Chapter 6
SIX
Marian thought for a while, trying to settle her thoughts. ‘Not until after your wedding,’ she replied after a long pause. ‘I want to be free to help Claire organise it.’
‘And help me pick a dress,’ Claire chimed in. ‘And choose the flowers for my bouquet and for the party. And the food, and…’
‘Yes, but maybe you could mind the shop, so to speak, while we’re on our honeymoon?’ Pierce suggested. ‘I could give you a crash course beforehand. I just need someone to answer the phone and to check emails, nothing complicated.’
‘We’re only going to be away a few days,’ Claire cut in.
‘It’s the busiest time of the year for Karina’s catering business, so she needs all hands on deck.
Pierce just needs someone to keep an eye on things for a short time.
Otherwise, he’ll be on the phone checking stuff when we’re supposed to be together. ’
Marian smiled. ‘Oh, okay, I accept the offer. It will be a lot more interesting than standing in a shop selling equipment to surf dudes.’
Pierce beamed at Marian. ‘Brilliant. Thank you so much. I think you’ll like the job. It’s very varied and I’m not a demanding boss, really.’
‘I’m sure you’re not,’ Marian said, smiling at his enthusiasm. ‘But can we agree that it’s only a temporary position? I know I said I’d like to stay until the end of the summer, but I’m not quite sure about anything right now, to be honest.’
Pierce nodded. ‘That’s fine. We don’t need to sign any contracts, just an agreement to keep it temporary, like a summer job or something.’
‘Brilliant,’ Marian said.
‘Oh, I’m so happy that’s settled,’ Claire said. ‘But now we have to get going or we’ll be late for Sylvia’s lunch. Drinks at twelve, followed by the best lunch in Kerry, cooked by Arnaud, Granny’s fiancé.’
‘Can’t wait to meet everyone,’ Marian said as Pierce paid the bill and they all walked down the street together. ‘Are you coming with us, Pierce?’
‘Yes,’ he replied. ‘I’ll squash into the back seat and let you girls sit together and natter.’
‘We don’t natter,’ Claire said and gave Pierce a push. ‘We talk about serious things.’
‘Of course,’ Pierce said, winking at Marian. ‘Very serious.’
‘No, you sit in the front with Claire,’ Marian protested. ‘I’ll be fine in the back. It’s such a short trip anyway.’
Marian sat in the back seat and stared out the window during the short drive back to Magnolia Manor.
The job offer from Pierce had come as a surprise but now she felt it was a good idea.
It would take her mind off everything that was bothering her and maybe even give her a fresh start doing something new.
It didn’t take them long to drive back to Magnolia Manor, where the drinks were already being served on the back terrace. Sylvia, who had changed into a pale green silk dress and slingback shoes with very high heels, greeted them warmly and asked what they wanted to drink.
‘We have champagne to celebrate Marian’s arrival,’ she said. ‘Help yourselves to that, or something non-alcoholic if you prefer.’
‘Thank you, Sylvia,’ Marian said. ‘That’s very kind of you. I don’t usually have anything alcoholic before dinner, but champagne is so special, so I can’t resist.’
Pierce offered to get Marian a glass of champagne and Claire went with him to say hello to everybody gathered around the table with the drinks and nibbles. Marian smiled at Sylvia. ‘They’re so sweet. And so blissfully happy.’
‘Very much in love,’ Sylvia agreed. ‘It’s wonderful to see Claire so happy after all she’s been through.’
‘Oh, yes,’ Marian agreed. ‘Love your dress, by the way. That colour is fabulous on you.’
‘Thank you,’ Sylvia said with a warm smile. ‘It’s just an old thing I’ve had for years. But if you buy quality, it lasts forever.’
‘Very true,’ Marian said. Sylvia’s dress was truly exquisite in its simplicity, with tiny details that said it had been very expensive, even if it had been bought a long time ago, possibly in the sixties.
It also seemed to be from some kind of haute couture designer of that era.
This was very mysterious. How come Sylvia had had the means to buy such clothes when she was very young?
And where had she learned to walk so gracefully on very high heels, even at her age?
‘Claire told me you have a lot of vintage fashion in your wardrobe,’ Marian said, hoping Sylvia wouldn’t think her too nosy. ‘Where did you find them?’
‘Oh,’ Sylvia said airily. ‘You know, here and there, in boutiques and vintage shops. Now, I must go and see about lunch. I think the barbecue is hot enough for the meat. We’ll chat later,’ she said and glided away across the terrace and in through a French window on the far side.
‘Marian,’ Claire called. ‘Come and meet everybody.’
Marian turned her attention away from Sylvia and walked to the edge of the terrace, where a group of people were waiting to meet her.
She was introduced to her third cousins Lily, Rose and Violet, and their husbands.
The children running around on the lawn below the terrace ranged in age from ten to two years old.
They were called to say hello to their new cousin and shook hands before they ran off again, chasing each other and shouting at the top of their voices.
‘I hope they don’t disturb the tenants,’ Rose said, looking concerned. ‘They’re making a lot of noise.’
Marian knew that some of the rooms on the first floor had recently been converted to apartments for seniors which had been a huge success. This, with the addition of the Regency garden and café, had made it possible to earn extra funds to run the estate.
‘I think a lot of them are out,’ Lily said. ‘I saw that there were only two cars in the car park. The nice weather must have lured a lot of the tenants out to the beach or up the mountains.’
‘Or to be with their grandchildren,’ Rose suggested. ‘Anyway, most of them are used to kids.’
‘They’ll calm down when they get food,’ Dominic, Lily’s husband, said. ‘Is Arnaud doing sausages for them? With ketchup?’
‘Of course not,’ Vi said with a laugh. ‘He thinks children should learn to eat good food as early as possible. So they’re going to get the same as we are. Chicken or beef skewers with Arnaud’s special barbecue sauce. He thinks they should grow up knowing real, good food, like French kids do.’
‘We just throw ours a pizza or hamburger at the weekend,’ Violet’s husband, Jack, said. ‘Easier that way and nobody complains.’
‘They’re too small to complain,’ Vi said. ‘After all, the twins are only two and a half. They’ll eat whatever is going, thank goodness.’
Rose looked across the lawn at all the children running around. ‘They’re having such fun. But they’re growing up too fast. Just look at Naomi with her long legs. She’s nearly ten but soon she’ll be a teenager and Sophie is not far behind.’
‘We’ll have trouble then,’ her husband, Noel, said. ‘But not yet, so let’s enjoy them being kids for a while longer.’
They turned around and started to help themselves to drinks and nibbles, while the mouthwatering smell of barbecued food wafted around them.
Marian stayed at the wall of the terrace looking at the children, remembering her own son and daughter at the same age.
They had been just like this, running, jumping, playing, blissfully ignorant of what was going on in the adult world: war and suffering, politics and climate change and everything they would have to worry about when they grew up.
It was such a safe, happy period that had only lasted a few years, if they were lucky.
Marian felt glad that she had been able to give her children that kind of childhood and that it had given them a good start in life.
They were both very grounded and confident in their chosen careers.
She missed them and thought about them every day and hoped they were well and happy.
But she didn’t want to interfere, so she tried not to call too often, leaving it up to them to contact her if they wanted to.
And they did. Whenever they called, even if it was just to ask for ‘a little extra cash’, they always had a nice chat, which Marian loved, even if she had to pretend she didn’t miss them.
But then there was the problem with Theo…
Marian sighed as she thought of him and the way they had parted.
She only partly figured out what had caused their marriage to head for the rocks.
He had not fully understood her terrible homesickness and had thought she’d get used to living in Australia with time.
But after seven years, she still felt like an alien in a country where the climate, flora and fauna made her feel like she had landed on a different planet.
She had longed for the soft rain, the fresh breeze and the green hills of Ireland and nothing could heal her sadness.
He hadn’t loved Ireland as much as she did, but had settled in very well and been quite content with the Irish lifestyle.
The reason they had moved to Australia was partly because Theo was homesick, and also because his father had been ill and needed his son to take over the business.
Then his father had died and now there was no practical reason to stay in Queensland, except for Theo’s love of surfing – and that he felt so happy being back home.
He had sold the family firm and opened the shop in Surfers Paradise, so he could indulge in the sport he loved.
Marian had thought they would come to some sort of agreement about going back to Ireland – or at least spend more time there.
But lately, Theo seemed to have forgotten what they had decided and everything had been about him. Marian had felt more and more left out.
‘There you are,’ Claire said in Marian’s ear. ‘Come and meet Arnaud and have some of the delicious food.’ She handed Marian a plate. ‘Here, help yourself. There are some fabulous steaks, or chicken skewers.’