camel-haired coat. She got out of her car with a flourish of smiles and waving extremities. “Welcome, dear, welcome.” She gave Shawna a once over and clucked her tongue. “Why you are the very slip of a girl…just look at you.”
The woman came barreling in Shawna’s direction as she extended her hand, took Shawna’s and drew her in for a bear hug.
Shawna laughed right out loud, as there didn’t seem to be anything else she could do but give over to the strange woman’s exuberance.
The woman released her as suddenly as she had hugged her, patted her shoulder, and introduced herself. “You know me, don’t you, child? I am Mrs. Carver. We exchanged emails, dear. I am your leasing agent for the cottage. I just wanted to be here with you when you arrived so that I could show you about and make sure everything was in order for you.”
“Ah, Mrs. Carver, yes of course—your picture was on the site…” Shawna smiled. “How kind of you to come out here, and yes, that would be so great.”
Mrs. Carver beamed, evidently well pleased with Shawna’s manners. She proceeded to give her a very thorough tour, wrapping up instructions as she stood by the small wood-burning stove. “That’s right, dear—you have all the wood you’ll need in the outside shed.”
The heavy clank of the metal doorknocker sounded at the front door, and both women turned to stare at the closed door before looking in inquiry at one another. Mrs. Carver was the first to comment. “Are you expecting anyone, dear?”
Shawna frowned and shook her head. “No…no, I am not.”
“Well, then…who can it be?” She walked to the door and firmly pulled it open.
Both Mrs. Carver and Shawna looked with surprise at the large man standing just a bit awkwardly at the open door. He was tall, lean, and pleasant looking. There was a reticence in his hazel eyes that made Shawna immediately think he was ‘shy’-natured.
It was, however, Mrs. Carver who broke the silence by clucking her tongue, and Shawna was surprised to witness an odd expression on the older woman’s face. She nodded at the man, but her demeanor changed, and she became suddenly quiet as she stepped aside and invited him in with a soft wave of her hand. “Aye, then, ’tis Squire MacDunn—how nice.” She then moved backwards into the room, and a half smile flitted over her face as she introduced him to Shawna.
The squire was staring at Shawna and holding up a bouquet of flowers towards her. Mrs. Carver stepped up to the plate and took the flowers. “Lovely—I’ll just put them in water.” She looked towards Shawna, and her lips tightened as she said, “Shawna MacBay…this is the owner of MacDunn Cottage, Squire Kenneth MacDunn.”
He closed the door at his back and stepped into the room. Shawna smiled as she looked into his hazel eyes, and Mrs. Carver arched her brow before she left them to fetch a vase for the yellow daffodils.
Shawna gave the young squire her hand and suppressed a giggle as she glanced towards Mrs. Carver, who had begun fussing because the vase wasn’t quite the right size. Shawna waved her new guest inside. “I am very pleased to meet you, Squire Kenneth MacDunn. Please come in—sit.”
“No, no, I can’t really stay, and I realize that you must have a great deal to do, Ms. MacBay.”
Her new surname got stuck in her mind for a moment. How would she ever get used to it? She had chosen the Scottish name to fit in easily with the locals. She didn’t want any name that would stick out to someone who was searching about…
“Shawna, please,” she offered. She waved him to a chair. “I’m not busy at all. Come in, please, and sit with us.”
He reached for and took her hand and raised it to his lips, in an Old World style that made her feel as though everything was surreal. He bent over her fingers and with a soft Scottish burr murmured, “Shawna MacBay, a pleasant mixture of Irish and Scott, eh? I am very pleased to have you as my tenant
The woman came barreling in Shawna’s direction as she extended her hand, took Shawna’s and drew her in for a bear hug.
Shawna laughed right out loud, as there didn’t seem to be anything else she could do but give over to the strange woman’s exuberance.
The woman released her as suddenly as she had hugged her, patted her shoulder, and introduced herself. “You know me, don’t you, child? I am Mrs. Carver. We exchanged emails, dear. I am your leasing agent for the cottage. I just wanted to be here with you when you arrived so that I could show you about and make sure everything was in order for you.”
“Ah, Mrs. Carver, yes of course—your picture was on the site…” Shawna smiled. “How kind of you to come out here, and yes, that would be so great.”
Mrs. Carver beamed, evidently well pleased with Shawna’s manners. She proceeded to give her a very thorough tour, wrapping up instructions as she stood by the small wood-burning stove. “That’s right, dear—you have all the wood you’ll need in the outside shed.”
The heavy clank of the metal doorknocker sounded at the front door, and both women turned to stare at the closed door before looking in inquiry at one another. Mrs. Carver was the first to comment. “Are you expecting anyone, dear?”
Shawna frowned and shook her head. “No…no, I am not.”
“Well, then…who can it be?” She walked to the door and firmly pulled it open.
Both Mrs. Carver and Shawna looked with surprise at the large man standing just a bit awkwardly at the open door. He was tall, lean, and pleasant looking. There was a reticence in his hazel eyes that made Shawna immediately think he was ‘shy’-natured.
It was, however, Mrs. Carver who broke the silence by clucking her tongue, and Shawna was surprised to witness an odd expression on the older woman’s face. She nodded at the man, but her demeanor changed, and she became suddenly quiet as she stepped aside and invited him in with a soft wave of her hand. “Aye, then, ’tis Squire MacDunn—how nice.” She then moved backwards into the room, and a half smile flitted over her face as she introduced him to Shawna.
The squire was staring at Shawna and holding up a bouquet of flowers towards her. Mrs. Carver stepped up to the plate and took the flowers. “Lovely—I’ll just put them in water.” She looked towards Shawna, and her lips tightened as she said, “Shawna MacBay…this is the owner of MacDunn Cottage, Squire Kenneth MacDunn.”
He closed the door at his back and stepped into the room. Shawna smiled as she looked into his hazel eyes, and Mrs. Carver arched her brow before she left them to fetch a vase for the yellow daffodils.
Shawna gave the young squire her hand and suppressed a giggle as she glanced towards Mrs. Carver, who had begun fussing because the vase wasn’t quite the right size. Shawna waved her new guest inside. “I am very pleased to meet you, Squire Kenneth MacDunn. Please come in—sit.”
“No, no, I can’t really stay, and I realize that you must have a great deal to do, Ms. MacBay.”
Her new surname got stuck in her mind for a moment. How would she ever get used to it? She had chosen the Scottish name to fit in easily with the locals. She didn’t want any name that would stick out to someone who was searching about…
“Shawna, please,” she offered. She waved him to a chair. “I’m not busy at all. Come in, please, and sit with us.”
He reached for and took her hand and raised it to his lips, in an Old World style that made her feel as though everything was surreal. He bent over her fingers and with a soft Scottish burr murmured, “Shawna MacBay, a pleasant mixture of Irish and Scott, eh? I am very pleased to have you as my tenant
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