The Tour Read Online Free Page B

few people even knew had had a brother.
    ‘Em no, he’s in America. He did emigrate in the end, although he didn’t have to. My mother was dead by that time. He’s gone years,’ he said.
    Quickly changing the subject, he added: ‘Are you whacked, or will we stop off for a quick drink on the way home?’ Anastasia looked confused,
    ‘Whacked? I don’t know what is this word, but I think I need a drink if you have time,’ she smiled. ‘Righty-ho so. The lady has spoken.’
    Conor observed Anastasia from the bar as he waited for their drinks. She had changed out of her uniform and was now wearing faded Levi’s and a T-shirt with a smiley face. God, she looked so vulnerable and childlike sometimes, he thought.
    As they sipped their drinks, Anastasia regaled him with stories of the dreadful Carlos and his stupid, new rules, the latest being that even if there were no guests within earshot, the staff were to communicate only in English with each other. Conor hid his annoyance and reminded her that she didn’t have to put up with harassment in the workplace.
    ‘People are mostly nice here,’ she replied, ‘but it is a bit frightening I think for local people when they see so many of us foreigners coming to Ireland at one time maybe. Is funny though, you know Betty who works in the laundry room?’
    ‘I do indeed. She’s a dote of a woman, washes my shirts for me every week though the boss doesn’t know anything about that, so keep it to yourself. She’s real old stock Betty, so she is. A heart of gold.’
    ‘Well, just yesterday, she said to me and Svetlana…remember I told you about her, she’s my flatmate from Lithuania. When we were on our break and having a sandwich, Betty come in and say to us that she now eats only Polish bread. She say she buy it in Polski Sklep, she even say Polish word for shop! Svetlana and me laugh so much at this. She is so nice. The Irish bread she say make her say things many times. I don’t know what she mean, but is funny to think an old Irish lady only eat Polish bread,’ she smiled.
    Conor burst out laughing. ‘Did she say the bread repeats on her, by any chance?’
    Anastasia looked at him blankly.
    ‘In Ireland, when we say some kind of food repeats on a person, it doesn’t mean they say things twice. It’s more that the food doesn’t make them feel too good. They get indigestion from it.’
    Anastasia’s face lit up. ‘Ah yes! That is what she say. Ah, now it make sense. Svetlana and me don’t know what she say most times, but she is very kind to us. She made Svetlana a cake for her birthday, and we all had it on our tea break until Mr Manner come in staff room and say is against safety and health! Then later he tell me and Svetlana we must look better. Her hair is too long and my false eyelashes are health hazard.
    ‘I tell him my eyelash is real and not false at all but he don’t believe me. Everyone in my family have this long eyelash. I think he is a very mean man who is always grumpy and looking out for things to be wrong. Betty is only one who is not feared to be rude to him because she worked for many years in hotel and is friend of Mr McCarthy. She tell him we on a break and he cannot harass us or she will speak to union. I think Mr Manner a bit feared of Betty.’
    Conor laughed. ‘Carlos better watch himself with Betty on your side right enough. In a fight, my money would be on Betty every time. And you’re right, I’m driving tours for twenty years and Betty has been in Dunshane for that long at least. She knows Tim McCarthy since he was a child and he has great time for Betty. When old Tadhg McCarthy set up the hotel back in the fifties, Betty got a job there. I think she’s the only member of the original staff still working there, so Mr Manner is right not to get in her way.’
    Anastasia looked over at Conor. ‘I think he is little bit feared of you too Conor,’ she smiled.
    ‘Sure myself and Betty are the old guard. That hotel is more like