When All Is Said

The time is 8:35 pm, the third toast is to Noreen, and the drink is another bottle of stout. Maurice asks Svetlana for a “toasted special”—she doesn’t know what it is, but the kitchen says they can make it once the rush in the dining room has passed. He orders another stout. He remembers going for a drink with his father, who didn’t drink much and warned him of its perils. He also taught Maurice his mercenary attitude to business.

Maurice internally tells Kevin why he drinks to Noreen, Sadie’s sister: Because of her, Sadie’s father, Michael, accepted Maurice faster, and another part of the coin’s mystery was resolved. Also, Sadie was devoted to her.

Maurice remembers the success of Sadie’s first visit to his home. His father and sisters made a fuss over her, though his mother was quiet. Afterward, his mother wondered who Tony might have brought home.

In contrast, when Maurice met Sadie’s family, he was nervous, particularly about Michael. Feeling awkward, he asked after her sister, Noreen. This exacerbated the tension as Noreen had a mental health condition and was cared for by nuns in a psychiatric hospital, St Catherine’s.