The Boatman's Wife(55)

‘So, are you really on holidays?’ Aisling asked Lily, as her sister placed a steaming cup of tea on the table in front of her.

‘Don’t be so rude, Aisling,’ Saoirse gave out to her sister. ‘That’s Lily’s private business.’

‘It’s okay,’ Lily said. ‘I told your mom this morning, anyway. I’m not here on holiday.’ She took a sip of tea, staring down at the wooden kitchen table, tracing a whorl of its grain with her finger. ‘I’m looking for my husband’s grandmother. He grew up in Mullaghmore and he just passed away, so I need to find her.’

‘But you’re too young to be widowed!’ Aisling blurted out.

‘Jaysus, Aisling,’ Saoirse said, looking mortified. ‘Will you ever shut up?’

‘It’s okay,’ Lily said, ‘I know I’m young. He was fishing. Drowned in a storm.’

Aisling looked at her with round eyes, clearly desperate to say more, but holding back.

‘I’m sorry,’ said Saoirse. ‘Our daddy died too, three years ago, from cancer.’

‘That must have been real tough,’ Lily said gently.

‘I miss him every day,’ Aisling said. ‘But Mam says we have to do him proud. Carry on, like troopers.’

‘Yeah,’ Lily said sadly. ‘What else can you do?’

‘What’s your husband’s name?’ Saoirse asked. ‘If he was from Mullaghmore, Mammy must have heard of him.’

‘Connor Fitzgerald.’

Saoirse frowned. ‘I’ve heard the name; I’m sure I know it.’

‘Well, there’s a Connor Fitzgerald in my year at school, but he’s only twelve, and he’s not from Mullaghmore,’ Aisling said brightly.

‘Shut up, Aisling. Let me think,’ Saoirse said, still frowning. ‘Do you know anything about his grandmother?’

‘Her name’s Rosemary.’

Saoirse’s face cleared. ‘That’s it! Rosemary Kelly’s grandson was called Connor Fitzgerald. I never met him, but I heard all about him—’

‘Saoirse, that’s enough now!’ Noreen came into the kitchen laden down with shopping bags, having clearly heard the tail end of the story.

‘But Mammy, Lily’s husband was Rosemary Kelly’s grandson, right? Wasn’t his name Connor Fitzgerald?’

‘Enough,’ Noreen admonished her daughter. ‘Go on upstairs, girls, and leave us in peace.’

Saoirse looked furious, but obeyed her mother. She and Aisling gathered their books and bags and left Lily with Noreen.

‘Would you like another cup of tea, Lily?’ Noreen turned to her.

‘No, I would not like another cup of tea,’ Lily said firmly, annoyance rising. ‘But I do need you to tell me what you know about my husband. His grandmother, too. I’m sick of people lying to me in this place.’

Noreen sidled away, looking shifty.

‘The whole day, this town has been refusing to tell me anything about Connor or his grandmother,’ Lily continued, hands on her hips. ‘Every single shop and pub I went into, there were more of you people, lying to me. It’s my right to know who my husband was. Now spit it out.’

Noreen clutched her hands, looking very worried indeed. She sat down at the kitchen table opposite Lily.

Lily felt a clench of nerves. What was this woman going to tell her? That her husband had been a serial killer? She looked that serious.

‘I’m sorry I lied to you this morning.’ Noreen’s voice was gentle. ‘But I felt raking up the past wouldn’t make you feel any better. I do know who Connor Fitzgerald is. His grandmother, Rosemary Kelly, lives near Bunduff Lough, on her own in a cottage. She’s a bit of a loner. I know you want to tell her about your husband, but I wouldn’t go bothering her. Rosemary’s had a lot of sadness in her life as it is. She’s not quite right because of it. Away with the fairies, like.’

Lily didn’t care if Rosemary Kelly was a lunatic. She needed to see her. It wasn’t Noreen’s place to tell her what to do.

‘But where does she live exactly? Please can you tell me?’

‘It really will do no good to go there,’ Noreen repeated. ‘Believe me, you’re better off going home now. Being with your own family at a time like this.’ Noreen turned her back on Lily and began to put her shopping away.

Lily was staggered by Noreen’s attitude. She stalked out of the kitchen without another word. Back in her room, it felt as if the walls were closing in on her. She needed to get out, and besides, she was hungry. She certainly didn’t want to eat with Noreen and her daughters again, not after the way Noreen had dismissed her. Lily sat down at the little dressing table and brushed her hair, which was a tangled mess after walking along the cliffs. She applied a little make-up to pick herself up, but the face which stared back at her still looked washed out and miserable. Her black hair, which normally hung smooth and silky, was all messed up and frizzy because of the damp weather. She examined her sore arm, the skin still red and angry. She took a breath. So what if she looked like shit? She couldn’t give a crap right now. She was going back into the village to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding her husband.

Outside, the wind had dropped, but the drizzly rain had returned. She put her hood up and walked down the road into the village. In the mist, she could see boats bobbing up and down in the little walled harbour. The sound of the clinking rigging made her feel a little homesick. She passed the boats, heading into a pub which faced out onto the harbour. It was early still, and the bar was practically empty, but they served food. She ordered a vodka and Coke, and fish and chips.