O'Connell Bridge - Pt. 33 & 34

Handshakes from complete strangers happened every time LC walked past a table. And, after the dinner the birthday congratulations continued. Several women LC didn’t know gave him hugs and men patted him on the back. Clarice stood at the back of the room clutching her purse and apparently observing all that went on.

Clinton embraced him. “Liam, you designed the flat for yourself you know. You get the model we saw. Carpenters will finish up this week and the appliances and furniture will be coming in soon. You should plan on coming over to supervise, maybe next Monday or Tuesday. Simmons will take care of it. I’ll get you a hotel room. We can share a pint and tell lies till they throw us out.”

The secretary who had interrupted came in and took LC’s arm and pulled him aside. “Okay, quickly.” She held her pad up ready to check off items. “I will see to it on Monday that you have a student Visa which will be extended indefinitely, well the Visa system allows you to go to school virtually indefinitely, but you need to reapply occasionally. I’ll see to that. Oh, Mrs. O’Neil has some things for you to sign and go over. You’re already talking to Clinton. That’s good. One more thing I don’t have to do. Come to the office in London next Wednesday. We have you scheduled to meet in Mr. Montgomery’s office at noon. We’ll have everything ready. Simmons will make the arrangements. He’ll contact you at the Ashling. By the way, you had some boxes in the US in an apartment; I just arranged to have had those sent to the London office, you can pick them up in the shipping room. Your truck may take 30 days to get here, but I am told it is coming to the London office, too. It will be picked up Monday. Montgomery will contact your brother. I believe there is a nice storage area nearby if you so require it.” We have a ceremony scheduled at Mrs. O’Neil’s estate on August 3, which you will of course attend. You’re to be in Myrtle Beach, US from July 24th through the 30th. I’ll have you back in London on the 1st. We’ll post the 28 day notices tomorrow, let's see your school starts the 13th. That’ll give you ten days to get the Edinburgh flat in order. This week you are touring, but it would be a good idea to get to Edinburg as soon as possible, we’ll let you be the judge on that and coordinate with Clinton. All of this I will put in a memo to you late tonight. Oh, a laptop is now in your hotel room. You’ll get your expense account information and credit card when you meet with Montgomery, but here.” She handed LC an envelope. “This is a prepaid card, I think ten thousand Euros, plus a thousand Euros cash; a birthday present from Mrs. O’Neil.” She extended her hand for LC to shake. “Mr. Brennan, may I the first to welcome you to the family.” The secretary hurried out of the room.

Clarice finally pulled him aside. “Liam, darling, I am at the Fitzwilliam Hotel. If you need to talk, or whatever, come see me. I’m there until Monday then off to the London office. I don’t know what you said to Mrs. O’Neil but whatever it was charmed her. It was definitely the right thing. Congratulations. I was serious about what I said earlier. You are more of a real gentleman than any man I have known before and I love you for it.”

“She asked me about six questions, mostly about myself, about you and Seamus. Some kinda personal questions. However, she did allow me one question of her.”

“Oh?”

“I asked her about O’Connell Bridge.”

“And?”

“She told me she got engaged there.”

Clarice embraced LC and kissed him on both cheeks. “Thank you for being a true gentleman. I will never forget you.”

LC sensed that his torrid affair with Clarice was over. He held on to her hand. “I do love you for being who you are and teaching me to be a gentleman, opening my eyes, and caring about me. Thank you.”

She squeezed his fingers. “You realize her visitors in the other room just arrived. Her niece and her guardian.”

“Yes, I know. The people from Hungary.”

Clarice released his hand and turned away from LC. She looked over her shoulder. “Good grief no Liam, the one special person in the other room is who this whole thing is about. The heiress is here.”

George appeared at the door and Clarice walked out and into the sedan without asking LC to escort her.

He looked around the vacant banquet room. “Oops, I don’t even have a ride. Guess I need to hail a cab.” He pulled on his heavy top coat and walked to the street. A doorman hailed a taxi for him.

“Where to, sir?”

“O’Connell Bridge.” He looked at this watch it was five minutes before 10 PM.

Part 34

LC walked out to center span of O’Connell Bridge. A misty cold fog was rolling in off the Irish Sea so he pulled the coat tight around himself. The streetlights on the bridge created mysterious halos in the mist. “Cold in June here,” LC muttered as he walked. Several people passed by. “I wonder which one is meant for me. Perhaps someone is going to throw me into the river.” LC stared at the slow moving stream and tried not to shiver.

A man approached from the Temple Bar area and stopped a couple of meters away and appeared to gaze into the river the same as LC. His flirty glances back toward the bar area concerned LC, but the man lit a cigarette smoked half of it and flung the rest toward the water and then turned and walked past LC and to the other end of the bridge. When LC looked again he had disappeared into the fog. Two couples walked by each hand in hand. And, traffic splashed by in the now light rain. In the distance cabs let people off or picked them up. Everyone walked with their hoods pulled up to guard against the dampness.

“I guess I should go back to the hotel.” LC had about decided the appointment was a ruse, and had thought about hailing another cab when the overpowering scent of Bulgari Splendia cologne filled the air. The fingers of a soft hand creased his jaw line. “LC, I have always loved you and always will.”