With that she was away in a whirl of today’s floaty linen number in chocolate brown, dressed with glowing amber beads, all of which complemented her auburn hair perfectly. It made Hannah feel slightly exhausted but also inspired. How could a woman who’d worked with food for the last thirty or forty years still retain so much enthusiasm? The woman had the energy of ten. No wonder she managed to accomplish so much. She was amazing and it sounded as if she never stopped learning. That was something Hannah could relate to. She loved going on courses at work, learning new things. Although, she had just realised that in fact she was rather conservative in her choice of courses, always sticking to areas that she felt comfortable with. Apart from this cookery course, when was the last time she’d really pushed herself?
She picked up an egg from her basket and held it up to the sunlight, marvelling at its smooth shape and the delicate matt finish of the shell. For the next fifteen minutes she collected the eggs, picking each one up and staring at it thoughtfully. Eggs, she’d decided, were a miracle. Last week’s course, although difficult, had really opened her eyes. She’d never really connected food and its provenance before. Standing there in the courtyard with the girls pecking and foostering around her, she felt a deep-rooted satisfaction. This felt right. Finding roots to nature. Her understanding of the world around her expanded and she realised just how limited she’d become in her life. Although she was successful in the usual ways – good job, good salary, owning a home – they were colourless in comparison to the life she was leading here. It was a moment of realisation: she wanted more in life.
Breakfast was in full swing when Hannah arrived with the eggs. Jason and Fliss were bickering about a pool game from Saturday evening.
Izzy rolled her eyes. ‘Only they would go out in that weather.’
‘It was a rematch,’ said Jason with his usual cocky grin. ‘And I won, even if Miss Fliss here doesn’t agree.’
‘You won by default. That man jogged my elbow and I potted the black by mistake.’
‘Sore loser.’
‘I’ll beat you next time.’
‘Did you not go to the pub then?’ asked Hannah.
‘No. Wimped out. Couldn’t face going out in that downpour. Meredith invited Alan over and the three of us watched a film on RTE.Dark Lies the Island.I’d have suggested you come on over but Meredith said you were planning an early night.’
Hannah remembered the hastily sent text. ‘Yes. Stayed in. Did a jigsaw.’ Again she reverted to shorthand speak, not wanting to give more away. As an experienced lawyer she always advised clients to say as little as possible. Giving more information than necessary provided openings for questions.
Izzy looked at her quizzically. ‘Saturday night? You are wild. You need to get out more. Alan was talking about going to another pub on Friday.’
‘Grand.’
‘You’re starting to sound like a proper Irish person,’ she teased.
‘I do love the accent. It’s so…’ She wasn’t going to say sexy, which was the first thing that came to mind. She’d been listening to Conor’s husky lilt too much. ‘It’s musical – if that isn’t too stereotypical.’
‘No, I think you’re right. Conor has a lovely intonation to his voice.’
Hannah felt the familiar blush rise again and she focused her attention on the golden yolk of the boiled egg in front of her.
‘He’s not bad to look at either,’ said Izzy, with a quick nudge. ‘What’s he look like first thing in the morning?’
‘What! How—’
‘Sharing a place with him.’
‘Oh, yes.’
Izzy looked at her more closely and her mouth dropped open in a little ‘o’ of understanding. She glanced around at the others who were all absorbed in their own conversations before lowering her voice. ‘You’re not…?’
Hannah couldn’t lie to save her life but at the same time she didn’t want to admit it. She made a tiny squeak and widened her eyes and she shook her head vigorously. ‘No. Of course not.’ What was between her and Conor was private and no one else needed to know.
Thankfully, Izzy nodded and murmured. ‘OK then.’
Hannah heaved an inwards sigh. She was going to have to come up with a good story for the weekend. Conor had invited her to take a trip back to Dublin with him since he had a business meeting with the family lawyer.
‘Are you coming?’
‘What?’ Hannah needed to focus otherwise she’d give herself away. Izzy was no fool.
‘The herb garden. You said you’d come with me.’
‘Oh, yes.’
‘I am so going to plant a herb garden when I get home, although I’m not sure how it will cope in the snow. I’ll have to ask Adrienne what she’d recommend. She’s so knowledgeable about the properties of all these herbs. Did you know basil can help with flatulence?’
