The Matchmaker (33 page)

She smiled. ‘That sounds nice.’

‘I’ll cook us dinner in my place or we can go out, whatever you want. What about Friday?’

Dinner alone with him in the confines of the mews might not be the best idea given he had a girlfriend, she reminded herself. A restaurant would be a lot safer.

‘Out would be nice,’ she found herself saying.

Sarah had taken a bit of care with her appearance, opting for the floaty pink and turquoise Avoca patterned skirt that her sisters had bought for her birthday last year and a little white string top with the new pink wrap cardigan and a gorgeous pair of rose-coloured high heels she’d treated herself to in London. Evie was already fast asleep, her mother ensconced with the remote control watching the television. She had jumped at the chance of babysitting.

‘I’m glad to see that Angus has finally had the good sense to ask you out for a celebration meal,’ she said with a twinkle in her eye.

‘Mum, for heaven’s sake, will you stop matchmaking? Angus and I are just friends, you know that. It’s lonely for him stuck here in Dublin with his girlfriend back in Scotland. We just keep each other company sometimes.’

‘Is that what they call it?’

‘Mum, honestly, your generation are obsessed with love and romance. Nowadays men and women can just be friends.’

Maggie Ryan held her tongue, for once not stating the obvious.

Angus took her to
Chapter One
, the award-winning restaurant situated beside the Writers Museum on Parnell Square.

‘I thought it might be an apt place for a literary celebration,’ he teased as they were led to their table.

The menu was fantastic and Sarah was in a dither about what to order, opting for the seafood pancake followed by monkfish in a champagne sauce as Angus ordered a bottle of Pouilly Fumé.

‘Here’s to Mitten – that wonderful Kitten!’ he toasted. ‘I promise I shall be first in line in my local bookshop to buy it.’

‘Don’t be silly, you don’t have kids.’

‘I have a godson, Jack,’ he protested. ‘At his last birthday he was three. And I have a niece and a nephew. Anyway, I can keep it for when I have children.’

‘I’m sure you’ll have loads.’ She smiled. ‘I mean you and Megan.’

He didn’t answer and she presumed he wanted her to mind her own business in terms of his relationship plans with Megan. Point taken. She speedily attempted to divert the conversation.

She regaled him with the tale of her trip to the publishers and Jilly’s book offer and how good Evie had been in her absence, until she realized how quiet he was being.

‘Is your meal OK?’ she asked, concerned.

‘It’s about Megan,’ he said, putting down his knife and fork and looking directly at her.

‘Listen, Angus,’ she apologized, ‘I’m sorry. I’ve overstepped the mark totally, making comments about the size of your family. Your and Megan’s plans have absolutely nothing to do with me. Maybe she doesn’t want kids, or wants just one, or you’ll have a football team. I don’t know . . . I know from what you’ve told me that she’s a lovely girl.’ She was prattling on in embarrassment.

His fingers caught her wrist, forcing her to stop talking. ‘Megan and I have broken up,’ he said slowly, his expression serious. ‘It’s over.’

‘What! I don’t believe you.’

‘She’s a great girl; she’s done nothing wrong. It’s just that I’ve discovered the life that I had planned out is now heading in a totally different direction and that Megan is not the person I want to share it with.’

‘Angus, I’m so sorry,’ Sarah said, stunned, taking his hand. ‘I know how much you loved her. You two were made for each other.’

‘That’s just it, I’m not sure that we were,’ he explained, his face serious. ‘I had to go to Scotland because James and I are signing off on a big media project. Megan and I got a chance to talk, spend time together.’

Sarah suddenly felt sorry for the Scottish girl; Angus had probably broken her heart.

‘Normally when I go home at weekends it’s always the same thing; Megan and I go out to parties and dinners and clubs and see friends. We never seem to have enough time to be on our own or just to sit down and talk. Megan knew it too. We had both got so caught up with things, stupid commitments to family, work; there was always some sort of excuse.’

Sarah sighed. If she loved someone all she’d just want to be around them, talk to them, go for walks, hold their hand, lie on the couch watching TV and telling each other stories and jokes.

‘Funny thing is Megan was feeling the same, the very same,’ he said, his gaze unwavering. ‘That’s why she wouldn’t move over here to Dublin with me. It’s weird, we’ve known each other since we were thirteen and yet maybe we didn’t know each other at all. We started going out when I was seventeen; our families have known each other for years, my dad plays golf with her dad. Then we went to Edinburgh University together. We just became a couple without really thinking about it. Everyone assumed we were going to get married and live happily ever after!’

Sarah didn’t know what to say.

‘That was part of the reason I came here to Dublin, I guess, just to do something different. The physical distance between us made us both realize that the relationship wasn’t as strong as we had imagined. I didn’t miss her the way I first did,’ he admitted slowly. ‘I didn’t feel the need to go to Edinburgh to see her every weekend, and the three weekends she came over here to me we were in a crowd, for the rugby, St Patrick’s, apart from those few days we went to Galway. Then I began to think of someone else . . .’ he added, ‘and I wanted to be with her all the time instead of being with Megan.’

Sarah could feel her breath catch in her throat.

‘Sarah, I couldn’t get you out of my head. I wanted to be here in Dublin with you all the time. I didn’t want to leave you.’

What was that crazy Scotsman saying? That he fancied her, wanted her? She couldn’t believe it.

‘I wanted to kill that guy Ronan when he asked you out! I’m not the jealous type – well, I didn’t think I was. I felt a right fool after that night babysitting in your place. I wanted more – you know that. You deserve better. I didn’t want to pretend any more, I knew I had to tell Megan.’

Sarah stared into his eyes; he was telling the truth. She could see it, clear as the wine glass she was holding.

‘Megan said she’d already guessed,’ he explained. ‘She said she could tell. It was bloody awful but we’d both felt it coming. She’s kind of got a thing for one of the guys in her office. He’s older, always asking her out, but she was nervous too, couldn’t let it go any further because of us.’

Utter silence fell between them, taken up with the clatter of the restaurant and the people at the tables around them talking and eating.

‘Are you sure?’ asked Sarah. She had no intention of coming between them if there was something left of the relationship.

‘It’s over with Megan, I promise. I wouldn’t say it otherwise. Megan and I, we’re friends, old friends, and she will always be special to me but there is nothing more to it.’

She stared down at the pattern on the plate, at the vegetables and the baby new potatoes tossed in herbs. Angus didn’t have a girlfriend, she told herself. He didn’t have a girlfriend any more.

‘If you just want to stay friends, the way we were, I’ll understand,’ Angus said slowly, his eyes darting around nervously. ‘But I’m mad about you. From the first day when I came to see the mews and your mother made you show me around the place I fancied you. I watch you going in and out to put the washing on the line in the mornings.’

‘Angus, I’m in my pyjamas!’ she protested.

‘You look cute,’ he said firmly. ‘To me you always look cute.’

She grinned, the smile spreading all over her face. Angus Hamilton really fancied her. He fancied her big time. She could tell by the way he was looking at her and holding her hand.

‘We’re already friends,’ he said, his thin face serious, ‘but I want more.’

Sarah could feel her eyes well with tears. She was such a stupid eejit. Angus was kind and funny and made her laugh and Evie and he got on really well. He wasn’t like any of the other guys she’d met. Evie’s existence had never bothered him, not in the slightest, and when he was around he made her feel safe and relaxed. He was fun and attractive and now, the best thing of all, he was available.

‘Me too,’ Sarah replied, deliberately, her gaze meeting his.

Ever since Leo had died Maggie had found it hard to manage the constant repairs and upkeep an old house like this needed. Painting the woodwork, staining the back fence, coating the railings with rust-proof paint, pruning the conifers and large trees, oiling the locks and bolts about the place. Leo had looked after a hundred million manly things without complaining or saying a word and now she was landed with it all. The bathroom tap had been dripping for weeks and the last few days she could hardly sleep with it. On top of that the fitting for the shower head needed to be replaced and the sink in her utility room was blocked. She had tried to get a plumber only to be told he was booked for the next few months. Enquiring round she was told that getting a plumber to come and do a few small jobs was nigh on impossible.

From her sitting-room window Maggie watched daily the constant flow of workmen – carpenters, plumbers, electricians, plasterers and painters – renovating the O’Connors’ old house. Mark McGuinness himself had been absent for the past few weeks and, seeing his big black Range Rover parked outside in his usual spot again, she decided to take matters into her own hands.

He had looked surprised when she had knocked on his door explaining the problem she was having with regards to a plumber, and amused when she invited him to lunch in her house.

‘I’ll see what I can do about the plumber,’ he said, ‘and I usually take a break about twelve thirty, if that suits you for lunch.’

‘Ideal,’ said Maggie.

Two hours later he had appeared just as he promised and before they sat down to eat Maggie showed him around the house, highlighting her plumbing issues. Mark admired all the work Leo had done: the coving in the hall, the restored staircase, the plasterwork on the ceilings and the hand-painted kitchen that Leo had insisted suited the old house.

She had prepared a simple lunch of salad, slices of oak-smoked salmon and her own homemade brown bread. She told him about speaking to Tom and Detta recently on the phone.

‘Detta’s joined the church choir and all seems to be going well for them. Thank heaven it was a good move.’

‘A good move on my part too.’ He smiled. ‘I like the square. It seems a good place to live.’

‘So you will be living here?’ she prompted, trying to get a bit of information out of him.

He laughed. ‘Of course, that was always my intention.’

‘I also wanted to say thank you properly for helping with my granddaughter and for bringing her to the hospital. We are all extremely grateful to you,’ she said, passing him the mayonnaise.

‘It was the least I could do,’ he said politely.

‘Grace says she wouldn’t have managed without you.’

He flushed slightly at the mention of her eldest daughter’s name. What on earth was going on between the two of them? she wondered.

‘Have you seen her?’ she asked, deciding to throw caution to the wind, not caring whether he thought her an interfering busybody.

‘No, I’ve been away in America, tied up with a family problem,’ he said. ‘You know how it is.’

‘Not really,’ she said. ‘Grace is my eldest, my first child. She may appear one of those cool sophisticated career women, eldest children often do – you’d understand if you had children – but underneath she’s soft and has the kindest, biggest heart of anyone I know.’

Mark nodded, taking in what she was saying.

‘I wouldn’t want anyone to hurt her or damage that heart of hers,’ she said firmly.

‘I understand,’ he said slowly, spearing a last piece of fish on his fork, ‘and believe me, Maggie, my intentions towards Grace are only good!’

‘Well, that’s nice to hear.’ She nodded for she did believe him.

As they finished eating, they talked about the neighbourhood and Maggie filled him in on the residents’ association. She found, to her surprise, that he was rather good company as they chatted and had coffee.

‘I have a very reliable young plumber called Adam Czibi, he does a lot of work for me. I’ll send him over to you first thing tomorrow morning,’ promised Mark as he was leaving.

He’s a
gentleman
, Maggie decided, someone Leo would have approved of. He would make a lovely son-in-law if only he would make his feelings towards Grace clear.

Early the next morning she had tidied the bathroom, scrubbing at the shower tray and polishing the big glass mirror that hid away her old mascaras and perfumes in the bathroom cabinet. The plumber was punctual and she was impressed with the tall serious young man from Poland who without any further ado began to sort out the problems. She made him a cup of tea and produced a packet of chocolate Club Milks which he devoured, sitting across from her at the kitchen table.

Adam told her about moving to Ireland three years ago with his brother Josef and setting up their own business.

‘The first year and a half in Dublin we work on big building sites of apartments on the docks. Then we get sense and we work for ourselves. Now we have plenty of work, big jobs and little jobs.’

‘Your family must be very proud of you,’ she said.

‘They are at home in Poland, but my brother’s wife Sylvie she came to Dublin in January. We share a house together.’

‘And do you have a wife too?’ she quizzed, her curiosity sparked.

‘No, no girlfriend. Nobody! I work too hard. Sometime I will meet a nice Irish girl or a Polish girl. My mother she prays for that.’

Maggie smiled. He had a sense of humour. She only knew one Polish girl but she was a nice girl. The type his mother would definitely approve of . . .

‘Adam, can you excuse me a minute?’

There was no time like the present and she phoned Oscar quickly. He was just about to leave to play bridge with some friends.

‘Oscar, are you still having problems with your hot-water heater?’ she asked, instantly getting her older neighbour’s attention. ‘It’s just that I have a plumber here with me.’