‘Me, too,’ she volunteered, with a smile. ‘Right out of my comfort zone.’
The woman patted her arm. ‘We’ll be in it together then. Of course, I can cook. But it’s the fancy stuff I want to learn. I mean, I watchGreat British Bake Offand half the stuff they do I’ve never even heard of. Me and my friend are going to open a little cafe. Well, I say open. It’s already open, but the current owners are selling up and have given us first refusal.’ At Hannah’s open mouth, she said, ‘I’m doing it again, aren’t I?’
She clapped a hand over her mouth and mumbled. ‘Someone else talk. I’m not going to say another word.’
Alan took pity on her with a cheerful smile. ‘That cake is grand. And now I’m feeling really nervous. I’ve had to do the cooking for the five years since my wife died. More recently I started experimenting. Moroccan food, Thai, Chinese – you name it, I’ve had a go. Anyway, my two daughters said I ought to come; one of them had heard of it. I took early retirement last year, read more about this place and thought, what the heck? Why not?’ He looked pensive for a moment, before adding, ‘You only live once, don’t you?’
‘I’m not nervous,’ said Jason with a touch of scorn. ‘My boss at the restaurant I work in wants me to learn posh stuff. He’s payin’ so why not?’
Fliss looked down her nose, her mouth curling. ‘This is one of the best cookery schools in the world. Killorgally lit the beacon. Chefs from all over the world come here to teach and graduates from the programme have gone on to run Michelin-starred restaurants. You do realise it’s not for the faint-hearted.’
‘Well, that makes me feel a whole lot better,’ said Meredith, rolling her eyes.
‘I’m just pointing out the facts,’ said Fliss a little stiffly. ‘This is one of the best cookery schools in the world.’
‘It is,’ said Alan. ‘Adrienne Byrne is a big name in Ireland and all over the world.’
‘I ain’t heard of her,’ said Jason sulkily. ‘She’s not that big.’
Fliss gave a superior tut without looking at him, her thin lips compressing. ‘In the bona fide cookery world she is.’
‘Not in mine, she ain’t.’ Jason shot her a grin, almost as if he took pleasure in winding her up. He couldn’t have been more than nineteen.
‘It’s certainly a beautiful place,’ she chipped in. ‘The small bit I’ve seen. It definitely lived up to expectation.’
‘Yes. I’m dying to see the accommodation and the kitchens and the herb gardens,’ said Meredith, clearly incapable of staying quiet for very long.
‘I’m staying at the hotel,’ announced Fliss.
‘What ’otel?’ asked Jason.
Fliss sighed as if he were too stupid for words. ‘The Byrne family have owned this land for generations. Adrienne married into the family. Her in-laws had the original farmhouse and turned it into a hotel. Adrienne and her husband – before he died – moved into this farmhouse and turned the outbuildings into the kitchens, the demonstration rooms, and the cafe. They turned the barns into living quarters for the workers and a few of the cottages in the grounds into accommodation for guests and students. It’s been a twenty-year project. Surely everyone knows that.’
‘Well, I didn’t,’ said Jason, glaring at her.
‘How lovely,’ said Meredith with a sigh. ‘Keeping it in the family. I miss my daughters something rotten. They both left home last year. The house feels so empty without them.’
‘I’m dreading mine leaving home,’ said Alan, shooting her a sympathetic smile. ‘Although I wouldn’t mind the peace and quiet now and then. How many daughters have you got?’
‘Two, but there were always a dozen friends about. Lots of laughter and noise. I sometimes think I miss their friends nearly as much as them. We always had an open house.’
Alan laughed. ‘I don’t think there’s much choice, is there, when you have daughters.’
Jason rolled his eyes. ‘Like a bunch of hyenas round ours when my sisters have their mates over. Honestly, I’m the only bloke. It’s effin’ tough.’
‘Ah.’ Adrienne appeared silently like a glamorous wraith. ‘That gives me the perfect opening. There’s no swearing in my kitchen. I’ve no patience with these foul-mouthed chefs, cursing and cussing at their colleagues. Mutual respect is what I expect. So I don’t tolerate swearing. A cuss word slips out of your mouth and you’ll be fined. It’s a euro in the jar every time.’ She gave Jason a benign smile. ‘I’ll let you off the first one.’
‘Bloody hell,’ muttered Jason.
‘But not that one. One euro in the jar.’ With a sweet smile, she added, ‘I’d hate to bankrupt you. Now, the house rules. I was waiting on more, but as they’ve yet to arrive I’ll not hold the rest of you up. I expect punctuality. There is a certificate at the end of the course and it requires full attendance to every session, no matter what went on the night before.’
‘Sounds ominous,’ said Alan.
‘Of course, you’ll get the most out of this course if you throw yourself in and so we ask you to join in the chores. Everything from feeding the animals, collecting the hens’ eggs, and bringing in the cows, to picking the fruit and sweeping out the barns. There are also other things you can get involved in if you want to. You can do as little or as much as you want. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided throughout the week but at the weekends you have to fend for yourself unless you’re staying in the hotel. But you’ll be given provisions to cook with and there are some excellent restaurants in Dingle about twenty kilometres away which I’d urge you to check out, and there are also lots of pubs roundabout here.
‘Towards the end of the course, we’ll be having our annual autumn Orchard Party which you’ll be welcome to join. I’ll tell you more about that in time.’
Fliss clapped her hands. ‘I’ve heard all about the orchard party – it’s famous. I’m so glad I’m going to be here for it.’ Her face held the smugness of knowing that no one else had a clue what it was.
