‘That’s not really something any of us have much control over.’ Lorcan reached out and leant me forward a little, gently freeing my hair and laying it over my shoulder. ‘Don’t worry about the gossip. No one means anything by it. I know it can be a pain in the arse, but they mean well here. You’re a novelty, shipping in from the big smoke.’

‘I don’t live in the big smoke.’

‘Close enough, and compared to here…’

‘So is Calum local too? He seems nice.’

‘He is. A great bloke and a brilliant manager. He’s had it tough at times. Being gay in rural Ireland isn’t the easiest card to be dealt but he’s had people who care about him on his side and now no one really pays it any mind.’

‘I get the feeling you’re among those who were on his side during difficult times.’

‘We’re good friends.’

‘He’s being modest,’ Calum said, coming back into the room. ‘You can’t talk about me without my radar picking it up. I’ve got the ears of a bat when it comes to gossip,’ he said, an infectious bubble of laughter bursting from him as he did so. ‘Lorcan here’s had more than a few fights on my behalf over the years.’

Lorcan turned his attention to the tray Calum had put down in front of us.

‘He’s my hero,’ Calum continued, fluttering his eyelashes at me, and placing a hand on his chest, all the while looking adoringly at his friend.

‘Knock it off, you eejit,’ Lorcan returned, laughing now.

‘He loves me really.’

Of that, I had no doubt. There was a feeling about this village that was already winding itself into my consciousness without invitation. A part of me welcomed it, albeit cautiously. Everyone knew each other, which, in some circumstances, could be awkward but here they seemed to harness that power for good. And certainly for the good of this wedding. From the hints that Peyton had dropped, getting hold of this castle for the dates they’d already arranged with friends and family was all down to Lorcan. Whatever strings he had pulled at such short notice for such a fabulous venue were obviously strong ones, but I’d had no luck so far in discovering what they were. There was clearly more to Lorcan O’Malley than he showed to the outside world. Here, in his own domain, there was something different about him. And, annoying as it was, and as he could be – on that front, I was pretty sure he felt the same about me – it still intrigued me.

18

‘Have you done many weddings here?’

‘Oh, God, yeah. We love a good wedding, don’t we?’ He caught Lorcan in his gaze and the expression returned indicated disagreement. ‘Well, some of us do, anyway.’