‘Okay .?.?.’ Jill is laughing now, shaking her head. ‘I’m telling you, Maggie, the fates have aligned,’ she says with the brightest smile.
‘You know I don’t believe in fate!’ I say but now only half truthfully.
‘Well, maybe you should rethink that one, Einstein! Now what are you waiting for, go get your prince!’
TWENTY-SIX
After I set up the new Instagram account @CastlemoonIreland, working furiously, I upload my article in segments to the grid to go with all the different pictures I’ve captured. Then, I tag every bridal publication I can think of and every bridal venue outlet I can remember. Every bridal designer. I follow everybody thatUltimate Locations Wedding Magazinefollows and my fingers actually ache! For the profile picture, I use the one of Dan standing at the red castle door. I know he will probably be mortified but it shows the castle in the moonlight with snow falling and a drop-dead handsome man looking into the distance at a young wedding party. It’s very original. Very romantic.
I’ve been so focused on the job that I’ve ignored several knocks on my bedroom door. I’ve had to. Downstairs, the sounds of the iilleann pipes from the céilí rise up through the floorboards mixed with laughter and joy.
I stretch my aching arms over my head as I look out the window. Faith is worsening. It’s late and the snow continues to pelt down and the winds howls around the old castle. Will my flight be cancelled? A tinge of hope seeps through me. I check the flight app on my phone again, where I was told to stand by for further updates. Still no news. I look back at my screen, glad I took Jill’s advice and did a black border around all the pictures –some in colour and some in black and white. It looks like a really stylish wedding album.
‘Looking good.’ Once more I arch my aching back in the chair and my feet hit something. Bending down, I see it’s a small footstool, the one Dan told me he used to stand on to see all the way to the ocean. I pull it out and it topples over. As I turns it upright, I notice the writing underneath in faded black marker.
Dan was here December 1988
Galway are All-Ireland Champions 1998
GO GALWAY! SO HAPPY!
Dan Delaney is cool.
This was his bedroom growing up, I suddenly realise. Carefully, I stand on the stool and, though the weather is too bad for me to have much of a view, I watch the heavy dark clouds being blown by and the snow still falling. I feel closer to Dan than ever before.
‘I have to see him! This is ready.’ I turn on my notifications, hit post on the last image and shut my MacBook. I check the time; it’s almost eleven o’ clock at night!
I jump into the shower trying not to overthink things and then I dry quickly and slip into my full length scarlet designer dress. The luxurious material is a sublime fit that hugs me in all the right places. I dab foundation onto my face and blend it, add powder and blush, wand on some mascara, line my eyes with an olive-green kohl pencil, spray perfume and gloss my lips. Then, I slip into my heels and grab my green wool coat from the back of the chair, the room key and make my way downstairs. The lobby is empty and I take a moment to just stand by the turf fire and soak it in. Someone has carelessly left half a pint of Guinness on the mantle above the fireplace and I remove it, wipe the surface with my clenched hand so it doesn’t leave a ring stain.
The noise in the Heart Ballroom is deafening. The music is infectious and powerful. Once again, I get that feeling of being totally alive. Picking my way through the jolly, happy crowd, saying hi to various people, I spot Kate, in a long pink halterneck dress. She waves over to me, dancing with a laughing Jimmy by her side.
‘We’ll be over to you in few!’ Kate shouts as I more or less lip read her words and nod. I make my way up to the bar, holding my folded coat over one arm. I deposit the empty pint glass there and Mary hands me a drink from behind the bar.
‘You look like a princess, lovey,’ she says, grinning at me as I fold my wool coat over a stool at the bar.
‘Thank you.’ I pat myself down, relieved to see two other young people behind the bar too helping her. ‘Can you not come out and relax?’
‘I like to be busy, lovey, this is how I socialise,’ Mary tells me and lifts a little glass from under the bar top, puts it to her lips. ‘I’ll have my feet up soon enough. The letter came! I got my hospital appointment for January. I’ll be brand new.’ Relief floods her face.
‘Thank God! That’s the best news,’ I gasp. I’m so delighted for her.
‘The best Christmas present I could get alright. I didn’t like to moan too much but I’ve been in serious pain,’ she tells me. ‘JP has been so worried.’
‘You didn’t moan at all! You’re seriously one of the strongest women I’ve ever met. When will I get to meet JP by the way?’ I ask after Mary’s husband and Gráinne’s father.
‘He’s still above in Dublin visiting his sister, Una. He might not be back until Christmas Eve night but .?.?.’ Mary’s face drops.
‘I’ll be gone.’ I don’t pretend to be happy about it.
‘Hi Mammy! Great to see ya, Maggie! Some craic!’ Gráinne appears beside me, smiling in a beautiful charcoal greysleeveless jumpsuit with a man by her side in a uniform. ‘This is Fergus, just back from Lebanon.’
‘Hey Gráinne. Nice to meet you, Fergus.’ I raise my voice over the drumming of the bodhrán.
‘You too.’ Fergus shakes my hand; it’s a firm grip.
‘Look at you! You look incredible! Love that dress, you look like Julia Roberts inPretty Woman! Oh my God, stunning! We’re delighted you made it!’ Gráinne shouts back. ‘I knocked on your bedroom door a few times but no answer. Dan’s been keeping an eye on the door all night.’ Gráinne winks at me and turns her head. As I follow her eyeline, it lands on Dan across the room, watching me.
‘Oh lord, literally,’ I say to Gráinne as Dan, who is wearing a sharp black suit, black tie and white dress shirt, raises a hand and I lift mine in a return wave. As he makes a move someone approaches him and strikes up a conversation.
