Page 10 of The Book of Irish Secrets
‘Yes, I think that was the problem,’ Claire agreed, touched by Karina’s empathy.
‘He should have loved you for the way you are and not the way he would want you to be,’ Karina remarked as she turned down a narrow lane. ‘Men often don’t get that.’
‘I suppose.’ Claire stared straight ahead while she considered this. Finola had often said that Hugh had been trying to change her, to mould her into a shape she didn’t fit into. And she had tried her best to be what he wanted and erased her own persona in the process. Finola had been right. Claire had been too eager to please a husband who didn’t really care about her feelings. Now she was happy to have the freedom to be and do whatever she wanted. She promised herself there and then never to let a man do that to her again.
‘But that was some time ago, I take it,’ Karina remarked. ‘Have you tried to go out there and date again?’
‘Well, I did try a few dating sites,’ Claire replied. ‘Mostly because my best friend told me I should. But I never met anyone I really liked, so it was always a first date but no more.’
‘It must be so hard to be single these days,’ Karina said sympathetically.
Claire shrugged. ‘It is if you’re desperate. But I’m not any more. I like being on my own after all the disputes with my ex-husband. I’m my own boss and happy in my skin at last.’
‘That’s wonderful. Maybe it’s the best way to be if you should meet someone you like. Strong and independent is better than unsure and needy. Anyway, we’re nearly there,’ Karina said asthey arrived at a set of ornate iron gates. There was a pretty house just inside which Karina said was the gate lodge where Violet Fleury and her husband, Jack, lived. They drove up the avenue lined with tall beeches. The famous gardens could be glimpsed beyond the trees and Claire gazed in awe at the lush vegetation, the palm trees and the camellia and rhododendron bushes in full bloom.
‘How beautiful,’ Claire said in a near whisper, enthralled by it all. ‘I’ve seen photos of these gardens but I had no idea they were so lush and gorgeous at this time of year.’
‘Yes, it’s quite impressive,’ Karina said. ‘There’s a kind of microclimate here which means the shrubs flower early. A lovely backdrop for all those wedding photos. And now you can see the house,’ she added as they rounded a bend in the avenue.
As Claire saw the big house in the distance, her stomach flipped and her throat was suddenly dry. She felt both cold and hot as they neared the manor and she took in the beauty of the Georgian building and the huge magnolia tree that would soon be in full bloom beside the steps leading to a massive oak entrance door. ‘Oh,’ she whispered. ‘I’m here at last. At Magnolia Manor.’ She felt like pinching herself to make sure it wasn’t a dream.
Karina glanced at Claire. ‘What do you mean? Have you heard about this place somewhere?’
Claire pulled herself together and tried to find a plausible explanation. She didn’t want to lie to Karina even though she knew she would have to hide the truth. ‘I read about Magnolia Manor when the senior apartments were opened,’ she said. ‘I thought the manor looked amazing and I wanted to come and see it one day.’ That was part of the real story, so Claire felt momentarily a little better. She didn’t like the idea of lying to her new boss who was so nice to her. But it was her ticket toMagnolia Manor and the secrets it might hold within its ancient walls, so she just had to carry on.
‘It’s a lovely house.’ Karina shot Claire a smile. ‘The most beautiful building in Ireland, I think.’ She didn’t drive up to the entrance but went around the corner into a courtyard. ‘We’ll find Sylvia in her garden flat. And then you can take a look at the new kitchen in the basement where we prepare the meals for the weddings.’
‘Great.’ Claire got out of the car as soon as it stopped and looked up at the back of the building. ‘Are all the senior apartments up there?’
‘That’s right,’ Karina said as she banged the door of the car shut. ‘Ten apartments so far. I think they plan to make some more in the attics but that’s all in the pipeline. They installed a lift last year so that took a lot of money out of the kitty.’ She walked to a door that was painted a light green and pressed the intercom. ‘Sylvia, it’s Karina and my new assistant,’ she said when a tinny voice answered. Then there was a buzz and the door swung open.
‘Come in,’ a voice called from somewhere inside. ‘I’m in the kitchen.’
‘Okay, Sylvia,’ Karina called. They both went into a hall and hung their jackets on the hooks by the door and then Karina led the way through another door so that they emerged into a bright spacious kitchen. An older woman with white hair cut into an immaculate bob stood just inside the door.
She smiled at Karina. ‘Hello. You’re right on time.’ Then her gaze drifted to Claire. ‘This is the new assistant?’ she asked.
‘Yes.’ Claire held out her hand which shook slightly. ‘I’m Claire O’Hanlon. Nice to meet you, Mrs Fleury.’ Her throat contracted as she said the name, and she stared at Sylvia, feeling as if she was dreaming. Here she was at last, in Magnolia Manor being greeted by the iconic Sylvia Fleury, who despite her agelooked fit and sprightly with a straight back and a glint of amusement in her brown eyes.
Sylvia squeezed Claire’s hand in a firm grip. ‘Nice to meetyou,my dear. I hope you can cope with Karina. She’s a hard taskmaster. But you look strong, so maybe you’ll last.’
Karina laughed. ‘Please don’t try to scare the girl, Sylvia. I’m really happy to have found her. Claire actually fixed my computer when I thought it had died. So that was a good start and I hired her on the spot. We do get on very well already.’
‘Excellent.’ Sylvia checked her watch. ‘It’s nearly time for lunch. I made soup earlier and there’s freshly baked bread and then I have an apple crumble my very new housekeeper made for me. She’s from Norway and loves baking – can’t seem to stop her.’
‘I’m glad you’ve got someone to help you around the house,’ Karina said. ‘I was wondering how you’d cope when Nora retired.’
‘So was I, to be honest,’ Sylvia said. ‘I didn’t think anyone could fill Nora’s shoes. And this new girl can’t, of course. But you shouldn’t expect to have perfection all the time. Mette is good in her own way. Can’t complain at all. We have to be grateful for nice people who do their best.’
‘Very true,’ Karina agreed. ‘And Arnaud does a lot of the cooking when he’s around, I know.’
‘Oh, he does the fancy stuff,’ Sylvia said. ‘It’s always a performance when he cooks. He makes a huge mess and it takes hours and hours. But it’s always a masterpiece in the end.’
‘That’s the French for you,’ Karina said and moved across the room to a round table in an alcove with windows that overlooked the courtyard. ‘Let’s sit down, then. I think lunch would be a good idea and I see you’ve laid the table already.’
‘That was Mette,’ Sylvia said. ‘She’s here for three hours every day. Sit down and I’ll get the soup and bread.’
Claire hesitated for a moment. ‘Can I help you with anything?’ she asked.
