friends.
Gerard’s son Alan and his girlfriend Sandy were the last to arrive and joined them as they sat down to dinner. The dinner had been fun and Sandy was, like herself, a city girl, and they teased the lads unmercifully about being from the country.
The room was a bit stuffy and hot and at times Kerrie had had to force herself to stay awake and join in the conversation.
Afterwards they had all retreated to the bar and Matt had bought drinks for everyone. Dermot and Gerard had had their heads down talking about some problem they were having with a piece of property they had invested in, and she had seen Alan was also involved in the conversation.
‘Leave the men at it,’ advised Gail as she regaled them all with stories of a trip to Argentina that Gerard and herself had recently taken.
It had been long after midnight before they had finally got home, and Matt had made sure that his dad, who had drunk far too much, was OK going up the stairs to bed.
‘He’s been under a lot of stress of late,’ he confided as they undressed, ‘but I just worry that he’s getting himself too involved with that Gerard. It’s strange because Dad’s always been his own boss!’
On Sunday morning they enjoyed their walk down through Carna Wood, with Matt showing her where he had hidden in the trees when he was kid, and where he and his brother hadmade a secret fort. They strolled along by the river, with Matt promising to bring her fishing there the next time they came. It started to rain and they made a run for it and got back to the house just in time.
Matt’s sister Georgina and her husband Charley were already there with their little boy Henry and his baby sister Jessica. Georgina was a smaller, plumper version of Dermot, with sparkling brown eyes and a mass of curly hair. The baby was asleep in her car seat and Henry was playing with some Toy Story figures that his mother had wisely brought along.
‘Glass of wine, anyone?’ offered Charley.
Kerrie was unable to resist the chilled Chablis, relieved that she wasn’t the one driving home later.
‘Blast breastfeeding,’ muttered Georgina. ‘Another few weeks, Charley, and it’s payback time … then you’ll have to chauffeur me everywhere!’
‘Of course I will,’ Charley promised.
The kitchen was hot and there was a huge roast in the oven. Matt’s grandfather, Patrick, and his Aunt Liz were sitting in the armchairs, immersed in the Sunday papers.
Kerrie could immediately see where Matt got his handsome looks from.
‘I’m delighted to meet you.’ She smiled, utterly charmed. Eighty-six-year-old Patrick Hennessy might have a slight stutter following a stroke he had had two years back, but otherwise seemed hale and hearty and lively. He lived about two miles away with Liz, who was divorced and helped to take care of him.
‘What a beauty, Matt! Well done!’ declared Patrick. ‘The next time you come down home you must bring Kerrie over to see Springfield.’
‘Springfield?’
‘Where I live and where young Dermot and the rest of the brood grew up. It’s a fine old house, though Liz and I are rattling around it at this stage. Full of memories, though!’
‘I’d love to see it, the next time I’m down,’ Kerrie found herself promising.
They ate in the dining room: Maureen had cooked a large lamb roast and was just carving it when Matt’s older brother Ed arrived. There were only three years between them but they looked nothing alike. Ed was big and rather stocky, and almost grey in the face, and admitted he’d been at a stag night and had only just managed to crawl out of bed.
‘Poor Brian’s getting married in about two weeks,’ he sighed. ‘It’s another good man gone!’
‘He takes it so personal,’ teased Georgina. ‘He’s so immature I’m sure no girl would have him.’
‘That’s what you think!’ he laughed.
‘Sit down, everyone,’ urged Maureen, getting everything out of the oven.
Kerrie gave a hand carrying the
Gerard’s son Alan and his girlfriend Sandy were the last to arrive and joined them as they sat down to dinner. The dinner had been fun and Sandy was, like herself, a city girl, and they teased the lads unmercifully about being from the country.
The room was a bit stuffy and hot and at times Kerrie had had to force herself to stay awake and join in the conversation.
Afterwards they had all retreated to the bar and Matt had bought drinks for everyone. Dermot and Gerard had had their heads down talking about some problem they were having with a piece of property they had invested in, and she had seen Alan was also involved in the conversation.
‘Leave the men at it,’ advised Gail as she regaled them all with stories of a trip to Argentina that Gerard and herself had recently taken.
It had been long after midnight before they had finally got home, and Matt had made sure that his dad, who had drunk far too much, was OK going up the stairs to bed.
‘He’s been under a lot of stress of late,’ he confided as they undressed, ‘but I just worry that he’s getting himself too involved with that Gerard. It’s strange because Dad’s always been his own boss!’
On Sunday morning they enjoyed their walk down through Carna Wood, with Matt showing her where he had hidden in the trees when he was kid, and where he and his brother hadmade a secret fort. They strolled along by the river, with Matt promising to bring her fishing there the next time they came. It started to rain and they made a run for it and got back to the house just in time.
Matt’s sister Georgina and her husband Charley were already there with their little boy Henry and his baby sister Jessica. Georgina was a smaller, plumper version of Dermot, with sparkling brown eyes and a mass of curly hair. The baby was asleep in her car seat and Henry was playing with some Toy Story figures that his mother had wisely brought along.
‘Glass of wine, anyone?’ offered Charley.
Kerrie was unable to resist the chilled Chablis, relieved that she wasn’t the one driving home later.
‘Blast breastfeeding,’ muttered Georgina. ‘Another few weeks, Charley, and it’s payback time … then you’ll have to chauffeur me everywhere!’
‘Of course I will,’ Charley promised.
The kitchen was hot and there was a huge roast in the oven. Matt’s grandfather, Patrick, and his Aunt Liz were sitting in the armchairs, immersed in the Sunday papers.
Kerrie could immediately see where Matt got his handsome looks from.
‘I’m delighted to meet you.’ She smiled, utterly charmed. Eighty-six-year-old Patrick Hennessy might have a slight stutter following a stroke he had had two years back, but otherwise seemed hale and hearty and lively. He lived about two miles away with Liz, who was divorced and helped to take care of him.
‘What a beauty, Matt! Well done!’ declared Patrick. ‘The next time you come down home you must bring Kerrie over to see Springfield.’
‘Springfield?’
‘Where I live and where young Dermot and the rest of the brood grew up. It’s a fine old house, though Liz and I are rattling around it at this stage. Full of memories, though!’
‘I’d love to see it, the next time I’m down,’ Kerrie found herself promising.
They ate in the dining room: Maureen had cooked a large lamb roast and was just carving it when Matt’s older brother Ed arrived. There were only three years between them but they looked nothing alike. Ed was big and rather stocky, and almost grey in the face, and admitted he’d been at a stag night and had only just managed to crawl out of bed.
‘Poor Brian’s getting married in about two weeks,’ he sighed. ‘It’s another good man gone!’
‘He takes it so personal,’ teased Georgina. ‘He’s so immature I’m sure no girl would have him.’
‘That’s what you think!’ he laughed.
‘Sit down, everyone,’ urged Maureen, getting everything out of the oven.
Kerrie gave a hand carrying the
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