Eliza spent the evening before the Irish trip with her godmothers. Hazel was due to arrive from New York in the morning. Maxie was trying hard to play down how excited she was. Olivia seemed calmer about Edgar. His doctor was trialling a new medication. It had stopped some of his anxiety.

All three of them had been doing more online research now that they knew Emmet’s surname. The local newspaper was online. He’d featured in it a lot over the years. He seemed to be from a well-known family in the area. His pub had sponsored local football teams, fundraisers. It had live music on the weekends. A quiz every week. His father had run it before him. They’d found articles about his retirement party, including photos of the whole Foley family. Emmet, his parents and three dark-haired men who had to be Emmet’s brothers. Olivia found an obituary about his father. He’d died three years earlier. A GAA man to his fingertips, the opening paragraph read. They’d had to google that. It stood for Gaelic Athletic Association.

They’d all closely inspected the different photos of Emmet.

‘Do you think I look like him?’ Eliza asked.

‘You’re both tall,’ Olivia said. ‘Dark hair. But I’m sorry, all I ever see in you is Jeannie.’

They’d learned he was married, with two daughters in their late teens. Maxie had discovered they were both athletes. Long-distance runners. She’d printed out stories about them for Eliza.

She read the articles. There were photos of them too.

‘Is his wife Asian?’

‘I don’t think so,’ Olivia said. She showed Eliza another printout. Emmet with his wife, Dervla, at an athletics association award ceremony. Proud parents Emmet and Dervla Foley, the caption read. Dervla was pale-skinned, blonde-haired, smiling. ‘His daughters might be adopted, or perhaps they’re from an earlier marriage.’

Eliza studied the two young women. ‘They could be my half-sisters?’

They might be, Olivia and Maxie agreed.

Back in her room, unable to sleep, Eliza found herself googling all the photographs again.

The idea of her father had always been like a shadow hovering on the edges of her life. But now, here she was, so close to learning more. She might not only have a father alive and well. She might have a stepmother. Half-sisters. Grandparents. Uncles. Cousins.

A whole family in Ireland. Waiting for her.

Chapter Twenty-nine

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Olivia and Maxie gathered in front of the Montgomery to see her off. Maxie was on crutches, but in cheerful form. Hazel was arriving in two hours. Olivia was going to see Edgar after Eliza’s departure.

Eliza hugged them both.

‘We’re with you in spirit,’ Olivia said.

‘We’re at the end of a phone if you need us,’ Maxie said.

Olivia’s car pulled up in front of the Montgomery. Lawrence got out, took Eliza’s bag, stowed it in the boot, and stood back.