All Roads Lead to Swatragh - Chapter 2

Grace had taken a couple of weeks off from her marketing job in Dublin to visit her grandmother's property and decide how best to handle liquidating the contents and selling the property. At this point she felt this was the best way she could take care of things. She had driven almost three hours to get here and now she stood in front of the B&B shaking her head in disbelief. It was worse than she had imagined. The outside was in need of a paint job and the garden was so overgrown. How could she possibly put this place on the market as it was? She took a deep breath as the put the key in the door to enter.

While the cottage had been closed up for almost a year as Grace entered the main foyer there was a feeling of warmth to the inside. Where the sunlight could get through the cloudy windows the covered furniture seemed to want to come to life again. Grace walked around the front room pulling covers off of beautiful antique furniture pieces. Time had stood still here. She could feel the spirit of her grandmother.

Grace wandered from room to room. Downstairs there were two sitting rooms, one a private one and one for guests. There was also a huge kitchen for preparing meals for the B&B, and a large bedroom that her grandmother used. The stairs creaked as she climbed to the upper level. It seemed they were happy to be used once again. Upstairs were three bedrooms, all en suite. One had a double bed, one a double bed and a twin, and one with two twin beds and room to add an additional. If the windows were cleaned the sun would have streamed through the lace curtained glass to brighten up the beautifully decorated rooms.

Grace smiled to herself as she walked the cottage. She could feel her grandmother's welcoming touch everywhere. But there was so much to do. Grace sat down in the large room downstairs and started to make a list. She was an organized person and needed to consider all that needed to be done in order to put this B&B on the market. As she did this she hear the crunch of the gravel driveway outside. She no sooner stood up and there was a quiet knock on the door.

“Hello?” came a voice from outside.

“Yes?” answered Grace as she opened the door to find an elderly, small framed, white haired man standing on the entry pad.

“I'm Donovan, who are you?” he asked curtly.

“I'm Aine's granddaughter, Grace,” she replied just as curtly.

There was a sad look that came over Donovan.
“I do miss her so,” he said almost in a whisper. “We've been neighbors here for so many years. So you are the one she talked about all the time?” he finished as he perked up some with a slight smile.

“I guess that would be me. Please come in Donovan, I have so many questions,” Grace was glad to meet someone who Aine had known.

Donovan looked around the sitting room as if he expected Aine to be there. Grace could tell he felt awkward knowing his friend was no longer in the house.

“Oh, please forgive me,” Grace suddenly stopped as she stood in the doorway. “I haven't even checked, but would you like some tea? I'm still finding my way around here.”

“We can do tea another time,” Donovan said casually. “Is there anything you need?”

Grace had not thought about much since she arrived. But there was the issue of having electricity and gas for heat and light as the evening approached. She would be staying her to get things in order and needed the basics to care for herself. Donovan showed her where to locate the electricity and gas switches on the outside of the cottage, and helped her get them turned on. He also made sure she lit the pilot lights where necessary and checked to make sure everything was working. Grace thanked him for all his help as he left. He pointed across the way and told her that if she needed anything to come knock on his door.