The Rose Garden (33 page)

‘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 see 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.

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.

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 already!’

‘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.

‘Trish and Larry are slightly delayed,’ said Tim, getting her a glass of wine, ‘but they’re on the way.’

Molly was surprised to find Rob Hayes there, chatting to Peter and Avril.

‘Molly, nice to see you again,’ he said politely. ‘I was playing golf with Tim this afternoon. I’ve joined the club. So when he heard that I had no plans for tonight he insisted that I join you all.’

‘Well, I’m glad you came along,’ she replied, with a smile.

‘How’s your house sale going?’ he asked.

‘It’s not!’ she laughed. ‘I took Mossbawn off the market. The house means far too much to me to sell it, but it’s going to have to help pay for itself. So we’re going to hold a few weddings and special events in the house every year, which should help financially.’

‘That sounds like a very good idea!’ he said admiringly.

‘I hope so. I’m a bit nervous about it – well, about doing it all on my own,’ she admitted.

‘You seem to be doing fine, Molly – really fine …’

As the barbecue was ready, they all took plates and queued for chicken and sausages and burgers before helping themselves to baked potato and side salads then grabbing a table. Sitting between Larry and Rob, Molly was well looked after as they both made sure her glass was topped up with Rioja.

Rob filled her in on the upcoming opening of the plant. ‘A few people will come from Boston and our Swedish office, and there’ll be an official opening with a fancy dinner after.’

‘It sounds fun!’

‘Hopefully – that’s the plan,’ he said, smiling as he passed her the barbecue sauce.

After dessert Molly changed places so that the girls were sitting at one end of the table and the guys at the other, the conversations running in two totally different directions. It was after midnight when they finally left the clubhouse. Molly shared a taxi with Cara and Tim, who insisted on giving her a lift home and dropping her right at her doorstep.

‘Thanks so much,’ she said, hugging them both. ‘I’m so lucky to have such good friends!’

‘Same here,’ replied Cara, watching her go inside and lock the door.

Molly was busy making up the floral table arrangements for tomorrow’s golden wedding anniversary party. Sean and Mary Kennedy were a wonderful pair with five children, sixteen grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Their daughters were organizing it all and there was family coming from Canada, Brussels, Dubai and London to celebrate at Mossbawn House.

Suddenly Daisy began to bark like crazy and, putting down the flowers, Molly went to see who was at the door.

It was Rob Hayes.

‘Hello!’ he said. ‘I hope I haven’t got you at a bad time.’

‘Not at all! Come inside. I’m just down in the kitchen doing some flowers.’

‘I hope I’m not disturbing you, but I wanted to call to ask you about using Mossbawn, if it’s available, for having a meal after the opening drinks reception for the plant.’

‘What date is it, Rob?’ she asked, reaching for the bookings diary.

‘In less than three weeks. The opening is in the plant itself but, as I was saying to you the other night, we need to go on somewhere close by afterwards for dinner and drinks. Kilkenny’s a bit far. We were considering the Woodlands, but having a dinner here in an old Irish country house would be far more impressive.’

‘We’ve nothing booked in for then,’ Molly agreed. ‘Why don’t I show you the rooms?’