mad to make a quick killing. There's going to be nothing but meetings and more meetings in the hotel.'
'Well, you will go and see them?'
'I might, I might not. You know the way it's more hurtful to go in somewhere for five minutes than not to go at all.'
Ria didn't know. 'You could drive down a couple of hours earlier.'
'I have to go when Barney goes, sweetheart.'
Ria knew not to push it. 'Fine. When the weather gets better I'll drive her down to see them, we might both go.'
'What? Yes, great.' She knew he wouldn't. He had separated himself from them a long time ago, they were no longer part of his life. Sometimes Danny and his single-mindedness were a mystery and a slight worry to Ria.
'Would you like to drive down to the country with me to see Danny's parents?' Ria asked her mother.
'Well, maybe. Would Annie be carsick?'
'Not at all, doesn't she love going in the car? Will you make them an apple tart?'
'Why?'
'Oh Mam, out of niceness, that's why. They'll be apologising about everything. You know the way they go on. And if I bring too much they get sort of overwhelmed. You bringing an apple tart is different somehow.'
'You're very complicated, Ria. You always were,' said Nora, but she was pleased to make one, and did a lot of fancy lattice-work with the pastry. .
Ria had written well in advance and the Lynches were expecting them. They were pleased to see little Annie, and Ria took a picture of them with her to add to the ones she had already framed and given to them. They would be part of Annie's life and future in spite of their distance and reserve. She had resolved this. They never saw their other grandchild in England . Rich didn't come back. It was hard, they said. Ria wondered why it was hard for a man who was meant to be doing well in London to come home even just once and show his son to his own parents.
Rosemary had said she should leave them to it and be glad that she didn't have nagging in-laws. But Ria was determined that they stay involved.
They had cold ham, tomatoes and shop bread, which was all they ever served. 'Will I warm up the apple tart, do you think?' Mrs Lynch asked fearfully, as if faced with an insuperable problem.
How had these timid people begotten Danny Lynch who travelled the country with Barney McCarthy, confident and authoritative, talking to businessmen and county families that would have had his parents doffing their caps and bending their knees?
'And you were down here a few weeks ago and never told us,' Danny's father said.
'No indeed I was not. I think Danny may have been near by, but of course he would have to stay with Barney McCarthy all the time.' Ria was annoyed. She had known that somehow it would get back to them. He had only been a few short miles away, why couldn't he have come over for an hour?
'Well, now, when I was in the creamery there, Marty was saying that his daughter works in the hotel and that the pair of you were there.'
'No, it was Barney who was with him,' Ria said patiently. 'She got it wrong.'
'Oh well, fair enough,' said Danny's father. The incident had lost any interest for him.
Ria knew what had confused the girl; Barney McCarthy had brought Polly with him on the trip. So that's where the mistake lay.
In September 1987, shortly before Annie's fourth birthday party, they were planning a party for the grown-ups in Tara Road.
Danny and Ria were making the list, and Rosemary was there as she so often was.
'Remember a few millionaires for me, I'm getting to my sell-by date,' Rosemary said.
'Oh that will be the day,' Ria laughed.
'Seriously though, has Barney any friends?'
'No, they're all sharks. You'd hate them, Rosemary,' Danny laughed.
'Okay, who else is on the list?'
'Gertie,' said Ria.
'No,' said Danny.
'Of course, Gertie,' said Ria.
'You can't have a party and not have Gertie,' Rosemary supported her.
'But that mad eejit Jack Brennan will turn up looking for a fight or a bottle of brandy or both,' Danny protested.
'Let him,
'Well, you will go and see them?'
'I might, I might not. You know the way it's more hurtful to go in somewhere for five minutes than not to go at all.'
Ria didn't know. 'You could drive down a couple of hours earlier.'
'I have to go when Barney goes, sweetheart.'
Ria knew not to push it. 'Fine. When the weather gets better I'll drive her down to see them, we might both go.'
'What? Yes, great.' She knew he wouldn't. He had separated himself from them a long time ago, they were no longer part of his life. Sometimes Danny and his single-mindedness were a mystery and a slight worry to Ria.
'Would you like to drive down to the country with me to see Danny's parents?' Ria asked her mother.
'Well, maybe. Would Annie be carsick?'
'Not at all, doesn't she love going in the car? Will you make them an apple tart?'
'Why?'
'Oh Mam, out of niceness, that's why. They'll be apologising about everything. You know the way they go on. And if I bring too much they get sort of overwhelmed. You bringing an apple tart is different somehow.'
'You're very complicated, Ria. You always were,' said Nora, but she was pleased to make one, and did a lot of fancy lattice-work with the pastry. .
Ria had written well in advance and the Lynches were expecting them. They were pleased to see little Annie, and Ria took a picture of them with her to add to the ones she had already framed and given to them. They would be part of Annie's life and future in spite of their distance and reserve. She had resolved this. They never saw their other grandchild in England . Rich didn't come back. It was hard, they said. Ria wondered why it was hard for a man who was meant to be doing well in London to come home even just once and show his son to his own parents.
Rosemary had said she should leave them to it and be glad that she didn't have nagging in-laws. But Ria was determined that they stay involved.
They had cold ham, tomatoes and shop bread, which was all they ever served. 'Will I warm up the apple tart, do you think?' Mrs Lynch asked fearfully, as if faced with an insuperable problem.
How had these timid people begotten Danny Lynch who travelled the country with Barney McCarthy, confident and authoritative, talking to businessmen and county families that would have had his parents doffing their caps and bending their knees?
'And you were down here a few weeks ago and never told us,' Danny's father said.
'No indeed I was not. I think Danny may have been near by, but of course he would have to stay with Barney McCarthy all the time.' Ria was annoyed. She had known that somehow it would get back to them. He had only been a few short miles away, why couldn't he have come over for an hour?
'Well, now, when I was in the creamery there, Marty was saying that his daughter works in the hotel and that the pair of you were there.'
'No, it was Barney who was with him,' Ria said patiently. 'She got it wrong.'
'Oh well, fair enough,' said Danny's father. The incident had lost any interest for him.
Ria knew what had confused the girl; Barney McCarthy had brought Polly with him on the trip. So that's where the mistake lay.
In September 1987, shortly before Annie's fourth birthday party, they were planning a party for the grown-ups in Tara Road.
Danny and Ria were making the list, and Rosemary was there as she so often was.
'Remember a few millionaires for me, I'm getting to my sell-by date,' Rosemary said.
'Oh that will be the day,' Ria laughed.
'Seriously though, has Barney any friends?'
'No, they're all sharks. You'd hate them, Rosemary,' Danny laughed.
'Okay, who else is on the list?'
'Gertie,' said Ria.
'No,' said Danny.
'Of course, Gertie,' said Ria.
'You can't have a party and not have Gertie,' Rosemary supported her.
'But that mad eejit Jack Brennan will turn up looking for a fight or a bottle of brandy or both,' Danny protested.
'Let him,
Similar Books
