You?’
‘I’m good, Mam.’ Grania surveyed the short menu and ordered another pot of tea and a scone.
‘So now, you say the child has gone off for her first dancing class?’
‘Yes and I really think, although I’m no expert, that she has the potential to be very good. She’s so graceful, Mam, I sometimes find myself staring at her just because of the beautiful way she moves.’
‘Well, of course,’ Kathleen nodded sagely. ‘I’d be thinking she’d have a gift in that direction. It’s in the blood,’ she sighed.
‘Really?’ Grania raised an eyebrow as her tea arrived. ‘Was her mother a dancer?’
‘No, but her grandmother was. And, in her day, very famous.’
‘I’m surprised Aurora hasn’t mentioned it.’ Grania bit into her scone.
‘Maybe she doesn’t know. So, how has it been up at Dunworley House?’
‘It’s … fine.’ Grania needed to talk to her motherabout Aurora’s night-time wanderings and the strange atmosphere in the house, but didn’t wish to provide further fuel to feed Kathleen’s displeasure. ‘Aurora seems to be relaxing and coming out of her shell with me. As you know, I bought a TV for her, and she’s been enjoying that. I feel she needs –’ Grania searched for the appropriate phrase – ‘some normality. She seems to have been isolated from the outside world for so much of her life and I don’t think it’s healthy. The loneliness gives her far too much time to be in her own head, and her imagination to run riot.’
‘Imagination, is it?’ Kathleen gave a wry smile. ‘I’d say she’s been talking about seeing her mother, hasn’t she?’
‘Yes … but we both know she’s dreaming.’
‘So then, you haven’t spied her mammy standing on the cliffs yet?’ There was a twinkle in Kathleen’s eye.
‘Mam, be serious! You are joking, aren’t you?’
‘Not wholly, Grania, no. For myself, I’ve never seen her, but I could tell you some from the village who swear they have.’
‘Well, of course, it’s ridiculous.’ Grania nervously took a sip of her tea. ‘But the problem is, I think Aurora really believes her mother
does
appear to her. She … sleepwalks, and when I try to wake her, she tells me her mother is calling to her.’
Kathleen crossed herself out of habit and shook her head. ‘Well now, what came over her father to bring her back here, I really can’t think. Anyway, it’s not our business to wonder. Although you’re the one left dealing with the poor little mite.’
‘I don’t mind. I love her and I want to try and help herif I can,’ Grania replied defensively. ‘So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?’
‘Well now, Grania,’ Kathleen leaned forward and lowered her voice, ‘I had a word with your daddy, so I did, and he thinks it’s best if I tell you part of the reason why I’m finding your involvement with that family so unsettling.’ Kathleen reached inside her shopping bag and pulled out a thick wad of letters.
Grania could see from the browning edges that the letters were old. ‘What are they, Mam? Who are they from?’
‘They are from Mary, my grandmother.’
Grania frowned, wracking her brains for a memory. ‘Did I ever meet her?’
‘No, sadly. To be sure, she was a wonderful woman and I was very fond of her. Some would say she was ahead of her time. She was feisty and independent, and I’d go as far as to be saying that you take after her, Grania.’ Kathleen grinned.
‘I’ll take that as a compliment, Mam.’
‘So you should, and you certainly look like her.’ Kathleen opened the top envelope and passed Grania a small sepia photograph. ‘There she is, that is your great-granny.’
Grania studied the picture and couldn’t disagree. In a bonnet and old-fashioned clothes, it was her own features and colouring that stared back at her. ‘When was this taken, Mam?’
‘I’d say Mary was in her twenties then, so it was probably taken in London.’
‘London? What was Mary doing
‘I’m good, Mam.’ Grania surveyed the short menu and ordered another pot of tea and a scone.
‘So now, you say the child has gone off for her first dancing class?’
‘Yes and I really think, although I’m no expert, that she has the potential to be very good. She’s so graceful, Mam, I sometimes find myself staring at her just because of the beautiful way she moves.’
‘Well, of course,’ Kathleen nodded sagely. ‘I’d be thinking she’d have a gift in that direction. It’s in the blood,’ she sighed.
‘Really?’ Grania raised an eyebrow as her tea arrived. ‘Was her mother a dancer?’
‘No, but her grandmother was. And, in her day, very famous.’
‘I’m surprised Aurora hasn’t mentioned it.’ Grania bit into her scone.
‘Maybe she doesn’t know. So, how has it been up at Dunworley House?’
‘It’s … fine.’ Grania needed to talk to her motherabout Aurora’s night-time wanderings and the strange atmosphere in the house, but didn’t wish to provide further fuel to feed Kathleen’s displeasure. ‘Aurora seems to be relaxing and coming out of her shell with me. As you know, I bought a TV for her, and she’s been enjoying that. I feel she needs –’ Grania searched for the appropriate phrase – ‘some normality. She seems to have been isolated from the outside world for so much of her life and I don’t think it’s healthy. The loneliness gives her far too much time to be in her own head, and her imagination to run riot.’
‘Imagination, is it?’ Kathleen gave a wry smile. ‘I’d say she’s been talking about seeing her mother, hasn’t she?’
‘Yes … but we both know she’s dreaming.’
‘So then, you haven’t spied her mammy standing on the cliffs yet?’ There was a twinkle in Kathleen’s eye.
‘Mam, be serious! You are joking, aren’t you?’
‘Not wholly, Grania, no. For myself, I’ve never seen her, but I could tell you some from the village who swear they have.’
‘Well, of course, it’s ridiculous.’ Grania nervously took a sip of her tea. ‘But the problem is, I think Aurora really believes her mother
does
appear to her. She … sleepwalks, and when I try to wake her, she tells me her mother is calling to her.’
Kathleen crossed herself out of habit and shook her head. ‘Well now, what came over her father to bring her back here, I really can’t think. Anyway, it’s not our business to wonder. Although you’re the one left dealing with the poor little mite.’
‘I don’t mind. I love her and I want to try and help herif I can,’ Grania replied defensively. ‘So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?’
‘Well now, Grania,’ Kathleen leaned forward and lowered her voice, ‘I had a word with your daddy, so I did, and he thinks it’s best if I tell you part of the reason why I’m finding your involvement with that family so unsettling.’ Kathleen reached inside her shopping bag and pulled out a thick wad of letters.
Grania could see from the browning edges that the letters were old. ‘What are they, Mam? Who are they from?’
‘They are from Mary, my grandmother.’
Grania frowned, wracking her brains for a memory. ‘Did I ever meet her?’
‘No, sadly. To be sure, she was a wonderful woman and I was very fond of her. Some would say she was ahead of her time. She was feisty and independent, and I’d go as far as to be saying that you take after her, Grania.’ Kathleen grinned.
‘I’ll take that as a compliment, Mam.’
‘So you should, and you certainly look like her.’ Kathleen opened the top envelope and passed Grania a small sepia photograph. ‘There she is, that is your great-granny.’
Grania studied the picture and couldn’t disagree. In a bonnet and old-fashioned clothes, it was her own features and colouring that stared back at her. ‘When was this taken, Mam?’
‘I’d say Mary was in her twenties then, so it was probably taken in London.’
‘London? What was Mary doing
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