Callum foresaw that life with Magdalena was destined to be one glorious emotional rollercoaster.
* * *
At the weekend, Paula sat with her laptop on her lap, in her bedroom in the flat. Having thought things over, she’d reached a conclusion that it was hard to put into words. It was, therefore, necessary to put her thoughts into writing.
Dear Callum,
Thank you for your kind offer but, upon consideration, I have to decline it.
Although I would love to work as your PA, upon reflection, I realise that I do not want to go back to live in West Lough as it is, in my humble opinion, the dullest place on earth (although I appreciate that you, and my sister, seem to quite like it).
In short, having spent the last thirty years dreaming of getting away from home, the last thing I need is to go back there.
I’m sorry to have messed you around, Boss, and hope that you won’t hold this against me.
Best wishes and thanks again for thinking of me,
Paula
Reading Paula’s email, lounging on the long couch in Dolores, Callum laughed out loud. It was hard to imagine a sister-in-law who would be more plain-speaking than Paula.
* * *
On a beautiful day in late spring, Maggie looked through a large window in the room she had chosen to use as her office, across the expanse of West Lough, towards Dolores. Lifting a pair of binoculars to her eyes, she focussed them in on the windows of the summer house and spotted the dark hair of the back of her fiancé’s head. He was sitting on the couch, with his laptop on his knee, no doubt. But whether he was actually doing any work, she couldn’t tell.
She put down her binoculars on the desk beside her and picked up her mobile phone. She typed the message ‘Hungry?’ and then sent the text.
Moments later, the reply came, ‘Always hungry,’ and she knew that Callum would be heading back over to the Lodge soon.
Callum and Maggie’s working –and living– arrangements were a source of great amusement to Maggie’s parents. When it had first occurred to Callum, after his job offer had been refused by one sister, that he should, perhaps, ask the other sister instead, he’d worried that Magdalena might find it stifling to be personal assistant to her new boyfriend. But it seemed an obvious solution to both their predicaments: he needed a PA who was happy to be in West Lough, and Maggie needed a permanent and stimulating job and seemed to be yearning to return home.
So, Callum found that his offer met with Maggie’s eager acceptance, subject to them ensuring that they gave one another sufficient space. And hence, they both now lived in the Lodge, but Callum, daily, took himself off to Dolores to work, whilst Maggie remained in her office in the grand house.
“But isn’t the point of being a PA that you’re close at hand?” Linda had queried when she’d heard about the arrangement.
“Mammy, I am close at hand; I’m just a short boat ride away.”
Although today, since the weather was so glorious, she knew that Callum would paddle back home for lunch, which gave her longer to prepare something than if he’d used the motor boat.
In twenty minutes’ time Maggie was sitting out on the terrace of the Lodge, at a small table elegantly set for two, with a large bowl of Salade Nicoise placed at its centre. It wasn’t long before Callum appeared, climbing up the sweeping lawn from the water’s edge, wearing an open-necked shirt that hung loose over outdoor trousers and with his sunglasses on. He looked, as usual, thoroughly relaxed and at one with the world.
When he reached the terrace he walked over to Maggie’s side, bent his head and kissed her. “How’s it going?” he asked.
“I’m getting there,” she replied. “You?”
“Slow,” he said. “It’s just so tempting to take the afternoon off and spend it on the water – it’s heavenly out there.”
Maggie laughed; that was why he’d been sitting with his back to the window – he’d been avoiding temptation. “Well, you can’t,” she said. “You have deadlines.”
“You’re such a hard taskmaster,” he complained. “But at least we can enjoy a glass of something sparkling with lunch,” he continued, making for the house.
“You’re so decadent!” Maggie exclaimed.
“We’re celebrating!” Callum said, before he entered the house, leaving Maggie perplexed as to what they had to celebrate.
When Callum returned he said, “So you don’t know why today’s special?”
“No,” she admitted.
“I was looking in my organiser this morning and I realised that it’s a year since we met.”
“Really?” Maggie said.
“A year, to the day,” he confirmed.
“I suppose it would be,” Maggie agreed once she’d thought about it.
“Now that’s something to celebrate,” Callum said, popping the cork on the Champagne bottle and pouring two generous measures into the glass tumblers that Maggie had set out on the table, intending them for water.
“It is,” she accepted, although she was preoccupied with the impending celebration of their engagement at a party to be held in the Lodge at the weekend. Having spent all morning finalising arrangements for it, she still had lots to do but she could tell that Callum was in the mood for relaxing.
He raised his glass, declaring, “Here’s to us.”
“To us,” Maggie echoed.
Callum leant across the table and kissed her, saying, “I love you, Magdalena O’Reilly.”
In response, Maggie said, “And I love you, Cal McCoy.”
They drank some Champagne and Maggie dished out the salad.
“This looks great,” Callum observed. “Just what I need.”
Maggie smiled; he was always so appreciative of her culinary efforts, despite the fact that he was the far better cook.
“So you can’t be tempted to take the afternoon off?” Callum pursued.
In response, Maggie had to stifle a laugh. He seemed to forget that he was, ultimately, her boss. But she was beginning to wind down already and could now see it would be hard to resume work after a leisurely lunch on the terrace – and Champagne! “I just don’t know how I’ll have everything ready for the party if I don’t tick a few more items off my list this afternoon,” she complained, feeling torn between her desire for order and her desire for Callum.
“Delegate,” he suggested.
“To who?” Maggie exclaimed.
“To Paula,” Callum said simply.
“But she’s in Dublin–”
“Yes, she’ll be at her desk and only too happy to abandon what she’s doing and chase up suppliers for you.”
Maggie considered things; Callum had a point. “OK,” she said. “I’ll call her after lunch.”
It was handy to have Paula based at McCoy’s Irish HQ. Now that she had a permanent job there and free run of the flat in Dublin, the sisters were getting on famously – better than they’d ever done before. In fact, Maggie was feeling so magnanimous towards her older sibling that she was even allowing Paula to stay in Dolores over the weekend, with a couple of Dublin girlfriends whom she was bringing along to the engagement party. This, in spite of the fact that Maggie knew she was destined to spend the better part of next week tidying the place up after them.
“And remember, Maggie, the party is supposed to be fun,” Callum said. “You getting stressed about it defeats the object.”
“Yes,” she agreed.
They ate in silence for a while, Maggie becoming increasingly convinced of her fiancé’s wisdom as the Champagne bubbles went to her head. She resumed, “I am looking forward to the party. But it’s such a shame your family can’t come over for it.”
“I know,” Callum replied. “It’s just too short notice. Anyway, it’s not long until the wedding–”
“Don’t remind me!” Maggie said, contemplating the scale of organisation that would be involved in preparing for that momentous event.
Callum laughed and reached his hand across to hold hers. “T
hat’s going to be even more fun,” he said, beaming optimistically.
Maggie nodded her head and looked deep into the green pools of his eyes.
“You’ve no regrets?” Callum asked.
Maggie shook her head and replied, “None whatsoever, Mr McCoy.”
“It certainly has been a whirlwind year,” Callum said.
“Yes,” Maggie agreed, having a momentary flashback to the image of him, not so long after they’d first met, standing in the window of the ballroom at the Lodge. She recalled that, at that moment in time, she had loathed him beyond anything she could have imagined. But even then, she had to admit to herself, there had been something about him that she’d found irresistible – she’d just been trying very hard to suppress it. “So what do you have planned for us for this afternoon?” she asked.
“How do you fancy a paddle around the Lough in the canoe and then lounging on the shore at Dolores?”
“Sounds like a plan,” Maggie said.
“Bring your swimsuit. We might even take a dip.”
At that, Maggie raised her eyebrows.
“Or, on second thoughts, don’t bring your swimsuit…” Callum said, raising his eyebrows suggestively.
Maggie threw her napkin at him, saying, “It might be a nice day, but you wouldn’t catch me swimming in the Lough without a wetsuit at this time of year – never mind skinny-dipping!”
Callum laughed but admitted that Maggie had a point. “But, for all that, there’s nowhere you’d rather be, right?” he asked her.
“No, there’s nowhere I’d rather be,” Maggie concluded.
* * * * *
If you have enjoyed The Fight for Dolores, visit Catherine E. Chapman’s Amazon Author page for details of her other books:
http://www.amazon.com/Catherine-E.-Chapman/e/B005LG8HVM
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Catherine-E.-Chapman/e/B005LG8HVM
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Braggot Park, Danburgh Castle and Rhiannon – short, sensual Medieval and Elizabethan romances – available individually and in the collection, Three Medieval Romances:
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The Fight for Dolores Page 6
