Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 70174 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70174 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
The man sat down, placing his satchel on his lap. “I’ll get straight to it. Rory Conlan’s will has been settled, and I’ve come to inform ye of its contents.” He pulled a document from his bag, setting it on the table between us. “He left his half of Glenhaven to ye, Ms. Conlan.”
The air was sucked straight out of my lungs, and apparently Siobhan’s too, for she wheezed as if she were dying.
I stared at him, the words struggling to take root in my brain. “He left the training center to me?”
My mother didn’t flinch, and I guessed she knew exactly why this man was here. I wondered if Da did.
Mr. Keane nodded firmly. “He did. Specifically, Rory left ye his portion of the farm, which includes the training center.”
My head spun. This didn’t make sense. I had assumed Rory’s share would pass back to my father, that Seamus would simply absorb it into his holdings. That’s how it had always worked, hadn’t it? My father had always taken. He had never expected Rory to have a say in how things ended.
I turned to my mother, my voice barely above a whisper. “Did Da know about this?”
She shook her head, her face pale. “I don’t think so. We assumed… we all assumed it would go to Seamus.”
I didn’t miss the flicker of worry. She knew what this meant. She knew how my father would react.
My hands trembled as I looked back at Mr. Keane. “What about Kathleen?”
His expression softened. “Rory ensured that Kathleen has the right to remain in the cottage for as long as she wishes.”
A knot loosened in my chest. At least he had taken care of her, not that she needed it. She was well off on her own since her pub was very successful.
I took a slow breath, trying to process everything. “Are ye going to tell my father?”
Mr. Keane shook his head. “My duty is to Rory and ye. It’s not up to me to tell him, although I certainly will if ye’d like me to.”
“No,” I said hastily, shaking my head. “I need time to think.”
Mr. Keane inclined his head. “Of course. My card is with the copy of the will. Please call me if ye have any questions. I am at yer service.”
I nodded, my pulse pounding in my ears. “Thank ye.”
He stood, offering his hand once more, and I shook it absentmindedly before watching him leave.
Silence lingered and I stared at Rory’s will on the table. I’d read it at some point, but I had a more pressing issue. I stood from the couch. “Mother.”
She turned to face me, her expression a mix of worry and regret, but she didn’t say anything.
“Please don’t tell Da yet. I want to be the one, but I have to…”
I didn’t know what I needed. This felt monumental, but I wasn’t sure what it all meant. I didn’t understand the consequences.
My mother’s hands on my shoulders jolted me from my thoughts and she peered into my eyes. “This is yer ticket out,” she said.
I blinked at her in surprise. Not for the actual words, which I didn’t quite understand, but by the tone of her voice. It was… apologetic?
I didn’t have a chance to ask her what she meant because she turned and left the sitting room.
Siobhan grabbed my arm, fingers digging down. “Fiona… what are ye going to do?”
I swallowed hard, the weight of it all pressing down on me. “I don’t know yet.”
But I did know one thing. This changed everything.
I needed air, needed space. “I have to go see Kathleen.”
The walk to the cottage was a blur and I ignored the sky shifting into an iron gray. When I stepped inside, Kathleen was by the fireplace, a cup of tea cradled in her hands. She looked up, and her face softened when she saw me.
“Ah, love.” She stood, wrapping me in a warm hug, and suddenly, the tears I had been holding back spilled over.
“I miss him,” I whispered against her shoulder.
“I know, sweetheart,” she murmured, rubbing my back. “I miss him too.”
We held each other for a long moment before finally pulling apart. She wiped a tear from my cheek and gave me a small, sad smile. “But we carry on, don’t we?”
I nodded, clearing my throat. “An attorney came to see me.”
Kathleen frowned. “About Rory’s will?”
I nodded. “He left me his half of the farm.”
Kathleen didn’t look shocked. In fact, she nodded as if she’d expected it. “Of course, he did. He loved ye like his own.”
Tears pricked, but I blinked them away. “He made sure ye could stay here for as long as ye want.”
A small, genuine smile touched her lips. “That doesn’t surprise me either.”
She studied me closely. “So, what are ye going to do?”
I took a deep breath, my spine straightening, the first real sense of control settling into my bones. Something had taken root in my head as I’d walked to Kathleen’s cottage, past the training center, which was now all mine.