Eve woke before it was light, images of Hetty bruised and in pain flashing through her mind. She wanted to talk to Michael, to feel reassurance in his voice, but she did not want to ring him so early.
Instead, she went downstairs and pulled out the button box, her hand stacking the buttons into a high mountain before letting them run to one side. Closing her eyes, she felt the heaviness of the button mound, hundreds of stories held in such tiny offerings. Piercing through with her fingers, she let the buttons of all shapes, colours and sizes rain down either side of her hand.
Opening her eyes when she felt the softness of the small Lady Washington pearl button, memories flooded back of the light blue dress with the angel sleeves she had made especially for the Ludlow Fete. After only four months in Ludlow, she came up with the idea of the fete and was cute enough to time it for when Arnold was on an extended trip to the States. The dress, made of cotton with tiny flowers on a light blue background, was long since gone, but she remembered it had taken her a week to run it up, stealing time on her machine when the estate was very busy, workmen tidying up the gardens and mending the fences for the fete. Using a Butterick pattern, she pinned the tissue to the fabric, which she had bought the summer before on a day out in Dublin, confident she could finish it in time for the fete. It was not a fancy dress, a simple pattern of the time, maxi length with a deep frill at the bottom and angel sleeves from a bodice tight into the waist. She placed three mother-of-pearl buttons on the bodice, trimming the angel sleeves with a delicate lace, which she replicated at the waist.
Eve smiled to think of the dress now. A dress for a sunny day, and they got just that for the fete in late July. Arnold was in America, and just as well, because he would never have approved of opening up Ludlow Hall to the public.
The first of the crowds came directly after Sunday Mass, laden down with picnic baskets and blankets to spread out near the lake. Children crowded around the old jetty, taking turns to jump in the water as their mothers stood watching and gossiping.
The Ludlow Ladies’ Society set up a stall laden down with patchwork cushions, doilies and cushion covers. Eve had a separate stall selling rhubarb and ginger jam, along with apple chutney made in the farm kitchen. Michael stood with her, manning the stand, until the last pot had been whipped up. Afterwards, they walked together down the yew walk to the lake.
“It is still very busy at the lake. Will we give it a miss, walk over to see the horses in the far field?” he asked.
They strolled side by side, sometimes stopping to chat to those sitting out on blankets on the field nearest the house. Many did not take much notice of the two of them, but those who did remarked that Arnold Brannigan should not spend so much time away from home: Michael Conway was strutting about as if he owned the place.
Climbing over the locked gate that was marked “off limits”, they made their way across the second paddock, where some of the sheep stopped to watch them as they crossed over to the field beyond.
“The gossips will have a field day,” Michael muttered, making her giggle with nervousness.
“Arnold does not talk to anyone in the village. Anyway, we are not doing anything wrong,” she said, sounding a lot braver than she felt.
It was a few moments later that Michael told her she looked beautiful.
Embarrassed, she ran her hands across her dress, saying it was new but only a dress she had run up herself.
“Stop putting yourself down, Eve. Light blue is your colour. The way the light sparkles off those buttons, they are a mirror to your eyes.”
She had no answer to that, but it made her feel warm all over as they walked on together, not needing to say much more.
After a few moments, she turned to him.
“Do you always notice so keenly what a woman is wearing? I thought men did not take particular notice. Arnold notices nothing.”
“Arnold is a fool. No offence, but it is true: he should not be leaving you alone here at Ludlow.”
She laughed nervously. “I am hardly completely alone. I am always busy, especially with the Ladies’ Society.”
She skipped on ahead, and he watched her, the blue dress fluttering in the sunshine.
“He brings me back the most wonderful gifts from New York.”
“Wealth can get you out of any situation,” Michael said, and she put her hand on his shoulder to calm him.
“I am not sure you even like him any more.”
He was about to answer when Eve heard her name being called. It was Hetty Gorman, half running, half walking, swaying and gesturing wildly at the two of them. When she got as far as them, she was puffing, using her hands to fan her hot, round face.
“You two are hard to keep up with. Eve, it has been decided you should make a speech. We need to do it before everybody starts wandering home.”
“I am not very good at speeches, Hetty.”
“You might as well start getting good at it: everybody wants to hear from Mrs Ludlow.”
She pressed her hand to her mouth, making Michael guffaw loudly.
“I think Eve knows already everybody calls her Mrs Ludlow, Hetty.”
“It is just a friendly nickname,” she said, her face flushing red.
“And one I like,” Eve said, linking Hetty’s arm through hers for the trek back to the house. Hetty was pumping sweat and out of breath, Michael following behind.
Within minutes of her arriving back at Ludlow Hall, a crowd gathered at the front steps, with Eve standing on an old apple box on the top step. She spoke softly, thanking them all for coming.
“Maybe we can make it an annual event. It is so lovely to get together in a spirit of community. I am glad Ludlow Hall can play its part, and I hope it will continue to do so for many years to come. Thank you also to the Ludlow Ladies’ Society for making it all possible.”
The Ludlow ladies, she thought, clapped the loudest, and she wondered what would Arnold say if he ever found out she had stood on the top step of Ludlow Hall and addressed a crowd.
Michael stayed on until the last person left, walking, picking up bits and pieces of litter, and tidying away tables and chairs that had been dragged across the grass to favourite picnic spots and the lake, where mothers sat watching out for their children. After an hour, when everything was more or less back where it should be, Michael stepped in the still-open front door of the Hall.
“I hope everything is well here.”
“You mean are all the family jewels still in place? If I knew where they were, I could tell you. I looked in on Arnold’s study, in case anybody wandered in there, but nothing has been touched. I think everyone respected the sign saying ‘Private’ at the bottom of the stairs. Hetty said only a handful of people came into the house; the sunshine was a much bigger draw. There is nothing much anyone would want to take, big old ugly antiques and that’s it,” Eve said, running her hand along the marble-top table in the hall.
Michael laughed. “You are the boss, Eve. You could change it all if you liked.”
“Arnold would have something to say about that.”
She walked ahead into the drawing room.
“You will have a sherry, Michael.”
He grimaced, shaking his head.
She moved to pour a drink for herself, but stopped in front of the drinks cabinet.
“What is wrong?” Michael asked.
“There was half of a decanter of sherry there before, but now it is empty.”
“Somebody has gone home to Rosdaniel happy,” Michael said.
Eve swung around to face him. “Hetty and Barry were looking after the house, they would never let anybody drain the sherry decanter.”
“Barry wouldn’t let anybody, because he would drain it himself first.”
Eve was surprised at the venom behind Michael’s words.
He coughed, almost as if to contain his anger. “Barry is well known for liking a drink, I doubt he could resist it.”
Eve put a bright smile on her face, pointing to the kitchen. “Nothing for it but to make a cup of tea,” she said.
Michael knew she was deliberately not getting too excited about either the sherry or his opinion of Hetty’s husband.
“I am not particularly bothered about the sherry. I probably should have told them to help themselves,” she said.
When there was a light tap on her front door, she knew who it was.
“I saw the light on and knew you were up.”
“Michael, I was thinking back to the days of the Ludlow Hall Fete.”
“They were good days, mostly, or is that just the way we think of life events so many decades on?”
“That was a good day. Do you remember when we set off walking across the paddocks?”
“I told you you were beautiful.”
She stared at him.
“I did not expect you to remember.”
He laughed.
“Eve, you blushed, the pink rising up your neck, just as it is now.”
She busied herself, closing the button box and putting it away.
“It was such a pity Arnold vetoed the holding of a fete at any other time. Jack Davoren and his big mouth.”
“I called to tell you that great word won me the Scrabble tournament. Mackey pretended to know what it meant, but I know he didn’t.”
“Oh good! What is the prize?”
“A weekend in Belfast, all expenses paid.”
He sat on the edge of his seat.
“Eve, I was hoping you would come with me. We could get away from here, get to know each other a bit better.”
She sat down suddenly, a strange feeling flowing through her.
“We know each other so well. You know everything about me.”
“We are friends, that is for sure, but maybe we need to get away from the shadow of Ludlow.”
Her mouth was so dry she could not speak.
“I hope I have not overstepped the mark.”
Placing her hand on his arm, she managed to talk. “I don’t know what to say, Michael. Thank you, I would love to go.”
“Do you mean it?”
“I mean it.”
Her voice was stronger and she looked him straight in the eye. When he stood up, she did too, and when he reached to pull her towards him and kissed her, she did not object.
“Shall we say next month? I would say spring in Belfast, but it does not have a great ring to it.”
She giggled and he let her go. They stood holding hands, looking at each other, until Michael shook his shoulders.
“I have to go, the shop won’t open by itself. Richie was up early and away to the swimming pool. He prefers keeping fit to standing behind the shop counter. Can I call back this evening, we can plan the trip?”
She nodded, and he reached over, kissing her on the top of her head, before making for the door.
Waving him off, she felt giddy with excitement. Not able to concentrate on anything, she got herself ready, waiting inside the window for Hetty to arrive, so they could go to Ludlow Hall together.
When she saw the car pull in, she went to the door.
“You are keen today,” Hetty said, giving Eve an odd look.
She had pulled out on to the road, when Eve broke the awkward silence.
“Hetty, I have been asked on a date.”
Hetty crunched the gears.
“What did you say, Eve?”
“Michael has asked me on a date.”
Hetty swung into the Ludlow Hall driveway and stopped the car.
“Oh, my God, and about time too! Tell all.” She was screeching, her knees jigging up and down in excitement.
“He has won a prize and we are going to Belfast together.”
Hetty stopped, staring at Eve.
“Not just a day trip, Hetty, a weekend away.”
Hetty threw back her head and laughed long and hard. “That is the best news I have heard in a long time. What will you wear?”
“I have plenty of clothes.”
“Silly woman, you will need all sorts.”
“I didn’t think of it like that,” Eve said quietly, and Hetty laughed again.
“How I envy you, Eve Brannigan, invited for a weekend away with a man, and at our age.”
Hetty parked beside the seat at the front of Ludlow Hall.
“It is not for a while yet, so I have plenty of time to prepare,” Eve said, almost as if she was trying to reassure herself.
They let themselves in the front door and went straight to the drawing room, hoping to get in two hours’ work before the other ladies arrived.
“I didn’t see Connie’s car. She must be avoiding us. I told her we would be here.”
“Maybe she took the opportunity to do something away from Ludlow,” Hetty said, a tinge of disappointment in her voice.
“If Michelle Obama is going to be giving our quilts the once-over, we had better get cracking,” Eve said, and the two of them headed into the drawing room to set to work.