22

The latest round of furniture arrived and Otter House slowly began to take shape. They made sure every living space looked and felt welcoming by the addition of some sort of soft, squishy couch or chair. Dorothy felt the library was rather austere, and insisted on installing a large corner arrangement of sofas and chairs in a burnt orange shade to cheer it up.

The shelves were bare of books and once again her thoughts turned to Horace. She could clearly picture him draped on an orange sofa reading a book of French poetry, with Trotsky sprawled across his legs or at his feet.

She hoped to welcome Jamie to her new pad, although this was not meant to be. After remaining at Falcon long enough to take delivery of the 911 and deal with the butch inspector, Jamie and Jerome had headed off to Cape Town to attend the wedding of their friends, John and Ray. They would not be returning to Dublin until the end of the month, and would not make it to Falcon.

Dorothy invited the twins to visit, but they also turned her down. Now they had their latest bundle of spondoligs from their doting mother, they were in a position to head off to the Amalfi Coast with a gang of pals. They would not be returning to Ireland until shortly before college reconvened in September.

Dorothy was relieved they had not questioned the wisdom of remaining in at third level. Even if their lives took a different turn as they grew older, she really wanted them to finish their education.

In less than four years, they would inherit their first tranche of cash and assets, and she felt it was important they graduate before then. Who knew what would happen once they had the dough? Diane’s degree in economics and modern languages might come in handy, but Dorothy was unsure what Josh would end up doing with his qualifications in electronics engineering once he was officially a millionaire. Assuming he doesn’t become the kingpin of student accommodation in Great Britain.

Orla, Gemma, and their respective families were staying at the villa in Mallorca. Her siblings had organised the furnishings and other essentials in record time, and also recruited a local couple to take care of the property all year around. Rather than taking two weeks each, they had decided to go together for four weeks, reasoning more fun was bound to be had by all parties if they were part of a gang.

So far, from the texts and emails Dorothy had received, they were having the time of their lives, although there were some concerns about a boy with whom Wendy had taken up. It wouldn’t be much of a holiday if she didn’t take up with some boy, Dorothy privately thought, but did not express the opinion to her sisters.

Amanda was on a biking holiday in Scotland with some of her gang of friends from Shankill. Her quest for a suitable toy boy continued, and she texted Dorothy to say there were three potential mates included in the cycling party, not to mention the fit young Scotsmen they encountered along the way.

Viv’s sweet shop had officially opened its doors at the end of July. Dorothy and friends had happily showed up for the opening ceremony, and marvelled at how much Viv had accomplished in such a short space of time. They discovered sweets on the shelves none of them had seen since childhood, and were astounded to discover they were still being manufactured.

Jamie had been critical of the high levels of refined sugar, although Patrick had been ecstatic at some of the finds. He had also been in raptures over the chocolates Dorothy brought back from the holistic fair, and it was he who suggested Viv should carry a range of Aileen’s products.

Aileen was still making the chocolates from the safety of her parents’ kitchen, hence when the idea was first mooted, Viv was sceptical at the notion of stocking the items in question. She was concerned Aileen would not be able to provide sufficient quantities, and she would end up letting her customers down and looking foolish. It was still early days for the shop, although Viv was optimistic about its future success and did not want to start off on the wrong foot.

Her attitude underwent a change when Dorothy explained it was only a matter of time before she set Aileen up in her own premises, complete with professional kitchen. She procured a mixed selection of samples and insisted her friend try them. Viv was mightily impressed. Not just by the standard of the chocolate, but also by Dorothy’s plans for Aileen.

‘You need to get the girl sorted out,’ she told her. ‘I’d help you myself, except I daren’t neglect the shop this early on. You really need an assistant, Dottie. Take a leaf out of my book.’

Viv had recruited a very able assistant called Eric to help her run Bah Humbug and cover her infrequent absences. Yvonne was spending the final two weeks of August with Garry, and her mother took full advantage of the girl’s absence to head off to France and visit her BFF, Amy. She also mentioned something about finding herself.

Dorothy was privately of the opinion that Viv could just as easily search for herself in Kerry. She was well aware she should have accompanied Viv to France. She had received numerous invitations, yet had still not seen the completed barn and holiday lets.

Fortunately, Amy and Donal chose not to take offence at her continued absence. They assured her they fully understood her need for some quiet time at Otter. Having recently completed a major project themselves, they claimed to appreciate why she could not abandon Saul at the very peak of the build. Especially as he had deferred his own family holiday so he would be on hand to oversee everything.

Dorothy had spoken to Orla about the possibility of the Newman family getting some time at the villa. Her sister had promised to liaise with Ryanna and find them at least one suitable week.

After an exchange of phone calls, they had been offered the villa for midterm, if they wanted it. They had been warned they might find themselves sharing with Pat and Joey, who preferred the cooler temperatures of autumn. Ryanna assured Orla they had no objection to sharing with the senior Lyles (who might possibly be relied upon for a spot of babysitting) and would definitely be taking her up on the offer. For now, they were happy to plough ahead with the job on hand. There would be ample time for a big family holiday when the house was finished, and they were already planning a skiing trip for the new year.

Bel and Gerald had also been invited to France, but had chosen to defer the visit for another month or two. As an alternative, they had taken Justin and Freddie to Canada for three weeks for the express purpose of spending more time as a family. Dorothy secretly wondered if the decision had anything to do with Donal.

Bel never uttered a word against him, although Dorothy strongly suspected her friend disliked Amy’s lover, and was aghast at the notion of spending two weeks in his house. Dorothy giggled to herself as she pictured Bel biting her lip while Donal prosed on about something of an historical nature. She missed Bel, but was not convinced her friend would enjoy Otter after the first novelty had worn off, and in some respects was glad she was out of the country.

Helen was in Donegal visiting her younger sister, who most fortuitously enjoyed wine almost as much as she did. Patrick was staying at a spiritual centre in Galway. He was taking daily lessons in Tai Chi as well as other holistic activities and, if his texts were any indication, seemed to be embracing inner peace.

Pat and Joey were spending a few weeks at their new bungalow in Westport. Dorothy had initially been shocked to learn they had furnished it by dint of purchasing some secondhand pieces from a local auction house. She had only relaxed when her mother assured her the beds and sofas were new. They had stumbled across a lovely old oak table as well as an enormous pine dresser, which they had fallen for on sight.

When Dorothy relayed the story to the Loughnanes, far from being shocked, she saw not only would they have liked to know more about the auction house, but would probably love a trip to Westport so they could admire the dresser in situ, and meet her parents.

Dorothy was beginning to despair of them all, and sincerely hoped her sisters had not purchased any cheap secondhand tat for her three million euro villa. She supposed she would find out when she saw it first-hand in September.

For the first time in months, she was pretty much alone. Even though the Loughnanes never neglected or ignored her, they left her to her own devices much of the time, perhaps sensing she needed peace and quiet. Eddie pottered around the kitchen, or drove into town to buy provisions, while Elaine was busy clearing space for a large vegetable patch. In due course they would have their own produce, but for now were content to make use of the local farmers’ market.

Elaine had tentatively raised the subject of buying some chickens so they could have fresh eggs. Dorothy initially hesitated, but seeing Elaine’s little face fall in disappointment, quickly relented and told her, if she liked, they could go shopping for whatever one might call a house where chickens resided. It transpired such an establishment was known as a coop, and Elaine liked the idea very much.

After conducting some research, they ended up ordering one from a local carpenter. He had been laid off from his previous employment with a large property developer, and supplemented his income by building state-of-the-art chicken coops for the good people of Kerry. He promised to have the enclosure completed by the end of the month, and Dorothy gladly handed over the deposit so he could make a start.

Now they were settling in, she thought it best to arrange a monthly bank transfer to the Loughnanes’ account so they would be able to cover all of the household expenses without reference to her or Gordon every time they needed something. The sum was agreed and she requested they retain all receipts. In due course, she planned to keep accounts for Otter in the same way as she would for the Howth palace.

When Elaine heard this she thought it was strange that anybody would want to keep household accounts. That was until Dorothy gave her an overview of all her other financial commitments. Elaine began to see she would indeed need to keep a close watch upon things since it would be very easy to lose track of her expenditure.

‘It’s a good thing you have a background in finance,’ Eddie commented one day while he was serving up a new prawn recipe.

‘I don’t really, Ed,’ Dorothy replied. ‘I was employed by a small hotel when I was young, but for many years the only job I had was in a payroll department. It might sound like the same thing, but it’s very different to normal accounts work. I really want somebody with a strong business background to take care of things, and organise me and keep me focused.

‘I want them to remind me I have things that must be done, but at the same time not try to run my life. I don’t necessarily want a pure accountant like my brother-in-law Gordon. Much as I love him, I’d rather have somebody who will support me in other ways, and not always look solely at the numbers. I’d like somebody who understands that people are important, but at the same time I don’t want anybody too trusting or naïve or soft hearted.’

Eddie examined her face as he scooped some green beans onto her plate, hoping the butter he had drizzled on top would escape her eagle eye. ‘That’s a very tall order,’ he remarked, doing his best to keep his voice neutral.

‘I’m well aware, Eddie sweetheart. Still! I’ve placed a cosmic order so you never know what might happen.’

‘You’ve placed a what?’ the chef paused in his serving.

‘A cosmic order. I’ve visualised what I want, and I’ve asked the universe to send it to me. I’m sure you’ve heard of it. Some of the celebs use it, but needless to say, you don’t have to be a sleb to get what you want. I have a book about it somewhere. I must bring it with me the next time.’

‘You know, Dot,’ he half glared at her, ‘sometimes you talk in a very odd way. No wonder you’re single. As my mother used to say to my sisters when we were growing up, you’ll never get a man if you carry on like that!’

Dorothy threw back her head and laughed, which brought Elaine running into the kitchen. ‘What’s going on?’ she demanded. When they explained about the cosmic order, she stared at Dorothy seriously.

‘Is this like the seal vision?’ she frowned. ‘Because you know, Dot, I hope you haven’t been having weird dreams again, and won’t decide to employ some totally unsuitable person as your assistant because you dreamed of a walrus or a polar bear this time!’

‘I haven’t had a weird dream for a long time, at least not one I can remember,’ Dorothy grinned at them. ‘I have simply asked the universe to send me the person I need. Nothing more, nothing less. You two are beginning to sound like my oul lad. You’ll be calling me a tree hugger next.’

After this amusing interlude, Dorothy went back to her dinner. She hardly got a chance to finish the meal before Saul called to request she return to Dublin for a day. She was loath to refuse, but at the same time could not help groaning at the thoughts of a long drive there and back. It would really eat into her schedule of reading, walking, Pilates, hot tubbing, and lying around gazing at the views or stars.

When Saul suggested a good alternative would be to hire a helicopter, Dorothy did not want to sound like a wuss, and agreed to investigate the possibility. Eddie obligingly located a reputable company in Kildare that would be able to accommodate her the following morning. The company assured her they would be able to collect her from the helipad of her local five-star hotel in Sneem as they had a ‘relationship’ with the management.

At the appointed time, Eddie drove Dorothy to the luxurious looking establishment, and insisted on waiting with her until the helicopter arrived. Reluctant, it would appear, to leave her alone without male support.

Even though the pilot was extremely professional and courteous, Dorothy did not particularly enjoy her first outing in a chopper. The stench of aviation fuel was nauseating, and she felt for the hotel guests who were playing golf only a few hundred yards away. She hated the propellers, and the way she felt as if she was going to be picked up and blown away while entering the craft. The noise was hideous, and she gladly accepted the proffered ear defenders.

Notwithstanding these gripes, once they were airborne, she enjoyed the views immensely. When she reached Dublin within the hour, she admitted to herself that, despite its many faults, she should have tried this mode of transport long before now.

Saul collected her and was suitably impressed that even though she was alone, she had tried something new and different. Dorothy supposed that, under normal circumstances, Bel or Jamie would have accompanied her. Even so, it rankled that Eddie did not seem to think she could be left alone in a five-star hotel in Kerry, arguably one of the safest spots on the planet, and now Saul did not seem to think she was capable of spending an hour in the air alone either. Next they would be dropping hints about her remarrying.

Since her rather unfortunate encounter with the by-now-infamous (in the Lyle family) Noel Merrick, her mother had started doing exactly this. Pat Lyle was not renowned for her subtlety, and insisted on making loud suggestions regarding her daughter’s anticipated nuptials.

The previous month, while the entire family had been seated around the dining table celebrating Kathy’s birthday, she had suddenly come out with, ‘What did you think of the wedding dress Princess Charlene of Monaco wore the other week, Dottie love? Will you be having something similar when you get married? I think the style would really suit you, even though she’s a very tall girl and you’re not.’

It was perhaps fortunate that everybody was used to Pat’s sometimes-odd ways and were not inclined to take her mad comments too seriously. That did not prevent her daughter from fretting that one day Pat would say something truly outrageous in front of non-family members and completely mortify her.

To hear her mother talk, anyone would be forgiven for assuming her daughter was engaged, and simply needed time to plan the Big Day. Instead of which, she was beginning to draw attention because of her single status. Apparently, a woman could not be both rich and single in modern Irish society. Maybe she should consider taking a lover. Perhaps that would shut them up.