The Guesthouse on the Green Series Box Set 2

like Emer,’ she’d said, knowing exactly when Aisling’s distrust of her brother had taken root. It was when, shortly after Brian died, she’d given the family the ultimatum to either take over the running of the guesthouse or she’d be selling O’Mara’s. Living with her memories and without her husband in the family apartment had become too much for her and she’d been desperate for a fresh start here in Howth. If they’d sold, the children would have got their inheritance early and Patrick had been desperate to offload the old place. He’d wanted to take his share of the proceeds of sale and put them into one of his entrepreneurial schemes. The other three had wanted the family business to stay in the family and Aisling, with her background in tourism, had stepped up and taken on the managerial role. Patrick’s nose had been knocked firmly out of joint by the announcement Aisling would be taking over the day-to-day management of O’Mara’s and he’d made sure they’d all known it.

Donal had put a cup of tea down on the side table next to where she was sitting then, and she’d been suddenly weary of the conversation knowing there was no resolution to be had. ‘Aisling O’Mara. I’m only going to say this the once. I’ll not be dictated to by any of you. Not yourself, Roisin, Moira or Patrick for that matter. I’m the mammy in this family and you’d do well to remember it.’

She finished telling Donal what had transpired and took another sip of her wine. She gave him a sidelong glance wondering if he’d think she’d been foolish where Patrick was concerned, just as she’d thought Noreen was for forking out so as Emer could have a fancy holiday.

‘Maureen, it’s not up to me to tell you what to do or to get involved in your family affairs. Patrick’s your son and we always want to help our children to better themselves, it’s what we do as parents. My only advice would be to talk to him if it’s bothering you and put your mind at rest. We spend too much time worrying over things we could resolve if we only talked to one another. As for Aisling, I think now she’s blown off steam she’ll be back on the phone within the hour to apologise.’

‘You’re right, Donal,’ Maureen said. Aisling wasn't a sulker. She smiled up at him feeling fortunate to have him here to listen to her family dramas and even more fortunate he had no intention of interfering.

‘What I would like to know, though, is when you’re planning on going to Los Angeles because you hadn’t mentioned it?’

‘I hadn’t thought of it, not really. The other day when I spoke to Pat, I thought it would be lovely to go and see him over there in America, you know the way you do. The holiday thing just came out of my mouth.’

Donal chortled. ‘Well, I don’t mind telling you I wouldn’t mind escaping the tail-end of this weather. Oh, yes, I could swap it for a few palm trees and a hotel with a pool.’

‘You’d come with me?’

‘If you’d have me.’

‘I’d like that.’

They smiled at each other in mutual admiration once more.

Over at O’Mara’s, Aisling was curled up on the sofa next to Moira. Moira had a face pack on and was picking poodle hair off her Mo-pants muttering on about that dog having been sitting on the furniture when no one was looking. She’d offered to give Aisling a facial too but after the last debacle where she’d used cheap shite on her and Aisling had wound up with hives for days, she’d told her to feck off with her face pack. Now, she turned to Moira and said, ‘I still can’t believe she hung up on me.’

Moira’s setting green mask cracked as she spoke. ‘I think you went too far and you know you’re going to have to ring her back and apologise or Mammy will act the martyr.’

‘Oh, pipe down, Shrek,’ Aisling said, folding her arms across her chest and sliding down her seat in a sulk. She wasn’t ready to ring back. She wasn’t in the mood for criticism from Moira either. “Well, someone has to speak up where he’s concerned or he’d walk all over her.’

‘Mammy gave him until Christmas to pay her back, Ash, you jumped the gun telephoning her and giving out like so.’

Aisling chewed her lip, she loved her brother, of course she did, he was family but he was still slippery as an eel. Maybe just maybe she had been a tad hasty.

‘I want to know more about this holiday of hers to Los Angeles. Do you think she might take us?’ Moira asked.

‘I’m a married woman, she’d have to take my husband too.’

‘Feck off, Aisling,’ Moira said. ‘And ring Mammy.’

Aisling sighed, she wasn’t a sulker and she hated going to sleep on a fight so she might as well get it over with, and picking up the phone, she pushed redial.

Chapter 32

The weeks had tumbled over one another the way they do and as the days had passed, orders for the Mo-pants had dipped. Maureen had come to the reluctant conclusion, just as had happened with the Flower Power movement and other revolutions that had gone before, the comfy pants day was done. They’d had their moment in the sun and shone brightly but there were only so many women she could reach out to from here in Howth. Truth be told, she didn’t feel inclined to undertake a nationwide tour to promote the Mo-pants either, not now she had Donal. Mind, if they did have a holiday over there in America, she might be tempted to take a few pairs over and see how the land lay. For now, though, it was gratification enough to see her fellow line dancing ladies stepping that little bit wider although she wished Rosemary Farrell would stop harping on about how she still couldn’t