The Art of Love

by Celya Bowers

  “Yes. You know, something for her to read or play on this very long flight to Ireland?” Peri smiled at him, knowing he hadn’t thought about it.

  “I’ve never been on a flight this long with her before. I really didn’t think about it.” He stared down at Peri and winked at her. “I guess I had other things on my mind.”

  “I bought some books and games. I thought it might have slipped your mind.”

  “You are the best, honey.” He gave her a kiss for her reward.

  “Thanks, it’s nice to be appreciated.” She kissed him in return.

  * * *

  Later the books and games proved useless on the plane. Chelsey found another little girl to talk to in first class. She left the adults and sat with her new friend. Peri gazed out of her window seat. Her thoughts were already in Dublin. She said a silent prayer, hoping these next seven days would be memorable.

  “What’s the matter?” Brendan asked when the flight attendant repeated her question to Peri a third time.

  “Nerves.” Her hand trembled as she brought the wine glass to her lips. Some of the liquid spilled on her lap. A tranquilizer would be good right now, she thought. Valium.

  Brendan picked up her hand and rubbed it against his face. “You will have fun, I promise. You’ll see real Irish people, living and enjoying life. Now, don’t get me wrong, we don’t get drunk all the time. We can be quite sober at times.”

  She laughed and relaxed a little.

  After they arrived at Dublin airport, everything seemed to take forever: getting their luggage, going through customs, and getting the tiny rental car. By the time they finally got to the hotel suite, they were all exhausted and went to sleep immediately.

  * * *

  The next morning Peri was awakened by laughter in the next room. She heard Brendan’s deep voice, as well as Chelsey’s squeals of laughter. But she heard other voices as well; a female and a male voice. Those voices must belong to some of Brendan’s family, she thought. She could tell by the thickness of their accents. You’re in Ireland; now you have the accent, she reminded herself. A light tapping on the door pulled Peri out of her daze. “Come in.”

  Brendan stuck his head in the door and smiled at her. “Hey, are you getting up soon? Hungry? My brother and sister are here. We can go downstairs for an Ulster.” He quickly closed the door.

  Peri looked at the closed door. She had no idea what an Ulster was or if it had anything to do with breakfast. He had been here eight hours and he was already using Irish slang. She thought it was cute.

  As Peri dressed she felt extremely cold. Was the heat on in this place? She put thermals on over her undergarments, a T-shirt over that, and a turtleneck over that. Finally, she put on a thick fisherman’s sweater. Her mother would be proud. It had to have been 30 degrees inside the room. Her teeth chattered as she brushed them. After she gave herself a little mental pep talk, she walked into the adjoining room. Four sets of blue eyes stared at her as she walked and stood beside Brendan and Chelsey. Her nerves were strung tighter than violin strings.

  Brendan rubbed her back to ease her nerves. It helped. “Honey, this is my brother, Sean, and my sister, Emma. Guys, this is Peri Reed.”

  They exchanged pleasantries and went downstairs for breakfast. Apparently, an Ulster was breakfast. Peri didn’t have the Ulster, but Brendan did. It was actually called an Ulster Fry. She looked at Brendan’s plate with amazement. The breakfast was large enough for two people. This explained his huge appetite, she thought. He must have the world’s fastest metabolism. Outside of bacon and eggs, it also had tomatoes and some kind of bread. Also something they called pudding, but it didn’t look like any pudding she had ever seen. It reminded her more of link sausage. Peri and Chelsey both had continental breakfasts. She was amazed at how much Brendan’s sister ate, and she was thin as a rail. She looked a little like Brendan, she had his eyes, but her hair was a reddish color. Sean could pass for Brendan, if Brendan didn’t have four inches on him.

  Brendan’s sister was full of suggestions for places to go. She must also have been the family inquisitor. She asked Peri all the important questions. What did she do? Had she ever been married? Why no kids? Peri didn’t mind answering her questions, for the most part. The movement helped her body heat. She glanced at Brendan. He winked at her and blew her a kiss, making her feel a few degrees warmer. Surely I’m not feeling that urge here, she thought. She glanced around the restaurant, taking in the homey atmosphere. The fire burned in the fireplace, as the children ran around the room. Brendan looked very at home here. He and his brother talked constantly through breakfast.

  “What are you all doing for the rest of the day?” Sean asked.

  “We are going out to the parents’. You know, they have never seen Chelsey.” Brendan finished Chelsey’s orange juice. He also started eyeing Peri’s half-eaten breakfast.

  Peri smiled and pushed her plate toward him. She’d been too nervous to do more than pick at her food.

  “Why don’t you come out tonight?” Sean asked as he looked at Peri.

  Brendan looked at Peri and she looked back at him “No, it’s our first night here. Maybe to the pub for a pint. Is that okay with you, Peri?”

  “Sure, that’s fine.” Luckily, she knew that a pint meant Guinness, and Guinness meant beer. “What about Chelsey?” Chelsey played with her food, watching the children play.

  “Honey, this is Ireland. Most pubs allow children in them. Not to drink, mind you, but it’s a family setting.”

  “Oh.” Peri hoped the little chaperone would be with them every night while they were in Ireland.

  After they finished their breakfast and said their goodbyes to Brendan’s siblings, they drove to his parents’. Peri fell in love with the countryside almost immediately. It reminded her of her childhood and visiting her grandmother in the hill country of central Texas, except here everything was twice as green. It was very calming to her. Instantly, she knew why Brendan loved it so. She was glad she bought her digital camera.

  When they finally reached his parents’ thatched-roof cottage, it instantly felt like home. Brendan’s mother was standing on the porch, awaiting their arrival. She reminded Peri of what most people think a grandmother should look like. She was a little portly, but with a smile that could catch the sun. Gray strands threaded between the black strands of her hair. She was even dressed for the part. Her apron had samples of what she was cooking, and it looked as if she had been slaving in the kitchen all morning.

  Chelsey was also amazed to see the sheep being herded across the road. “Dad, look! Sheep! Why are they in the road?”

  “Is she expecting us to eat, Brendan? We just ate,” Peri nervously cut in. Brendan placed his hand over her mouth to reassure her.

  CHAPTER 18

  As Brendan helped Peri and Chelsey out of the rental car, he questioned his own logic for this trip. It was the first time his parents would be meeting their granddaughter, and he was also bringing a stranger into the mix. He was taking his life into his own hands.

  They walked toward his mother and Chelsey grabbed her father’s hand, something she only did when she was frightened. “Dad, who are they?”

  He’d showed her pictures of his parents, but the posed portraits were nothing like real life. “These are my parents, honey. Remember the pictures I showed you?”

  Her grip tightened on his hand. “Not really. Guess I forgot.”

  He stopped and kneeled in front of Chelsey. “It’s okay, baby. I know this is a strange place.” He looked up at Peri, who also had the same look of fear on her face. His gaze returned to Chelsey. “I won’t let anything bad happen to you. This is my mother and father. They’re very important to me. This is home, where I was raised when I was little.”

  Her little face seemed to brighten with that information. “Really, Dad? I can’t imagine you being a kid.”

  He straightened and they resumed their journey. “Yes, I was raised here. See those initials carved into the walkway?
” He pointed to a spot a few feet ahead of them.

  “Yes. It says BPD,” Chelsey answered.

  “Those are my initials. It stands for Brendan Patrick Donovan. When I was about ten, Dad was pouring fresh cement for the walkway and my older brother, Sean, who you met this morning, dared me to write my initials while it was still wet.”

  “What did your dad say?”

  “Not much. I was punished for a month.”

  “You got in trouble, Dad?”

  “He also got a trip to the woodshed.”

  Brendan laughed. “Mom, you still remember that?” He walked to his mother and hugged her. “I had hoped you’d forgotten.”

  His mother chuckled. “Heavens, no.” She turned her attention to Chelsey. “Hello, love, I’m your grandmother.” She took Chelsey in her arms and hugged her, dirty apron and all. “You don’t know how long I’ve waited to see your beautiful face.” She wiped away a tear.

  “Hello,” Chelsey said shyly.

  His mother released Chelsey and stepped back. “Now let me get a good look at you. My, my, you’re the spitting image of your father.”

  Chelsey giggled. “That’s what my mom says, too.”

  “Does she now?”

  “Mom,” Brendan said.

  She waved away his remark. “Oh, hush.” She looked in Peri’s direction. “Hello Peri, it’s nice to finally meet you.”

  “Hello, Mrs. Donovan.”

  His mother looked from Chelsey to Peri, then at Brendan. “I bet you girls are cold. Let’s go inside and finish our conversation. You’re probably not used to this weather. Brendan has told me how hot it gets in Texas.” She grabbed Chelsey’s hand and they all went inside the small house.

  Brendan actually sighed in relief. Now it was his father’s turn. “Hello, Dad.”

  His father rose out of his favorite chair and walked toward him. “Hello, son.” He hugged Brendan.

  “Dad, this is Chelsey. Chel, this is my father.”

  Chelsey looked at her grandfather and smiled. “Hello.” She looked at Brendan.

  Stewart Donovan shook his head. “Now what kind of welcome is that? You come here and give your grandfather a hug.” He bent down and opened his arms wide for a true Donovan welcome.

  Chelsey nodded and walked into her grandfather’s embrace.

  Stewart hugged her a long time before he finally let her go. “My God, I’ve waited for this moment a long time. Brendan, she’s beautiful. You’re a beautiful young lady, Chelsey.”

  “Thank you,” Chelsey said. “What do I call you?”

  Stewart sniffed, and it almost broke Brendan’s heart. But at least Chelsey was meeting them now. “Let’s see,” he said. “Your cousins, our other grandchildren, call us Grammy and Gramps.”

  Chelsey nodded. “Okay, Gramps.”

  “Okay, now that you know what to call us, tell me what do you think of Ireland?” Stewart straightened and sat back in his chair.

  Chelsey walked to her grandfather. “I think it’s cold. Not like at home, but the grass is so green and we saw sheep!”

  “Oh, those blasted things were in the road again?”

  “Dad!” Brendan admonished his father. He nodded in Chelsey’s direction.

  His father looked at him with those innocent blue eyes. “What?”

  It was useless trying to remind his parents that a child was in the room and they needed to curb their language. So he tried another tactic. “This is Peri Reed.”

  Stewart looked at Brendan. “Of course she is.” He rose and walked to Peri. He hugged her. “Good to meet you, dear. Take off your jacket. You’ll get used to the chill.”

  Peri did as he said and took a seat on the flowered couch. “Thank you, Mr. Donovan.”

  He shook his head again. “You Yanks are always so formal. My name is Stewart and my wife is Sarah. When you visit my parents you can call them Mr. and Mrs. Donovan, but we’ll have none of that here.”

  Peri smiled. “You got it, Stewart.”

  Brendan sat next to Peri and watched as his parents got to know his daughter. They asked her questions and little by little Chelsey warmed up and was the little chatterbox he knew and loved. Today was about Chelsey and her grandparents; there’d be another time for his parents to grill Peri. He hoped she’d be able to stand the pressure.

  * * *

  “Peri, would you like something to eat?”

  “Oh, no, thank you, Sarah. We had a big breakfast at the hotel earlier.”

  “It probably wasn’t enough to feed a bird. You young girls don’t eat enough.”

  Peri looked at Brendan for a little help.

  “Mum, Peri isn’t a big eater like we are.”

  “I’m sorry. I sometimes forget everyone was not raised on a farm and eats as heartily as we. We Irish believe in big meals that will stay with you most of the day,” his mother said. “I hope I didn’t offend you, Peri.”

  “Oh, no, you didn’t.” Peri patted her flat stomach. “I’ve just been on a diet for about the last year and a half. My stomach doesn’t hold much anymore.”

  Peri glanced around the room. Pictures adorned the wall, photos of Brendan, his brothers and sisters and their children minus Chelsey. But Brendan would change that. He had brought them a box of pictures of Chelsey from birth up until present day. She watched Brendan as he chatted with his parents. He looked perfect. Peri marveled at how at home he looked in this modest house. He looked just as comfortable dressed in an Armani suit in an art gallery. “It is beautiful here, it seems so serene.”

  “Yes,” Brendan’s father said with pride, “we love it here. It is a small village. My parents live right down the lane. I’m sure you’ll meet them later. There have been Donovans in this village for the last two hundred years.”

  Peri nodded. “I think that’s why I like Ireland so much. There’s just so much history here. I can’t wait to see the museums and galleries.”

  Brendan groaned. “We’ll never get to you back to the states.”

  * * *

  A few hours later Peri found herself walking down the lane with Brendan and Chelsey, hand-in-hand to visit his grandparents. “Where do they live?”

  “Oh, probably another half mile or so.” Brendan smiled. “I guess I should have explained the country to you.”

  Peri nodded. “Yes, but after we started on the second mile, I realized this was no longer a right-down-the-lane walk. I feel like I’ve been on the treadmill for thirty minutes.” She smiled as she realized even Chelsey’s hands were getting cold. Peri was about to ask the child where her gloves were, when Chelsey asked her first.

  “Miss Reed, your hands are cold. Where are your gloves?”

  Brendan laughed as Peri admitted she’d left her gloves at Brendan’s parents’ house.

  By the time they finally arrived, Peri was freezing. This visit was just as joyous as with his parents. They were so happy to see Brendan and even more excited to meet Chelsey. What really amazed Peri was these people were supposed to be in their eighties, and they were still very active. They had a garden and a flowerbed, and their yard was impeccable. Garden gnomes greeted them as they entered the house. Peri immediately walked over to the fireplace to warm up. His grandmother had made cookies for Chelsey and cooked a huge lunch. They had to eat this time, whether they were hungry or not. This time it wasn’t a problem for Peri. Between the long walk and the cold weather, Peri was starving and probably could have eaten a horse.

  “Sorry about lunch,” Brendan apologized as he held her hand, caressing it gently as they walked back to his parents’ cottage. Chelsey ran ahead of them.

  “That’s okay, it wasn’t that bad.” Her taste buds were becoming acclimated to the bland food.

  He kissed her forehead. “I’m so glad that you’re here with me.”

  Peri couldn’t get used to all this frankness. In the past she’d had to guess what her significant other was thinking, or, in Robert’s case, not thinking. “I’m glad I’m here, too.” The trip seemed perf
ect so far.

  * * *

  Later that evening at the pub, Peri found just how short lived perfection actually was. Peri, Brendan, and Chelsey met his brother, Sean, in the pub for a quick drink before retiring to their rooms. In Ireland, children were allowed in the pub. Peri couldn’t exactly wrap her head around that, but then again they had a low alcoholism rate compared to the US.

  Chelsey sat next to her father, enjoying a glass of juice while the adults had beer or wine. She leaned over to Peri and whispered, “I have to go to the bathroom.”

  Peri nodded. Brendan was deep in conversation with his brother, so Peri elected to take Chelsey to the toilet. En route, she was stopped by a handsome Irish man. “Hello lass, where do you think you’re going?”

  Peri laughed. If this man wasn’t drunk, he was well on his way. “To the ladies’ room,” she informed him.

  “You’re a Yank.”

  Peri knew most Europeans considered all Americans yanks, no matter what part of the US you were from. “Yes, I am.”

  He nodded and let her pass. Chelsey tugged on Peri’s hand. “Why did he call you a Yank, Miss Reed?”

  “It just means I’m from the United States.” They walked inside the restroom. On their return trip to the table, Peri saw that same man, head down on the bar. She shook her head. Arriving back at the table, Brendan glared at Peri. “What the hell you think you’re doing?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I saw you talking to that man. He put his hands on you.”

  Peri was confused. “No, he didn’t.”

  “Don’t tell me what I didn’t see. I saw him touch you. How dare you cheat on me in front of my own kid?”

  Now Peri was pissed. “You know, I’m not going to continue this conversation. Good night.” She got up and left the pub.

  Once on the street, she had to decide what to do about the situation. Was she going to go home now? No, she thought. No more letting a man dictate what she was going to do. Ireland was beautiful and she was going sightseeing. She would just check out of the room and get her own room at another hotel. Dublin was plenty big enough; she’d never have to see him again. She entered the hotel and took the stairs two at a time to their suite. How could things have gone so wrong so fast?