Page 12 of The Book of Irish Secrets
Maybe that’s what it is,’ Sylvia said, still looking at Claire. ‘But who… That curly hair with auburn streaks, the blue-green eyes, the freckles and that strong jaw… Where have I seen it?’
‘Possibly everywhere,’ Karina joked. ‘Sure, aren’t there freckly faced women all over the place in Kerry?’
‘I suppose that’s true.’ Sylvia broke off a piece of bread and turned to Claire. ‘In any case you seem like a good fit for Karina. I hope you’ll be happy here.’
‘I’m sure I will be,’ Claire said as she finished her soup. ‘I’m looking forward to the job.’ She was relieved that the moment had passed but began to feel guilty about having come here under false pretences. Sylvia and Karina were both so kind and welcoming.
That ‘evil twin’ Cornelius had talked about must have been his twin brother, Louis. Claire had only been in the manor for a moment, but she’d already learned something new. Maybe she would find other clues along the way?
They finished the lunch chatting about different things, Karina and Sylvia filling Claire in on sites of interest in the area that she should visit and the best shops and restaurants in Dingle town. Then they cleared the table and Karina led the way to the basement kitchen where the catering for the various events would be done, while Sylvia went into her study to check on her messages. ‘We’ll meet up later and maybe go for a walk to the orangery,’ she said as she left. ‘We sometimes hold events there when we have a smaller guest list. It would be good for Claire to see that, I think. And to meet Lily, too, of course.’
‘Great idea,’ Karina said.
Then they went down to the basement and the brand-new kitchen. It still had vibes of the old days when an army of domestic staff would be cooking for the family. Sunlight streamed in through the windows and a long pine table with a scarred top stood on the flagstones. But that were the only remnants of times gone by. The rest of the kitchen was ultra-modern. Claire was amazed at the gleaming stainless-steel appliances, the double oven and gas hob, the big woodburningstove that had been upgraded in case of power cuts. ‘It happens sometimes when there’s a storm,’ Karina explained. ‘Then we can light up this ancient thing and be cosy at the same time as we continue to cook whatever we need. We always keep an eye on the weather forecast. So that’s another thing you need to remember. You never know what Mother Nature will do out there, so it’s best to be prepared.’
‘Kerry seems to get the worst of the weather,’ Claire said. ‘Those Atlantic storms must be quite common, I gather.’
‘That’s for sure,’ Karina said. ‘It’s quite breezy here most of the time and then in the winter, we have the gales that can be very damaging.’ She opened one of the huge fridges that was full of bottles. ‘This one is for chilling beer, white wine and champagne. And the other one is for food.’
‘Is there a freezer here too?’ Claire asked.
‘A small one in the pantry,’ Karina said. ‘We don’t use it much apart from for ice cream as we try to cook everything from fresh local produce. Lily has actually started a kitchen garden and we hope we can source a lot of our ingredients from there eventually. All organic, of course.’
‘How amazing,’ Claire said, impressed with how organised it was.
‘We’re very proud of what we do,’ Karina said as a woman with light brown hair in a ponytail wearing a white apron over a blue shirt and jeans came into the kitchen carrying a big box full of vegetables.
‘Hello, Karina,’ the woman said.
‘Hi, Maura,’ Karina replied. ‘Meet Claire, my new assistant. She started today.’
Maura, who looked to be about the same age as Claire, put the box on the big table and held out her hand. ‘Hi, nice to meet you. Congratulations on getting the job.’
They shook hands while Karina explained that Maura and her husband, Ronan, were both cooks who prepared most of the food for the weddings and other parties that were held at the manor. ‘But Karina is the big boss, of course,’ Maura said.
‘I couldn’t do without you and Ronan,’ Karina protested. ‘So what have you got there? The veggies for the party next Tuesday?’
‘That’s right,’ Maura said. ‘Everything we need except for the meat for the beef Wellington. We’ll be cleaning and peeling and chopping and have it all ready for the various dishes.’
‘Brilliant,’ Karina said. ‘I’ll come back to go through what needs to be done when we’ve been to the orangery. I want to show Claire the ballroom as well before we go. She’ll need to see everything so she has an idea of where the various events are taking place.’
‘Great idea,’ Maura agreed. ‘You’ll enjoy the tour of the downstairs rooms, but the orangery is my personal favourite. Especially the portraits of all the Fleurys from the past that hang in the back room. And all the mementoes that belonged to the past generations. Wasn’t Rose brilliant to put it all together?’
‘She was,’ Karina agreed, and turned to Claire. ‘Well, I think you’ve seen enough of the kitchen. Follow me and I’ll show you where it all happens.’
They went up the stairs again and then down a corridor and into a huge room with parquet flooring and beautifully carved wood panelling. Deep red curtains framed the tall windows that overlooked the garden and the magnolia tree. About a dozen round tables with white tablecloths were dotted across the floor. It was a stunning room and Claire could imagine wonderful wedding parties taking place here.
‘It doesn’t look anything much without the flower arrangements and the table settings,’ Karina said.
‘Will you want me to get in touch with the florists?’ Claire asked.
‘No,’ Karina replied. ‘Rose takes care of those things. All you need to do is liaise with her about the menu requests and she does the rest. Cooking the meals is my responsibility. I wouldn’t want to have anything to do with the brides and their wishes. I can’t think of anything more annoying, actually. They all turn into bridezillas, to be honest. Rose is brilliant at dealing with all the tantrums. But then she has that Fleury spirit that nobody would want to take on.’
‘She sounds a little scary,’ Claire said.
‘Oh, she can be a little demanding at times,’ Karina said. ‘But you’ll get on if you let her be the boss.’
‘I’ll do my best,’ Claire promised as the door opened behind them and a tall blonde woman in a blue dress walked into the room.
