ Tricia asked.

Sylvia lowered the newspaper. ‘He was in Dublin when all this happened, thank goodness. I wouldn’t have liked him to see me the way I was.’

‘I’m sure you weren’t that bad,’ Tricia protested.

‘Yes, I was. Now, you must get Cillian back, but don’t rush to him right this minute. Let him miss you and wonder where you are and what you’re thinking.’

‘I suppose so,’ Tricia said, knowing that she couldn’t talk to him until that other matter had been resolved, the one Noel was helping her with. Now that Sylvia knew, it might be better to wait a little.

‘Take it easy and don’t rush things. Now off you go and I’ll see you soon.’ Sylvia picked up the paper and started to read it.

Tricia, knowing she had been dismissed, said goodbye and left the room, going over the conversation.

She knew Sylvia was right; she had been overthinking everything.

She had pushed Cillian away. She wouldn’t go and see him straight away even though she was burning to tell him everything about her problems with the will.

After that, she would be ready to commit to him if he still wanted her.

But she would wait until after the press conference.

Then his project would be over and he would have time and peace to think about their relationship. If they were to have one.