Page 108 of Road Trip
“Because youarebeing an idiot. Please do this one thing for me. Please?”
Maeve sighed heavily. “One call. If he doesn’t pick up, or blows me off, we’re done.”
“That’s all I ask.”
CHAPTER 47
Maeve grabbed her jacket and headed for the door.
“Where are you going?”
“If I have to humiliate myself I’d like to do it without an audience. I think I’ll go walk around the estate grounds. It’s so quiet and peaceful, maybe that’ll give me some inspiration.”
She strolled down the path from the inn to the estate. Tourists stood around in small groups outside the main entrance, waiting to join the last tour of the day.
Maeve stood looking up at the graceful, classical architecture of the manor house, reflecting again on what Kathleen’s life must have been like here, living among a wealthy, privileged family, yet knowing she would never be considered worthy to be one of them, always a barely tolerated outsider.
She followed a walkway that skirted the house and wound around to the sunken garden, finding a seat on a bench beneath an elm tree that overlooked a manmade lake where a pair of swans glided over the water’s placid surface.
“Stop stalling,” she muttered, pulling out her phone and clicking on Liam’s phone number.
It rang three times and she was about to disconnect when he answered.
“Maeve? Is that you?”
She was relieved to hear his voice, but suddenly tongue-tied.
“Hi. I’m sorry to call you out of the blue like this. You’re probably still working…”
“Actually, I’m just finishing up. It’s no bother at all. In fact, I’m glad to hear from you.”
She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her racing pulse. “The reason I called is, we’re leaving in the morning, and I’ve been regretting how I acted Sunday night.”
“You’ve nothing to apologize for. I was the one who was an ass. Maddie rang yesterday, and she said Jamie didn’t feel at all as though he was being interrogated. She thinks it helps him—to talk about his mum, and their relationship.”
“Really?” Maeve closed her eyes and exhaled, feeling herself relax—a little.
“When are you leaving?”
“We drive to Dublin tomorrow, and our flight leaves first thing the next morning.”
“Can I see you? Maeve, if this is goodbye, I don’t want it to happen over the phone.”
“Okay,” she said.
“When? Where?”
“I’m at the estate now. I just wanted to get in a walk before I start packing.”
“Come over to the distillery, will you? It’s quiet. I’ll fix you a drink.”
“Now?” She’d thought to tell Liam goodbye on the phone. Not in person, and not looking like this. Her jeans—the ones Therese had so thoroughly dissed—were on day four, her turtleneck sweater had a grease spot over her left breast where she’d dropped a bit of bacon at breakfast, and she hadn’t bothered with makeup that morning. She also hadn’t combed her hair before leaving the inn.
“Is that a problem? I can’t meet up later because I’m putting on a private tasting for a group in from London over at the manor house tonight.”
“I guess not,” she said. She told herself it didn’t matter. This wasgoodbye, and in all likelihood she’d never see Liam Grogan again after today.
There was aCLOSEDsign on the entry to the Tarrymore distillery, but Liam met her there and unlocked the door.
