‘Dan,’ I call over to him. He’s painting the tops of the barrels with a coat of gloss. ‘This is Max. He and my best friend Jill have arrived to help.’
‘Very decent of you, much appreciated and congratulations by the way, Maggie told me your wonderful news.’ Dan holds up his paint-stained hands and the two men bump elbows instead.
‘I’m sure Jill filled you in on my job?’ I ask. Max nods and his face clouds over. ‘Great, so Dan, I’d like Max to double check all Frederick’s stuff, including the legals of the deposit, and also send him a legal letter saying he is never to approach us again, that he is very lucky we aren’t filing a lawsuit for deception of purchase,’ I say.
‘That okay, Max?’ Dan asks, as he pulls a rag from his back pocket and now starts wiping his hands.
‘Consider me your legal representative on everything from here on in. I deal with sharks like Acquired Finance every day, I make it my mission to call them out. I know all the loopholes better than he does, I can guarantee you that,’ Max tells us, crossing his arms, doggedly.
Dan and Max move out of the cellar up the stairs as Dan calls back. ‘We’ll be back to do the tea-light holders in a few.’
‘Perfect!’ I call back as Peadar rolls out the rest of the hose pipe and gets ready to deep clean the cellar.
‘Everyone out for half an hour!’ he yells. ‘I hope there is a pint waiting for me after this? Me head’s not great after last night.’ There’s an unlit cigarette perched between his lips.
‘A pint and fish and chips,’ I promise him, ‘followed by Betsy’s apple pie and cream.’
‘Jill!’ I beckon for her to follow me back upstairs.
‘This place is out of this world.’ Jill stops at the reception desk, looks all around her. ‘You go, I just want to get stuff down for more content.’ I know better than to argue with her when she’s in work mode. Her muse is back it seems and it’s in the shape of a castle.
In the Sweet Orange Room, I’m thrilled to see it bustling like it should be. Sewing machines purr, glasses and cutlery are being polished. Vases are being cleaned out and a cake stand assembled. I lean against the window to watch and catch my breath. Dan stands chatting to Max, each holding a coffee cup. How Dan drinks from a cup is so familiar to me now in every way. Without him seeing me I just watch him. Yes, he is exceptionally handsome, but my attraction to him is so much more than that now. It’s the tone of his voice, the jut of his jaw when he’s excited, the way he clenches his fists when he’s nervous, his kindness to Séamus, to Mrs Geraghty, to his village. It’s how he speaks about Esther and Michael, his love of his heritage, his commitment to this castle, his soul. Maybeit’s because I’ve dated someone who didn’t display any of these traits that I’m so aware of them. When I think back to dating Cooper, he was as selfish as they come. I was the one who took his elderly mother to her diabetes doctor’s appointments. He was always so uncaring, telling me she had plenty of money and could get a taxi.
‘.?.?. and let me tell you, I wish this was smell-o-vision because the scent of the turf fire in here. Guys, it’s so romantic .?.?. this is going to be the greatest makeover you’ve ever seen.’
Something in me shifts and I wave Jill over. Pointing to myself I then curl my index finger at her. She nods in understanding.
‘And here’s the woman of the moment, wedding location expert – and, all-round love writer guru, Maggie Grace. Can I let you guys into another little secret? So many of you asked me about my wedding planner for the barn in Boston. So now I can reveal it was Maggie who designed and planned my wedding .?.?. down to the very last detail – well, I chose the groom!’ Jill steps in beside me.
‘Hi.’ I smile a little awkwardly into the camera, curling my hair behind my ears, licking my lips.
‘Now, Maggie, how excited are you about Castlemoon as a wedding venue?’
I don’t need to think or perform, it comes out of me oh – so naturally. ‘So excited, Jill. I genuinely think Castlemoon is the most romantic wedding location I’ve ever worked on, and I’ve worked on a lot!’ I answer with one hundred percent honesty.
‘Steeped in romantic folklore, right?’ Jill prompts me.
‘Oh, it’s all true.’ And now I believe every word I speak. ‘If you pop over to our brand new Instagram account you can read about Esther and Michael Delaney, the original lord and lady who married here sixty years ago and are still madly in love. Castlemoon brought them together. I’ve yet to uncover anycouple who married here and got divorced! It’s fairytale stuff. Facts don’t lie, the majority of people who marry here stay married. Perhaps it’s the magic or perhaps they don’t want to break the folklore and when the going gets tough they work just that little bit harder at their marriage than other couples do. What I do know is that in all the time I worked atUltimate Locations Wedding Magazine, I never uncovered a gem like this.’ I grin madly into the phone.
‘I know the bookings are going to be done through Castlemoon’s brand new website which you hope will be live soon?’
‘In the next few weeks, yes. It’s www.castlemoon.ie.’ I nod.
‘But in the meantime, like Maggie says, hop onto their Insta page, which I will tag now in a Jill Huberman-Lewis collaboration on my story. Maggie, what else can you tell my followers about this venue for a perfect Irish and international wedding?’
‘Yes, so we will have three amazing wedding venues here in the castle. The unique Heart Ballroom is currently being renovated but will be opening with two adjoining soundproof rooms that each hold one hundred guests. We hope to have them ready to go by next summer. And then there is the Castlemoon Cellar, a unique, bougie, intimate, candle lit fifty-seater that will be ready for booking as soon as we go live.’ Listen to me, I think, I sound super professional and word perfect.
‘And this folklore, that anyone who marries at Castlemoon is blessed by enjoying a long marriage. You mentioned Esther and Michael Delaney? I had a read and what an inspiring story! I believe you have shared more stories from other couples on the Instagram?’ Jill is probing me for more good stuff.
‘Yes, I have been talking to more couples, including Aisling and Aaron who just got married a few days ago in a huge wedding in the Heart Ballroom, you can see my photos on thegrid, and Kate and Jimmy who want to keep the costs down and have decided on a more intimate celebration in the cellar next week.’ This comes far more naturally to me than I ever could have imagined!
‘And I also believe there is a giveaway of a two-night stay here next summer? All you need to do, guys, is like and follow the Castlemoon page and tag three friends.’
‘Yes.’ I nod. It’s the first I have heard of this giveaway but a fantastic idea of Jill’s to get us more followers.
‘That’s Maggie Grace, the elusive wedding venue location guru who everyone wants to employ to do their weddings. Keep an eye out for her very own online business coming soon also!’
Jill hits the light and puts the phone away.
