The Matchmaker (37 page)

Angus had surprised her with some crates of beer which he put to chill in the fridge and in Evie’s old baby bath in the back garden. He’d also bought giant bags of tortilla chips and crisps.

‘I’ll give you a hand to set up,’ he offered, helping to position one of the speakers out in the garden.

She had spent the past few days sorting out her CD collection and had downloaded some great stuff on to her iPod to play.

Evie was completely over-excited, running around the place stealing crisps from the bowls and asking who was coming.

‘Angus and all my friends,’ Sarah told her. ‘Auntie Grace and Orla and Liam and Karen and Mick and lots of people.’

‘Can I stay up for the party?’ she pleaded, her face eager.

‘You can stay up for a little while,’ she promised, ‘but you have to swear to go to bed when I say so.’

Evie hesitated, her lower lip signalling stubbornness.

‘Otherwise you’ll have to go to bed before the party starts,’ Sarah threatened.

Evie had agreed and after a quick tea they both had got dressed up in their party frocks. Sarah wore a pale green dress with a cross strap that she’d bought in Coast and a pair of gold sandals, while Evie as usual opted for her fairy dress.

The place looked amazing and Sarah couldn’t believe her good luck with the weather, which was holding fine as the first guests arrived. She went out of her way to introduce Angus to everyone and was glad that Karen and Mick had gone to the trouble to bring a bag of jelly dinosaurs and a Barbie colouring book for Evie along with some wine.

‘Thanks for being so thoughtful.’ She hugged her best friend and led them through to the kitchen and garden.

‘I’m bagging a chair as I’ve no intention of standing all night,’ Karen insisted, throwing her handbag and wrap across one. ‘Only five weeks to go to D-Day, thank God!’

Orla and her fiancé were next and Evie was thrilled to hear everything about their upcoming wedding and the fitting for her dress.

‘How’s my favourite flower girl?’

Evie did a twirl in her dress and showed how she would walk solemnly up the aisle.

‘Perfect,’ enthused Orla, giving her a big hug and a kiss.

As more and more people arrived they spilled out into the garden.

‘Ronan!’ screamed Sarah as Ronan Dempsey, looking dashing in a cream linen jacket and sand-coloured chinos, arrived. She had invited him but hadn’t really expected him to come all the way from London.

‘Another weekend in Dublin, honest is it any wonder I’m torn between the two places? Thank heaven for Ryanair.’

She grabbed his arm and introduced him to as many people as possible. She couldn’t believe the huge crowd. She’d give it another while and then start serving the food. Angus was a great help and had taken over the awful job of opening wine bottles. Ronan and he were getting on famously with Ronan regaling him with tales of a Hogmanay trip he’d taken to Edinburgh four years ago.

Irina had come along with a tall good-looking guy. He was Polish too, and seemed very keen on her, judging by the possessive way he kept his arm around her for the night.

Mark McGuiness to her surprise had also turned up brandishing a huge bunch of flowers and two bottles of red wine. She had invited him as a way of saying thanks for helping with Evie’s broken arm.

‘It’s not my birthday!’ she giggled, giving him a big hug.

‘A lady should always receive flowers,’ he teased, ‘no matter the occasion.’

She dragged her new neighbour along and introduced him to a few of her schoolfriends and to Karen and Mick, only to discover he already knew Mick through some kind of business connection.

‘He always knows people no matter where we go,’ remarked Karen, glancing proudly at her husband.

Sarah was having such a good time that she almost forgot the food and had to turn on the cooker and oven in a hurry and give everything a quick blast. Irina gave her a hand to set it all out on the massive table which was bathed in candlelight.

Everyone took a plate and began to line up to help themselves. Grace arrived at last and immediately grabbed their mother’s blue-and-white-striped apron to help her serve the food.

‘Thanks,’ Sarah gasped, relieved to have an extra pair of hands.

‘Wow, you’ve got a great crowd,’ said Grace admiringly, looking around the room.

‘Just friends.’

But they were good friends. They had stuck up for her and stood by her during bad times when she was low and lonely and now that good things were beginning to happen she wanted them to be able to celebrate them too.

‘You never told me that he was coming!’ whispered Grace, pushing her fair hair back off her face.

‘Ronan? I didn’t know myself that he was.’ Sarah laughed, glancing out towards the garden where Ronan was sitting at the table stuffing himself with a fajita packed with cheese and mince and peppers.

‘No, I mean Mark.’

‘For God’s sake, Grace, of course I’d invite him. He’s our neighbour and a friend!’

Sarah couldn’t believe the way Grace’s face flamed and decided to say nothing else as Clodagh Flannery, who lived on the far side of the square, was already busy chatting Mark up. Clodagh usually had men falling at her feet, with her jet-black hair and perfect model figure, and had broken up only eight weeks ago with a member of the Irish rugby team. From the kitchen window Sarah could see Evie was beginning to wilt and excusing herself went to check on her.

‘Come on, fairy girl, time for bed!’

‘Mummy, I’m not tired yet,’ she protested, her eyes heavy with sleep. But once reminded of her promise Evie said a reluctant goodnight to everyone.

Grace stepped in and offered to put her to bed. ‘It’s your party, Sarah. Besides, how often do I get the chance to be with my fairy goddaughter?’

She was so lucky that Grace as well as being a great auntie was the perfect godmother and took the role pretty seriously. Sarah kissed Evie and then went to check that everyone had drinks. Everyone had eaten now and the food had been cleared away, she put out a few nibbles for anyone who was still hungry. The party atmosphere was really relaxed now, and one group were dancing outside on the patio.

Grabbing a glass of wine, Sarah went outside to join Ronan, Karen and Mick, Mark and Clodagh and a few pals from Art College whom she hadn’t seen for years. Ronan was deep in a discussion with them about the vibrant art market in the city and which were the best galleries to show in.

‘Hey, party lady, what about a dance,’ interrupted Angus, coming up behind her.

Taking her hand he led her to the makeshift dance floor and pulled her into his arms. He was a great dancer and really into the music; laughing, she followed his lead.

‘Great party,’ he enthused, ‘and you’ve got a wonderful bunch of friends. I really like them.’

‘I wanted everyone to meet you tonight,’ she said. ‘My friends from school and college, my cousins and neighbours and everyone . . .’

Angus was being so attentive and she loved having him around; he just seemed to fit in.

‘You look divine, Sarah,’ he whispered, touching her neck and placing his lips on her bare skin. ‘I’ve been dying to do this all night.’

‘Angus!’ she teased.

He looked serious and pulled her closer, leaving her in no doubt about his feelings. Sarah responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him back.

The party went on for hours, wine bottles littered the kitchen, the stone steps and the patio wall and the baby bath had only empty beer cans left bobbing in it. Grace reappeared and Sarah saw Mark make straight for her, take her arm and lead her down to the wonky wooden bench at the bottom of the garden, a bottle of wine and two glasses in his hand. Grace was wearing her beige work skirt and a little short-sleeved white blouse, but still looked stunning.

Now it was very late and Sarah said goodbye to her guests, glowing with the fact that she had repaid all the dinners and parties she had been invited to and had managed to pull off a seemingly perfect night. Evie was fast asleep, curled up with her teddy bear Gideon, undisturbed by the music and noise.

As the crowd disappeared Sarah kicked off her shoes and began to tidy up, putting a few more plates and glasses in the dishwasher.

‘Leave it,’ urged Angus dragging her back outside, Karen was dancing barefooted with Mick, her belly huge, her skin tanned and glowing. In a few weeks her best friend would be a mother too, and would discover how much her life was going to change. Ronan was still deep in discussion with a friend of Sarah’s from Art College, the two of them arguing good-naturedly, but it was seeing the way Grace and Mark were dancing together that really surprised her. They weren’t saying a word, just gazing at each other, her sister’s fingers clasped in his.

One last bottle of wine was opened and they all danced easily together to her mum and dad’s old Burt Bacharach CDs, Sarah resting her head on Angus’s shoulder as they smooched to the music.

‘This guy is in love . . .’ he whispered.

Maggie yawned, stretching; she couldn’t believe that she had slept so well.

Her body for once felt rested and relaxed and this massive bed was probably one of the most comfortable that she had ever slept in.

From the strip of sunshine flickering in through her curtains she could guess that the day was fine and the thought of a walk around Anua’s acres of land and the nearby woods was certainly appealing. She padded across the room and opened the curtains, her breath taken away by the view outside and the clear blue sky. This was utter bliss. Opening the door to the deck, she gulped in the fresh air coming off the lake, and watched a family of ducks meander across the water. Glancing at her watch she realized that she’d slept late and if she intended getting any breakfast she’d better get a move on.

She showered quickly in the glitzy bathroom and dressed in soft grey cotton pull-ups, a white T-shirt and her trainers. Surveying herself in the long mirror she added a flick of mascara, a touch of lip gloss and a quick run of the brush through her hair before grabbing her key and making her way to the restaurant.

Only a few lazy sleepyheads were still eating breakfast, the rest of her fellow guests were probably already exercising or partaking of various treatments. Looking around she saw no sign of Myles. The breakfast buffet was incredible and she filled a large Stephen Pearce bowl with fresh fruit and a delicious, creamy homemade yoghurt. She had cherries and apple and strawberries and peach and a sprinkle of grated hazelnuts and a large glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Afterwards she tucked into a few slices of warm wholemeal bread and a smooth fig spread and a pot of tea at a table overlooking the grounds. What a perfect start to the day. A walk first, then she planned on joining the Pilates class before heading to the pool for the aqua-aerobics class, something that she had been dying to try out for ages. She had a list of treatments organized in the afternoon: an Indian head massage, a facial and an eyelash tint and a French manicure. Grace and Sarah and Anna were right, there was nothing like a bit of pampering.

Grabbing a light jacket she walked right down to the water’s edge. The lake water was clean and she suspected it was probably teeming with fish, judging by the fishermen spread out along the far shore. She would follow it for a bit and then take the path that led up through the woods.

Her breath echoed in her ears as she walked, but the only other noise around was the sound of birdsong and the odd scuffle of a squirrel or cooing of wood pigeons. The trees were ancient and she had to take care not to trip over the gnarled roots that pushed their way through the mossy path. She took her time absorbing the beauty of the woodland around her as the path climbed higher and higher. She met two other residents of the spa, a mother and daughter who were rushing back for an appointment with the hairdresser and told her of the great view up ahead. Maggie kept on walking, noticing that the shady cover of the trees was beginning to give way to a warm dappled stretch of sunshine. At last she found herself bursting into a clearing which gave way to a tumbling view of the lake and countryside below. She felt giddy with the sheer beauty of Kilcara’s wood and lake. She stopped for twenty minutes to take it in, feeling utterly solitary yet at one with the rich landscape spread out below her.

Gathering her thoughts she began the trek back, taking care not to stumble where the path sloped downwards and pitched her forward. She promised herself to do this walk again tomorrow.

Back at Anua, she joined the small class of ten doing Pilates in the bright and airy games room. Leanne, the pretty young instructor, showed them ways of stretching and moving their bodies that Maggie would not have believed possible. Flopping down on the mat afterwards, she was certainly ready for a nice cool swim.

The pool was fairly busy and she blushed, noticing Myles up the deep end. He waved to her and rather than be rude she swam towards him.

‘Nice morning?’ he asked.

‘Perfect,’ she replied, telling him about her walk.

‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ called the aqua-aerobics instructor Rudy, ‘please gather over by this side of the pool so we can begin class.’

‘I’m getting out of here,’ protested Myles. ‘I’m booked in for a session in the steam room.’

Maggie smiled, relieved that he wasn’t going to witness her huffing and puffing through a fitness workout.

‘See you later,’ he called, getting out of the pool.

She watched his tanned, rather chunky body disappear in the direction of the steam room as she joined the wedding girls and the large office group who were on hilarious form as Rudy put them through their paces.

‘Kick those right legs, twenty times,’ he ordered. ‘Now twenty times for the left leg.’

A workout in the pool certainly relieved the impact on bones and muscles but it was at a faster and more furious pace than she expected. The young girls around her were giggling and chatting and seemed well able to keep up. At times she struggled but with Rudy’s encouragement and Nikki, the girl who was getting married, urging her to keep going she managed to enjoy the aerobics, relieved to have a bit of a relaxed swim afterwards.