Road Trip

Maeve discovers that $100 is missing from her wallet and immediately suspects her sister. At her late mother’s house, she searches through old boxes for documents related to Brother Jerome’s church but instead finds a collection of postcards. The cards, sent by Therese over many years, detail a nomadic life of failed acting auditions and constant requests for money from their mother.

Therese arrives and ecstatically announces that an art expert believes their painting could be worth over a million dollars if they can prove its history. She insists they must travel to Ireland, as their mother wished. Maeve dismisses the idea and reveals she has consulted Scotty about pursuing a lawsuit against Brother Jerome for elder abuse. An argument erupts, and Maeve confronts Therese about stealing the $100. The fight escalates until Therese accidentally sees a text on Maeve’s phone revealing that Maeve has been fired from her job. The shared crisis of being jobless and financially insecure leads to a tearful reconciliation. They agree that their only option is to go to Ireland to solve the mystery of the painting.

Maeve and Therese tell their aunts, Bernie and Fran, about their decision to travel to Ireland. The aunts are overjoyed and share family history: Therese and Maeve’s great-grandmother, Kathleen Connor, came over in 1926 aboard the S.S. Cedric. The ship’s manifest lists her as an orphan, though her little brother Tommy survived the fire that killed their parents and siblings. After the fire, Kathleen was taken in by a rich woman who lived on the local estate, Tarrymore House.

Therese realizes this is the same Tarrymore estate connected to Lady Geraldine and the artist Valerian DeJongh. The aunts remain skeptical about the portrait’s authenticity, remembering their sister Mary Helen’s tendency to embellish stories. Maeve confirms online that Tarrymore House is now a historical site open for tours, though part of it remains a private residence. The sisters decide Tarrymore will be their first stop.

The narrative flashes back to Cobh, Ireland, in 1926. An 18-year-old Kathleen waits in a long line of third-class passengers to board the S.S. Cedric. She shares her sandwich with Maggy Perkins, a young mother traveling with her small daughter, Dolly, to join her husband in America. Kathleen reveals she is traveling alone and knows no one there, relying on a priest to help her find work and a place to live.

On the ship, an official tries to separate them, but Kathleen persuades him to allow Maggy and Dolly to stay with the single women in her berth. Their room is tiny, with two small bunks. Shortly after they set sail, Kathleen becomes severely seasick, and Maggy tends to her.

In the present day, Maeve and Therese argue while going through security at the Atlanta airport. Maeve’s travel anxiety clashes with Therese’s relaxed attitude. When a TSA agent discovers a vibrator in Therese’s carry-on, Maeve is embarrassed. While Maeve waits nervously at the gate, Therese disappears, only to reappear at the last minute with a flight attendant friend, Tranh. He has used his connections to upgrade their tickets to first class. Onboard, Maeve is still unable to relax, so Therese offers her some “harmless little gummies” to help her sleep (89). After dinner, with Therese already asleep, a still-anxious Maeve decides to take the gummies.

In 1926, aboard the S.S. Cedric, Kathleen is awakened by Dolly, who excitedly announces their arrival in New York. Kathleen has been severely seasick for the entire week-long journey, and Maggy has cared for her. From the ship, they are herded onto a barge that will take them to Ellis Island for processing. Internally, Kathleen is terrified because she worries she will be discovered, accused of theft, and sent back to Ireland. Once on Ellis Island, she, Maggy, and Dolly pass their physical examinations and are given a meal before facing the next step of their journey.

The narrative returns to the present. Upon arriving in Dublin, Maeve nervously drives their rental car on the left side of the road toward their inn at Tarrymore House. During the drive, she tells Therese about a notorious IRA art heist that occurred at Tarrymore in the 1970s. Eleven paintings were stolen, including a portrait of Lady Geraldine. While most of the pieces were reportedly recovered, Maeve read that some may still be missing. After a tense experience navigating a roundabout, they reach the Tarrymore Estate and Inn, a converted gamekeeper’s lodge, that they find somewhat shabby.

Maeve and Therese join a tour of Tarrymore Manor led by a guide named Aerin. In the home’s picture gallery, the guide mentions that a ceiling mural was painted by Valerian DeJongh, who married into the family in the 1870. Therese asks about the 1970s IRA heist. Aerin firmly states that all the stolen pieces were recovered and donated to the National Gallery in Dublin for security reasons. When Maeve mentions reading that some paintings were never found, the guide dismissively tells her not to believe everything she reads. Feeling exhausted, Therese decides to skip the rest of the tour and return to her room.