She swallowed hard. She loved him, couldn’t bear to be apart from him. Luke Ryan was the best thing that had happened to her in such a long time. She couldn’t – she wouldn’t – jeopardize it!
‘The interview was awful. Mark was trying to pull me apart and as for that German man, the questions he asked were totally out of order. Anyway, whatever I said about salary and holidays, it didn’t go down well. They were obviously very polite, but it was clear that they had no interest in continuing on,’ she lied.
‘Maybe you’ve got it wrong,’ he consoled her.
‘No. Mark talked to me afterwards on the way to the elevator. He told me that they had already interviewed a more suitable candidate. He’s such a shit!’
‘I’m sorry, Kim, really sorry. I know that you had your hopes up about this job,’ he said, pulling her into his arms. It felt so good there …
‘So, there’s no new job!’ she said trying to sound disappointed. ‘So unfortunately you’re still stuck with me here in Kilfinn.’
‘Kim, that stupid company has no idea what they are missing!’ he said vehemently. ‘But their loss is our gain. I’ll take you to dinner tonight to cheer you up. What about going over to the Mill House in Glengarry for an early-bird special?’
‘Sounds lovely,’ she smiled, trying to hide her relief.
Looking into his eyes, Kim knew that she had definitely made the right decision. She would contact Joanne, talk to Mark, tell them that she was sorry but unfortunately she was turning down their job offer.
Chapter 66
KIM STARED NERVOUSLY AT THE COMPUTER SCREEN. SHE HAD worked so hard at this that she couldn’t bear for it to go wrong. She had tested out various templates for the site before finding the right one and had also decided with Molly on the right font to use. For the background she had tried so many options and then one day, looking at the old, soft, flower-patterned wallpaper in her bedroom, it had come to her that that might work, combined with an illustration of the house that she had discovered hanging in her uncle’s study. Molly really liked it and now everything was uploaded and it looked exactly as she had intended.
‘There will always be hitches and gremlins!’ Piotr had advised her as she showed him everything in detail and he checked it during a trial run.
She had uploaded photos of Mossbawn House and the garden through the seasons, the history of the old Georgian house with the family tree and portraits, as well as old photographs of Charles Moore and his wife, Constance. There were details from his sketchbooks and original designs for the garden, and pictures of his tools and even of pages from his garden diary. There were photos of the borders and lawn, the maze and the walled kitchen garden, and one section was devoted to the rose garden. Then, in a separate section, she had put up events at Mossbawn, with a few photos of Libby’s wedding and the orangery lit up at night, tables set, flower arrangements, Daisy with a pink bow tied to her collar, champagne and wedding cake. It all looked cool and inviting.
She knew that Molly was worried about it and what people’s reactions would be, but Kim was so pleased that Mossbawn and its history would now finally have the web presence it deserved. She would add more pages in time. There was also a Facebook page about Mossbawn House, which she promised Molly that she would manage closely.
A few minutes later, at midday, it went live.
Kim web-texted everyone to tell them and prayed that Mossbawn would interest people the same way the old house and gardens had always fascinated her.
When Molly Hennessy looked at the screen, she couldn’t believe it. Most old houses were just a dusty mention in a parish history, or had a small brochure or leaflet printed about them. Yet here was Mossbawn House – their house – preserved for ever, standing proudly surrounded by the garden, the lawn, the avenue of rhododendrons. She felt overcome.
‘Kim, I can never thank you enough for what you’ve done!’ Molly felt so emotional. ‘It’s amazing, truly amazing. If David were here he would love it. He was such a techie compared to me! Mossbawn will live for ever. We have to celebrate!’ she insisted. ‘I have a bottle of champagne in the fridge that I have been saving for a special occasion – for something good!’
‘Molly – it’s just a website!’
Molly fixed her with a look she knew well. ‘Really?’
‘It does look really good, doesn’t it!’ Kim laughed. ‘I can’t believe how well some of my photos turned out, and we were so lucky to be able to find so much about Charles and his family.’
‘Champagne!’ Molly grabbed the bottle and opened it, filling their two glasses to overflowing. ‘You putting Mossbawn up on the web like this certainly calls for a celebration!’
Kim could see she was getting lots of texts and emails and messages for the site already. Emma and Grace were as delighted as Molly at the results, and even her dad was chuffed!
‘Kim I’m very proud of you! Dad’
‘Hey Kim, great place! If I ever find a guy to marry will have my wedding there! Lisa’
‘Love it, Love you, Luke’
‘Well done Kim! Gareth’
She laughed. She must have sent the message to everyone, even Gareth!
Chapter 67
MOLLY DID A LAST QUICK CHECK AROUND THE HOUSE. THERE were flowers everywhere, and in the orangery Gina had put up a few tables set with crisp white linen, flowers and glasses, as Mary and Sean Kennedy, a couple who were planning to celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary with a big family dinner, were coming to see the house along with a son and a daughter.
Saturday was busy, as later in the afternoon two couples who had only just got engaged were also coming to see the place, as well as an older couple who wanted to hold a small post-civil-wedding meal. The website was certainly attracting lots of people and Mossbawn House had got very positive reviews on two of the big wedding sites.
She had lit lots of tea lights and candles everywhere, and the fire was warm and aglow, with soft classical music playing in the background. She had just taken a plate of biscuits from the oven when she heard the first people arrive and she ran to the front door to let them in.
‘Come in out of the rain,’ she said, leading them inside. She hoped that it would clear up so that at least they would get a chance to see the garden properly. ‘You are very welcome to Mossbawn House.’
As she walked them around, she discovered that the older couple wanted to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary in style.
‘We were poor as church mice when we got married and had sixteen to a meal in the Metropole Hotel, worried how we were going to even pay for it!’ confided Mary, a sprightly seventy-two-year-old.
‘We went to Killarney for our honeymoon and it rained every day,’ added Sean, laughing. ‘Not that we noticed it that much!’
‘Life has been good to us, so now we want to celebrate the anniversary properly, with all the children and our grandchildren and family and friends around us. But do it properly!’
‘Do it in style!’
Molly smiled as she led them from room to room. They were such a lovely couple. She opened the door into the orangery.
‘Sean, this is exactly what we are looking for!’ Mary was excited as she walked around it, looking at the tables and at the fabulous view of the garden.
‘There’s plenty of space,’ remarked her daughter, Jane.
‘What I like about it,’ added Sean, ‘is that it’s not at all like a hotel.’
Molly showed them around the house, suggesting they have arrival drinks in the drawing room and, if the weather permitted, on the terrace with its view of the pond and garden. Then the meal would be served in the orangery. She went through things with them for the next half-hour, teasing out exactly what they wanted for their family party.
‘Flowers on the tables are freshly cut from our garden and we would also try to use as many seasonal vegetables and herbs and salads from our kitchen garden as possible for the meal,’ Molly smiled. She could see that had impressed them. ‘I se
e it’s just started to dry up outside. Why don’t I give you all a bit of a tour of the garden? There are some lovely places for family photographs.’
Outside, she brought them around the pond and the walled garden, the lawn, and finished up in the rose garden.
‘Mary’s a great rose woman,’ teased Sean. ‘We grow them at home. This is a perfect spot for photographs of the two of us.’
Molly could see that Mary was quite knowledgeable about roses.
‘This is a special garden,’ Mary said, impressed, ‘with real old-world style! It’s lovely here and it’s exactly what we want.’
‘Then let’s just go ahead and book it!’ said Sean decisively as they went back inside.
Kim had made Molly buy a large, expensive, leatherbound desk diary to impress people, and she pulled the book from the drawer in the hall and took down all the Kennedys’ personal details and contact numbers as she booked in their golden anniversary party for three weeks’ time.
Just as they were about to leave, Sean and Mary asked if they could take another look at the orangery. Standing there hand in hand, it was clear that they were still mad about each other.
‘What a lovely couple!’ she thought, pleased to be having their anniversary party here in Mossbawn.
When Kim came over on Monday, she couldn’t believe that Molly had three bookings already: a wedding in late August, a wedding in mid-October and the golden wedding anniversary party on the very last Saturday in June.
Chapter 68
KIM LAY IN LUKE’S ARMS. SHE LOVED WATCHING HIM SLEEP. HE was so calm and reassuring. Last night they had gone for dinner with a few of his friends and to a gig with The Coronas playing afterwards. They’d had a great time and hadn’t got home till all hours. Spending most of Sunday in bed was very tempting.
She looked at him. She was mad about him in a way that she had never ever been before. She really, really liked him as a friend and not just a boyfriend. She could talk to Luke about anything and he wouldn’t be fazed. He was kind and good-hearted and old-fashioned, mad on animals; he’d punch anyone who hurt a horse or a dog. Luke was obsessed with history and Celtic legends, a big follower of the local hurling team. He’d taken her to a few of their matches and she had struggled to understand what was happening, which had made him laugh instead of getting annoyed. He loved curry, hated bananas, had a thing about yellow and wore these weird Dennis the Menace slippers around his house. And already she loved him.
‘Are you awake?’ he asked, yawning heavily.
‘Yes.’
‘What are you doing?’
‘Watching you,’ she teased, snuggling in beside him. ‘Sometimes you say a word or two.’
‘What?’
‘Honestly you do!’ she persisted. ‘Like … “banana”!’
‘Never!’ he laughed, pulling her under the bedclothes.
A long time later, as they lay listening to traffic and kids playing out in the street, Kim began to get up.
‘We should eat, get some breakfast.’
‘I want you to stay,’ he said softly, running his finger along her spine.
‘We should get up – it’s really late …’
‘I want you to stay here,’ he said, serious. ‘I don’t mean just now, today. I want you to move in with me, for us to live together.’
Kim stopped for a few seconds, considering.
‘What’s brought this on?’ she teased, looking at him.
‘Well, you know Sinead and her boyfriend are moving in together.’
‘I know they were talking about it.’
‘Well, they’re leaving in three weeks’ time,’ he continued. ‘They’ve bought a place in Castlecomer. It needs a bit of doing up, but they want to move in once they get the keys.’
‘So you want another housemate to move in and help pay the rent, is that it?’
‘No!’ he protested. ‘That’s not it! The fact that they are leaving just makes it easier.’
‘What about Alan? You want me to move in here with the two of you?’
‘No, I already told Alan that if you agree to move in he needs to find somewhere else to live. He’s chilled about it.’
Kim didn’t know what to say.
‘We are both crazy about each other,’ he said softly, ‘so I think it is high time we gave living together a chance.’
‘You’re sure?’ she hesitated.
‘Yes, I mean it.’
‘I’ve already lived with Gareth.’
‘And I lived with Alison,’ he replied. ‘But this time it will be different, because we are different together. We both know it’s what we want – to be together all the time. It’s the next step, and we both want to take it.’
Kim laughed. She was moving in with Luke! She’d see him first thing every morning, last thing every night. Living with him was definitely what she wanted. She knew that saying yes meant committing to staying here, to staying with him. This time was so different, nothing like before – because she truly loved him.
Chapter 69
WITH THE SUMMER DAYS, MOLLY WAS WORKING AT FULL TILT IN the garden. The herbaceous borders around the house and along the walkway were glorious and bursting with colour, the kitchen garden flourishing with the first crops of summer vegetables. In her rose garden the climbing roses she was training up the walls and frames, arches and gazebo had all suddenly put on a stretch and were beginning to cover them. The smaller shrub roses of Gertrude Jekyll, which she had repeated through the beds, were beginning to flourish too in the warm weather, as the first buds began to appear. She had twenty-eight varieties growing in the rose garden, something she was very proud of, each chosen with great care. The beds were edged with box or bay or lavender, and along with feeding her roses she was keeping an obsessive eye out for any signs of black spot or rust or mildew.
‘Molly!’
She looked up. It was Cara. She’d totally forgotten the time. She’d invited her over for lunch last week.
‘I rang the bell a few times and tried your phone,’ Cara laughed, ‘but I guessed you’d be out here somewhere working!’
Molly had intended changing out of her gardening clothes before Cara arrived but here she was in an old T-shirt and baggy jeans, her hair scrunched up in a hairband and with dirt under her fingernails.
‘Sorry, I didn’t realize the time!’
‘It’s fine Molly, honestly – it’s only me! I love this new garden of yours!’ she said, walking around looking at the beds and the painted gazebo, and the archways of tumbling pink roses. She sat down on one of the benches.
‘It’s been a lot of hard work trying to recreate the original rose garden that Charles Moore planted, but I think I’ve succeeded,’ she said proudly. ‘Later in the summer, with all the roses blooming, it will be wonderful. And next summer even better. The one thing roses need is time.’
‘It’s beautiful! And you’ve so many roses.’
‘It’s been a bit of an obsession, trying to get it right, but I’m glad you like it. Here, let me give you a nice bunch to take home,’ she said, going to her bed of roses for cutting and getting a bunch of varied colours for Cara. ‘Now, let’s get that lunch I promised you.’
‘How’s the work going on the cottage?’ Cara asked as they walked back to the house.
‘Great! Paul says it should be finished in a few weeks.’
Molly changed out of her gardening boots and washed her hands.
‘I’ve made stuffed peppers and salad.’
‘Sounds delicious!’ replied Cara with a smile, setting the table.
Over lunch Molly showed Cara some photos of her holiday in Italy.
‘That holiday did you a lot of good!’
‘I know! Poor Roz had to practically drag me away, but the break was great because it made me realize that selling Mossbawn would have been a huge mistake,’ Molly admitted. ‘I’m so much happier now with getting the cottage and house sorted.’
‘I heard that you’ve a few weddings booked in alr
eady!’
‘Who told you?’
‘I bumped into Kim and Luke the other night in the Kilfinn Inn.’
‘Kim’s done an amazing job on the website and she’s already put up a gallery of some of our events in the house and garden.’
‘She and Luke Ryan make a lovely couple.’
‘I know. They seem to be crazy about each other.’
‘God, I wish I could find some nice girl for Danny. Remember that awful anorexic girl he went out with last year, with her hot yoga and weird faddy-food diet? Tim and I were at our wits’ end.’
‘He’s only young!’ Molly laughed as she put on the kettle for coffee. ‘Give him a chance.’
‘Molly, the golf club barbecue is on next week. We were wondering if you wanted to come?’
Molly hesitated. She and David had gone to the club’s summer barbecue almost every year. Kilfinn was only a small local golf club and it was their annual shindig with most members and their partners going. The club had sent her a lovely letter following David’s death, saying how much he would be missed.
Cara and Tim and all her friends had been so good to her this past eighteen months. She’d have been lost without them.
‘Of course I’m coming,’ she promised. ‘David would want me to go.’
Grace had driven her to the golf club.
‘Are you going to be okay, Mum?’ she asked anxiously. ‘If you need me, phone and I’ll come and get you.’
‘I’ll be fine,’ Molly said, trying to compose herself, remembering all the times she had dropped David here or collected him, nights they had popped into the small clubhouse for a drink, or for a Sunday lunch with the girls. David had loved the old wooden clubhouse with its eighteen-hole golf course and the bar overlooking the river.
‘Hey, Molly! We’re here!’ shouted Cara.
The smell of the barbecue filled the air and everyone was outside, standing around having a few drinks. Half the town was here, so it really was very much a local affair. Molly was relieved as everyone welcomed her.
The Rose Garden Page 26