Shadows in Heaven by Nadine Dorries

Author:Nadine Dorries [Dorries, Nadine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781786697486
Publisher: Head of Zeus

Chapter 13

The front door to the shop was painted red and so was the door to the rear, the one that led into the yard housing the cowshed and the dairy. The yard had high whitewashed walls, beyond which you could see the mountains that rose behind the Taramore river and extended all the way to the coast. Half an acre from the rear door was the bridge that crossed the river from one side of Michael’s land to the other. Directly across the wide and often muddy road from the shop’s front door was the side entrance to Paddy’s bar. Paddy could not have been more delighted. On a glorious autumn morning, just as the weak sun rose overhead, he stepped out of the bar with a spring in his stride, cleaning his hands on his butcher’s apron, and made his way across the road.

‘Michael, you are a genius, so ye are. You have blocked the view of the bar from Teresa Gallagher entirely. Who in God’s name would have known that would happen when you started building,’ he exclaimed. ‘That’ll mean more takings for me. We can open all the hours we want now.’ He rubbed his hands in glee but failed to see Tig, who was sitting on a rafter and had taken aim with his half-filled bucket of water.

The water cascaded down, soaking Paddy, and was quickly followed by a burst of laughter that saw Tig almost dislodge himself and come hurtling down after it. Paddy took his cap off and shook the water from it. Looking up at the half-thatched roof, he shouted, ‘Tig, you little bastard, I’ll be skinning your arse when ye finally get down.’

‘He’s not coming down until he’s finished. I’ve told him, I’ll send a pillow up.’ Michael laughed as he dropped a huge lump of quarry stone to the floor and, pushing back his cap, wiped the sweat from his brow. ‘He insisted on being put up there, to get on with the thatch. I’m in no mind to lift him down until the job’s finished.’

Sensing a further episode of satisfying horseplay to his benefit, Paddy winked at Michael. ‘Aye, well, ye might want to pop over for a drink later, Michael, and ye might be having a convenient lapse of memory with regard to who’s sat on yer roof when you leave.’

They both looked up towards Tig, legs dangling from the rafters and a worried frown on his brow as he strained, without success, to hear what they were saying. ‘Oi, what are the both of ye talking about? I can tell it’s about me. Shout so I can hear ye too.’

‘Not bloody likely,’ Paddy shouted back. He and Michael’s men roared with laughter and Paddy turned to make his way back to his own shop. Halfway across the road, he stopped and retraced his steps, this time with concern etched on his face. ‘Oh, Michael, I almost forgot why I came out to see you. Josie said the Maughans are camped not a mile out.

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