It Was Only Ever You by Kate Kerrigan Page B

was something soothing in his gentle manner and the way he was happy to put himself aside. Most men were such boastful bores.
    Over lunch Dermot told her all about his life. She knew most of it already from her mother and from general gossip in their social circles. He told her about his volunteer work ministering to the legal needs of the poor in the area. He was proud of his Irish roots and asked how she felt about the Republican cause back home and how they were fighting to get their land back from the English oppressors.
    ‘My father fundraises for Sinn Fein,’ she said.
    Ava knew a good deal about Irish politics from her father. She read the Irish newspapers as well as the American ones. Dermot seemed impressed that she knew something about both things and kept questioning her. The conversation made her feel clever and important in the way conversations with her father did.
    During the speeches, Dermot had to get up and give gifts to the bridesmaids. His speech was witty and articulate. And as the room filled with laughter she felt a small snap of pride. As he praised the bride’s beauty his eyes moved across the room to her. When he came back to the table he rested his hand gently on Ava’s as if to apologize for having left her for so long and continued to attend to her, lighting her cigarettes, pouring her coffee and passing her petits fours.
    The band came on stage and began to warm up for the bride and groom’s first dance.
    ‘I believe the singer is very good,’ Dermot said. ‘He is recently arrived from Ireland, so I believe.’
    ‘No rock and roll then?’ Niall butted in. ‘Will I have to wait until later, Ava, before I steer you away from my selfish brother?’
    The opening verse of ‘Down by the Salley Gardens’ came floating across the worn, wooden dance floor and the bride and groom began their first dance.
    ‘Aha,’ Dermot said. ‘A nice slow start. May I...?’ He stood up and reached for Ava’s hand.
    ‘This song is my father’s party piece,’ she said to Dermot.
    ‘And it’s a waltz,’ he said. Then clasping her hand added, ‘Could it be any more perfect?’
    It was Ava’s turn to blush. She could barely believe this was happening to her. Being asked up for the first dance, and a waltz! She did not even dare look across the room at her mother. Nessa would have to be hospitalized with sheer joy.
    As they joined the wedding party on the dance floor Dermot placed his hand firmly on the small of her back and clutched her right hand awkwardly in his left. Ava’s initial thrill waned somewhat when she realized that Dermot was, indeed, a clumsy and disjointed dancer. With a terrific confidence that his skill did not warrant, he clunked her about on the dance floor with a heavy foot, bruising the tips of her toes with almost every step, and driving her off in a straight line away from the dance floor. Ava redirected him firmly just as the singer came and took his place at the front of the stage. Ava could see that he was around her own age. He was wearing a deep green velvet suit. His hair was soft black curls, his eyes – she could see even from here – were a striking blue.
    She could not say if his face was handsome or not because he wore an expression of such ecstasy as he sang ‘Down by the Salley Gardens’ that she could almost feel his emotion sliding over her skin.
    The deep, glorious sound of the young man’s singing voice affected her so deeply that Ava could feel her legs weakening beneath her, as if she were about to faint. She loosened her back and arms and sank her head on to Dermot’s shoulder.
    Delighted with the intimate gesture Dermot relaxed his footwork so that the two of them were simply shuffling on the spot in a sideways embrace. He closed his eyes and drank in the perfume of Ava’s hair. He distracted himself from the closeness of their bodies, her breasts against his chest, her breath on his neck, by planning how he could capture her affection. Perhaps he