I push the doors and the sound of the trad band serenades my ears. Once again, I squeeze though the heaving crowd, this time happily saying a few hellos to familiar faces as I sit back down on my stool.
‘I put a fresh head on the Guinness for you. Sláinte, we say here.’ Gráinne grins.
‘Sláinte!’ But as I raise my glass the pub falls silent. ‘What the—’
I look at Gráinne who smiles, leans on the bar top, her finger over her lips.
‘A sean-nós song, in Irish,’ Gráinne says quietly as an older woman begins to sing. The woman’s voice is so sweet that even though I don’t understand the words, it moves me tremendously, so much so that a lump forms in my throat and my eyes fill with tears. The song ends to rapturous applause.
‘Sure you’re not Irish?’ Gráinne laughs, hands me a tissue as I blow my nose and pick up my Guinness.
‘Drink up. I’ll walk you home if you like? We can stroll back through Heartwell village and I’ll show you the sights?’ Dan stands in front of me now and instantly I nod in agreement, but as I finish my drink, I’m already wondering what the hell I am doing.
FIFTEEN
The snow has finally stopped but the air is numbingly cold and a light white coverage dusts the rooftops. Dan walks on the roadside and I’m on the higher ground of the footpath so he doesn’t seem as towering.
‘Thanks for walking me home,’ I tell him. My heart is still fluttering at the closeness of his physical presence but I’m feeling more alive now than anything else.
‘It’s my pleasure,’ he says in that husky, lilting voice of his as the orange glow from the lampposts casts down on us.
‘You know, I think I’ve always wanted to live in a small village but never realised it until I drove through Heartwell.’ My curls blow wildly in the night breeze. ‘It must be from all the books I read as a kid, small village life .?.?. theGilmore GirlsTV show. It reminds me so much of Stars Hollow.’ I wrap my arms around myself.
‘I haven’t seen the show but we get that a lot. I love this little village,’ Dan concurs and we continue our walk through the square in companionable silence.
‘These trees, I mean, they must be hundreds of years old.’ I stop as we enter the village green. Snow-covered benches sit under the huge bare trees that are wrapped in twinkling fairy lights. ‘You rarely see trees of this stature in Manhattan,’ Ilament.
‘Yew trees, they are known for their longevity, they can live for over a thousand years.’ Dan stands beside me. ‘Go on, I know you want to.’ He grins, showing me those perfect teeth.
‘Hug it?’ My eyes widen, as I just realise he’s actually read my mind.
There is something so safe about him, but I don’t know what it is? I’m normally a nervous wreck around strangers. If I’m in a cab on my own at night I pretend to talk on my phone the whole way home. I’m not this person who allows a, let’s face it, complete stranger to walk her home.
‘Well, what are you waiting for?’ he says just before I wrap my arms around the ferocious tree, and cock one leg back. His laugher is music to my ears.
‘Did you get the Rolls-Royce fixed? Sorry, I never asked.’ I try to face the wind to control my hair, catching it back in my fist, as snowflakes begin to softly flutter down again.
‘New bumper, door needs a panel. Will be grand, won’t cost too much. Terry did some panel beating.’ Dan pulls a bright yellow woollen hat out from his wax jacket pocket. ‘Allow me?’ He stops and I nod as he steps inches from me and oh so gently pulls his hat down over my hair.
‘Better?’ he asks me.
‘Much,’ I say, slightly trembling and feeling like a teenage girl, so happy am I with this simple chivalrous gesture.
The night is silent. Castlemoon glows from the cliff-top above and illuminates our path. Dan doesn’t talk too much and I like this; he doesn’t talk for the sake of talking. More notably, it’s the most comfortable silence I’ve ever felt. I could stay in this silence forever. We stroll on through the square, past the bandstand and towards Heartwell Hall. My mind starts to settle. My heart still skips the odd beat but I’m becoming used to the effect Dan Delaney has on me.
‘What goes on in there?’ I ask him as we approach the hall.
‘Village business, the Heartwell Drama Society, community gatherings. We have a village meeting at the end of every month,’ he says, walking so close to me now his arm brushes off mine. The moonlight reflects off the snowy roof of the old hall.
‘I’d love to take a look inside before I go?’ Stopping I look up at the quaint old stone-built structure, weathered by time and covered in creeping ivy. Its tall, narrow windows are framed with wooden shutters.
‘We can do that. I’m not looking forward to the next meeting—’ Dan stops suddenly, that strange, sad look crosses his face again. His head drops.
‘Why?’ I gaze up at him. ‘Is it something to do with the castle?’ I say without really thinking.
‘Who’ve ya been gossiping with?’ His dark eyes narrow and I sense a sudden fraught atmosphere fall over us. He stuffs his hands into his pockets.
‘Em, well just .?.?.’
