27

There was absolutely no doubt in Dorothy’s mind that Rosa Barnett had been sent to her in answer to her cosmic ordering, but of course there was no way the American woman would ever concede such a thing. Rosa had distinctively atheistic tendencies, and could not be expected to understand the true nature of the universe.

Dorothy loved Rosa but would never disclose this to her either, because the other woman would think her new employer either deranged or downright sentimental. Rosa did not possess a sentimental nature and deplored such qualities in others.

Dorothy loved the way Rosa took her shopping and found new, super-smart phones for them. She loved how Rosa negotiated with the poor bedazzled sales assistant for the best contract. She loved the way she never had to repeat or explain herself. Even if she launched into one of her long speeches and lost her train of thought halfway through.

Or even if she became distracted by a rainbow, so it took her five minutes to get to the point of the conversation, Rosa would patiently wait until she was finished and then say, ‘Sure, Boss, you want Ryanna to quit fannying about with the Book of Kells and get it sorted already.’ It was bliss.

She noticed her family and friends did not exactly welcome the newcomer into the warmth of their collective bosoms right away. Quite frankly, Dorothy could not have cared less about their attitude. She needed help, and Rosa was the girl to give it. In fact, no better girl. Gordon liked her, which was a good sign.

During the early weeks of Rosa’s employment, the two spent hours together as he took the American woman through the files he had accumulated on his sister-in-law’s business dealings. Using two of Gordon’s accounting juniors as pack mules, these files were soon transferred to Falcon, where the original office was now a bedroom. The second largest bedroom had been converted into a substantial study, complete with two desks, a shredder, a copier/scanner, a fax machine, and all the other accoutrements of a modern day setup.

Dorothy offered her new assistant a room at Falcon but Rosa declined. She was renting an apartment on Echlin Road, close to the old Guinness brewery, which she was happy to retain for the time being. Now she was in receipt of her hefty salary from her new boss, she did not have to worry about defaulting on the rent. Deep down, Dorothy knew Rosa was right to keep her own place. It was only a matter of weeks before Jamie left for New Zealand, but she accepted she would have to get used to living alone once more.

She offered her new assistant an extremely generous salary with a promise of a review in six months’ time. This was not a philanthropic gesture on Dorothy’s part, at least not entirely. She recognised in Rosa Barnett a woman who would lift the bulk of the burdens from her own shoulders and deal with them in her own inimitable manner, if only she was allowed free rein.

That was where the Irish Foundation Trust had got it so wrong. They had tried to rein Rosa in. They had tried to impose their own ideas of how things should be done upon her. They had tried to clip her wings. Bad idea. Very bad idea. After a long conversation, during which the two women established what their relationship would be, and how they would conduct themselves within the boundaries of said relationship, Dorothy took a step back and unleashed her new assistant upon planet Ireland.

With barely three months to go before her move to Dublin 13, her life underwent a dramatic change. Before the week was out, she wondered how she had coped without help for so long. Within the fortnight, Rosa had set up all of the accounts and payroll details on her own desktop. She also contacted a number of software companies and invited them to quote for a customer relationship management database. This application would enable her to store all of their contacts and correspondence centrally, without having to access an array of different files.

The database was ordered and installed in record time. Dorothy even agreed to attend the initial four hour training session, although she almost fell asleep midway through the morning and had to excuse herself and procure an enormous cup of coffee. It doesn’t seem right that a woman as rich as me should be tortured like this. This CRM yoke is the devil.

Almost overnight, vast quantities of data began to appear on the system. Within six weeks of meeting Rosa, virtually every piece of paper Dorothy possessed had been converted to electronic format. Dorothy found the process quite boring, and wondered if it was absolutely necessary to scan so much stuff. Rosa shook her head at this, then typed up new procedures, and persuaded her boss to at least give the new system a chance.

‘I’ve noticed you have three old boxes of paperwork tucked away in the closet,’ she said. ‘Why don’t you practice on a couple of old files? We really ought to go through them one of these day, Boss, although if you don’t mind, I’d prefer to make sure all the current paperwork is in order before we start digging into stuff that’s probably twenty years old. You’ll probably find most of it can be shredded by now.’

Dorothy hastily agreed the old boxes could wait, and also volunteered to scan and catalogue a file as a way of practicing the new procedures. The next time she had a quiet hour, she lifted down one of the ancient boxes from the wardrobe in the second bedroom and pulled out the topmost file. Most of the documents related to the purchase of her house in Shankill, although there was also some other legal paperwork pertaining to the same period in her life.

A copy of anything vital should have been retained by Robert McCaul, her former solicitor. However, since his stroke, his practice had been wound up and he had officially retired. Consequently, Dorothy had no idea whether or not the paperwork could safely be destroyed or not.

‘Maybe I should scan this entire file into the system and then mark it as potential shredder fodder,’ she spoke aloud to the empty room.

For a brief moment, she felt a physical ache of loneliness at the notion of losing Jamie. He would undoubtedly see the funny side of this new filing system, and slag her about her lack of commitment. The Space Ache obligingly sprang to life, and Dorothy rubbed at her chest in irritation. ‘For feck sake,’ she said crossly. ‘It’s just a bit of scanning and saving. Let’s get to it and stop messing about.’

Determined not to succumb to negative emotions which would inevitably end in tears, she returned to her study and dutifully read the procedure from start to finish. Once she began to scan the documents, she found the process easy, and soon had the entire file converted to electronic format.

However, when it came to saving the paperwork on the official system, she hesitated, reluctant to clutter up Rosa’s carefully constructed folders with ancient documents that had nothing to do with current events. She toyed with the idea of saving the file in an innocuous folder on her laptop, but dismissed the idea.

Hard drives were notoriously fickle and could crash at any time. Besides, some of the information contained in the files was highly confidential, and she was reluctant to leave it exposed.

‘I might become a victim of cyber-crime,’ she told the buff folder. ‘I know what I’ll do. I’ll save the stuff into that cloud storage yoke that came free with my email account. They keep reminding me I have ten gigabytes of space available. These fifty pages shouldn’t even put a dent in that.’

Once she had made up her mind how to proceed, it only took an additional ten minutes to complete the process, and two more to click on a random selection of documents in order to verify all was in order. Easy peasy. All present and correct just waiting in the cloud for me should I ever have need of them. She wrote a brief note to herself which she stapled to the cardboard cover of the file, and threw the whole thing back in its original box.

She returned the box to the wardrobe and ignored the twinge of conscious that told her she had barely scraped the surface. ‘I’ve done enough for one day,’ she spoke to the empty room. ‘I’m sure that crazy New York chick is overthinking the situation.’

Far from agreeing with his sister-in-law that Rosa was either overthinking or overdoing any of the new practices, Gordon was so impressed by the display of efficiency, he made a few noises about hiring the newcomer as the financial controller for his own, rapidly expanding, accounting practice.

His sister-in-law ordered him to keep his mitts off her new assistant, and threatened to rat him out to the family if he tried to poach Rosa. Not wishing to incur the wrath of the Lyle clan, Gordon capitulated. He secretly told the American woman that if she ever got fed up with her new role, to be sure to give him a call. Rosa grinned at Gordon and congratulated the accountant on his devious nature. She assured him he would not be forgotten should she suddenly find herself in need of alternative employment.

During Rosa’s three-week initiation period, Dorothy rarely answered her own phone. The result of this ploy was that, within a short space of time, any person who wanted anything from her knew they had to get past Rosa first. It did not take Bel long to work out what was happening, and she was seriously annoyed and offended by the new regime.

When Dorothy explained it was merely a device they were using in the short-term in an effort to re-educate all of those people who seemed to want something, Bel calmed down. She even agreed it would not do any harm for her friend to be perceived as more unattainable.

As a plan, it was effective. By the end of the three-week period, any charity that wanted to deal with Dorothy began to call Rosa first, as did all of the persons with whom she had any business dealings, including Saul.

On first acquaintance, the architect did not particularly like Dorothy’s new assistant, although he had a grudging respect for her. Not one to waste time himself, he enjoyed having somebody at the end of the phone who had a clear-cut and concise way of dealing with things. A person who was capable of conducting an entire conversation without one reference to dreams, wildlife, the universe or angels.

The only people who now contacted Dorothy directly were her close friends and family. If she received an unsolicited call, she let it go to voicemail. Rosa would pick up the messages each day and make contact with the caller. After she had fobbed off the salesperson, or otherwise handled the query, she would provide her own details for future reference. Even the most thick skinned of individuals very quickly got the message if they wanted something done, the best and fastest way to achieve a result was to deal directly with Rosa Barnett.

When Jamie ran the Dublin City marathon and refreshments were required for the post-competition celebrations, Rosa was the one who arranged it with M&P Catering, giving them plenty of notice and clear, precise instructions as to what was expected of them.

When Dorothy confided she was not sure what to give Jamie as a leaving gift, Rosa was the one who suggested he needed more start-up capital for his fitness centre. A gift which would be far more gratefully received than any designer watch.

Dorothy brought Rosa up to speed about Aileen Lynch. She explained how she kept hitting obstacles, mainly due to Aileen’s insistence on remaining in Wexford, and also due to her complete lack of business acumen. As Dorothy knew she would, Rosa was the one who came up with the solution.

She suggested they buy large commercial premises with attached accommodation. Aileen would be installed as the main chef/chocolatier in one half of the business, but would not be an owner or even a manager. She would be classed as a regular employee and receive a salary commensurate with her role as head chef, in addition to an annual bonus based on company profits.

The other half of the premises would be given over to a different food related enterprise. The person who ran this business would be expected to be more commercially savvy, and take responsibility for the day-to-day ordering and paperwork for both enterprises.

He or she would also be expected to manage the websites and online ordering services. In addition to paying a monthly mentoring visit to Wexford, Rosa would handle their accounts and payroll. She would also ensure the tax side of things ran smoothly, thereby allowing the two foodies ample time and opportunity to progress the yummy side of the business.

Once the plan had been formulated, the rest fell into place easily enough. A Handful of Heaven, aka Handmade Chocolates by Aileen, was soon incorporated. Dorothy and Rosa spent two days in the southeast viewing potential premises. They finally settled on an old, abandoned, public house in a village called Ballycogley.

Both the ground and first floor apartments were deemed to be a suitable size, although the premises required a considerable amount of work. The main building needed to be converted into a functioning space for two businesses as well as a comfortable living area. Since it no longer held a liquor licence, the pub was on the market at the knock down price of one hundred thousand euro.

A substantial car park at the rear of the property was a real bonus, and Dorothy was delighted to discover there was a collection of outbuildings which would make suitable storage. One of these was a rather dilapidated yet spacious barn. The estate agent who showed them around gave it as her opinion it would be possible to replace the rundown structure with a single story residence without encountering any planning obstacles.

Dorothy frowned slightly as she surveyed the broken down building. What were the chances of a house being required on the same site as the chocolate factory? She would not want to go to the trouble and expense of building a residence, only for it to be left lying empty and rotting. There were already thousands of ghost estates littering the countryside, and she had no desire to add one more dwelling to their number. The odds were good that Aileen would move in with a partner or husband in due course, and have no need of a residence that was literally on the doorstep of her place of work.

When Dorothy tentatively raised the issue with her new chocolatier, the girl blushed. She said the idea for a house sounded fantastic. She assured Dorothy she did not anticipate moving any time soon, since she did not see herself as the marrying kind.

As Aileen was only in her twenties, Dorothy was surprised by this declaration but did not pursue the conversation. She was in no position to argue with the girl since she had also sworn off men and marriage, and would never be described as a romantic role model for any woman.

When Aileen professed herself delighted with Ballycogley, and Dorothy professed herself willing to pay for it, Rosa liaised with all the relevant parties. All Dorothy had to do was sign the necessary paperwork and pay the bills. When Rosa asked Saul and Jake if they would be able to spare a team of men for the new chocolate factory, they were pleased. The time was fast approaching when Jake, as the main contractor, would be forced to lay off some of his temporary team from the project in Dublin 13.

Aileen was overwhelming relieved and happy at the latest developments. She threw herself into the design for the kitchen, and to everybody’s surprise, came up with some first-rate ideas. It transpired she had spent years conducting research on just such an enterprise, but had never known what to do with her information.

Aileen was the one who found Iris Leech. Iris was destined to become the second Ballycogley foodie, and the manager of A Handful of Heaven as well as her own business. She had started her company six years earlier, when she discovered she had a flair for making traditional preserves, relishes and chutneys. Given that Iris ran the business from her kitchen during those six years, she had enjoyed remarkable success.

Now she was looking to expand, but due to a dearth of investment capital and space, was struggling to take the next step. Aileen literally bumped into the other woman at a catering equipment fair. Iris was ten years older than Aileen and considerable more self-assured and glamorous. These aesthetic differences did not prevent the women from striking up a conversation, and comparing notes on their individual circumstances. When Iris heard that half of Aileen’s new premises might be an option for her appropriately entitled Pickles business, she lost no time in contacting Rosa.

As Jamie was due to fly home within weeks, and Dorothy was beginning to dread the separation, they dragged him to Wexford to meet Iris and sample her produce. Dorothy was certain she had never tasted anything quite as good as the red onion marmalade with balsamic vinegar, and insisted on buying two jars to take home with her.

Poor Iris was mortified. She had been hoping to make a good impression on her prospective investor, and instead found herself accepting cash from a most insistent little blonde woman. As Iris was the polar opposite of Aileen in many ways, and would potentially make a wonderful poster girl for the business, Dorothy had no trouble deciding to give her a chance as manager of the combined venture.

With Rosa on the case, agreement was speedily reached between all parties, just in time for Iris to get involved with the renovations. Saul had to be borrowed from Dublin for a couple of days to oversee the plans. Once he was happy his ideas were to everyone’s taste, he handed over to the nominated foreman and returned to Howth. He was determined nothing would prevent him from completing the rock-star mansion to the highest possible specifications.

In the meantime, before Saul got near Wexford, or before Iris got her first look at Ballycogley, Dorothy had to resign herself to bidding farewell to Jamie. She felt so sad at the idea of his imminent departure that, as the day drew closer, she decided she may as well throw him a huge going away party in the hope it might cheer her up. She had known from day one he would, in time, return to his own country, although that did not make it any easier to say goodbye.

He had quickly become a firm fixture in her life. Looking back at the past seven months, Dorothy acknowledged to herself that Jamie’s presence at Falcon had provided her with a sense of security. It was this feeling of security and companionship which had helped her to grow into her wealth more quickly than would otherwise have been possible.

She would miss Jerome as well. Even though he was inclined to be narcissistic, she had grown fond of him. She was not sure if the men’s relationship would survive the geographical separation, although she suspected not. Jamie confirmed her suspicions during his final days at the apartment while Dorothy helped him to pack.

‘We decided to part as friends now, rather than trying to make it work for the next year, and then splitting up anyway,’ he confided in her. ‘At least this way, we still really like each other. There’s nothing worse than a long, drawn-out breakup.’

Dorothy agreed with him, of course, yet nonetheless envied his ability to walk away so easily. She wondered if it was a male thing, and could not help recalling her breakup with Victor. He had not allowed their big fight and subsequent parting to in any way impede his romantic progress, and had not hesitated to jump straight into a new relationship a mere three days after their split.

Rosa was of the opinion that Jamie was dead right. She said it made much more sense to make a clean break while things were still civil. Or as she phrased it, ‘Before heartbreak and accusations took over from fun and affection.’

Dorothy understood what her assistant was saying, yet was not entirely convinced. Rosa made it clear she found her boss’s attitude a tad old-fashioned. Two of the maxims by which Rosa Barnett ran her life these days were, You’re only hot once and Out with the old and in with the new, and with good reason in her view.