The Prodigal by Susanne O'Leary

Author:Susanne O'Leary
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Irish romance, Irish romantic comedy, Novel set in Ireland
Publisher: Susanne O'Leary
Published: 2016-12-05T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

“Don’t play the innocent with an old reporter,” Audrey warned. “I can smell a story a mile away. Not that I’d print yours, I just want to know what’s true and what’s not.”

Dessie pushed a breadcrumb around the table. “Not sure I want to open that particular can of worms right now. Or ever.” She met Audrey’s eyes, trying to gauge her sincerity and understanding. “Whatever I say gets twisted and turned.”

“I won’t twist anything. And I won’t press you further if it’s too hard for you to talk about it.”

“It’s okay.” Dessie suddenly felt an urge to tell her story to Audrey. “It could be good to tell you.”

Audrey nodded. “I’m listening.”

Dessie took a deep breath, and before she knew it, she had told Audrey her story: what happened in the rose garden; the subsequent heartbreak when Richard sent her a text message saying he was leaving; the moment of despair when she had run to the stables to hide, so ashamed and miserable she wanted to die. Then how Harry had found her and comforted her and Breda Quirke seeing them and spreading those horrible lies all over town. She drew breath when she had finished her tale. “That’s about it, really.”

Audrey looked thoughtful while she sipped her wine. “What a total gobshite.”

“I know,” Dessie sighed. “I can’t understand why I was so obsessed with him.”

“Because he was a hot American, of course. You were only—how old?”

“Nineteen. Should have known better at that age, but I hadn’t been anywhere really by then. I finished my leaving cert exams the year before, and then I worked with Miranda at her organic farm, helping her get started while I tried to decide what I really wanted to do with my life.”

“So you were this beautiful, innocent country girl, dreaming about your future, when this hottie from New York rides into town?”

Dessie couldn’t help laughing. “Yeah, that’s about it, really. Not so innocent now, though. I lived it up at college,” she added with a wink.

Audrey smiled. “Good for you. Us girls need to sow our wild oats too, don’t we?”

“Not that it made me particularly happy. I was just so angry. I think I took it out on other men. I just slept around for a bit and then I’d text them and say it was over.” Dessie felt a wave of shame wash over her. The bravado she’d felt when she’d told Miranda about her college years faded. She had treated those poor men badly. What would Audrey think? “Not very proud of that,” she mumbled.

Audrey topped up Dessie’s glass. “Not very nice, I agree. But having been run out of town by a lynch mob, so to speak, might have changed your outlook on life, and men. And yourself.”

Dessie picked up her glass. “Yeah, something like that. I kind of felt that everything that happened was all my fault, and then I started to hate myself. I wanted to punish myself and become harder and stronger that way.

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