‘Which reminds me,’ said Conor. ‘I had a very irate text from Polly accusing me of poisoning you against her.’ He raised quizzical eyebrows at his mother.
Adrienne winced. ‘She wasn’t over pleased when I refused to let her gatecrash the Orchard Party. I’m not sure she could believe it when I had Seamus throw her out.’
‘Polly was here?’ Conor stared incredulously at his mother.
Adrienne shrugged. ‘She wasn’t invited. I certainly wasn’t going to give her preferential treatment.’ She met his gaze. ‘Not anymore.’
‘About time too,’ said Bridget.
Hannah had to smile, as much at the others avidly watching the family in action as the family themselves. She couldn’t blame Polly for wanting to be part of this.
Conor and his mother exchanged a small smile.
‘Right, well, now that we’ve all warmed up, I for one am ready for my bed,’ said Bridget. ‘And we should let these two have some peace and quiet.’ With that she stood up and like a well-trained sheep dog began to chivvy everyone out, interrupting each time someone began a new conversation.
At last, everyone had filed out and Hannah could hear their good-natured chatter disappearing into the night as Conor waved them off at the door. She slumped into the sofa and drained her hot whiskey. Exhaustion suddenly rolled over her, as well as a touch of shyness now that she and Conor were alone. She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them Conor was standing in front of her, obviously holding something behind his back.
‘What are you up to?’ she asked.
‘So suspicious,’ he tsked, shaking his head with a mischievous smile.
‘I might have fallen in love with you but I haven’t completely taken leave of my senses. You have that up-to-no-good air about you.’
‘Moi?’ He shuffled on the spot.
‘Yes, you.’
He ducked down onto his knees and dropped something to the floor. The next moment, he lifted one of her feet, sliding her foot into a shoe. She lifted her leg and looked at the black shoe she’d once abandoned.
‘Last time, I got this wrong. The shoe fits. It’s part of a pair. I’d like us to be a pair. Two. Together. I love you.’
She laughed, although inside, her heart tingled at the tender words and the warmth glowing in his eyes. ‘You know romantic gestures are wasted on me, right?’
With a mock-mournful sigh, he shook his head. ‘There really is no romance in your soul, is there?’
‘Sorry,’ she grinned unrepentantly up at him.
‘So I had to come up with something practical to win your heart, as you completely misunderstood my gesture with the shoe.’
‘It wasn’t exactly obvious.’
‘In my head it was. The handsome prince returns the shoe to his love.’
‘Mmm. Or the bounder gets rid of the last piece of evidence.’
Conor laughed. ‘We’re going to have to work on your sensibilities,mo grá. But I have something for you.’
He reached under the sofa for a manilla envelope that he must have put there while she’d had her eyes closed.
‘What’s this?’
‘You could open it and find out.’
‘I don’t like surprises, remember?’
‘You’ll like this one.’
‘So confident, so cocky.’
