At least that might get Christine off my back.
18
I was right. The moment I sat down across from Declan’s desk, Christine started talking.
And continued talking. About how adamant the Coopers had always been about not vaccinating their kids, how irresponsible they were for taking them out of school to go on holiday, how Madeleine had always looked down on the other mums in Knockroe, believing herself to be superior, and now with her newfound TV fame was lording it over everyone even more...
I don’t think I’d realized until then just how deep the negativity Christine seemed to harbor toward the Coopers—or Madeleine, at least—was, and I couldn’t help but wonder if all this truly was about helping me.
My discomfort must have started to become apparent, because Declan looked at me earnestly from across the table and then spoke to his cousin. “Christine, would you mind going out front for a bit so I can talk alone with Kate?”
At first, she looked put out to be excluded from something that she needed to be involved in. But, truth be told, she was making me feel really overwhelmed, and I needed some distance from her. Especially if I was ever going to make a logical, well-informed decision about this situation.
Declan obviously sensed this. “I’ll need to talk with her about some issues that are privileged,” he added simply.
I appreciated the angle, and Christine fell for it, though of course no contract or agreement had been signed or even mentioned. So there was nothing that fell under client privilege. However, I was happy to let him run with the ruse if it meant I got a few moments’ headspace.
“Oh, right, of course,” she mumbled. “I’ll just wait out in reception. Take your time, Kate.”
She got up from where she sat and exited the room, delicately closing the door behind her, leaving me alone with Declan.
“So,” he said, with a twinkle in his eye. “My cousin can be a bit...much.”
I smiled, relaxing a little. It felt good, and I hadn’t realized just how tense I’d been since all of this had happened. It felt like forever since smiling had come naturally to me.
“Christine explained a little about the situation with your daughter. How is she?”
I knew he was only being polite, but he sounded so unexpectedly concerned that I was a little taken aback. And became once again overcome with emotion as I thought of my little girl.
“We don’t really know yet, to be honest. I’m not sure what Christine has told you but...”
“Tell you what, Kate, why don’t you tell me everything how you see it. I’ll be honest with you; I don’t actually know any of the specifics, other than what’s been filtered through Christine. And I think we both know she’s not exactly impartial.” He smiled, once again putting me at ease. “And just in case she’s given you the impression that we’ve been discussing you at length behind your back, that isn’t the case, either. She suggested something ‘theoretically’ to me over lunch with the family one Sunday and I gave her a broad-stroke legal opinion without knowing any particulars. Then she phones me yesterday telling me she wants to bring you in today. To be truthful, I’m probably just as overwhelmed as you are.”
“Oh.” His honesty and candor disarmed me and I felt a little better about the fact that Christine had not been completely forthcoming with either of us.
Then Declan opened a legal pad and picked up a pen. As he did so, it struck me how huge his hands were, and how it seemed like he’d be more at ease outdoors on a farm than in a tiny one-windowed office. Then again, Christine had mentioned that this was a family firm, so perhaps he’d followed in his father’s footsteps?
“I have to be honest, too. I’m not entirely sure what I am doing here at all,” I admitted. “I don’t want to waste anyone’s time. And this...kind of thing isn’t really my style.”
Declan nodded as he considered what I had just said. “Have you discussed this with your husband?” I saw him glance briefly at my left hand to my wedding ring. Evidently the fact that I was a widow didn’t come up when Christine was giving her cousin the rundown on my situation over dinner.
I cleared my throat. “I’m a widow. My husband passed away almost two years ago.”
I felt suddenly and inexplicably guilty then and tried to figure out why. Was it because I was verbalizing my relationship status to another man for the first time in ages? Or was it because I knew the very idea of legal action was something Greg would never have approved of if he were still here—in fact he would have been horrified.
My face must have shown my discomfort because Declan cleared his throat and said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“You couldn’t have known if Christine didn’t mention it. I suppose that’s one of the reasons she wants me to consider this. I’m kind of up shit creek at the moment. I’m on unpaid leave, have a mountain of bills to pay and have no idea how bad my daughter’s condition will get.”
With that—the mere act of verbalizing the reality of the direction my life had taken—my voice broke and, much to my utter horror, I burst into tears.
“Oh, God, I’m so sorry.” I sniffed, feeling like an idiot for breaking down in front of a complete stranger. Talk about time and place...
But once more Declan seemed to know exactly the right thing to say.
“Tell you what,” he said, when I’d once again managed to compose myself, “why don’t you start from the very beginning, and tell me everything...”
* * *
