‘Hey,’ is all I can reply.
‘Sean, you came!’ Margaret appears from nowhere and throws an arm around him. He keeps his hands in his pockets but smiles affectionately.
‘I see he’s making himself at home,’ Sean nods towards Dan who’s adjusting the microphone to the right height. I stifle a smile but should really defend Dan. He’s the one pulling in all the punters.
‘He’s doing a great job.’
‘You would say that, now that you and he are …’ Margaret does that head shaking thing again.
My mouth drops.
‘What? Margaret!’
‘Sorry, I know it’s meant to be a secret but you can trust Sean. And I think it’s so sweet!’ She claps her hands together. ‘Rather wish I’d bagged him for myself now.’
‘No, it’s just …’ I’m lost for words. I look back at Sean’s face, and it’s as if the dark cloud has just rolled in again and is threatening a storm.
I can’t say anything. I can’t say that it was Sean, not Dan, in front ofMargaret. But saying nothing means he believes I’m now actually with Dan. Oh, bugger it!
He turns to leave.
‘Not going already, are you, Sean?’ Margaret looks gutted.
‘Just came in to see you had everything you need. And I see you have.’ He looks straight at me. I am bursting with indignation. I have to say something.
‘It’s not like I was in a relationship or anything. I’m a free woman. I’m not hurting anyone …’ I’m just digging myself a deeper hole.
He turns to leave, running straight into Nancy who arrives on a cloud of Coco Chanel.
‘Oh, I thought I’d find you here.’
My bravado disappears.
‘I never hid anything,’ he whispers under his breath to me.
My heart is banging so loudly I think everyone else can hear it. Margaret is glaring daggers at Nancy.
‘Good evening everybody,’ Dan booms across the room, stopping everyone’s conversations.
‘I’m just leaving,’ Sean says to Nancy.
‘Oh no, not yet. All the press are here. Besides, I have a surprise later,’ she smiles naughtily. Sean doesn’t react.
‘Any more entrants before we begin?’ Dan continues. ‘This is, as you all know, for the title of Pearl Queen and her Princess for the Dooleybridge oyster festival in just a week’s time.’
‘You can stay, I’m off,’ says Sean.
‘You can’t go,’ Nancy suddenly looks unusually flustered.
‘Why not? You don’t need me here. All you need is my oysters,’ he says through gritted teeth.
‘But I’d like you to stay,’ she pouts. ‘Besides, without me those oysters won’t have homes to go to.’ She smiles sweetly. I can’t believe she just said that.
Sean takes a deep breath.
‘Of course,’ he says.
‘Besides, I think I’d look rather good on thefront page of the Galway Gazette as the Pearl Queen.’ She throws off her coat and Sean catches it over his arm as she sashays her way towards Evelyn to give in her name. Margaret glowers. This looks like war.
