AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘It feels as if every time I’m around you, I just get on your nerves…’ He took a deep breath and when she looked at him, she could see he was embarrassed. ‘And that day, I should have held you back, maybe said something, I don’t know…’
‘Yes, well I don’t think St Patrick and all the saints of Ireland could have done much to stop me once it all got started, that’s the ugly truth of it; the whole village has seen and heard it all.’
‘Nola.’ He said her name with a hoarseness that felt as if she’d never heard him say it before. ‘There’s nothing ugly about you and all of that’ – he waved his hand as if he might brush the whole terrible episode aside – ‘all of it, needed to be said. You can’t move forward, not properly unless the air is cleared and there was a lot of air that needed clearing between you Delahaye sisters. A blind man could see that.’
‘Well, it carried a heavy price. I’m finished ever having a chance to teach drama again.’
‘What? Of course you’re not finished teaching. Did Gary say that to you?’
‘No, he was actually very sweet. I think he felt almost as badly as I did.’ She smiled now, thinking of it. They were speeding through the empty streets of Ballycove; it was too wet today for even the most dedicated dog walkers. ‘He said he’d enrol his own daughters in my drama school if I’d have them.’
‘But that’s brilliant, don’t you see? You have to get that drama school up and running now. It’s his way of supporting you. None of the naysayers can say a word against you. You’ve resigned with dignity in order to start your own business – there’s no shame there.’
‘It’s hardly a business.’ She shook her head; after all, she’d be returning to London hopefully at the end of summer.
‘And what else would you call it? Look, when you go back to London, if you want to get a job teaching, Gary can give you a reference. He’ll be signing it as a parent, but it won’t hurt that he was also your previous employer.’
‘I hadn’t thought of that.’ Nola felt a little lighter suddenly.
‘And you know, I’m sure if you look all along the coast, it’s not just this village that’s crying out for something kids can get involved in. You and your drama school could be the best thing that happened to the place.’ He smiled at her. ‘Of course, you’ll need to keep that temper of yours in check and use a little charm to get it off the ground.’
‘I can be charming, when I want to be,’ she said with a reluctant smile. ‘Look, you and I, we just got off to a bad start.’
‘Well, that might have been more my fault than yours; after all, I did almost run over you, but…’ His words petered off, they had pulled up at the back door of the house, but he turned off the engine, as if he was in no rush to leave just yet.
‘Yes, well, it would have taken two of us to make an accident.’
‘I tried to make amends by bringing you along to the pub that night.’ He was laughing now and against all the odds of the morning she’d just had, she found herself laughing too.
‘Yes, and then you left me sitting there while you went off to chat up the barmaid.’
‘Whoa, I definitely wasn’t chatting up the barmaid.’ He held up his hand in defence and she half believed him; it didn’t matter; it wasn’t as if it was a date or anything.
‘Water under the bridge.’ She smiled.
‘Hah. It looks like we’re destined to always be at odds, I think, which is a pity.’
‘It is?’
‘Well, yes. I was very fond of your father, I get on well with most everyone in the village and I hoped we could be…friends, for as long as you’re here.’
‘Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll grow on you too,’ she said a little coyly.
‘I think you already have.’ His voice was coarse and when their eyes met, it felt as if time stopped and there wasn’t so much as a sound to be heard between them except Nola could feel her heart hammering hard against her chest.
‘Well, maybe you should do something about that,’ she said breaking the spell before she hopped out of the jeep and ran into the house. Once inside she wasn’t sure whether she felt excited or disappointed; after all, what good could become of falling for Aiden now, when before too long, she’d be packing her bags to go back to London?
*
‘I would like to buy you both out of the distillery,’ Georgie said to Iris as they made their way to a smart office, just about midway between her apartment and Sandstone and Mellon. ‘I’m hoping to raise enough money, between my pay-off from Paul Mellon and selling my apartment, to take over both your shares.’
Iris turned to look at her sister. ‘Wow. That’s a great idea, Georgie. It’s hardly going to cost that much, though, is it?’ Iris knew too well the value of London property; even her own house in the suburbs would be worth a fortune.
‘I intend to pay the market value.’ They both knew Nola would need her full share. If she returned to London, every penny would count for her. ‘So, I’ll be taking over from where Dad left off.’ Georgie beamed at the thought – it would be worth every penny. She’d never felt more fulfilled than she had these last few months working in the distillery. It wasn’t just the work itself, but it was the people too – it was a new start, just what she needed, even if she hadn’t realised it before she’d left London.
‘But that’s marvellous.’ Iris hugged her. ‘Dad would have been over the moon, wouldn’t he?’
‘I think he would, but I’m not just doing it out of sentimentality. It’s a good business, with the potential to be a great business.’
