Constance, Eugene, Flurry, Katty and Pegeen had assembled to greet me. As Flavia led me in, Liddy rushed into the room and pushed between them to hug me.
‘Bobbie! I can’t believe it! Aunt Con says you’re going to live here again! For good!’ She let go of me to examine my appearance. ‘Amazing clothes! You look fabulous. Danny says I oughtn’t to think about such trivial things but sometimes it’s more than one can help. You haven’t changed a bit!’
‘But you have!’ I saw with pleasure that Liddy was clear-skinned and bright-eyed. She was slender without being too thin. Her hair was fastened into a pony-tail and she wore intellectual black from head to toe. But there was about her a new confidence, a new poise. She was eighteen, on the threshold of adult life.
‘I’m going to Paris next week! Dad’s given me the airfare. I’m so excited! I’ve bought some new things to wear. But of course they’re just tat, really, from Williamsbridge.’ Her eye fell on my black alpaca coat from Chloé which I had bought to take to New York.
I took it off and handed it to her. ‘Go and try it on.’
‘You don’t mean it? Angel Bobbie!’ She skipped from the room, clutching her prize.
Eugene stepped forward and kissed me on both cheeks. ‘The pleasure of seeing you again, my dear Bobbie, is only enhanced by being, by me at any rate, unanticipated and … Allow me to say how delighted I am to learn from Constance that you may soon stand in a nearer relationship.’
He straightened the lapel of his coat, which had been crumpled by the embrace. Luckily the children never bothered to listen to anything Eugene said but Katty and Pegeen looked interested.
‘How are you, Katty?’ I shook her hand.
‘Very well, Miss Bobbie. Timsy and I are betrothed. I’ve took pity on him for he’s been very faithful—’
‘Oh, tell the truth and shame the devil, Katty Kicart,’ interrupted Pegeen. ‘You decided to take him just because I’ve got myself engaged to Des Toomey, the dentist in Kilmuree.’ She beamed, exposing a complete set of brilliantly white, perfectly even teeth.
‘You could signal to the man in the moon with them things,’ said Katty. ‘When you’ve finished blinding our eyes we’ll get back to the kitchen before Nellie O’Kelly burns the rashers.’
She and Pegeen made a dignified departure.
‘How are you, Flurry?’ He too was taller and his face was less round. I did not dare to kiss him.
Flurry shook my hand and looked at me solemnly. ‘Very well, thank you.’
‘I’d very much like to have a ride on the railway later on.’
‘Oh, yes.’ He smiled cautiously. ‘And you can see my plans for the new generator I’m making. It has a proper filter so it won’t cut out if there’s dirt in the fuel.’
‘I look forward to that.’
‘I’ve been very daring, Finn, and taken it upon myself to bring up something from the cellar,’ said Constance. She showed him the bottle which stood in a bucket of ice. ‘I thought we might drink Bobbie’s health. What do you think? Will this be suitable?’
‘Good idea,’ said Finn. It was much to his credit he did not protest when he saw it was a Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame, though it could hardly be chilled enough.
‘To dearest Bobbie.’ Constance lifted her glass when we all had one. ‘Welcome back, darling!’
I looked at their faces through something of a mist.
‘What do you think of the ceiling, Bobbie?’ asked Constance. ‘We’ve had it cleaned. A man from An Taisce – that’s our equivalent of your National Trust – came with a team of men and spent two weeks on it. He says he’s only done a rough job to halt the decay and he’s coming back next month to do it properly.’
I looked at the drawing room, so beautiful with all its imperfections, and was lost for words.
‘While we’re on the subject of decay,’ said Finn, ‘there’s a patch of damp on the ceiling of my bedroom I’ll like your opinion of, Bobbie.’
‘Daddy!’ Flavia looked shocked. ‘You aren’t going to make Bobbie work the minute she’s come back? You’ve got to be kind to her.’
‘I intend to be very kind to her.’ Finn took my hand. ‘And I hope she’s going to be very kind to me.’
‘Oh, goodness!’ grumbled Flavia. ‘If I hear anyone else mention plasterwork again I’ll probably scream. All right, I’ll come with you.’
‘No, sweetheart,’ said Constance. ‘I particularly want you to help me count out yesterday’s takings. You know how hopeless I am at adding up.’
‘Can’t Flurry? He’s much better at maths than me. Oh, all right then,’ she said, seeing that Flurry was drifting towards the door, no doubt with his thoughts full of the generator.
‘Come along, Bobbie.’ Finn put down his glass. ‘What I want to show you won’t wait.’
Constance and Eugene smiled understandingly as we left the room. I caught sight of someone’s apron whisking away as we mounted the stairs. ‘I suppose there soon won’t be a soul in Kilmuree who doesn’t know exactly where we’re going and what we’re going to be doing.’
‘Do you care?’
‘Not a bit.’
We went into his room. It still smelt of damp and vetiver.
‘Let me look at you,’ he said after he had locked the door. We stood smiling at each other. Then he drew me into his arms. I felt his heart beating fiercely against mine. ‘You know what I want.’
‘Ah, yes. I want it, too.’
‘I think you must after all be a good fairy, come to release me from the terrible spell an English girl put on me so I could never stop loving her no matter how I longed to be free from the torment.’
‘Oh, no.’ I put up my face to kiss him. ‘I mean, if I can, to keep you spellbound for the rest of your days.’
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Victoria Clayton is the author of five previous, highly acclaimed novels.She is married and lives in Northamptonshire.
ALSO BY THE AUTHOR
Dance With Me
Out of Love
Past Mischief
Running Wild
Clouds Among the Stars
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Copyright © Victoria Clayton Ltd 2004
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