Page 69 of Hidden Daughters

‘Ugh. You and Mark slept in that bed. I’m not sitting there. I will stand, thank you very much.’

Now Lottie was sorry she’d sat down. Boyd’s sister towered over her like a doomsday shadow.

‘What can I do for you?’ Jesus, she sounded too officious. She had to rescue this. ‘Is there something wrong, Grace?’

‘You need to stop interfering in my life.’

‘I haven’t interfered in anything.’ Oh, shit.

‘You’re telling lies and it does not surprise me. Not one little bit.’

‘What do you mean?’ She had an urge to stand, but she sat on her hands – just in case.

‘You’re interfering in that murder business. And you’re trying to break up myself and Bryan.’

‘Gosh, no, Grace, I’m not trying to do anything of the sort.’

‘Sure you are. Making out like Bryan did something wrong. Spouting lies about him to that detective sergeant, the Mooney man. You have to stop. And stop it immediately.’

Now Lottie did stand. No way was she going to take this tirade sitting down. Grace might be Boyd’s sister, but Lottie had done nothing wrong, so why should she take the blame? And then she wondered, why was Grace blaming her?

‘Grace, you need to speak with Bryan.’

‘I have done. And I believe him.’

‘Believe what?’

‘That he asked you to check something out for him, and the next thing he knows is that detective had him in Galway Garda HQ making a statement and taking his fingerprints.’

‘I think there’s a few gaps in that story that Bryan needs to fill in for you.’

‘It’s not a story, it’s the truth, and I believe him, not you.’

‘Then you need to rethink what he told you.’

Grace raised an eyebrow. ‘Are you being smart with me?’

‘No, I’m being truthful.’ Lottie made to approach the other woman, but the fire in Grace’s eyes halted her. ‘Listen, Grace, I don’t want you making a huge mistake. This?—’

‘Don’t you dare treat me like a child.’ Grace stamped her foot, exactly like a child would do. ‘I am a grown woman and I can make my own choices. If they’re wrong, it’s my funeral.’

Lottie grimaced at her choice of words. ‘Okay. But I didn’t do anything to hinder your wedding. Bryan asked me to look into something from his past. That’s all I was doing.’

‘Look into what? He didn’t mention anything in particular.’

So whathadhe mentioned? Lottie wondered. ‘Talk to him again. He asked me to keep it private and I can’t break his confidence.’

Grace seemed to physically pull in her horns. Her head and shoulders drooped, as did her mouth, a slight quiver trembling her lips. Uncertain, maybe? Then she raised her head and took a step towards Lottie, regrouping, wagging her finger in the air.

‘I don’t need you snooping around behind my back, Lottie Parker. And you can forget about us helping you and your family with somewhere to live in Ragmullin with Mark. That deal is off the table.’

And then she was gone.

Lottie found Boyd drinking tea with Bryan and Grace in the kitchen. Awkward.

She poured a cup from the teapot. You could trot a mouse on it, she thought, then shivered at that image. She would have loved a cut of brown bread, but there didn’t seem to be any left. Her stomach rumbled and she placed a hand there to quell it.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said.

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