Page 19 of Family Secrets in Inishbeg Cove

‘Are you sure you don’t want to use the wheelchair, Mum?’ Faith asked again.

‘I thought I’d made myself clear,’ Madeleine snapped. ‘I will not use a wheelchair!’

‘Okay,’ Faith said, raising her hands in self-defence.

Once Madeleine was steady, they began walking along the trail through a forest that led to where the trees were being sold. Twinkling fairy lights were hung along the path, giving the place an intimate feel.

‘Shit,’ Madeleine cursed, as her crutches sank into the mud.

The girls ran to her side in case she fell.

‘I’m okay,’ she insisted, righting herself again. ‘I’m not an invalid.’

‘So, you keep saying…’ Lucy muttered.

Eventually they arrived at a clearing where fir trees were displayed on stands. The air was filled with the earthy scent of pine. They began to walk around, inspecting the bushy trees while bobble-hatted children ran up and down through the rows.

‘What about this one?’ Lucy suggested, walking up to a lush Noble fir.

Faith shook her head. ‘That wouldn’t even fit inside the front door!’

They went on to the next one, Madeleine hobbling after them. ‘This one isn’t bad,’ Faith remarked, examining it.

‘It’s a bit bald near the top,’ Lucy replied.

They continued on. Faith risked a glance at Madeleine. Her face was red and beads of sweat studded her brow, even though the day was chilly. Faith knew she was finding it difficult to keep up.

‘Are you sure you don’t want to use the wheelchair, Mum? You look like you’re struggling. I could run back to the car to fetch it?’ she offered.

‘I already told you, I can manage perfectly fine,’ Madeleine hissed through gritted teeth.

Faith sighed in exasperation. ‘All right.’

‘Oh, look! There’s Sarah and Greg,’ Faith said, spotting the village postmistress with her husband and their brood of four young children. The whole village had been swept up in Sarah and Greg’s love story. He had travelled from America to Inishbeg Cove in search of his birth parents. When Sarah helped him in his search, they had quickly fallen for one another. After a whirlwind romance, Greg had made the decision to stay in the village and they had married. Sarah had soon found herself pregnant with twins. Not long after the arrival of their daughters, the couple had had another baby girl followed in quick succession by their newest arrival, a baby boy.

‘Let’s go and say hi,’ Lucy suggested.

‘Hi Sarah!’ they called out as they approached her. ‘Congratulations.’

‘Thank you. I was so sorry to hear about Elizabeth and I have to apologise for not making the funeral, but I was in hospital having this little man.’ She smiled dotingly down at the baby’s head, which was covered with a knitted bonnet. Lucy felt her heart twist at the sight of the snuggly newborn. The familiar feeling of sorrow rose inside her once more.

‘Don’t worry, you have a good excuse,’ Lucy said after a beat. Her lips moved into a smile, but it didn’t quite meet her eyes.

‘He’s beautiful, Sarah.’ Faith smiled at the tiny bundle who was snug against his mother’s chest.

‘Well, that won’t last too long if he wakes up for a feed.’ She laughed. ‘I reckon we’ve a window of about five minutes to choose this tree before he starts to roar, so we’d better keep going.’

They said their goodbyes and walked on.

‘Don’t they have a TV?’ Madeleine muttered once Sarah and her brood were out of earshot.

‘Mum!’ Faith cried, horrified. ‘You can’t say that.’

‘Well, having four children in less than four years is complete madness,’ she went on. ‘What about her career? How on earth is she going to run that post office?’

‘She has hired someone to cover her maternity leave in the post office, and she and Greg are a really good team. I’m sure they have a plan for when she goes back to work. And Greg’s aunt Maureen helps them out too,’ Lucy explained.

‘Well, if you ask me, four children is the definition of insanity.’