Page 76 of The Past

I shook my head, laughing despite the sick feeling in my stomach.“If only it were that easy.”

A beat of silence passed between us before she asked softly, “Do ye miss Tommy?”

My throat tightened, my fingers curling into the blanket beneath me.“With every breath I take.”

I knew he’d made it home safely because Kathleen passed on the message after he called her.He hadn’t asked to speak with me.I didn’t know if that was because he didn’t want to make things harder for me or because he was hurting too much himself.Either way, the ache in my chest hadn’t faded—it had settled, becoming a dull, constant throb that would never let me forget what I’d lost.

A knock at the door made us jump.

“Fiona,” my mother’s voice called from the other side.

Siobhan and I exchanged glances before I rose, smoothing my skirt and opening the door.My mother stood there, her expression unreadable, her hands folded in front of her like she was trying to keep them from shaking.

“There’s someone here to see ye,” she said.

I frowned.“Who?”

“Come down to the sitting room,” she instructed and turned away from me.I glanced back at Siobhan who scrambled off my bed.“Could it be Tommy?”she asked with glee.

I refused to let my heart hope for that much.“Let’s go see.”

We demurely went downstairs, although I was so curious I wanted to go stampeding.When we entered the sitting room, I saw a tall, middle-aged man standing just beyond my mam.He was dressed in a dark suit and carrying a leather satchel and his presence alone made me uneasy.

He smiled at me and inclined his head.“Ms.Conlan, my name is Mr.Keane.I’m a solicitor handling Rory Conlan’s estate.”

My gaze darted to my mother as I wondered why a solicitor would want to talk to me.My mam stood at the window, looking out of it, her arms folded over her chest.She was listening but by giving us her back, she was telling me that she was not a part of whatever this was.

“Please… have a seat, Mr.Keane,” I said, motioning to one of the chairs.I perched on the edge of the sofa, Siobhan sitting right next to me as if she were my own attorney there to protect my interests.

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.”

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