Page 63 of The Secret Bookshop in Ireland

‘No, I won’t,’ Ciara said, touched by his empathy and understanding. ‘But hip hooray for your mother, all the same, Ihave to say.’ She shot him a grateful smile and wondered if he was only doing this because Maureen had asked him.If only, she thought,he wants to help me because he’s beginning to feel more than just friendship… But wishing won’t make it happen, so if that’s all he wants, I have to be happy with just being with him.

‘Amazing that she’s made that decision so soon after…’ Maureen stopped. ‘Oh, never mind. I’ll go and make something for us to eat. Have you had dinner, Ronan?’

‘No, but I’m fine,’ Ronan assured her.

‘If you haven’t had dinner I’ll rustle up something before you go out to look for the dog,’ Maureen said in a voice that didn’t allow argument. ‘There’s a lamb casserole in the new freezer and there’s plenty for all of us.’

‘Sounds great, Maureen,’ Ronan replied.

‘Let’s get out of the rain,’ Maureen said and led the way through the entrance door. Ronan followed Ciara and then closed the door behind him.

While Maureen hurried up the stairs, Ronan pulled Ciara aside and looked at her in the dim light of the lobby. ‘What was that your mother said just now? She said it was strange Elaine made the decision so soon after – what?’

‘After Ma told her off for keeping you prisoner,’ Ciara replied. ‘They had a talk that day at Powerscourt. She didn’t say exactly that, but it was what she meant. I think she warned Elaine that you would begin to hate her eventually, if you don’t already, and that she had to set you free if she didn’t want to lose you. But of course, Ma didn’t understand that Elaine wasn’t to blame. It was your own feelings of guilt that caused the situation you were in. It was all a huge misunderstanding.’ Ciara stopped, breathless and awkward. ‘Sorry, it’s none of my business and certainly not my mother’s either.’

‘No, but I think I can forgive her. She was the one who made it all happen in the end. She shone a light into our lives and then I saw how wrong I’d been,’ Ronan said with an amused look in his eyes. Then he shook his head and smiled. ‘Wow. Okay so that was what got Elaine to think hard about what I was doing to myself. She was so quiet during the drive home after lunch. I though she wasn’t feeling well or that the trip had tired her out, but now I know what was bothering her.’

‘I must say I admire her,’ Ciara said. She met Ronan’s earnest hazel eyes and felt a surge of admiration for him as well. He had cared for his mother for eight years without complaint and looked after her with great empathy. And now that he was free, he was able to admit that it had been all his fault. ‘I didn’t like her for what I thought she did to you, but I had no right to be critical. I wasn’t there and I didn’t know the circumstances other than what you told me. Then I judged her and felt real dislike for her. That was so unfair.’

‘Maybe. It’s been very hard at times to deal with what happened that day.’ Ronan’s eyes were full of pain for a moment. Then he brightened and smiled tenderly at Ciara. ‘You’re very sweet,’ he said softly and placed a light kiss on her cheek. ‘I wanted to tell you something, but now we have to eat and then go and find Brian.’

‘You’re right,’ Ciara said, her cheeks hot after the kiss. ‘In any case, I’m such a mess, with my hair wet and my jeans covered in mud.’

‘You’re lovely. But look,’ Ronan said as his gaze drifted away from her. ‘The back door is open.’

Ciara looked at the back door that was ajar and shivered in the chilly draught through the opening. ‘I know. We meant to close it but forgot when we rushed out to look for him. He must have escaped through there.’

‘Could have been the wind, though,’ Ronan suggested. ‘There were strong gusts when it started to rain.’

‘I must have forgotten to lock it,’ Ciara replied. ‘But come on, let’s eat.’ She closed the door and started up the stairs with Ronan at her heels. ‘You seem sure we’ll find him. I was about to lose all hope but then you arrived and made me feel a lot better.’

‘That’s good. You have to stay positive.’

‘Ma said we should call the guards,’ Ciara continued when they were on the top landing. ‘But it’s hard to call anyone from here, despite our new Wi-Fi connection.’

‘The phone signal is still weak, though. We’ll go down the road a bit, towards Enniskerry,’ Ronan said. ‘The signal is stronger there. You never know, they might have found him already.’

‘I hope so,’ Ciara said. They went into the kitchen where Maureen was heating the casserole. She had already laid the table for three and now she ladled lamb, potatoes and carrots into bowls and handed them to Ciara and Ronan.

‘Sit down and eat, and then we’ll go out and look around here,’ she said.

Ronan sat down at the table, looking around the kitchen. ‘This is a very nice kitchen. I like the design of those cupboards.’

‘You should have seen it before it was renovated,’ Ciara said. ‘A total wreck.’

‘They did a great job,’ Maureen said, handing Ronan a steaming plate. ‘It has stopped raining so you won’t get wet when you go out again. Do you have rain gear, Ronan? I’m afraid we have nothing that would fit you.’

He smiled. ‘I’ve a waterproof jacket in the car, so I’ll be fine.’

Maureen nodded. ‘Good. Well, let’s eat and then we can regroup and?—’

‘What was that noise?’ Ronan interrupted.

‘What noise?’ Ciara asked.

‘A high-pitched noise, like the hinge of a door,’ Ronan said. ‘Out the back somewhere.’

‘Could be the door to the old shed,’ Maureen said, as she stopped eating, cocking her head to listen. ‘The wind must have caught it. Yes, I can hear it now.’