Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 126485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 632(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 632(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
“I have four basic wedding dress designs which can be adapted to your liking and will be fitted to your frame. Take a loo. They’re over there.” I followed her pointer finger toward a rack with four white dresses.
“Don’t forget you need to be able to dance,” Maeve added. “I made the mistake of choosing a heavy fabric, which made climbing on the tables really arduous.”
“We’re dancing on tables?” I asked. I’d never been invited to a wedding, and the few wedding celebrations I witnessed at the Merchant’s Arch had been far from boisterous.
“Eventually, yes. At the last wedding, the bridegroom fell off the table and broke his elbow.”
I exchanged a look with Talulla, who shrugged. “I have a couple of lighter fabrics. If you intend to get wild, then I wouldn’t pick a long train.”
Nodding, I began looking at the dresses. Though this wasn’t a wedding that meant anything to me, I was suddenly overcome with sadness that neither Mum nor Imogen were here.
Maeve touched my shoulder. “You’re sad your mother’s not here?”
“How do you know?”
“I would be.”
“It’s okay. She’s safer in Dublin, and she doesn’t approve of this marriage anyway.” That was a huge understatement. I was fairly sure the only thing stopping Mum from flying over and dragging me away from the altar was her lack of money and her reluctance to leave Finn alone.
I pulled out a silky A-line dress with long bell-sleeves and a deep V neckline. It was embroidered in white, but I had something else in mind. “Can you embroider the sleeves, neckline and hem with Irish flowers and clover leaves?”
Talulla’s eyes lit up. “Of course. I’ll have to work night and day to get it done in time.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean to cause you extra work.”
“Nonsense,” she said with a smile. “This is your special day, and I like the idea. It’ll be beautiful. Don’t worry, it’ll be done in time. Now slip that dress on so I can take your measurements and get working. I have a reputation to uphold.”
After an hour, Maeve and I left the shop for lunch. Talulla had been too busy to join us. “Do you want Irish food?”
Usually, I would have chosen to eat local food but right this moment, I felt a little lost and homesick and needed the comfort of a familiar meal. “Are there any good Irish restaurants around here?”
Maeve shrugged. “There are a few decent places, but none of them are outstanding. I’d offer to cook for you, but my skills aren’t outstanding either. I think Seamus only eats it because he loves me.”
“Don’t worry. It’s fine. I’ve lived in Dublin all my life. There are many places that have horrible Irish food for tourists, so I’ve seen it all.”
Maeve led us into a pub which offered a variety of Irish food. We settled at a rustic wooden table that was slightly sticky in places. “Two Guinness,” Maeve called when the owner didn’t come out from behind the bar quick enough. I grinned. She was my type of girl. I couldn’t help but wonder how she’d gotten involved with someone like Seamus.
The owner set two glasses of Guinness down in front of us with a bit too much force, spilling some of the liquid. That explained why my sleeve was stuck to the table. It wasn’t because he was rude either. His hands were shaking. He put down two menus in front of us then returned to the bar.
“Does he know we’re involved with the mob?” It was strange that I had to include myself in this now.
Maeve raised her glass and took a long sip then nodded. “Of course. This is a small community. Gossip spreads fast. Why?”
“Because he was shaking so much.”
Maeve burst out laughing. “Old Donáll has Parkinson’s. He’s not terrified of us.”
I flushed and took a sip from my Guinness. “How do people in the community feel about the Five-Leaf Clover gang?”
“They respect them. Many think they’re protecting our values and making sure the Chinese don’t take over our area. A bit of fear’s involved too. But everyone knows what to do not to get in trouble, so it’s all fine.”
“Do you know Desmond?”
“He’s police, which means he’s trouble, Aislinn. Stay away from him. You should try to gain Lorcan’s trust if you want to make the marriage work.”
I didn’t want to make this marriage work, and the only reason why I’d consider gaining Lorcan’s trust was to find out details about Imogen. I wasn’t sure if he really knew anything, but Lorcan had men in the Doom Loop and Imogen was a striking Irish girl. I was sure someone had mentioned something to him.
“I came to New York to find my sister, not to stay, and then Lorcan crossed my path.”
“I hope you find her soon. Lorcan is a resourceful man. He can help you.”