“I don’t mean to make you sad,” Brenna murmured.

“Well.” Mick let out a breath. “She was a fine woman, and lived a good and long life. But it’s left to us still living to miss those who aren’t.”

Brenna remembered the rest of the story. How her father had left his work and run down to the little house where his grandmother, two years a widow, lived. And he found her in her kitchen, sitting at the table in her flowered dress and white apron. She’d died quiet and peaceful.

“And sometimes,” Brenna said carefully, “those who pass on miss others. This morning, in Faerie Hill Cottage, I saw Lady Gwen.”

Mick nodded, and shifted closer to listen as Brenna told him.

“Poor lass,” he said when she was finished. “It’s a long time to wait for things to come ’round for you.”

“Some of us do a lot of waiting.” Brenna glanced over as Shawn came out with a tray piled with food. “I want to speak to Shawn about this when the pub quiets down a bit. Darcy says there’s an outlet up in her rooms that isn’t working proper. I think I’ll go see to that after we’ve had our meal here, then take some time to talk to Shawn. Unless there’s something else you have for me to do today.”

“Today, tomorrow.” Mick lifted his shoulders. “What we don’t get to at one time, we’ll get to another. I’ll just take myself up to the cliff hotel and see if they’ve decided on which room they want renovated next.” He winked at his daughter. “We could have ourselves a nice piece of work there for the whole of the winter. Where it’s warm and it’s dry.”

“And where you can sneak down and check on Mary Kate in the offices where she’s fiddling with a computer all day.”

Mick grinned sheepishly. “I wouldn’t call it checking so much. But I’m grateful she decided to take a job close to home since she’s done with university. I expect she’ll find work that suits her better in Dublin or Waterford City before much longer. My chicks are all flying the coop.”

“I’m still roosting. And you’ll have Alice Mae for years yet.”

“Ah, but I miss the days when my five girls went tripping over me every time I turned around. Here’s Maureen a married woman, and Patty going for a bride come spring. Don’t know what I’ll do, darling, when you hitch yourself to a man and leave me.”

“You’re well stuck with me, Dad.” She crossed her booted feet as she finished off her stew. “Men don’t lose their heads or their hearts over women like me.”

“The right one will.”

It took all her effort not to let her gaze wander toward the kitchen. “I won’t be holding my breath. Besides, we’re partners, aren’t we, now?” She looked up and grinned at him. “So man or no man, it’s always O’Toole and O’Toole.”

Which, Brenna thought as she used Darcy’s bathroom to wash away the rest of the soot, was just the way she wanted it. She had work that pleased her, and the freedom to come and go that no woman could manage with a man attached to her.