Page 9 of The Widow’s Irish Secret (Magnolia Manor #4)

The sale of the cottage went through without a hitch on Wednesday.

Tricia rushed over to the estate agents to pick up the keys, excited to get into her new home.

Then she drove back to Magnolia Manor and parked outside the cottage, happy beyond words to finally step inside.

She guessed the house would be damp and dirty after years of neglect.

Cleaning it up would be the first step and then getting her son-in-law Dominic to come and go through whatever renovation work needed to be done.

She knew the structure was sound and the roof good.

The original thatched roof had been replaced with slate, which was sad but meant the insurance was not a problem.

The change meant a loss of the old-world charm but there was less danger in case of fire.

When she arrived at the cottage, Tricia took the keys from her bag and entered the garden.

She waded through the high grass and then stood at the front door, its red paint peeling in large flakes.

There was a hand-shaped brass knocker which made her smile as she inserted the large key into the keyhole.

It turned with slight difficulty, the door stiff, emitting a loud creak as Tricia pushed it open, and then, finally, she stood inside a tiny hall that smelled only a little musty.

The door to the corridor was open and Tricia turned left into the living room and stood for a moment looking around in wonder.

The dirty, neglected room she had expected was instead bright and clean, the wide oak planks on the floor polished and the fireplace clear of any old timbers or soot.

There was a smell of soap and beeswax and the window was open to the sunny back garden.

The remnant of a lace curtain fluttered in the soft breeze and a thrush sang in the apple tree just outside the window.

It was so lovely and peaceful it made Tricia feel quite tearful.

But who had been in here to clean the house? Nora? Or… There was only one way to find out. Tricia fished her phone from her pocket and called Sylvia’s number. She answered straight away.

‘Tricia? I hope all is well and you got the keys?’

‘I did and I’m here in the cottage,’ Tricia replied. ‘I was expecting it to be damp and dirty but it looks like someone has been cleaning the place from top to bottom. Was it you?’

Sylvia laughed. ‘Not me but the cleaning firm we use at Magnolia. I wanted to hand over the property in as good a nick as possible. Didn’t seem quite correct not to have it cleaned for the new owner. Take it as a housewarming present from me.’

‘Oh. That’s the best housewarming gift ever. Thanks a million,’ Tricia said. ‘That really makes it feel a much happier place, I have to say.’

‘There’s still a lot of work to be done before you can live there,’ Sylvia remarked.

‘I know but I’m not afraid of a bit of hard work,’ Tricia replied.

‘Good for you. But now I have to sign off. I’m doing the invitations for the party and then trying to contact the caterers. Lots to be done,’ Sylvia said, sounding important.

‘Of course. I won’t disturb you any more. You’re brilliant to organise this party.’ Tricia knew heaping praise on Sylvia was the best way to stay in her good books. ‘You’re the most amazing party organiser.’

‘Well, it’s hard work but I think I’m on top of it,’ Sylvia said.

‘Of course you are. Thanks again for having my new house cleaned,’ Tricia said. ‘See you soon.’

‘Yes, if I have the time. Bye, Tricia.’ Sylvia hung up.

Tricia smiled and put away her phone. That exchange had told her old age hadn’t changed Sylvia.

She was still strong, opinionated, stubborn, but deep down very kind.

Tricia had had to eat humble pie on many occasions when she and Fred were just married, but she had felt it was worth it as she and Fred were so in love.

And now, so many years later, that rivalry between them was gone, even though she was sure there would be arguments and differences of opinion.

Tricia knew the girls all loved their darling granny and she had to admit that Sylvia had been their rock all through the girls’ teenage years and given them a kind of stability that Tricia had not been able to provide.

Sylvia had insisted that they should still go to Coláiste íde, the boarding school for girls near Dingle that she herself had attended.

Fred had put the girls’ names down when they were born, but after his death, Tricia had been worried that she couldn’t afford the fees.

Then Sylvia had stepped in and set up a trust fund and it was all organised without Tricia having to pay a cent.

Sylvia had also made sure Tricia and the girls spent their summer holidays at Magnolia Manor which meant they felt more at home there than in the flat in Dublin.

This had meant that Sylvia and her granddaughters had a special bond which could never be broken.

It had been hard for Tricia to accept all the financial help from Sylvia but she had known she had no choice.

Now she had to get closer to her daughters after her long absence and get to know her grandchildren.

Better to take things slowly than try to change things and create even more tension.

If we’re all going to get on and live together in harmony, I’ll have to take a step back now and be prepared to agree to things that might not be exactly the way I’d like it.

That wasn’t too high a price to pay for her new life with her daughters and grandchildren.

She was still their mother and that was something Sylvia could never compete with.

As soon as Tricia had pocketed her phone, it rang again. It was Nora. ‘Are you in?’ she asked.

Tricia laughed. ‘Yes. And Sylvia had the place cleaned before she handed over the keys. I’m in the little sitting room now so I haven’t inspected the rest yet. I want to establish if I can live here after I order some furniture.’

‘Well, you like camping,’ Nora said. ‘So it shouldn’t be a problem.’

‘That’s true,’ Tricia said. ‘But with advancing years, I’ve come to like a bit of comfort.’

‘What advancing years?’ Nora laughed. ‘I’m a little older than you and I’m still flying.’ She paused. ‘Except I do like a comfortable bed and a hot shower these days.’

‘Me too,’ Tricia admitted.

‘I’d better leave you to inspect your new abode,’ Nora continued.

‘I just wanted to call you and see if you’d like to come out with me tonight?

There’s trad music at that pub up Green Street where we used to hang out.

Some of the girls from my book club are going.

A girls’ night out for us oldies. Should be good craic. ’

‘I’d love to,’ Tricia replied, happy to have been asked.

‘Great. Martin will drive us and pick us up afterwards so we can have a jar,’ Nora said. ‘Can you be ready at eight o’clock or so?’

‘Of course,’ Tricia promised. ‘That sounds like a great night out.’

‘Grand. We’ll pick you up at the gatehouse,’ Nora said.

Tricia said goodbye to Nora, excited at the thought of going out and meeting some of her old friends, and making new ones. It was a long time since she had had a night out like that. It made her feel young again.

But now she needed to explore the house further and make a list of what she needed to do to at least be able to live here for the summer.

She could manage with just the basics for now.

Jack was coming home at the weekend and Tricia wanted to leave the young couple alone.

Who wanted a future mother-in-law in the house when they had just got engaged and were planning a wedding?

Tricia left the living room and walked down the corridor to the kitchen, which was spacious and in fairly good nick.

There was a wood-burning range, an electric cooker and a fridge.

The old, scarred kitchen table would need to be scrubbed down and the three wobbly-looking chairs replaced.

The linoleum on the floor was scuffed and worn but it would be easy to replace that with something modern.

It would do for now, even though the old porcelain sink and wooden draining board were not very enticing.

She would just have to manage and do everything little by little.

The bathroom was even more rundown than the kitchen, with a bathtub that had a hand shower and a washbasin that had a huge crack in it.

At least the toilet worked and she could cope with the rest. The little window had a view of the sea if she stood on tiptoe and the green tiles on the floor were quite beautiful.

It would eventually be a sweet little bathroom once it was done up.

The large bedroom was the best room in the whole house, with a wooden floor, a large window overlooking the back garden and a cute cast iron fireplace that looked as if it would work.

Tricia immediately imagined being in bed on a winter’s night with a fire glowing in the grate.

She would buy a comfortable bed with a slatted base, a good mattress and get an iron headboard that would go with the early Victorian-period feel.

She could see herself cuddled up under the duvet, reading a book and feeling snug and safe.

Tricia inspected the box room which was just that: a room for boxes. Not much to be done with it except keep it as a storage room – or maybe a guest bedroom for her grandchildren. She’d decide later.