‘IS IT TRUE?’ Eily stood in front of her brother, while the youngsters hugged and kissed him.
‘Aye, ‘tis true,’ he said softly. ‘This house and the land that goes with it now belong to you and all your descendants, Eily.’
‘Michael, what in heaven’s name did you do?’
‘I sold Glengarry. She’s a fine mare. She’s won some of the best races in her day and has bred a few winners already.’
‘I can’t believe it,’ cried Eily, tears running down her face. ‘You sold your horse! But you had such plans for Glengarry.’
‘I reckoned Mr Ormonde was the kind of man who liked to have a bit of a bet. Turns out he knows Sir Henry Buckland and had heard of Castletaggart stables. He’s a good judge of horse flesh, I’ll give him that, and he only had to take one look at the mare and he wanted her. He’s hoping to build up his stables. He doesn’t care about farming, he reckons racing’s the thing! Glengarry won’t let him down. She’s a good breeding mare.’
‘A horse is worth that much?’ said Eily, amazed.
‘A valuable racehorse is,’ said Michael. ‘And racing is all that matters to a gambling man like Mr Ormonde.’
‘Well! I still can’t believe it.’
‘I did promise him that I’d give him a bit of advice on getting that shambles of a stables he has into some kind of shape – to be run along the lines of my old place.’
‘Did you indeed!’ Eily half-smiled.
‘Eily, don’t forget there was also all that money you and John gave to Mr Brennan.’
‘You did all this for us, Michael!’ she said, overcome.
‘Eily, you’re my family. ‘Tis the very least I could do,’ he said proudly, his dark eyes shining. ‘Anyway, ‘tis all signed and sealed now, the holding is in your names.’
‘Come here, child! Let me give you a hug,’ called Nano, who was sitting, still very shaken, over by the fireside. Michael smiled to himself as his elderly aunt squeezed him tightly, and pushed his thick curls back off his face, just the way she used to do when he was a young boy. ‘Michael, your parents would have been right proud of you,’ she said, her voice filled with emotion, ‘and I’m right proud of you – of ye all!’ she added firmly.