The ensuing shocked silence from Colm gave Dan ample opportunity to outline why he needed to know Leda’s address, telephone number and any other details that her estranged partner and father of her child might know about her. His father was in danger of public humiliation and he wanted to avert that at all costs. The story rolled from him fluently and he forgot for a moment that none of it interested Colm that much other than what way, if any, it might affect his son or himself.
‘How did you know she was Tom’s mother? I have told no one here Leda’s name. My mother knew of her, and some of the people I worked with in Dublin, but no one else. I need to know who told you.’
‘Birth records are not that hard to track down, and your name and profession listed there seemed to be too much of a coincidence. You can rest assured it is of no real interest to me who the mother of your child is and no one will hear the details from me, but I do need to find Leda and let her know that my father is not alone in this. The public shame of this coming out now would destroy him, so I need to contact Leda myself and talk some sense into her. I will make a deal with her because I honestly think she is not without a certain grievance. My father did not treat her well and she was young and deserved better. Although I have to say the experience seems not to have cowed her.’
‘So your father is the nameless politician that she had her affair with? I was never that interested in politics, but Betty, your number-one fan out there in the lobby, has filled me in on your illustrious parentage. I just never put two and two together. Didn’t want to, I suppose. Nothing that Leda did then or now interests me.’ Colm’s attempt at nonchalance was lacking conviction. Dan felt sure that the break-up of their relationship was still troubling him in ways he was unprepared to disclose, but Dan was happy to agree that it was none of his business.
‘Leda was in an on-off relationship with my father from the time she was about seventeen. I am not sure when it finished, to be honest, but I think a lot of people suspected it around Leachlara, where we come from. They would never say it to me, of course, and that suited me. I found the whole thing revolting and I told my father as much. Politics is full of little scandals threatening to reveal themselves. It seems to be what the whole thing thrives on. Leda has got in on the act and has decided to sink my father’s reputation if he doesn’t pay her a substantial sum of money.’
‘Leda never told me much about herself and I learned that the truth was an entirely optional extra in her account of things. Anything I know about her that I believe to be true I found out from her sister, Ciara. She mentioned a politician but I never pressed her for details.’
It had all been going Dan’s way up until now, but the mention of Ciara threatened to throw him off balance. His brief loss of composure did not go unnoticed by Colm but he remained preoccupied by what all this might mean for him and Tom and the life they were slowly but surely building in Caharoe.
‘Ciara Clancy was a friend of my wife’s in college. They have lost touch somewhat. I had no idea that you would know Ciara too. Leda and Ciara generally didn’t keep the same company. As far as I remember they never really got on.’
‘I have no direct dealings with Leda any more. Ciara is the only connection between us. You are right, they don’t get on, but Ciara makes it her business to keep tabs on Leda’s whereabouts. She has been very good to Tom and so I hold her in far higher regard than I do his mother. I will talk to Ciara and see what I can find out.’
‘Thanks, Colm. A phone number or an address would be perfect. I hope you don’t think that I speak out of turn when I say that you and your boy are a good deal better off without Leda, but that’s just my opinion.’
Dan picked up his bag where he had placed it by the side of his chair. An awkward atmosphere hung between them. They were strangers who had exchanged their secrets with none of the comfort of anonymity that make such confessions fluent. Colm had one more question he had to ask.
‘If your wife and yourself know Ciara you could have just asked her to put you in touch with Leda. Besides, Ciara would probably have tried to talk some sense into Leda. Why involve me? Why go trawling through where you don’t belong? The direct route would surely have been easier for all of us.’
Dan empathized with Colm’s distaste for people knowing his business and forgave the edge of annoyance in his voice. ‘Just as you want nothing to do with Leda, Colm, we don’t really want to get in touch with Ciara again. Perhaps we can respect each other’s motives without understanding the reasons behind them. I would be grateful for your assistance and I won’t bother you again unless I move the practice business from Lalors – although that is unlikely at this stage. The Lalors have been involved in Michaelmas since Alison’s parents started up. As far as I can see they have not put a foot wrong but I wish you well, Colm. There is lots going on in Caharoe now for the two of you to have plenty to do.’
‘The practice is doing just fine. I will be in touch with Leda’s details whenever I get hold of them from Ciara.’ They shook hands, and Colm regretted the defensive tone in his voice, which he was sure had betrayed his anxiety. By contrast Dan Abernethy left the office relaxed and largely impervious to the swoon of Betty Linehan as she showed him to the door with a theatrical flourish.
‘I think he might have found the door unaccompanied, Betty, seeing as we have only the one.’ Colm eyed Betty impatiently, but she was in another world and his sarcasm was wasted.
‘Oh, I do hope we will be seeing a lot more of him, Colm. You should offer your services at a reduced rate, him being the town GP and all.’
‘I think if you want to see Dr Abernethy again you will have to take yourself off to the surgery. We have very little to offer him here.’
Colm tried to concentrate on his work after Dan had left but it was impossible for him to direct his mind elsewhere. He popped off an email to Ciara, as casually as he could manage, asking for Leda’s details. He made it clear that he didn’t intend to contact her but the family GP had advised him that it would be prudent to have Tom’s mother’s contact details in case of a medical emergency. He didn’t feel a shred of loyalty to Leda as he gave the false reason for his request. Leda had long ago shown that she could look after herself. As he pressed send he wondered if Ciara’s reluctance to visit them in Caharoe was linked to her knowing the Abernethys. Ever since they had moved to Cork Ciara had pleaded that work commitments in London prevented her from making a visit, and so he and Tom met her in Dublin for day-long visits after which she flew home and they moved on to spend the night with his mother in Grosvenor Gardens. He waited for a response for a few minutes and it came, as Ciara was never far from her laptop.
It’s 28 Seabury Crescent, Sandymount, Dublin 4. Apparently she has found the man of her dreams, a stockbroker (rich of course). Bob Cantwell I think his name is. Engaged. Wedding to follow in Mauritius by all accounts. Anyway it looks as if Sis has landed on her feet again, as usual.
Love to Tom, will ring on Fri as normal,
C
PS. How useful do you think Leda would actually be in a medical emergency?!!
Needing to clear his head he rang Mrs Timmons, Tom’s childminder, to tell her that he would pick Tom up at the school gate at 2 p.m. and drop him home to her at Lantern Lodge. Distraction, in the person of his five-year-old whirlwind of a son, was exactly what he needed to keep the morning’s events from preoccupying him solely for the rest of the day.