‘Ah, no. That’s for sure.’

‘I do have to go and check out the castle though. Make sure I know what I’m working with.’

‘And I assume young Lorcan is coming to get you?’

‘I think so,’ I said, having only very vague memories of last night. Whatever the doc had given me was good stuff. I’d settled for paracetamol this morning as I needed to be able to remember what I saw at the venue. ‘I’m not entirely sure what we discussed, if I’m honest. The painkillers were rather strong.’

‘He’ll show up. For all his bravado, he’s a good lad. Do anything for anyone.’

‘Really?’

‘Oh, yes,’ she said, clearing away my main plate and pushing one full of hot, buttered toast towards me. ‘He never used to have that tough exterior, of course.’

‘Oh?’ I asked, biting into a piece of toast and closing my eyes momentarily in bliss. Lorcan had been right about the butter.

‘No. But life can do that to you, can’t it?’

I had to agree.

‘But we all know he’s the same old Lorcan underneath and nobody stands for his messing here anyway,’ she added, laughing.

‘Maybe he’s just worried about his mum finding out,’ I added, thinking back to what he’d said at the health centre.

‘There’s that too.’ Brighid laughed. ‘But he’s a good boy in here, so he is,’ she said, tapping her heart with her hand, ‘and that’s where it matters.’

I smiled through a mouthful of toast and she went on her way.

‘There she is,’ Lorcan said, closing the door behind him. The weather was brighter today but colder and part of me would have been happy just to sit in the cosy pub reading a book and drinking tea all day. Which was odd as that was definitely not me. I didn’t do sitting still if I could help it. And yet, here I was wanting to while away the day by disappearing into a book. As much as I loved the Ireland I had so far experienced, the sooner I got home, the better. Its laid-back charm was far too seductive and already doing its best to rub its magic off on me. Not to mention the wonderful food I was eating. Staying here much longer would lead to none of my waistbands being friends with me when I got home, and not only had I invested a good deal of money in my work wardrobe, right now I didn’t have the finances to replace anything.

‘Hi,’ I said, grabbing my bag and pushing myself up from the chair, still careful not to put much weight on the bad leg but also attempting to hide that fact from Lorcan.

‘Ready to go?’

‘I am. Where’s Bod?’

‘Being treated like God at my mam’s. Don’t worry. He’s in good hands.’