‘I think,’ she said to Una, who was waving vigorously beside her, ‘that I’ll get the number of the hairdresser in the village and see if she can fit me in for a haircut. My veil-wearing days are over.’

*

‘Morning, Maman,’ Marie-Claire said warily, standing at her parents’ hotel room door. She’d walked along the beach from the Four Winds.

‘Morning,’ Keelin said.

‘Are you in a snit?’

‘Why wouldn’t I be? You and your father ganged up on me last night,’ Keelin retorted, stepping back to let her in.

‘Yeah, well, I got a shock. It’s not nice, finding out that your parents have lied to you.’ Marie-Claire walked over to the window and looked out at the glistening sea.

‘We never lied,’ Keelin protested. ‘We just never told you.’

‘You lied by omission,’ Marie-Claire pointed out snootily.

‘What are you, a priest?’ Keelin raised an eyebrow and stared at her daughter.

Marie-Claire, taken aback at the riposte, stood with her mouth open for a second before catching her mother’s eye and dissolving into giggles.

‘That’s good! That’s very good,’ she chortled.

‘I have my moments.’ Keelin smiled and held out her arms. ‘I’m sorry, dearest. I did feel shame, on my behalf and your father’s. How could we not feel shame here in Ireland? It’s in our blinkin’ DNA!’ she sighed into Marie-Claire’s hair, hugging her daughter tightly. ‘And as you’ve so rightly pointed out, I need to deal with my feelings about the past and let them go, if I’m to live any sort of an authentic life.’

Marie-Claire leaned into her mother’s embrace. The shock had not fully worn off that they had hidden something about her origins from her, but she was glad to be reconciled with her mother.

*

‘Keelin, I’m heading off with John and Philly now, I’ll go round to Imelda’s and sort out your luggage, pack whatever needs packing, then you can collect it from our house. That will save you having to go back there until you feel you want to,’ Felicity said kindly, leaning down to kiss her sister-in-law, who was sitting in the conservatory, enjoying a second cup of coffee.

‘You’re so good, Felicity. Thanks a million.’ Keelin stood up and embraced the other woman warmly. ‘I need time to calm down and . . . what is it the Americans say? Process all that’s gone on with Mam. If I went near her in the next few days she’d be a very sorry woman.’

‘That’s understandable. And don’t worry, we’ll keep an eye on her,’ Felicity reassured her.

‘I won’t be worrying,’ said Keelin. ‘And I know that’s a horrible thing to say. Do you wish you’d married an orphan?’ she grinned. ‘Have you ever met a family like us?’

‘Well, look at it this way: you’re never boring,’ Felicity chuckled.