Late October
Grace woke up slowly. The morning had gotten cooler and darker and she just wanted to stay in bed. As she rolled over she felt the warm body next to her and smiled. Her life had changed dramatically in the last few weeks. The weddings were just perfect, and she was happy they had chosen to have two ceremonies. Business was going well for both her and Quinn and she wouldn't trade living in the cottage for anything.
She quietly slipped out of bed and into the shower. No time to dally today as she had a full cottage of guests and needed to get breakfast and tea ready. When she came out of the shower Quinn was facing her propped up on one elbow.
“Snuck out on me, did you?” he smiled and winked.
“No time for snuggling this morning, dear,” Grace winked back. “I've a full cottage to make breakfast for, and I'm sure you'll be wanting something too.”
“I'll be down in a few. I've got a ride to get organized for this weekend. We'll be busy again,” Quinn replied. “At least we'll be busy together.”
The cottage had once again become a hot spot for those in the know. Now instead of poets and writers, it was musicians and bikers. Grace felt sorry for those she had to turn away with the many weekends she was full up. Donovan beamed at the wedding as if he was the proud father, and insisted he knew the minute he saw Quinn that the couple was destined to be together. Peter and Chloe were regular dinner guests, as were Grace and Quinn at Peter and Chloe's. Rafter's was their local and they made regular evenings out to eat and listen to the great music being played there.
Aine had left Grace a legacy that would carry on for many years. Grace found where she really belonged, and while she never really missed her marketing job, she did miss Dublin at times. When she and Quinn could made weekday trips to the city, they did, but always felt it was nice to be back at the cottage.
Quinn eventually sold his company to a larger company and started a trekking club for bikers. He was also able to follow his passion. His network experience helped him expand the club beyond Swatragh with members even outside of Ireland.
Aine had left Grace not only with her cottage, but with the fulfillment of years of joy. Grace would never forget that.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
All Roads Lead to Swatragh - Chapter 63
Grace and Quinn started talking about wedding possibilities on their drive back to the cottage. Suddenly Grace's life was becoming complete. She and Quinn would live at the cottage and Quinn would open a second small office in Swatragh where he didn't have to commute back and forth to Dublin all the time.
If things went well, Quinn wanted to start a biking group in the area and schedule regular group rides on several weekends a month. The cottage would be offered as a place for the bikers to book their stay. He and Grace would put together package deals that included meals, or vouchers for meals at Rafters. In between Grace would be booking musicians playing locally and any other guests who were interested.
Along the way Grace mentioned how she had been organizing Aine's and her recipes, and was considering the possibility of writing a cottage cookbook since she had been asked by guests to share so many of the recipes. Se also felt this was a way to pass on Aine's memory. So many ideas, but first they had Peter and Chloe's wedding to attend to.
When Grace and Quinn arrived back at the cottage Quinn pulled his weekend bag from the car. There was this strange uncomfortable moment between the two when Grace was faced with the fact that Quinn would be at the cottage for the weekend. Now that they were engaged, would things change?
Quinn immediately realized why Grace stood at the bottom of the porch stairs frozen like a statue.
“I assume the upstairs room is all set for me?” Quinn stated to ease Grace's tension.
“Oh, oh, yes, it's all ready,” Grace nervously replied with a nervous smile.
“Then up the stairs it is for me. I'm not going to put you in a situation that makes you uncomfortable. We've waited this long. When the time is right we'll both know it,” Quinn dropped his bag at the bottom of the stairs and walked over to Grace pulling her close. “ I don't want to mess this up. You are too important to me.”
Grace wrapped her arms around Quinn and all her fears disappeared. She smiled up at him and put her cheek in his shoulder as they stood there for a moment just enjoying each other's warmth.
Grace changed into some comfortable clothes from her skirt, and Quinn did the same. When Quinn came back downstairs it was late, but time for some more discussion and a last cup of tea for the evening.
They worked on a list of things that needed to be taken care of in the next couple of months. First was dealing with Peter and Chloe's wedding and all the guests who would be staying at the cottage. Grace had already made arrangements with Rafters to work together on providing all the food needed for the few days the cottage would be packed. Quinn would help with the logistics of getting the food transported, and how it could all be set up.
Next was working on a date for their own wedding. They decided to actually have two weddings. Grace and Quinn had most of their friends and families in and around Dublin, so they would have a church wedding near the Dublin area along with a reception there also. A second smaller ceremony would be held at Ardtara with special guests invited and some locals. There would be a reception there also. This would all take place over a weekend in October with the Dublin wedding on a Friday night and the Ardtara wedding on Saturday afternoon.
Grace thought this might be a little frivolous, but Quinn found it to be the most efficient way with guests coming from various places, and some not being able to travel very far. His Dublin business associates would not be traveling to Swatragh, and Donovan would certainly not travel to Dublin. It would cost a little more, but Quinn promised they would be conservative with costs, and Grace would actually get to wear her wedding gown more than once!
Quinn asked Grace to see if Chloe would be able to take care of the cottage for that weekend and a few additional days so there would be time for a short honeymoon. Otherwise she would just have to shut down the cottage for a few days. Grace had no idea what Quinn had in mind but she trusted him.
It was difficult for Grace to sleep that night. So much had happened, and knowing that Quinn was just 2 floors up was a huge distraction. As she thought about the many things they had discussed during the evening, she finally relaxed and fell asleep.
If things went well, Quinn wanted to start a biking group in the area and schedule regular group rides on several weekends a month. The cottage would be offered as a place for the bikers to book their stay. He and Grace would put together package deals that included meals, or vouchers for meals at Rafters. In between Grace would be booking musicians playing locally and any other guests who were interested.
Along the way Grace mentioned how she had been organizing Aine's and her recipes, and was considering the possibility of writing a cottage cookbook since she had been asked by guests to share so many of the recipes. Se also felt this was a way to pass on Aine's memory. So many ideas, but first they had Peter and Chloe's wedding to attend to.
When Grace and Quinn arrived back at the cottage Quinn pulled his weekend bag from the car. There was this strange uncomfortable moment between the two when Grace was faced with the fact that Quinn would be at the cottage for the weekend. Now that they were engaged, would things change?
Quinn immediately realized why Grace stood at the bottom of the porch stairs frozen like a statue.
“I assume the upstairs room is all set for me?” Quinn stated to ease Grace's tension.
“Oh, oh, yes, it's all ready,” Grace nervously replied with a nervous smile.
“Then up the stairs it is for me. I'm not going to put you in a situation that makes you uncomfortable. We've waited this long. When the time is right we'll both know it,” Quinn dropped his bag at the bottom of the stairs and walked over to Grace pulling her close. “ I don't want to mess this up. You are too important to me.”
Grace wrapped her arms around Quinn and all her fears disappeared. She smiled up at him and put her cheek in his shoulder as they stood there for a moment just enjoying each other's warmth.
Grace changed into some comfortable clothes from her skirt, and Quinn did the same. When Quinn came back downstairs it was late, but time for some more discussion and a last cup of tea for the evening.
They worked on a list of things that needed to be taken care of in the next couple of months. First was dealing with Peter and Chloe's wedding and all the guests who would be staying at the cottage. Grace had already made arrangements with Rafters to work together on providing all the food needed for the few days the cottage would be packed. Quinn would help with the logistics of getting the food transported, and how it could all be set up.
Next was working on a date for their own wedding. They decided to actually have two weddings. Grace and Quinn had most of their friends and families in and around Dublin, so they would have a church wedding near the Dublin area along with a reception there also. A second smaller ceremony would be held at Ardtara with special guests invited and some locals. There would be a reception there also. This would all take place over a weekend in October with the Dublin wedding on a Friday night and the Ardtara wedding on Saturday afternoon.
Grace thought this might be a little frivolous, but Quinn found it to be the most efficient way with guests coming from various places, and some not being able to travel very far. His Dublin business associates would not be traveling to Swatragh, and Donovan would certainly not travel to Dublin. It would cost a little more, but Quinn promised they would be conservative with costs, and Grace would actually get to wear her wedding gown more than once!
Quinn asked Grace to see if Chloe would be able to take care of the cottage for that weekend and a few additional days so there would be time for a short honeymoon. Otherwise she would just have to shut down the cottage for a few days. Grace had no idea what Quinn had in mind but she trusted him.
It was difficult for Grace to sleep that night. So much had happened, and knowing that Quinn was just 2 floors up was a huge distraction. As she thought about the many things they had discussed during the evening, she finally relaxed and fell asleep.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
All Roads Lead to Swatragh - Chapter 62
As they walked toward the entrance of Ardtara, Grace noticed that the entire entrance to the grand house was simple. A long drive with a green lawn and the house framed on each side with grand evergreen trees. Very stately. From research, she knew it only had nine luxurious ensuite bedrooms and the dining room was walled with rich wood wainscoting more than halfway up the tall walls. A huge skylight brought the evening light into the dining room to make it feel warm and cozy.
Quinn and Grace were welcomed as they entered the dining room. Grace was so busy taking in all the rich decor she hardly noticed anyone else in the room. It was a grand house, both inside and out. The ceiling to floor windows at the back of the dining room looked out onto the garden area. Pathways wound through the grounds for guests to stroll while they stayed at the county house.
The two were seated near the window and Quinn ordered a bottle of wine from the extensive wine list. It was a chenin blanc called Stormy Cape from South Africa. Grace didn't know that much about wines, but she knew what she liked and trusted Quinn to choose something that would compliment their meal. Their meal started with some cubed melon with strawberry and berry jus, and was followed by filet of Hake and seared scallops. Along with the fish was a wilted spinach, courgettes, pommes puree, with a lemon butter sauce. The meal was something that Grace would never have expected. It was delicious, but not over down with too many elaborate sauces, or additions.
Dessert was the perfect compliment to the meal. They both had the apple and cinnamon crumble with hot creme anglaise. Quinn seemed a bit uneasy as the dinner progressed. Conversation was general and not much more than Grace and Quinn had daily on the phone. Grace knew better than to ask more questions, as she knew there would be no answers. They did talk about the country house and it's decor being so different than the cottage. Grace mentioned a few things that she noticed at the country house where the cottage could be updated similarly and it would make the cottage look just a little more elegant.
After dinner Quinn guided Grace out to the garden in the back where they could walk some of the pathways and enjoy the landscape. The day had turned into early evening and the sky had a beautiful rose and blue colored glow. Summer would be over soon and before long the gray skies of winter would settle into this Northern Ireland county. As they walked along, again Quinn seemed to be unsettled, almost nervous, but Grace was so busy enjoying the landscape that she barely noticed. Along the pathway was a beautifully carved wooden bench where they stopped to sit for a bit. They sat close with Quinn's arm around Grace's shoulder.
“Grace, you know I care for you very much,” Quinn started nervously. “No, let me rephrase that, I love you very much. I've had plenty of time to think about things while I've been in Dublin and I've always come to the same conclusion.”
Grace was not sure what was to come, but she knew this was serious and decided not to interrupt Quinn. All kinds of worries were flying through her mind, most of them starting with “what if”.
Driving up to Swatragh every weekend is just not going to work for me. I don't want to be that far away from you. I have a business to manage and need to work on expanding that business. It looks like I might have the opportunity to expand my business into the Swatragh area and still manage the office in Dublin remotely. I have made plenty of contacts while I was in Dublin to start this expansion and things are looking pretty good.” At this point Quinn's heart was pounding and he was at the point of no return.
Grace's emotions were all over the place now. Nervous herself, but cautiously ecstatic at the idea that Quinn might move to Swatragh.
Like all great scenes, Quinn reached into his pocket as he turned to look directly at Grace.
“Grace,” he started nervously, “I don't think I can do any of this without you.” As he opened the small box he had pulled from his pocket, the nervousness disappeared and Quinn finished his comment with, “Will you marry me?”
Grace was stunned. Happy could not express her emotions as she leaned over to Quinn and threw her arms around him. After a moment Quinn pulled her gently away.
“Well? I did ask a question,” he responded to Grace's excitement looking for an answer.
“Yes, why yes, of course I would love to marry you. And I love you too.” Grace could hardly believe this was all happening. And was in awe as Quinn place the engagement ring on her finger.
“I know that usually it takes months to plan a wedding and all the activities around it, but both you and I are busy people with businesses to run. You asked why I brought you here to Ardtara. Not that I would want to step over any plans you may have, but I thought this might be the perfect place to have our wedding and reception. Of course, if you want something different, that's fine,” Quinn finished.
“Have you chosen a date too?” Grace laughed as she listened to Quinn's plan.
“Oh, no, of course not, but a fall wedding would be perfect,” he smiled as he finished.
“Then a fall wedding it is,” Grace smiled back.
Quinn and Grace were welcomed as they entered the dining room. Grace was so busy taking in all the rich decor she hardly noticed anyone else in the room. It was a grand house, both inside and out. The ceiling to floor windows at the back of the dining room looked out onto the garden area. Pathways wound through the grounds for guests to stroll while they stayed at the county house.
The two were seated near the window and Quinn ordered a bottle of wine from the extensive wine list. It was a chenin blanc called Stormy Cape from South Africa. Grace didn't know that much about wines, but she knew what she liked and trusted Quinn to choose something that would compliment their meal. Their meal started with some cubed melon with strawberry and berry jus, and was followed by filet of Hake and seared scallops. Along with the fish was a wilted spinach, courgettes, pommes puree, with a lemon butter sauce. The meal was something that Grace would never have expected. It was delicious, but not over down with too many elaborate sauces, or additions.
Dessert was the perfect compliment to the meal. They both had the apple and cinnamon crumble with hot creme anglaise. Quinn seemed a bit uneasy as the dinner progressed. Conversation was general and not much more than Grace and Quinn had daily on the phone. Grace knew better than to ask more questions, as she knew there would be no answers. They did talk about the country house and it's decor being so different than the cottage. Grace mentioned a few things that she noticed at the country house where the cottage could be updated similarly and it would make the cottage look just a little more elegant.
After dinner Quinn guided Grace out to the garden in the back where they could walk some of the pathways and enjoy the landscape. The day had turned into early evening and the sky had a beautiful rose and blue colored glow. Summer would be over soon and before long the gray skies of winter would settle into this Northern Ireland county. As they walked along, again Quinn seemed to be unsettled, almost nervous, but Grace was so busy enjoying the landscape that she barely noticed. Along the pathway was a beautifully carved wooden bench where they stopped to sit for a bit. They sat close with Quinn's arm around Grace's shoulder.
“Grace, you know I care for you very much,” Quinn started nervously. “No, let me rephrase that, I love you very much. I've had plenty of time to think about things while I've been in Dublin and I've always come to the same conclusion.”
Grace was not sure what was to come, but she knew this was serious and decided not to interrupt Quinn. All kinds of worries were flying through her mind, most of them starting with “what if”.
Driving up to Swatragh every weekend is just not going to work for me. I don't want to be that far away from you. I have a business to manage and need to work on expanding that business. It looks like I might have the opportunity to expand my business into the Swatragh area and still manage the office in Dublin remotely. I have made plenty of contacts while I was in Dublin to start this expansion and things are looking pretty good.” At this point Quinn's heart was pounding and he was at the point of no return.
Grace's emotions were all over the place now. Nervous herself, but cautiously ecstatic at the idea that Quinn might move to Swatragh.
Like all great scenes, Quinn reached into his pocket as he turned to look directly at Grace.
“Grace,” he started nervously, “I don't think I can do any of this without you.” As he opened the small box he had pulled from his pocket, the nervousness disappeared and Quinn finished his comment with, “Will you marry me?”
Grace was stunned. Happy could not express her emotions as she leaned over to Quinn and threw her arms around him. After a moment Quinn pulled her gently away.
“Well? I did ask a question,” he responded to Grace's excitement looking for an answer.
“Yes, why yes, of course I would love to marry you. And I love you too.” Grace could hardly believe this was all happening. And was in awe as Quinn place the engagement ring on her finger.
“I know that usually it takes months to plan a wedding and all the activities around it, but both you and I are busy people with businesses to run. You asked why I brought you here to Ardtara. Not that I would want to step over any plans you may have, but I thought this might be the perfect place to have our wedding and reception. Of course, if you want something different, that's fine,” Quinn finished.
“Have you chosen a date too?” Grace laughed as she listened to Quinn's plan.
“Oh, no, of course not, but a fall wedding would be perfect,” he smiled as he finished.
“Then a fall wedding it is,” Grace smiled back.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
