Eliza stood up. She kept her head high. ‘No, Emmet, I didn’t know what to expect coming here. If I would get to meet my father, or only hear stories about him. Nothing happened as I hoped. I know you can’t wait for me to go, Sheila. So I will.’ She turned to Emmet. ‘Thank you. For being my mother’s friend. And for being so kind to me.’

She walked down the hall and let herself out. She didn’t look back. As she reached the centre of town, she rang Lawrence. She asked if they could leave now.

It took her only minutes to pack once she got back to the hotel. He’d checked them both out by the time she came downstairs. They were on the road to Belfast and the ferry port before ten. He’d changed their ferry booking again. They’d be back in Edinburgh by the afternoon.

She felt his concern, but this time she couldn’t talk about it. It was as if the dinner, the kiss, hadn’t happened. He put on the radio. Once again, classical music filled the silence.

She turned to him as they were arriving into Edinburgh.

‘Thank you for everything, Lawrence.’ A pause. ‘For being such a good chauffeur.’

‘You’re very welcome, Eliza,’ he said. They fell back into silence again.

Eliza texted Olivia as they were approaching the Montgomery. She heard straight back. She was with Maxie, in her room. We can’t wait to see you. To hear everything.

They sat around the table by the bay window. Eliza shared all that had happened in Trim. Her godmothers moved rapidly between shock at the truth about her father, curiosity about Emmet, anger towards Sheila. They asked many questions, wanting details she was still digesting herself. It wasn’t a story to tell in one neat package. She was still feeling the shockwaves.

By the time she finished, it was twilight outside. Olivia turned on the lamps. Their questions were slowly coming to an end. They knew she had told them everything she could. As much as she knew herself.

Olivia reached over and squeezed her hands again. ‘I’m so sorry, Eliza. I know it wasn’t what you hoped. It isn’t what we wanted for you either. Was it okay with Lawrence, at least?’

‘He was very kind.’ She didn’t say any more.

She needed to change the subject. She asked if anything had happened at the Montgomery while she was away.

Her godmothers exchanged a glance.

‘What?’ Eliza said. ‘Tell me, please.’

It was only then that Olivia told her what had happened with Celine.

Chapter Thirty-seven

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

To begin, Olivia explained about Alex’s offer to move Celine temporarily into the hostel.

‘The hostel?’ Eliza said. ‘Celine? How did she take that?’

‘Put it this way,’ Olivia said. ‘I learned lots of new swearwords from her.’