car, a sleek walnut Chevrolet, which kicked off a clamour of awe.
‘Where did you get it?’ Jessie cried.
‘Summersgate market.’
She’d spent too many hours there, when she should have been working, trawling the curiosities at the stalls, looking for something special enough.
‘So you’ve given me a plane,’ Ferdia said, ‘and now a car!’
‘It’s from Liam too.’ Hah. Liam didn’t even know about it.
Ferdia ignored that. ‘Birthday hug?’
She had to step into the circle of his arms, as if he were as safe as Dilly. The heat of his chest travelled through the thin fabric of his shirt, then through her top.
Tentatively she touched his back, but when her fingertips felt the knobbles of his vertebrae, she stepped, too quickly, away from him. To her relief, the arrival of Ed, Cara and the kids shifted the focus.
Still no Perla – not even when Jessie laid several platters of Korean dumplings on the table and there was a sudden scramble for chairs. Maybe she wasn’t coming. Jessie wouldn’t have dished up the grub if they were waiting for more people.
Patrolling with the wine, Johnny stopped at Ferdia. ‘More?’
‘No. Pacing myself.’
‘Big sesh tonight?’ Ed asked.
‘Gig in the Button Factory. You should all come.’ His glance skimmed around the table and snagged on Nell.
‘My gig days are long behind me,’ Cara said. ‘If I don’t have a seat, my suffering is unquantifiable.’
‘Old age comes to us all,’ Ed said.
‘And we’re too young,’ Bridey piped up.
‘But Nell could go,’ Dilly said. ‘She’s the right age.’
‘Do, Nell,’ Jessie insisted.
‘Do,’ Ferdia said.
‘Ha-ha.’ She didn’t know if she was being humoured. ‘I’ve got work tomorrow.’
‘On a Saturday?’
‘All the days right now. Only eleven days till opening night. Anyone wants free tickets, let me know.’
‘How’s it going?’ Jessie asked.
‘Good.’ She paused. ‘I think. If nothing goes badly wrong between now and Tuesday week, we’ll make it.’
Once she’d made her escape from Jessie’s, she rang Garr. ‘Where are you at? Meet me? In about forty minutes?’
‘What’s up?’
‘Tell you when I see you.’
‘I’ll be in the Long Hall.’
When she arrived, Garr had a drink waiting.
‘I …’ She hardly knew how to get into this. ‘I feel like I don’t love Liam any more.’
The great thing about Garr – maybe about men in general – was that they didn’t start telling her what they thought she wanted to hear. Triona, for example: she’d have said, ‘Of course you love him! It’s just a phase.’
‘Did something happen?’ Garr asked.
‘A few somethings but I don’t know that they’re deal-breakers. Maybe I just know the real him now. This is awful, but I actually don’t like him. I married him too quickly, Garr. It was bullshit. Nana McDermott was right. And it’s not fair to him.’
‘Talk to him.’
‘I’ve tried. He said we’re just getting to know each other better. But the more I know him, the less I like him. I feel like a terrible person.’
‘You need to tell him what you’ve told me.’ He paused. ‘Not word for word. Maybe ease up on the negative stuff. You can probably fix this.’
‘You think? I feel so guilty about his family – they’ve all been so sound. I love Cara. And Jessie, too, even though she’s stone mad. Ed is great, and Johnny is gas. And the kids. Dilly, TJ, Vinnie and Tom. Even Bridey. Saoirse is a sweetie. And –’ She stopped abruptly.
‘What?’ Garr asked.
She couldn’t speak.
Garr’s face was all disbelief. ‘Nell … Jesus Christ, is something going on between you and the young lad? The son? Your nephew?’
‘No. No. No way. No.’
‘Nell, what?’
‘Garr, it’s horrific. I’m … sort of … obsessed with him.’ Tears were pouring down her face. ‘I’m scared out of my mind. Am I mentally ill? Is this a thing?’
‘But what age is he? Nineteen? Twenty?’
‘Twenty-two. I’m nearly nine years older than him, Garr. But it’s not illegal. Falling in love with your nephew. I looked it up.’
‘Oh, Nell. Lemme ask, which came first? Going off Liam? Or getting a thing for the nephew?’
‘Going off Liam.’ She needed that to be true. If she’d lost interest in Liam because she’d got a thing for Ferdia, what kind of a person was she?
‘Do you fancy your man? Or …?’
‘“Fancy” isn’t the word, Garr. I want him so much it’s … insane. I think he’s good, his heart is good. He was an eejit and now he isn’t. And he’s gas and lovely …’ She cleared her throat. ‘Anyway, he has a girlfriend.’
‘Stay away from him. I totally mean it: stay the hell away