5 Peppermint Grove (46 page)

Chapter Fifty-nine

Julia checked that her make-up was smooth and fresh before stepping out of the car on the West Pier. Dylan’s Mercedes was parked outside the Brass Monkey restaurant and she felt a strange thrill as she went through the door.

Charlotte
spotted her first and jumped down from her seat and rushed over to her aunt.

“Juju – I’ve been waiting for you! Uncle Dylan and Jamie were bold. They said that there’s a monkey in the kitchen and if I don’t eat my dinner he will come out and scare me.”

Julia lifted her niece into her arms. “Don’t mind them – they are very bold. There’s no monkey in the kitchen or the restaurant would be closed down.”

“Huh?” the beleaguered six-year-old looked at her with wide eyes.

“It’s an adult rule – no monkeys in kitchens! So nothing to worry about. Anyway you will love your dinner so much that you will just gobble it all up!”

Dylan stood up as Julia came over.

“We’ve just arrived. You missed a great movie – didn’t she, Jamie?”

“Sure did, Julia – we needed you to stop
Charlotte from complaining – she was scared of the bad guys!” He shook his head in disgust.

The waitress brought down a menu and the four chatted about the movie and what they were going to eat.

Julia felt as though she was enveloped in a warm cloak of love and security that was as infectious as her niece’s and nephew’s laughter.

Dylan made a paper hat out of his napkin and placed it on his head to the children’s delight and Julia got a clear glimpse of how it would be to have a family and a man of her own.

After they ate copious amounts of chips and ice cream the kids insisted that they weren’t ready to go home until they had fed the seals. In their role as aunt and uncle, Julia and Dylan felt compelled to take them out to the harbour wall with some scraps left over from the fishmonger’s a few doors up from the restaurant.

Jamie threw in a fishtail and the seals dived quickly to catch it before the seagulls got there first.

“This has been a lovely end to what was a crazy day!” Julia assured Dylan.

“We’ve had a great time at the flicks and now this – I love being eight!” he grinned. “So what made your day crazy?”

“Oh, it was nothing really – but actually you might have some insight for me – what do you
really
make of Gillian?”

“Eh – I think she’s a nice girl but she’s a bit odd.”

“Thanks but I think I am beginning to realise that – she made a massive pass at Michael today and it was only the second time that she met him. And they were both working!”

Dylan threw his head back, laughing. “I think she’s man-hungry alright and she completely misinterpreted my friendship. She was cute enough to get me to meet her last week though by feigning concern for you.”

She
got him to meet her! Julia tried to disguise her relief. “Concern for me? Why ever would she feel that?”

Dylan shrugged. “She said that you had a lot on your plate after Craig’s death – but I think she was just keen to get me on her own. You did encourage her friendship, you know – you did try to get her out and about if I remember?”

Julia closed her eyes. It was true and she had only herself to blame for crossing the boundaries between boss and employee. She had to stop meddling with other people’s lives and then not expect them to do the same in return.

“I’m sorry about that, Dylan. I’m going to have to be clearer with her in future.”

“It looks like she has her sights on Michael now, though!”

That was true. Maybe Michael deserved to have a Gillian in his life. But he was her brother after all and she would sit him down and have a straight chat with him.

“Thanks for telling me, Dylan. I think it’s best if I set my boundaries straight – you are right.”

Dylan took Jamie and Charlotte by the hands. “Right, guys, are we ready to go home? We’ve a busy day tomorrow.”

Julia walked along at their side. She had a lot to look forward to before Dylan went away. There was the Parade and then a Mother’s Day dinner in her house and Gerry was coming too.

“So how did your dinner go with Dylan?” Horatio asked.

Julia tried to hide the wide grin on her face but realised that there was no point – her grandfather knew her too well.

“It was fine!”

Horatio chuckled under his breath. “It was only a matter of time. So when are you seeing him again?”

“Seeing who?”

“Don’t mess with your grandfather, Julia – I’m too old for that!”

“We’re taking the children to the zoo if you must know over the weekend.”

“Ah – they’re a grand excuse, those lovely children! And tell me now, is Dylan still going on that trip around the world?”

“Of course he is – in two weeks’ time. Don’t go making assumptions – okay?”

“Alright but I’ll be interested to know if there’s any news,” he said with an exaggerated wink.

“So, where is Mum?”

“She’s playing bridge with Treasa – although when Gerry gets down here it might curtail her gallivanting!”

Julia kissed her grandfather on the head. “I’m off to bed now – night-night!”

“Goodnight, Julia – it’s a grand day altogether – but do you think Paola might be interested in a sort of spring/autumn relationship?”

“Goodnight, Granddad!” Julia giggled as she went out the kitchen door.

She was almost ready for sleep when her phone bleeped with a message from her friend in Fáilte
Ireland.

Hi Julia 2
spare tickets for grandstand @ St Patricks Day Parade – interested?

Julia was about to reply and then had an idea – she had promised that she wouldn’t meddle in people’s lives any more. She was going to stay clear of all forms of matchmaking. But this could be her swansong – her very last little bit of interference done with the best possible intention.

She typed in a message:
Would you like to go to the Parade next week – I have seats for the grandstand love Ju xx

She sent the message to two people who were very dear to her. Everyone deserved to be happy.

Chapter Sixty

Angela was waiting for Ruth to get home from work. Brian had insisted that he wanted to take her out before she returned to
Dublin. It had been an adventure beyond her wildest dreams and she had found a peace that she never imagined possible by revisiting her past. She had been tinkering with her thoughts and jotting down ideas while Ruth was at work and now felt ready to start that novel she had always dreamed of writing. She certainly had plenty to write about. And the irony and coincidences would make a great plot.

Brian had announced the night before that he had made an offer on Number 5 and it had been accepted – he had offset it against all the work that they had done. Building costs had soared and the Arthurs chap was keen to offload the house – he had bitten off more than he could chew. 

The front door slammed shut and Ruth breezed into the kitchen where her mother sat at the table.

“Phew, it’s hot out there – hotter than usual for March – so they tell me in work!”

“It is and you’re so lucky to have air-conditioning. We had to rely on The Doctor in the old days!”

Ruth giggled. She felt so at home here.

“Thanks for coming, Mum, and I hope you feel better going back after all that has been said.”

“Oh, I do, love. You have no idea how much better and I’m looking forward to seeing your father.”

“I’d love to see him soon – maybe he will come out?”

“I doubt we’d ever get him back to
Dublin if he came out here again,” Angela chuckled. “Has Brian any more news on the house?”

“His solicitor is working on the contract – I find it all a bit weird but it is Brian’s creation and in a funny sort of way he has healed the land by putting his beautiful building on the site.”

Angela nodded. “I think I know what you mean.”

“Oh, I spoke to Julia earlier and she told me to keep that lovely painting that she bought in the prison – she said that in hindsight it would be better suited in my home in
Australia.”

“That’s nice of her. Dear Julia – and all that her poor family have been through . . . you know, it’s a funny old world, love, and the older you get the stranger it all becomes. But the thing is we are all connected no matter how near or far we are from the ones that we love.”

There was a resignation in her mother’s tone that resonated in Ruth. Did she know something that she wasn’t saying? Or was it just feminine intuition?  

If her relationship with Brian continued on its current course she wouldn’t be going back to
Dublin – only for family visits or holidays. And in a way it was what her mother had feared most when she told her about her departure before Christmas. But as Brian had said – it was her fate!

Michael was happy to go along to the Parade, providing the seats were as good as Julia had assured him that they would be. But he hadn’t expected to see Lydia sitting right beside him.

“Michael?” she cried in disbelief.

“I thought Julia was going to be here!” he said with the same amount of discomfort.

“I think we’ve been set up!” she gasped.

Michael nodded and pointed to a corner of the stand at least twenty rows away where Julia was sitting next to Dylan and their niece and nephew, oblivious to the tension and surprise down at their level.

“So – do you mind if I sit here – or would you rather I go somewhere else?”

“I don’t mind where you sit!” Lydia replied defensively.

Tension hung between them for the first five minutes of the parade.
Lydia texted several times but for once Julia had her phone on silent.

Michael reached into his pocket for his flask of whiskey that he used to bring to rugby matches in
Lansdowne Road. He took off the cap and offered it to Lydia.

She looked down at it and decided that it might help her through the next couple of hours – it would steady her nerves at least.

“Thanks,” she replied and took a swig. It was sharp on her tongue but warmed her.

Michael took it back and drank without wiping first – he dreamed of the lovely lips that had recently touched the rim.

“I think Julia had the best intentions – I promise I didn’t know that she was doing this,” he said.

Lydia
nodded. She was used to her friend’s antics and she believed him.

“It’s okay . . .”

“But if she’d told me she was doing it I’d have been delighted,” he added with a cheeky grin.

Lydia
couldn’t help but smile. There was something of the lovable rogue about Michael that she couldn’t resist. “Give me another drink of that whiskey, Michael – it’s warming me up!”

Michael felt a thrill that he sent his heart soaring. Thank you, Julia, he said silently. You really are the best sister a fella could hope for.

It was to be a Mother’s Day like no other. Carol was anxious and excited at once. She longed to tell her family the good news and yet she was dreading getting a negative response. She still felt like a bold child bringing Gerry to her bedroom at night. Her children were downstairs waiting and she knew that Julia had put a lot of work into this dinner for her. She was fortunate
indeed.

Michael was first to appear, beaming with contentment now that he was settled back into his apartment.

Odette arrived next and the children ran into the house ahead of their mother, still gushing with the great sights they had seen the day before at the parade – the famous first kiss of their aunt and uncle undoubtedly the highlight for Charlotte who took great relish in describing it in detail to anyone that would listen.

Then Julia who was accompanied by Dylan.

“And where did you spend last night?” Horatio asked his granddaughter, giving Dylan a knowing wink.

There was enough embarrassment going around for an army, let alone one family. 

After they had tucked into the beautifully carved duck with gratin potatoes and roasted vegetables, Carol did something unusual. She stood up to thank her family for making Mother’s Day so special.

“I don’t want today to go without saying how proud I am of my children and especially my daughter Odette – who is the best and most inspiring mother that I know.”

Odette felt a lump in her throat. It had been lovely eating dinner together but this was the first time that they had all gathered like they used to and, she was painfully aware of Craig’s absence throughout. She hoped that with time she would be able to cope with situations like this and not be dragged back to the abyss. But this was a happy day and she was feeling buoyed up by the positive vibes around her.

“There is someone else who has joined our family since Christmas and I know that he appreciates how welcome you have all made him feel. We know this is a bit soon but we haven’t got time on our side – so I have something to tell you now. Gerry and I want to set up home together.”