‘I had a dog called Freddie,’ said Noleen. ‘When I was young. Lovely little thing he was. Used to wait for me to come home from school. We had to put him down in the end.’
‘A woman like you,’ Brian went on, looking at Sister Kennedy, ‘who has known such goodness in your life, has shown such charitable spirit, would recognise a kindred spirit and Freddie Boyle is such a man. You twowould have so much to talk about.’
‘Our Good Samaritan,’ she said, wide-eyed at the thought of such goodness come to life.
‘Indeed,’ he nodded. ‘Like the story in the Bible when Jesus does that thing. And the thing happens. And the Good Samaritan saves the day.’
‘He does,’ said Sister Kennedy. ‘He saves the day. That’s a lovely way of putting it. It’s my favourite parable.’
He smiled. ‘Let’smake this happen, Sister Kennedy. Let’s make this happen.’
‘Well,’ she said. ‘I vote yes to this Freddie Byrne.’
‘Boyle,’ he corrected.
‘Aye too,’ said Noleen.
‘And me,’ said Brendan, who was on another liqueur.
Brian looked delighted. ‘Well,’ he said, ‘that seems as though we’re…’
‘Wait a minute,’ I said. ‘We have to discuss this. We need to talk about it properly…’
Sister Kennedy lookedat the clock. ‘Oh my goodness, it’s time to go. I told you I couldn’t stay long tonight… it’s my book group. The Thorn Birds. My goodness. So much to say. I just don’t know where we’ll start.’
Brian stood up and pulled out her chair and helped Sister Kennedy to her feet.
‘I’m so glad you approve of the plan,’ he was murmuring. ‘It’s practically holy. For us to give the land to Freddie Boyle,I think it’s a holy thing to do. God would be pleased with the plan, if I may be so bold.’
‘You may,’ she said, ‘for He moves in mysterious ways.’
‘Indeed he does,’ said Brian. He glanced at me and there was triumph in his eyes. ‘Looks like there’s just the i’s to cross and the t’s to dot. Sharpen your fountain pen, Tabitha.’
For a moment, I felt rather alone. Mary was perhaps a world away,Clodagh was fighting her own battles and my mother was pitched against me. I needed a friend. Well, I needed Red. And once I was in the car, I found the scrap of paper he’d written his number on, and dialled it.
