Read Online Breakfast at Darcy's by Ali McNamara - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ali McNamara
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to leave. But now I’m here, it’s just all a bit green, cold and kind of lonely-looking. I point
vaguely in the opposite direction to the one in which Conor has departed, and we set off along a rocky path together looking
a bit like Dorothy, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man as we wind our way along Glentara’s own equivalent to the Yellow Brick Road.
I certainly feel as conspicuous as Dorothy, with short, mousy-haired Niall on one side of me, and six-foot, dark-haired Dermot
on the other. Talk about chalk and cheese: you couldn’t get two more different men. And as we follow the paths around the
island, it’s not unlike being in a fairy tale, with wild animals jumping out at us whichever way we turn. Huge, dark birds
appear out of the sky as if from nowhere. They’re not like the little sparrows and the occasional robin I come across when
I put out breadcrumbs on our window ledge in London, that flutter away in fright at the mere sight of a human. Oh, no – these
are huge great noisy things that swoopdown on us from the cliffs, not seeming to care in the least that we’re guests on their island.
‘What on earth was
that
?’ I ask, jumping in fright when something shoots across our path into the undergrowth.
‘I think it was a rabbit.’ Niall peers into the bush where the creature has just disappeared.
‘Living out here?’ I exclaim, immediately thinking of the cute, fluffy little bunnies you see in pet shops. ‘Poor things.’
Dermot snorts. ‘Actually they
can
manage to look after themselves outside of a hutch! That’s unless a fox decides it wants rabbit stew for dinner. Anyway I
don’t think that was a rabbit, it was too big and too fast; it was probably a hare.’
I eye Dermot for a moment, but decide not to respond. I need him on side right now, because for all his brusqueness he’s turning
out to be worth his weight in gold for practical information as we walk around the island.
‘Right then,’ Dermot demands, as we stop at some derelict buildings that Niall informs us were once islanders’ cottages. ‘Where
do you think you’ll live while you’re here, Darcy?’
‘Er … ’
‘If you intend on rebuilding one of these cottages, it won’t be that hard to set you up a power and water supply for one person.
In fact, it’s quite simple. You—’
‘Wait.’ I stop him. I look at Niall. ‘Niall wasn’t quite telling you the truth when he told you that I need to equip the island
for only me to come and live here.’
I turn back to Dermot.
He raises an eyebrow. ‘He wasn’t?’
‘No, but he wasn’t exactly lying, either,’ I add hurriedly when Dermot glares at Niall. Dermot is such a huge chap, andI hope he isn’t a violent one too. ‘And you really have been so helpful this morning, Dermot, that it seems only fair I tell
you the
real
reason we’re all here today.’
Dermot glances nervously around him, as though half a dozen cameras are suddenly going to spring up out of the undergrowth.
Happy for the moment that Ant and Dec aren’t about to leap from behind a rock clasping microphones and informing him he’s
going out live on ITV1, he turns his full attention to me while I try to explain to him as quickly as I can the truth about
why I’m really here.
When I’m finished, Dermot eyes me suspiciously.
‘She’s telling the truth, Dermot,’ Niall says, hurrying forward to back me up. ‘I’m her solicitor.’
I smile at Niall. So he’s
my
solicitor as well, now?
Dermot, happy for the time being that he’s not the butt of some national practical joke, eyes the two of us warily. ‘That
makes a bit more sense to me now. You don’t look like the type of woman that chooses to come and live somewhere like this
of her own accord.’
I’m not sure whether to be pleased or offended by his comment.
‘What makes you say that?’
Dermot stares pointedly at my UGG boots, which I have to say after our walk around the island are now
vaguely in the opposite direction to the one in which Conor has departed, and we set off along a rocky path together looking
a bit like Dorothy, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man as we wind our way along Glentara’s own equivalent to the Yellow Brick Road.
I certainly feel as conspicuous as Dorothy, with short, mousy-haired Niall on one side of me, and six-foot, dark-haired Dermot
on the other. Talk about chalk and cheese: you couldn’t get two more different men. And as we follow the paths around the
island, it’s not unlike being in a fairy tale, with wild animals jumping out at us whichever way we turn. Huge, dark birds
appear out of the sky as if from nowhere. They’re not like the little sparrows and the occasional robin I come across when
I put out breadcrumbs on our window ledge in London, that flutter away in fright at the mere sight of a human. Oh, no – these
are huge great noisy things that swoopdown on us from the cliffs, not seeming to care in the least that we’re guests on their island.
‘What on earth was
that
?’ I ask, jumping in fright when something shoots across our path into the undergrowth.
‘I think it was a rabbit.’ Niall peers into the bush where the creature has just disappeared.
‘Living out here?’ I exclaim, immediately thinking of the cute, fluffy little bunnies you see in pet shops. ‘Poor things.’
Dermot snorts. ‘Actually they
can
manage to look after themselves outside of a hutch! That’s unless a fox decides it wants rabbit stew for dinner. Anyway I
don’t think that was a rabbit, it was too big and too fast; it was probably a hare.’
I eye Dermot for a moment, but decide not to respond. I need him on side right now, because for all his brusqueness he’s turning
out to be worth his weight in gold for practical information as we walk around the island.
‘Right then,’ Dermot demands, as we stop at some derelict buildings that Niall informs us were once islanders’ cottages. ‘Where
do you think you’ll live while you’re here, Darcy?’
‘Er … ’
‘If you intend on rebuilding one of these cottages, it won’t be that hard to set you up a power and water supply for one person.
In fact, it’s quite simple. You—’
‘Wait.’ I stop him. I look at Niall. ‘Niall wasn’t quite telling you the truth when he told you that I need to equip the island
for only me to come and live here.’
I turn back to Dermot.
He raises an eyebrow. ‘He wasn’t?’
‘No, but he wasn’t exactly lying, either,’ I add hurriedly when Dermot glares at Niall. Dermot is such a huge chap, andI hope he isn’t a violent one too. ‘And you really have been so helpful this morning, Dermot, that it seems only fair I tell
you the
real
reason we’re all here today.’
Dermot glances nervously around him, as though half a dozen cameras are suddenly going to spring up out of the undergrowth.
Happy for the moment that Ant and Dec aren’t about to leap from behind a rock clasping microphones and informing him he’s
going out live on ITV1, he turns his full attention to me while I try to explain to him as quickly as I can the truth about
why I’m really here.
When I’m finished, Dermot eyes me suspiciously.
‘She’s telling the truth, Dermot,’ Niall says, hurrying forward to back me up. ‘I’m her solicitor.’
I smile at Niall. So he’s
my
solicitor as well, now?
Dermot, happy for the time being that he’s not the butt of some national practical joke, eyes the two of us warily. ‘That
makes a bit more sense to me now. You don’t look like the type of woman that chooses to come and live somewhere like this
of her own accord.’
I’m not sure whether to be pleased or offended by his comment.
‘What makes you say that?’
Dermot stares pointedly at my UGG boots, which I have to say after our walk around the island are now
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