‘Good, thanks,’ said Hannah.
‘You’re English. I love your accent.’ Hannah did a double-take. This woman’s voice was beautifully lyrical. ‘What part are ye from?’
‘Er… Manchester.’
‘Oh, I’ve some cousins there.’ She laughed. ‘But then, I’ve cousins everywhere. How are you finding Ireland? Are you here for long?’
‘I’m just here for a few weeks. On the cookery course at Killorgally.’
Polly plonked herself down on the arm of Hannah’s chair. ‘Aw, now that’s lovely. Isn’t the farm just divine. And how’s all the family?’ She tossed her head, casting a resigned look at Conor. ‘Cos he’s not about to tell us. Is Adrienne fine?’
‘Yes, she’s great.’
‘And how about Bridget? She’ll not be forgiving me for breaking her boy’s heart anytime soon.’
‘They’re all good,’ said Hannah, now curious. This woman, for all her scary beauty, seemed friendly and very personable.
‘That’s good then. And how about you, Captain Grumpy, still mad as a wet hen at me? You can’t blame a girl for trying to get ahead. Like you’d ever had to struggle to get known, born into the Byrne cooking dynasty. You’ve no idea how hard it is for the rest of us. If someone can give us a leg up, why not?’
Hannah pressed her lips together, in reluctant admiration for Polly’s unashamed honesty.
Conor scowled. ‘How’s your television producer boyfriend?’
‘Aw you’re as cross as an aul stick. His name’s Ronan, as well you know. You worked with him for long enough and he’s not my boyfriend anymore.’ She gave him an uncertain smile. ‘We got married last month.’
‘Congratulations,’ said Conor, his jaw tightening.
‘Thank you,’ she said with a simple nod, although Hannah noticed she twisted the rings on her wedding finger. Not quite as confident as she seemed in telling Conor. With a brilliant smile that hid a tiny touch of sadness, she turned to Hannah. ‘So what do you do? Chef, restaurant owner, food writer?’
‘I’m a lawyer.’
‘Good for you. Looking for a career change then, are you?’
‘No, absolutely not,’ said Hannah with a quick burst of laughter.
‘Really?’ Polly’s face registered utter disbelief as she examined Hannah with the intensity of scientist studying a bug under a microscope. ‘So why are you at Killorgally then?’ A sly smile darted across her face, as if she’d just added two and two and made the requisite five. Her quick gaze veered from Hannah to Conor and back again. ‘You don’t have to answer that. He’s always had quite the fan club.’
Hannah bristled. ‘I’d never heard of Conor before I came to Ireland.’
Polly was too startled to be insulted by Hannah’s frosty tone.
‘You’re kidding me. What, never?’
Conor gave her a suspicious look and she glared at him. Seriously? They’d been through all this before.
‘Well, I must be away, back to my table.’ She indicated over her shoulder at a table of recognisably ‘media type’ people who were all dressed as if they’d just come straight from a fashion show. ‘Nice running into you, Conor. Nice to meet you, Hannah. Good luck with the cooking.’ There was calculation in the final words, as if she still didn’t believe that Hannah didn’t have some kind of ulterior motive. With a gay wave, she departed, leaving behind a weighted silence.
‘She was nice,’ said Hannah eventually, for want of anything to say.
‘Mmm,’ said Conor, swirling the wine in his glass before he took a sip.
‘She’s not nice?’ asked Hannah.
‘She’s ambitious. Knows what she wants.’
‘That doesn’t mean she’s a bad person. People wouldn’t complain about a man being like that.’ Hannah knew he probably didn’t want to hear that, but she’d rather liked Polly’s blunt openness. She had one of those naturally bright and shiny personalities that drew people in, even despite the barbs she’d fired at Conor.
‘No, she’s not a bad person.’ He sighed. ‘Just not the right one for me, but pride got in the way. It’s not very nice realising that someone likes your family more than you.’ He gave a rueful laugh. I thought I loved her but I was wrong… I didn’t realise it until…’
