The Pub Across the Pond (29 page)

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Authors: Mary Carter

BOOK: The Pub Across the Pond
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“America is a litigious society,” Anchor said. Carlene asked the man to get down. She looked around for Michael and Lorraine, and finally spotted the pair in the center of the hooplah, huddled around their video camera. Then, to Carlene's surprise, Ciaran's wife, Jane, walked in the bar. Carlene hadn't seen her since the hen night. Apparently, Carlene wasn't the only one surprised. Ciaran flushed, quickly slid his pint glass over to Anchor, leaned in and asked for a pint of water. Carlene complied, although Jane didn't appear to be there to check in on her husband. In fact, she didn't even acknowledge him. She was carrying a large dress, concealed in a garment bag. Sally tore out from behind the bar.
“Is it my dress?” she asked.
“ 'Tis,”Jane said. “I was passing by the shop when Annmarie asked if I'd drop it in to ye.” While they talked, Carlene snuck a glance at Ronan. Then suddenly, she felt someone staring at her. Carlene looked up to find the woman from the museum staring at her. In that one glance, it was as if she knew exactly how Carlene felt about Ronan McBride. She looked at her with pity, and a touch of judgment, as if she thought it was Carlene's fault for getting involved with him in the first place. Sally was now holding the garment close to her body and swaying in the middle of the floor. Ronan stared at the back wall of the bar.
“You can't see it,” Sally called to Ronan, even though he wasn't making the slightest attempt to do so. “It's bad luck.”
“So is marrying the wrong person,” Carlene said under her breath. She thought she said it soft enough that no one could hear, but Ronan's head snapped toward hers and their eyes clashed.
“You should know,” Ronan said. Carlene looked away first.
“Do you mind if I hang it upstairs?” Sally asked.
“No bother,” Carlene said. Sally hurried up the stairs with it, along with several of her girlfriends in tow. The band took their first break. Lorraine was setting up a mini–video projector on the table and aiming it at the back wall. When the projector was turned on, the wall behind the band flooded with light.
“Show time?” Anchor said. They hadn't even asked Carlene's permission. Did they really think they were going to take her entire bar hostage by showing pictures of their trip on her back wall? Carlene took her frustrations out on the limes in front of her. Slice, slice, slice.
“Oh no,” Ronan said. He shot out of his stool. Carlene stared at the back wall as the video started to play. The Cliffs of Moher loomed large on the wall. Sally and Jane were coming down the steps. They stopped halfway. Carlene watched as an image of her and Ronan kissing by the cliffs filled the space. Lorraine's voice could be heard on the video.
“Look at the lovebirds,” she said.
“Don't spy on people, Lorraine,” Michael said. Carlene watched as the scene she'd been playing over and over again in her mind played out in front of the entire pub. She watched Ronan's arms circle her back, drop to her lower waist, and hold her tight as they kissed. Heads snapped from Sally, to Carlene, to Ronan, and back again. Lorraine looked over at Carlene with a clueless grin on her face.
“I got you two,” she said. The Americans clapped. Carlene lowered the knife in her hand and looked at Sally. Sally turned and sprinted up the steps. Jane stood stunned for a moment before running after her, but first treated Carlene to a parting word.
Whore
.
Ciaran slid his beer back from Anchor and pursed his lips, but didn't make eye contact with Carlene.
Ronan remained standing halfway between the bar and the video, which still played. On the wall, Carlene watched Ronan take her hand and lead her away from the cliffs.
C
HAPTER
35
A Note of Clarification
For a few minutes nobody except the group of Americans moved. Then the band started up again, although quieter, and this time the tune was not as jaunty. In fact it sounded more like a country ballad in which the singer has lost his dog, job, Chevy, and woman, all in one go. Joe walked in the door and stood nervously by the entrance as if anticipating a sneak attack. Sally stomped down the steps with her wedding dress in hand. It was out of the garment bag now and displayed in all its glory. It was a gown fit for a twelve-year-old princess, covered, as Carlene had suspected, with hundreds of glittering crystals.
Once again Sally stopped halfway down the stairs. She screamed at the top of her lungs. The band stopped playing. Everyone turned to her.
“You asked me to marry you when we were fifteen!” Sally shouted.
“Sally, please,” Ronan said. He lowered his head to the bar.
“You wrote ‘Be Mine' in the abbey. Remember? You stuck the note in the tower wall for me to find.”
“Sally,” Siobhan said. “Not here.”
“Yes, here,” Sally said. “And then you proposed in the exact same place.”
Siobhan stood. “How's that now?” Siobhan said.
“Siobhan,” Ronan said.
“He left me another note in the tower,” Sally said. “It said ‘Marry me.' ” Sally stuck her hand in her cleavage and pulled out a tiny note.
“Can I see that?” Siobhan said. She moved to the bottom of the stairs and held her hand up to Sally like a Good Samaritan helping a jumper off the ledge.
“Leave it be, Siobhan,” Ronan said. Siobhan looked at the note, then looked at Ronan. She handed the note to Katie.
“I've been waiting for you for fifteen years, Ronan McBride,” Sally said.
“Tell her,” Katie said. “Or I will.”
“Tell me what?” Sally shrieked.
“Can we go somewhere private?” Ronan said. Sally took the wedding dress in both hands and pulled. It started to tear.
“Tell me,” she said. “Or I rip it to shreds.”
“I'm sorry,” Ronan said. “I'm sorry.”
“Sorry for what? Kissing that whore? Cheating on me while we're engaged? Or dragging out the engagement for fifteen fucking years?”
“All of it,” Ronan said.
“I was going to help you,” Sally said. “With your problems.”
“I know.”
“What problems?” Siobhan said.
“You should really say ‘which problems,' ” Katie said. “If she lists them all, we'll be here all night.”
“Sally, can we please not do this here?” Ronan said. Carlene wanted to save him from this humiliation, but she didn't know what she should do. She looked to Declan, but he was suddenly fascinated with a jar of paper clips on the back bar.
“Why are they looking at the note like that?” Sally said.
“It's not Ronan's handwriting,” Katie said.
“What?” Sally said. “Yes, it is. I was there. Do ye think I don't know when I'm being proposed to? Tell them.”
“I didn't write the note,” Ronan said. “Either of them.”
“ ‘Be Mine'?” Sally said.
“It wasn't a love note at all,” Ronan said. “It was a tip on a horse.”
“What?” Sally said. Carlene didn't think Sally could screech any louder or higher, but she was mistaken.
“A friend was leaving me a tip for a winning horse in the abbey. You found the note first.”
“Why was he leaving you the note there?”
“Because fifteen-year-olds aren't supposed to be seen with bookies, and we didn't have text messaging back then.”
“But you said—”
“I know, I know what I said. I was fifteen, Sally. You were all bubbly about it and I lied and told you it was a love note for ye, okay? The horse didn't even fecking win, if that makes you happy.”
“And ‘Marry Me'?” Sally said. Ronan pulled the folded newspaper out of his pocket. Carlene looked away. Obviously, he'd been carrying it around for the past week, unable to bring himself to show it to her. But now he handed it over, like an accused man handing over the murder weapon.
“Number eight,” Ronan said.
“You're gambling again,” Siobhan said. “I don't fucking believe you.”
“I don't get it,” Sally said. “We have fecking text messaging now, Ronan McBride. Why is someone still leaving you notes? What are you, a child?”
“It was just someone messing,” Ronan said. “Racehorse Robbie bet me I couldn't quit gambling—”
“Another bet you're sure to lose,” Siobhan said.
“He's had a couple of wankers following me around twenty-four /seven. Then outta the blue some fella rang and said he left a tip on a winning horse for me at the abbey. I told myself no matter what I wasn't going to bet—but I had to have a look and see what he was on about.”
“But you texted me,” Sally said. “You told me to meet you there.”
“I was working at Mickey John's,” Ronan said. “My phone was on the bar. I didn't text you, Sally. We were both set up.”
“It's all been a lie,” Sally said. She slumped on the stairs. Carlene felt a rush of concern for her. She suddenly seemed more like a child than a woman. She'd spent fifteen years concocting this fantasy around Ronan based on secret love notes and ruined abbeys. Carlene looked for the woman from the Ballybeog Museum, and once again she found her staring at her. It was extremely disconcerting. And things were way too tense at the moment to stop and ask someone who she was.
“How much did you lose this time, Ronan?” Siobhan said.
“My pride,” Ronan said. He glanced at Carlene. “I'm really sorry, Sally,” he said.
Sally pointed at Carlene. “You,” she said. She threw the dress on the stairs, stomped down the rest of the way, faced Carlene, and squared off with her.
“Shit,” Carlene said. Declan grabbed her arm and whispered in her ear.
“I don't think she's gonna hit ye,” he said. “But ye might want to think about ducking just in case.”
“Thanks, Declan,” Carlene said.
“No bother, pet,” Declan said.
“You never said a word,” Sally said.
“This isn't her fault,” Ronan said.
“Shut yer gob,” Sally said.
“I'm sorry,” Carlene said. It was a little too late, but she really was sorry. She didn't come here to steal the loves of other people's lives.
“I quit my job, I followed you here, I helped you get this place up and running, I helped paint yer fucking wall!” Sally said.
“I know. I know, I'm sorry,” Carlene said.
“I blathered on and on about Ronan being the love of my life and you never said a fucking word.”
“I should have,” Carlene admitted. She wasn't going to apologize any more. Sally wasn't really listening anyway.
“How long have you been shagging him?” She turned to Ronan. “Did she win this pub fair and square?” Joe, who up until now had been standing in the doorway listening, stepped farther into the room.
“Of course she did,” Katie said. “I drew the name m'self.”
“Maybe this could use some lookin' into,” Joe said. The three McBride girls turned and glared at him.
“There's nothing to look into,” Siobhan said. “Sally's upset is all.”
“But how do we know that Ronan and this girl weren't lovers before she came here? Everyone is hooking up on the Internet these days. This whole raffle could have been a right trick!” Joe said.
“You got your money, Uncle Joe,” Clare said.
“I'll give it back to you,” Joe said. “Plus interest. It's the pub I want.”
“You can't have it,” Carlene said. “It's legally mine.”
“We can get a judge to review this,” Joe said. “This could have been a scam.”
“Ronan and I met at the Galway Races,” Carlene said. “After I won the pub.” She looked at Ronan, who now had his face buried in his hands. “Tell them,” Carlene said. As if physically linked together, all three McBride women stood.
“You were at the horse races?” Siobhan said. “After losing the pub?”
“Jaysus,” Clare said. “He's still at it. He goes and loses Father's pub and he's still gambling his life away.”
“You promised,” Katie said. She had tears in her eyes. “You promised over Da's grave!”
Ronan didn't lift his head from the bar.
“This needs to be looked into,” Joe said. “Investigated.”
“Why on earth do you still want this place?” Siobhan said. “You've more than enough money to set your tanning beds up somewhere else.”
“It's just convenient here is all,” Joe said. “I can keep an eye out from next door.” Carlene was so engrossed in the conversation that she didn't see the woman from the Ballybeog Museum until she was standing only a few feet away from her. She held out a book.
“Here's the book ye wanted,” she said. Carlene couldn't believe she chose this moment to hand it to her, as if nothing else were going on. “
The Souterrains of Ireland
,” the woman said.
“Thanks,” Carlene said. She took the book and quickly stuffed it beside the cash register. “What's your name?” Carlene said. But she was too late, the woman was already out the door. “Declan,” Carlene said. “Did you see the woman who gave me the book?”
“Sorry, pet,” Declan said. “I had me back to her.”
“Is anyone still working?” Riley said. “I wouldn't mind a fresh pint.”
“The party is moving to Finnegan's,” Sally said. She swiped Riley's pint glass off the bar, then worked her way down, removing everyone's drink and dumping what was left in their glasses down the drain.
“Sally,” Carlene said.
“They're my lads and they'll go where I say,” Sally said. “Right now, the pub is closed,” she announced. “Everybody out.” One by one the lads slowly stood, removed crumpled bills from their pockets, and set them on the bar. Sally pushed the money back. “It's on her,” she said. Even the McBride girls got up to leave. Carlene was surprised to look up and see the band, as well as the Americans, pack up as well. One by one, the pub started to empty. Ronan and Collin remained at the bar. Sally stood in the doorway watching Ronan until Jane took her by the arm and led her away. Collin came up and whispered in Carlene's ear.
“How was that for a bad boy?” Collin said.
“What?” Carlene said.
“Who do you think the fella was that called Ronan and texted Sally?” Stunned, Carlene stared at Collin. He grinned.
“Thanks for the advice,” he said out loud. He strolled out the door.
“What was that all about?” Ronan said.
“I think you should go too,” Carlene said. “I'm tired and I have a lot of cleaning up to do.”
“I'll help,” he said. She didn't protest. They worked in silence, washing glasses, wiping down tables, upending the chairs.
“I'll get the jacks,” Ronan said. He headed off to clean the bathrooms. Together, they finished in two hours. The place was spotless. It made Carlene sad. She liked the noise and mess of a pub.
“Thank you,” Carlene said. “But you should go.” She wanted him to argue. She wanted him to stay. He nodded.
“Are you still browned off at me too, Miss America?” Ronan said.
“You and me,” Carlene said. “We mean well. But we keep making a mess of everything.”
“Aren't you being a little dramatic?” Ronan said.
“Am I?” Carlene said. “You didn't even tell her. I don't even know if you ever were going to tell her.” Ronan nodded.
“Fair enough,” he said. His voice was stiff, defensive. He walked to the door, turned, and spoke softly. “Bye awhile,” he said. Carlene waited until he walked out and closed the door.
“Good-bye,” she said.

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