Brothers & Sisters

by Brothers

  ‘I have no contacts in Ireland any more, Lucas has.’ Her patience was growing thin and the plastic smile she had plastered on her face was beginning to wear. ‘He knows how to play the game better than anyone I know. He’ll be able to minimise the impact, bury the story, but most of all, at least, with him, the facts will be straight.’

  ‘Who cares, Marie, seriously, why are you so bloody worried what others think, you’d swear you have something to hide.’

  ‘Yes, Michael, but we live now in an information age,’ she tried her best to justify her interference. ‘If you don’t act, you are at the mercy of these hacks who will knowingly print any story, just as long as they make money from it. If they can’t find anything on us, they’ll make something up, but they’ll do it in such a way that we won’t be able to answer them, it’ll be by suggestion, innuendo. Please, Michael, trust me on this one.’ Marie reached inside her bag to retrieve her phone that was vibrating. ‘Regardless of what you may think, whatever is said now will stick. If your name, or mine or even the children’s names are used in the same sentence as murder, it will forever show up on their Google search, even though it is complete fabrication, it’s important, Michael, I know what I’m doing.’ It was the best reason she could think of to explain it. She looked at her phone and noticed Lucas’s number. It was reassuring to know that he was helping her protect her secret and if she was honest, it was lovely to have one of her oldest friends back in her life again but of all the times for him to ring, she thought to herself, there couldn’t have been a worse one. She glanced apologetically at her husband.

  ‘Answer it,’ Michael said. She would have preferred not to but she knew he wanted to hear the conversation.

  ‘Hi Lucas, how’s things?’ she asked. Trying her best to appear calm.

  Michael was torn; he could see merit in some of what she was saying but he still wasn’t comfortable with Lucas being back in his life, or more importantly, in Marie’s. He glimpsed to the side, away from the midday sun that was pelting in from the driver’s window.

  ‘That’s fine Lucas, honestly,’ Marie continued to look forward as Michael manoeuvred the car through their electric gates; she checked her side mirror confirming the Fitzpatricks were behind them. ‘No, no, you don’t need to speak to Michael, really, he gets it.’ Marie glimpsed back at Michael. She couldn’t tell from his expression if he could hear Lucas clearly. ‘Really, I’ll ring you later, I must go now, we are having a bit of reception here at the house for the Fitzpatricks.’ Marie slid off her seat belt as the car came to a halt. Michael parked the car. ‘Look, can we discuss everything later; I don’t really have time to talk right now…’ Michael waited for Marie to end her call. ‘I will,’ Marie glanced at her husband again surprised, making it obvious to Michael that Lucas was referring to him. ‘I’ll tell him,’ she said and hung up her phone.

  ‘Tell me what?’ Michael asked.

  ‘Well, he says he wants to speak to you, when you have a minute, he says he can come up here, or if you prefer it, he’s staying at The Park, you could go down to see him later?’ Marie left the statement open, she had no idea why. ‘Anyway, we have guests.’ She smiled at the group standing in the courtyard and jumped out of the car to greet them before Michael had a chance to answer.

  Chapter 29

  Saturday Afternoon – 2016

  ‘Wow, you are a dark horse, Mum. You never told me you were nobility.’ Lizzie was in awe of the uninterrupted vista of rolling hills and magnificent buildings that adorned the entire Fitzpatrick Estate. No matter which direction she turned to, there was something to admire. It helped that the sun’s golden rays beamed perfectly on the farmhouse. ‘It is so impressive, Mum. Tim, I wish you had brought me here before,’ Lizzie added.

  Rose smiled warily in response. She clasped her spindly hands together to stop them fidgeting. She inhaled deeply trying to calm the rhythm of her heart. She only had young girl’s eyes the last time she saw the farm and those eyes had been filled with sadness and torment.

  ‘It didn’t look like this in our day, guys,’ Tim was quick to answer, guiding his sister and his niece with his long arms towards the house. ‘There’s Marie and Michael there now, come on, let’s get inside.’

  Rose remained quiet, the corners of her mouth twitched, searching desperately for words to use. Not once in the forty-six years since she had left the place had she ever imagined herself returning; she felt dizzy at the thoughts of stepping back inside.

  She cleared her throat and with Tim’s hand on her elbow, she turned. The fields seemed greener, cascading down the hill towards Mrs McGrath’s farm and the sky, a beautiful shade of blue, framed the farm’s edges. The grey ominous clouds of the Fitzpatricks’ past were nowhere to be seen and, for once, there was not one rain cloud in sight. ‘I don’t remember it ever looking like this.’ She managed.

  ‘How much of that land is, or I mean was ours?’ Lizzie stood with her back to the large grey farmhouse unable to keep her eyes from the view.

  ‘Down as far as that house and hedge there.’ Tim pointed to the array of green fields stitched together like an old patchwork quilt. ‘Then there, where you see the darker green ditch,’ he pointed down to the bottom of the fields, ‘that’s the start of McGrath’s land, where Michael and George McGrath would have grown up.’ The last time he was at McGrath’s house had been the night Michael was born.

  ‘Oh wow, so Michael literally came from the farm next door,’ Lizzie exclaimed, oblivious to the connection.

  Rose paused. The rolling fields down to McGrath’s farm were now barely visible with the brightness of the sun glaring down. The steel gates and galvanised roofs of the working farm gleamed in the daylight. Modern garden seats and tables adorned the courtyard with Cath Kidston type fabrics on pillows and cushions. The house itself was bright and clean and alive with warmth and laughter. The discernible contrast made the whole place barely recognisable. It looked like time had healed the house after all.

  Lizzie walked ahead up the three granite steps through the double fronted navy blue doors with Robert behind her.

  ‘Shall we?’ Tim squeezed Rose’s arm tightly.

  ‘Let’s do this,’ she asserted and followed Tim’s lead.

  A delicious waft of oven-baked foods drifted through the front hall and mingled with the scents of the Yankee Candles that were strategically placed on the hall tables. Marie had scrambled ahead to light them and make sure that the kids and George had arrived home in one piece. The scent of ‘Fluffy Towels’ was her favourite. The door to drawing room idled open, the last time Rose had been at that door, her mother had been on the other side of it. She pushed it open wider revealing an airy powder blue living room with the most luscious of velvet sofas freestanding in the middle of the parquet floor.

  ‘There’s Mum now,’ Lizzie declared as she turned to see Tim guide Rose towards the kitchen.

  ‘Rose, I’m really thrilled you are here.’ Marie extended her hand to Rose and leaned in to kiss her cheek. ‘Please,’ she smiled. Knowing what she knew about Rose, she backed a little to allow her to catch her breath, she didn’t want to overwhelm her. ‘I hope you like what we’ve done with everything,’ Marie said nervously. When Marie had first learned of Rose’s story, her heart had broken and now that she was meeting her for the first time, her heart broke for her all over again. ‘I’ll just check on the food.’ She turned as she walked away. ‘Oh and Eve wants to give you a tour later, when you catch your breath, get your bearings,’ Marie said. The letter that Mrs McGrath had given her, coupled with her mother-in-law’s strict instructions ‘You’ll know when the time is right’ were dancing around in her head. She would tell Michael tonight, she decided. ‘Eve has been practising all morning. She has poor Charlie tormented,’ she continued. Charlie lifted his head from his bed at the mention of his name and when no food or belly rubs were forthcoming, he duly fell back asleep. ‘Sorry Charlie,’ Marie said under her breath. ‘She might charge you mind, her daddy told her
a short tour of the house was a fiver and a long tour should be a tenner,’ she said.

  Rose laughed at her charm, her nerves fading ever so slightly away.

  ‘Oh, this is Eve now. The tour guide for the evening.’ Marie ushered her daughter in front of her. ‘She knows everything there is to know about the house.’ Marie was twisting her daughter’s ponytail in her hands as Eve’s wide blue eyes looked up to her. ‘Did you lose your brother? Where’s Jack?’ Marie smiled. ‘Or did he lose you?’ she said through the corner of her mouth, grinning.

  ‘He’s helping Daddy with drinks.’ She smiled at her mum. ‘Can I do the tour now?’ she asked her mum expectantly.

  ‘Have patience, darling, give everyone a chance to get in the door.’ Marie looked apologetically to Rose.

  ‘Its fine, Marie, honestly.’ Rose looked at Eve, a lump forming in the back of her throat. She was like a mini-Lizzie. Blonde curls and wide-eyed. ‘Hello Eve, it’s lovely to meet you.’ Rose crouched forward and held out her arm. Eve placed her hand in Rose’s and they squeezed hello to each other. ‘I’m really looking forward to the tour, you know, that’s the best bit,’ Rose said. It felt good to feel the size of a small hand in hers again. The simple connection was fulfilling. ‘You’ll have to show me your bedroom,’ Rose said to her, playing into the child’s excitement. ‘Maybe it’s the same one I had when I was a little girl,’ she suggested as Eve beamed with delight. ‘I hope you’ll be able to answer all of our questions on the tour, though,’ Rose warned. ‘These three really love anything to do with houses,’ Rose pointed to Lizzie, Robert and Tim as they listened to the conversation. It warmed Tim’s heart to see their exchange. ‘Tim draws houses for his job.’ Rose’s face was animated talking to Michael’s youngest child. ‘And Robert makes sure they are strong and safe.’

  ‘I know, he’s an engineer,’ Eve said knowingly. ‘My daddy told me.’

  Marie wondered what else she might say and cringed, they really were going to have to make sure all doors were closed in future, if they were going to talk around her.

  ‘And Lizzie here, she loves designing houses and decorating them and she knows an awful lot about old houses like this one,’ Rose said. ‘So I hope you have all the facts ready.’

  ‘Is it your job too, Lizzie?’ Eve asked, she was beginning to worry that she might not know enough to tell them.

  ‘Eh, no,’ Lizzie said. The glance that Tim threw in her direction gave her comfort. He had told her to follow her heart, which she didn’t, but now, with the generous inheritance that both her mum and uncle had provided for her, she was closer than she ever was to doing it. ‘But I hope to get a job doing it. Maybe you could give me ideas,’ she suggested.

  Eve was delighted with the vote of confidence from the beautiful woman at her party.

  ‘I know all of the house’s secrets, Daddy told me them all,’ Eve answered.

  ‘Well then,’ Rose smiled, ‘we had better get started.’ The secrets about the house that Rose knew, would never be shared.

  Lizzie, Robert and Tim followed as Eve gladly led Rose around the house.

  ‘Seriously, Mum,’ Lizzie spoke, her voice deliberately low so as not to be overheard, ‘this place is utterly amazing, the restoration of everything is first-class.’ She stroked the mahogany banister as she climbed the wide creaky stairs.

  ‘It wasn’t as nice then, love, as it is now.’ Rose smiled at her daughter, grateful that she never had to know in her lifetime, grateful that Eve, the precious little child of her own son, her granddaughter who continued to hold her hand tightly, didn’t have to know either. ‘Very different times,’ she added.

  ‘Wow, everything just looks gorgeous,’ Lizzie said as they followed Eve around. Modern pieces seemed to marry with the old restored floors and shuttered sash windows. The house wasn’t overdone as she expected. ‘Those cornices are beautifully restored,’ she commented. ‘And the Georgian paint colours were very well chosen,’ Lizzie said, buzzing with excitement. ‘Tim, look at the centrepiece.’ Lizzie pointed eagerly to the ceiling.

  Tim looked where she pointed, noticing the detail for the first time in his life. He had probably walked every inch of every floorboard when he had lived there but nothing looked or felt the same, and he was glad of that, content that there was nothing identifiable from the past that would jar with the happiness that now lined the walls.

  ‘Oh, I love this stuff, I definitely missed my calling,’ she said as they reached the top of the stairs.

  ‘Watch the top step,’ Eve warned. ‘It squeaks,’ she said. ‘Daddy said that there are fairies living underneath and every time you step on their roof they squeak at you because they think it’s going to collapse.’

  Rose couldn’t help but smile at her innocence; it had never occurred to her when she lived there to explain the squeak in such a fantastically magical way. Her House, Fitzpatrick House, the house that she vowed to never set foot in again, had been transformed from a house of horrors to a house where fairies lived, maybe coming back wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

  ‘Oh dear, I’m glad you told me.’ Rose lifted her leg past the fairies roof and stood on the landing. ‘I would have loved to have known the fairies lived there when I was small’, she smiled, ‘we would have been great friends’. Rose had wondered about Michael all his life, had he married, what was he like, was he happy, but in all the times she imagined his life, she had never been able to see him with children of his own and now, as she stood on the landing with Eve, she couldn’t ever imagine him without.

  Standing on the landing, Eve dashed to close all the bedroom doors. She was pleased with herself at the little game she had invented. ‘You have to guess which bedroom is mine.’ Impersonating a game show host she walked up and down the landing. ‘Could it be this one, or maybe it’s this one,’ she implied as she waited for the adults to guess. They smiled and played along.

  ‘I think it’s this one,’ Rose said with an air of seriousness, choosing what would have been Tim’s old room.

  ‘No, I think it’s this one,’ Tim chimed in, pointing to what would have been Rose’s old room and Lizzie and Robert picked out of what was left.

  ‘Is there a prize?’ Lizzie asked before Eve revealed the correct answer.

  ‘Em, yes,’ she answered. ‘It’s chocolate cake,’ Eve exclaimed, clearly enjoying the game. ‘The guess that was right is…’ Eve paused for effect, taking her role as quiz show host in earnest. ‘The right guess is… this one.’ She flung open Rose’s old bedroom door.

  ‘I win the chocolate cake!’ Tim declared as Rose stood on the landing looking into her old room, frozen momentarily as a wash of memories drenched her on the spot. For a second she felt like a fearful fourteen-year-old again. Drawing deeply on her reserves, she shook away the overwhelming urge she had to run and regained her composure.

  ‘Oh, it’s so pretty, Eve,’ Rose remarked as she noticed the pink, sparkly décor that festooned the space. ‘It is so much prettier than when I had it.’ Eve was delighted with herself. ‘I think it was a yucky brown colour, with mustard swirls on the carpet,’ Rose said as Eve scrunched her nose in disgust. She hovered by the doors of the rest of the rooms as the others continued on the tour. She couldn’t bring herself to look inside. She had visited enough memories today. Stopping at the top of the stairs, she leaned against the wall and watched as Eve made her way ahead of them. Tim took her by the hand and walked her back downstairs. His grip all the support she needed, both physically and emotionally.

  ‘How did that go?’ Marie asked. It was Rose’s response she was most interested in. Had it dragged up old unhappy memories or was it good for her to see it again, Marie couldn’t tell from the enigmatic expression on Rose’s face.

  ‘Tim won,’ Eve said. ‘He gets the chocolate cake,’ she added.

  ‘Oh, well I’ll see if we can find more cake for the losers then, shall I?’ She curled Eve’s ponytail again in her hands and watched as Rose looked lovingly on her. It wasn’t h
ard to fall for the charms of Eve McGrath and by the looks of it, all four of them were smitten, especially Rose. ‘The food is just ready.’ Marie directed them to a seating area by the back of the house. I’ll just grab some plates and then we are set.’

  ‘Are you doing okay, Rosie?’ Tim was curious. He would never have guessed that she would have willingly returned. He was the most surprised, out of all of them, that she had accepted Michael’s offer.

  ‘I’m fine, Tim, just…’ Rose paused. ‘I don’t know, overwhelmed I suppose.’ She looked around the room, Jack was like Michael’s shadow, she hadn’t really spoken to him yet, he appeared to be quiet and shy. ‘But then it feels like the most normal thing in the world to be doing. I know I’m not making sense.’ After a pause she continued, whispering, ‘It is a little unbelievable. His beautiful little family, being back here after all these years. I don’t know how to feel.’ Tim rubbed her hand. ‘He’s happy, Tim, how could he not be.’ Rose directed her gaze back to Michael and Jack. ‘He reminds me of you,’ she said, directing Tim’s eyes to Jack. ‘The quiet observer.’ She smiled. ‘And the little whirlwind, over there,’ Rose said, her eyes filling up looking at Eve, ‘full of life and mischief, so like Lizzie.’

  ‘I thought that myself when I first met her,’ Tim answered. ‘Silver lining,’ he added.

  ‘Silver lining,’ she repeated.

  It had been forty-six years since she had left; half a century of changes, all of them, it would appear, for the better. Whatever the circumstances, in that moment, and for the first time in her life, she was happy to be at Fitzpatrick House.

  ‘Rose, I’m so glad you could come.’ Michael, temporarily finished with his drink topping-up duties, finally made his way around the room to mingle. He looked deep into her eyes and sat beside her calmly.

  A frisson of electricity moved up her spine and she quivered in anticipation. She noticed the width of his shoulders through his open-necked cotton shirt; his tie abandoned on his drive back home. She found it hard to believe that this man was her son.