‘Er, milk. No sugar.’
‘You might as well take a seat. You look awkward standing there.’
‘Funny that, being in my own kitchen.’
‘Sorry, have I taken over? Force of habit.’
He handed her a mug of tea.
‘So how are the cottages coming along?’ She sat down at the table, nursing the hot mug between both hands.
‘They’re coming; some of them need more work than others. A couple were done up when Mam and Da first set this place up back when they had no money. They’re long overdue for a refurb. Guests expect much more these days and the plan is to Airbnb one of them and I’ll be moving into the other one.’
‘Built to your own specifications?’
‘Yes. The kitchen will be bigger than this and I’m extending it so that it’s a big kitchen-diner and more bedrooms upstairs. Best of all there’ll be a great view, out over the sea.’
It sounded wonderful and he spoke with a gleam of passion shining in his eyes.
‘You still like cooking, then.’
‘Now that the pressure’s off, yes. What about you? Are you missing your work?’
Hannah shook her head. ‘I’m still in holiday mode.’ Although if she were honest, she missed knowing what she was doing and not feeling like an incompetent twit half the time.
When Hannah arrived in the kitchen with her basket of eggs, everyone was already there, bar Izzy. Once she’d put in her order of boiled egg and coffee to Bridget, she sat down at the table next to Alan.
‘How was the trip?’ she asked.
‘Excellent,’ said Meredith. ‘We drove to Kilorgan Castle and did part of the Ring of Kerry and had a lovely lunch at Moll’s Gap. And I bought the most gorgeous jumper in one of the mill shops. I’d wear it today but as a woman of a certain age, I don’t think I can cook in it, not unless people don’t mind a quick striptease every five minutes.’
Hannah caught Alan suddenly studying the leavings on his plate. If he was interested in Meredith he’d have to get used to her outspoken, open ways. As Hannah had discovered on Saturday evening, there was no filter there; Meredith wasn’t about to spare his blushes, perhaps because she’d lived in an all-female household for so long, but then again, Alan must be used to that if he had daughters too.
‘It was Alan that made me buy it. I’d never normally go for such a bold colour. I’m a navy girl.’
‘I didn’t make you buy it,’ he said with a sudden twinkle in his eye, ‘I just told you that you suited that colour. It looked lovely on you.’
Hannah caught Fliss giving Alan a stony stare and an impatient yawn. He caught it too and blushed.
‘What colour is it?’ asked Hannah, ignoring the sulky woman, who seemed to like sucking the joy out of things.
‘It’s the most gorgeous cherry-red. I’d never have picked it in a thousand years but Alan suggested I try it on. I was all for buying another navy jumper. I wasn’t going to buy it but he persuaded me.’
‘She was dithering,’ he said, although there was a shy smile lurking in his eyes. ‘I just wanted out of the shop. I’ve done my time in H&M. Now my girls are older, I can leave them to get on with it. Thank goodness. Besides, I needed a coffee. Lovely little town though. Kenmare.’
‘And we found a funny little place for coffee. The girl’s accent almost sounded Scandinavian rather than Irish.’
‘I spent most of the weekend down the pub, after I’d had a good lie-in. Didn’t get up until two on Saturday or on Sunday,’ said Jason. ‘Mind you there’s bug— not much else to do round here.’
Fliss tutted.
‘We went to the beach, didn’t we, Hannah,’ said Izzy. ‘It’s amazing.’
‘What beach?’ asked Jason.
Everyone turned and stared at him. He put both hands up. ‘What?’
Fliss looked over at him as if she were peering over the top of a pair of glasses. ‘Don’t you know anything? Philistine. Inch beach is one of the longest beaches in Europe.’
