The Rose Garden (31 page)

‘They’ve got to be to the gallery by three o’clock, as Valerie said that Hugh can only give me a few hours today for hanging.’

‘Listen, Evie, why don’t I take this group here and put them in my car and then drop them over to the gallery while you can be sorting the rest of your paintings and be ready when I come back?’

Getting rid of some of the artwork from the cluttered flat was the only way Evie could hope to get organized.

Together they carried and dragged the larger canvases to the lift and out to her hatchback car. Fully loaded, she had some difficulty finding the gallery, but eventually spotted the sign, ‘The Peppercanister Gallery’.

Two hours later, all Evie’s work for the exhibition had been delivered safely and Evie herself was prowling around the gallery, which was in the basement of a large Georgian house off Fitzwilliam Street. Hugh, the painting hanger, had arrived and
Kim was studying every wall carefully as she and Valerie tried to position each piece of work to its best advantage.

‘I think we need to group things,’ said Valerie intently. ‘Buyers like to make sense of what they are looking at.’

Evie wanted things scattered all over the place to make an impact, but Kim could see that, where there were two or three paintings that were very similar in terms of themes, it worked well placing them near each other and even attracted you more to them. A massive sea painting and an incredible one of a wood each deservingly got a space of its own. If she had the money, she would have bought them. Evie’s work was getting better and better.

They worked there until almost nine o’clock. Hugh was gone, but they had decided where most of the rest of her pieces were to go.

‘He’ll finish it off tomorrow,’ Valerie promised as they said goodnight and she locked up.

‘What do you think?’ Evie yawned.

‘I think your work is amazing and that the show is going to be a great success! But we need to get some food into you.’

Every time she was working on a big project or an exhibition it took so much out of her friend. Evie would barely sleep or eat for weeks and usually radically changed her hair. At the moment it was bleached an almost white-blonde colour, as against her natural brown, and had been cut into a cropped pixie style which showed off her face and amazing green eyes.

Passing Caruso’s, Kim decided this would do the trick and soon they were sitting at a table having big plates of creamy lasagne. Evie wolfed it down and Kim topped up her wine glass with more Chianti. Her friend needed to sleep and unwind, otherwise she would be too uptight to enjoy the exhibition.

‘What will I do if no one shows up tomorrow?’

‘Lots of people are coming, don’t worry.’

‘But what about if people only come to see Fergus’s work?’

‘Fergus?’

‘Fergus McGuinness, the sculptor – you must have heard of him?’

Kim shook her head; she really was hopeless.

‘He’s a friend of mine, but he’s brilliant. He does these amazing bronzes, they cost a fortune. He’s showing about twelve of his pieces at the exhibition.’

‘Well then, both of you will bring a crowd,’ Kim assured her, ‘so there is no need to worry, Evie, honestly.’

Back in the flat, Evie fell into bed almost immediately and began to snore. Kim, who was sleeping on the futon again, was tempted to catch her nose but resisted.

Outside she could hear the traffic and the noise of the odd ambulance siren as she tried to sleep. She closed her eyes, thinking of the peace and quiet of Mossbawn, a gentle breeze blowing through the leaves, the sound of the river … birdsong … as she too finally slept.

THE GALLERY WAS PACKED AND, LOOKING AROUND, KIM COULD
see Evie in the midst of it all, her shock of blonde hair, dangling silver pyramid earrings and her trademark black skirt and biker boots ensuring that she stood out from the crowd. Valerie and Hugh had done an amazing job and her work looked incredible. Kim noticed that three pieces already had red stickers placed on them. Also dotted around the two rooms were a number of striking bronzes on white plinths and on the windowsills: crows, swans, a single seagull and a bronze of a group in flight. They were so powerful and raw and imaginative. These Fergus McGuinness pieces were getting lots of attention – but they were very expensive.

Alex and Vicky and most of their crowd had turned up and she was anxiously waiting for Luke to arrive. He’d texted her to say he’d been slightly delayed on the farm but would be here soon.

‘Well, it’s lovely to see you,’ said Alex, hugging her. ‘There must be some very big draw in the country to keep you there so long! When are you moving back up to Dublin?’

‘Who says I’m moving back up?’ she teased him.

‘We miss you,’ pouted Vicky. ‘Really miss you!’

‘I miss you too!’

Rhona and some of her friends arrived and she found herself frantically trying to catch up with everyone as Liz and Joe appeared.

‘We managed to get a babysitter for the night, so we said we’d
pop in here and then find somewhere for dinner,’ Liz smiled, before heading off to congratulate Evie.

‘It’s like getting out of prison for a few hours, escaping on our own somewhere,’ added Joe, grabbing a glass of red wine.

Kim had made Evie get some cards printed with her contact details and the website address, and she passed them around to people and left some near the long wine table and on the table with the gallery catalogues.

Suddenly she spotted her dad and went over to join him and Carole. She hadn’t had a chance to see him since she’d come up from Kilfinn. He was chatting to Evie’s parents.

‘Hello, darling. Has that young man of yours appeared yet?’ he asked, hugging her.

‘Dad, he’ll be here soon!’ she promised, glancing quickly around the room.

The speeches were about to start. Valerie had asked Neil Shaw, the renowned art critic from the
Irish Times
, to open the exhibition.

‘Let’s hope that stops him saying anything really bad about my work!’ Evie said, worriedly.

The critic had just started talking to the large crowd when Kim spotted Luke coming down the steps. He caught her glance and moved silently towards her.

‘Hi,’ she whispered as he took her hand.

Neil Shaw had done his homework; he knew almost every detail of both Evie’s and Fergus’s background and a huge amount about each of their work. Across the room she could see Evie visibly relax as he talked about her style and vision and the collectability of her work. He cited a few paintings that he believed were important, mentioning
The Woods
as his own favourite. He was equally generous about the young sculptor and urged those buying for serious collections to consider one of his bronzes.

Evie thanked him and said a few words about her own work and inspiration. She thanked her mum and dad and friends and family, and Kim for her unceasing support since the day they first sat beside each other in school.

‘And that includes helping me lift every painting you see on these walls!’

Fergus was skinny and wiry with long black hair, his brown eyes nervous as he stepped forward and said as few words as possible.

‘Words are not my thing,’ he admitted. ‘Metal and bronze are!’

Everyone cheered and clapped as wine was passed around again once the speeches were finished. Kim could see Evie and Fergus deep in conversation. She knew that look. Evie fancied him – definitely fancied him.

‘Luke, I was getting worried,’ she said as they were handed some wine.

‘I’m here now,’ he replied calmly.

‘Come on, I want to introduce you to everyone,’ she said, leading him around from group to group. Alex and Lisa both gave him the thumbs-up.

‘He’s really handsome – you never mentioned that!’ whispered Aisling accusingly. ‘And really tall!’

‘I know,’ Kim laughed, noticing suddenly how he was so much taller than everyone else in the room.

Luke and her dad got on really well and she could hear her dad asking him about the stud farm and how they were surviving the downturn.

Luke seemed totally at ease with everyone. He loved Evie’s work and chatted to her about it. Liz and Joe were very impressed when he asked them about Ava and Finn.

‘Most guys never remember anything like that!’ remarked Liz.

‘It’s because he’s a teacher, he’s kind of into kids and has to remember all their names.’

As the crowds began to disperse, Evie announced that they were all moving to Searson’s pub. Liz and Joe had sloped off, but most people, including her dad and Carole, were going on to the pub.

Luke pulled her into his arms as they walked along the street.

‘I parked the car up at the Fitzwilliam,’ he said. ‘The hotel is only a few minutes from the pub.’

Searson’s was busy, but Evie had reserved an area down the back
for all of them and plenty of finger food was being served. Fergus and Evie were still engrossed, chatting together. Carole and Luke seemed to be getting on great and she was telling him about her daughter, Lara, who had trained in the same college as Luke but was now working as a teacher in London.

‘It’s an inner-city school with a lot of problems, but she loves it!’

Evie’s dad made a bit of a speech about how proud he was of Evie and her work, and that she was getting the recognition she so well deserved. Kim could tell Evie was happy, as her ears had gone a pinky colour – they always did when she got excited!

It was around two o’clock before the crowd broke up and they finally made it back to the hotel Luke had booked into.

On Saturday they had a late lunch in town with some of Luke’s friends, who worked in London but were home in Dublin for the weekend.

‘Bet you don’t miss it!’ said Annabel.

‘Not at all,’ answered Luke. ‘I’m doing what I want to do, and I’m living where I want to live, and now I’ve found Kim!’

Kim had booked a table in Harry’s for that evening, and most of her gang came along. Evie appeared with Fergus in tow, which was no surprise! Luke got on with everyone. He and Alex had a similar sense of humour and taste in music, and he enthralled Aisling and Pete with his stories of growing up on the farm and travelling in Asia and Australia. Fergus had travelled much of the same route and they soon discovered they had stayed in some of the same hostels and both got food poisoning in the same restaurant, which created a weird bond!

‘I was really nervous about meeting your friends, but they are great,’ Luke admitted as they walked back to the hotel arm in arm. ‘Just like you.’

On Sunday they took it easy, strolling through St Stephen’s Green, sitting on a park bench watching young families with babies and children in buggies, and older couples hand in hand.

‘Are you coming back to Kilfinn tonight?’

‘No, I’ll stay on for a few more days,’ she said slowly. She hadn’t got around to telling him about her job interview; she hadn’t wanted to say anything in case it didn’t work out.

‘Why?’ he persisted.

‘I have an interview for a job,’ she answered reluctantly.

‘A job back here in Dublin?’

‘I met the company a few days ago and they want me back for a second interview.’

She could see he was not only surprised but hurt by her not telling him.

‘Luke – I didn’t want to say anything because I’ve had lots of interviews before and they all went nowhere.’

‘But this time it’s different.’

‘Maybe. I might get the job …’

‘Then you will move back up here … take up your old life …’

‘Not necessarily.’ She fumbled, searching for the right words.

‘When were you going to tell me? Didn’t you think it was something we should talk about?’

‘I know,’ she sighed. ‘I was scared of saying it to you, because it mightn’t have mattered to you if I did move back.’

‘Well it does!’ he said firmly.

She could see in his eyes that it did matter to him, she did really matter to him.

‘Why?’ she pushed.

‘Because …’ He hesitated. ‘Because I’ve fallen in love with you. You know that!’

Kim took his face in her hands.

‘Now I know,’ she teased him. ‘And you know I love you too!’

They sat for an hour talking, then went and got some food before he drove back to Kilfinn. She hated him leaving, being apart from him. They had discussed commuting, trying to manage living in two places like lots of couples juggling careers. Everything was so up in the air … But the important thing was that Luke Ryan loved her. Nothing else really mattered.

KIM O’REILLY’S SECOND INTERVIEW WITH ALLEMANA FINANCE WAS
on Tuesday. This time Erik and Mark were the ones she had to impress. She felt very nervous about it and had barely slept the previous night.

Mark was businesslike as he laid out the terms of the job, the hours and salary and what was expected of someone in the role. She tried to disguise her disappointment, as the salary was less than in her previous job.

‘I’m afraid the market has changed, Kim, and it has affected everyone in this industry too.’

‘We start early, as you will be dealing with our offices in Berlin and Frankfurt and Zurich most days,’ Erik explained.

It was a numbers job, what she was used to: making sure and checking that numbers and figures and payments were correct and that transactions happened on time, and that funds were monitored and managed correctly. She would start work at 8.30 in the morning and work through till six or seven most days.

‘Once a month or so you might have to go to Germany,’ said Erik with a smile. ‘And sometimes Zurich. Mark and I are over there tomorrow at a meeting.’

Kim asked a few small, pertinent questions, discovering that everyone worked from a hot-desk system, with no desk of their own.

‘That’s why we all have to come in early!’ Erik joked. ‘So we have somewhere to sit and work!’

The annual holidays were four days less than in the bank, and there was no car parking and a lot fewer perks.

‘Miss O’Reilly, we are happy today to offer you the role of Fund Manager, and obviously we would see you becoming very much part of the Allemana Dublin team,’ Erik said warmly. ‘Naturally, we will get our HR department to send you the official job offer and copies of the job contract and forms that we would need you to sign and return to us. You will also need to have a medical examination which we can organize for you.’