‘No.’
‘Dan, that’s just awful. Where is all the stuff she bought?’
‘Took it all with her.’ He guffaws.
‘She wasn’t that sorry then!’ I roll my eyes.
‘But I’ve always had the love of my community. Castlemoon is as much a part of the people of Heartwell as it is of me and my family. None of them believed her and that meant the world to me.’
‘You’re amazing, Dan. I have a proposition for you.’ I sit forward, curl my escaping locks behind my ears.
‘Oh yeah?’ He stretches out his long legs, crosses one foot over the other, gives me those big eyes. Damn, I bet every woman he speaks to thinks he’s the sexiest man alive.
‘Do you remember what I was saying about the cellar the other day? About how it’s a gold mine? Well, I want us to show Kate and Jimmy down there now. I know it’s late, but I think they can have their wedding there next week. I’ve already spoken to Kate and I know Jimmy will do it. If we’re successful in the way I think we will be, we could host an abundance of more affordable weddings there!’ I tell him excitedly.
Dan nearly spits his whiskey. ‘Y-you’ve got to be kidding me?’ His eyes narrow so far they almost close. Then he takes stock of my words. ‘Do you really think so? If only .?.?. I mean, you are the expert.’ He looks at me with what I think is admiration.
I grow taller in confidence. ‘Hear me out. It costs a fortune to run that ballroom, you need to keep the heating running for two or even three days in winter before an event, right? It’s very big. In fact, it’s too big, Dan. A lot of people don’t want a wedding that size anymore.’
‘Yer right, it is too big,’ he agrees. ‘It was grand for Aisling andAaron as they both have huge families.’
‘It needs a lot of work, Dan, and you can’t afford to close it off for long if you don’t have another stream of income. It’s stunning but it’s too vacuous, too cold, too leaky, but I also have an idea for it.’
‘The bloody roof, some gangsters came and fixed it or so they said. Like an idiot, I paid them in full – thirty thousand euro and the roof still leaks. The plaster is coming loose in the Sweet Orange Room with a leak in the flashing on the chimney. The reason I got so mad with you when you hit the Rolls-Royce was that, just an hour before, I’d put an ad in theHeartwell Gazetteto sell it so I could pay the part-timers’ wages that week.’
My mind is working overtime again. I stand up now, Red barks, I slip my arms into my coat, bend to pet him softly, and he settles.
‘It’s a new day. A new year is on the horizon; it’s time for a fresh start. The legend of the castle is your USP, the everlasting love story is why the money will roll in. You need to trade more on that, it’s a commercial gold mine,’ I say, feeling very confident I know what I’m talking about.
‘And you think the cellar can also be used?’ Dan appears to be thinking hard too.
‘Yes. I can see that as clear as a bell but also the Heart Ballroom .?.?.’
‘See, that’s the creative in you. I’ve only got a practical head on me. Together we’d made a great team, like Esther and Michael.’ He bolts straight upright in his chair. Red barks again and his words cartwheel around my head but I have to concentrate on what I want to do.
‘Follow me, Dan Delaney. Chop chop, we have no time to waste.’ I take his arm, pull him up.
‘Sure,’ he says in a monosyllabic fashion that I know means he wants to keep thinking.
‘Bring your drink,’ I instruct, bounding towards the door. ‘Let me walk you through my ideas.’ As I open the door, I find Kate and Jimmy waiting outside.
‘‘There you are!’ Kate rushes to me, ‘We’ve been looking all over for ye, I’ve told Jimmy your idea. He’s all for it!’ Kate claps her hands madly.
‘I’m all for it. I, however, I have been down there .?.?.’ Jimmy places his hand on Kate’s shoulder to settle her. ‘There’s a lot of work to be done.’ He eyeballs me cautiously, puts a protective arm around his fiancée’s shoulders.
‘Aye,’ I say, shocked at how I’ve just unconsciously adopted Dan’s lingo, ‘it’s going to take a village, but we can do it.’
‘I’m doing it, Dan!’ Kate grabs his hand, lifts it in the air. ‘I’m getting married here in Castlemoon! Maggie is going to make my dreams come true. Isn’t she something else? Isn’t she just amazing!’ She holds his arm out and twirls under it, the skirt on her pink halterneck billowing out.
Dan throws a worried look at me but I feel confident and in control as I take his other hand. I try to lead him but Kate won’t let him go.
‘You’ll pull the poor man in half!’ Jimmy chortles.
‘Dan! Can you believe it?’ Kate shakes his hand up and down now.
‘Give us ten minutes, guys. Wait for us here? I just need to show Dan one other thing.’ I step in and prise Dan’s hand out of Kate’s vice-like grip.
‘Take your time!’ Kate says. ‘I’ve waited a lifetime, I can wait ten minutes more. Anyway, Mary’s just put out more food!’
