excerpt
‘Good idea,’ said Michael. ‘Let me get four glasses from the dining room.’
Robert removed a bottle of red wine from the small knapsack he carried when sketching, then handed the bag to Caitlin. ‘You can bring that upstairs with the baby if you don’t mind, Caitlin. It’s full of nappies and bum-powder and what not.’
‘Bum-powder, indeed,’ Caitlin said light-heartedly. ‘What way’s that to talk?’ She took the knapsack from Robert’s outstretched hand. ‘Come with me, Connie. We’ll lay this one down on Finn MacLir’s bed.’
When the ladies returned to the kitchen Robert handed each of them a glass of wine. He raised his glass, and the others followed suit. ‘To Rowan. May he have a long, happy and healthy life.’
‘To Rowan,’ the others said in unison.
‘Let’s sit down,’ said Michael.
They sat and chatted about the baby, about how easy the birth had been and what a good baby he was. Then Robert said he was moving his base of operations up to the north coast of Antrim or maybe into Donegal, but he thanked Michael for the use of his cottage for so long and for being such a great help.
‘I didn’t do much, Robert,’ Michael said with customary modesty. ‘Anything I did needed doing anyway.’
‘Talking of the cottage,’ said Connie, ‘Shouldn’t we go up and collect our few belongings before it gets dark.’
She and Robert stood up and placed their wine glasses on the table.
‘I’ll come and help,’ Michael volunteered. ‘Caitlin can listen for the baby if he wakes.’
‘No need, Michael,’ Robert said. ‘There’s very little there now. We’ll leave the two armchairs. The rest is light stuff that can go in one box.’
‘You’re not putting my couple of dresses in a box with your paints, Robert Hanlon,’ Connie said. ‘They may be old but they’re still wearable.’
‘Come on then,’ Robert conceded. ‘We’ll be back with the keys in a jiffy, Michael.’
They didn’t come back.
Caitlin and Michael didn’t notice how long they’d been gone until the baby started crying. ‘I’ll see to the little one,’ Caitlin said. ‘You’d better go up the loaney, Michael, and see what’s keeping them.’
Michael changed his footwear from slippers to boots and headed out through the scullery door.
Libros Libertad 