To Love a Way of Life (10 page)

“Is everything ok?” She called out, splashing a bubble from her knee.

“I found a bathrobe, never used. It’s a big, thick, fluffy one from a fancy hotel. I thought I’d use it but I never did,” he said. “Do you want me to drop it inside the door?”

Emma thought on it for a second but before she could answer Patrick was already speaking, “I won’t peak. Eyes closed, I promise. I’ll just throw it inside.”

“A bathrobe would be lovely, and come in, the bubbles have me decent.”

She heard the door creak open and craned her neck to see him. He held one hand in front of his eyes. She could see the frown lines on his forehead from keeping his eyelids shut tight.

“Thanks for the bathrobe,” she said. “And the eye’s closed business was a nice touch.”

“I need to show Stan how to act like a gentleman,” he said. She noticed Stan had walked in through the open door. He had no qualms about looking.

“Thanks,” Emma said. “The nuns would be proud of you reticence.”

Patrick turned and edged his way back out. Stan looked completely nonplussed. Emma guessed nakedness was a normal thing for dogs.

Emma padded her way out to the kitchen encased in the bathrobe, it was luxurious, and incredibly fluffy.

“Would you like a beer?” Patrick asked.

“You know, I wouldn’t mind one,” Emma said.

Patrick popped her a beer, and beckoned for him to follow her, “I haven’t shown you this have I?”

Emma followed, a little curious. He led her down a small hallway and out a glass door. There was a little alcove that overlooked a small scattering of trees. There was a small table, and wooden furniture there with a cushion already on the seats. A patio heater stood nearby and it was switched on.

“I thought you’d like to sit out with me, and we could talk. If you’re not ready for bed yet.”

“It’s such a nice spot,” Emma said. “Is this Peter’s furniture again?”

“Yeah, he could have made a career from it if he wanted. He only does it as a side-venture now.”

Emma sat in the chair nearest the heater. She was only in a bathrobe but the heat surrounded her.

“You said you wanted to talk,” Emma said. Her stomach filled with dread. She didn’t know where this was about to go but she had an idea.

“Yeah,” he said as he handed her her beer. “It’s about my time in London.”

“Ok,” was all Emma could manage.

“When I said I worked in marketing, I wasn’t being entirely up front,” he said. “I set up a marketing business in my twenties.”

“You had your own marketing firm?” Emma asked.

“Yeah, and it was successful, extremely successful.”

“Did you make any ads I’d know?”

“A few I’d imagine, we won some awards.”

“You’ll have to show me sometime,” she said.

“Sometime, but what I wanted to tell you is that I’m quite wealthy,” he paused. Emma said nothing. “I don’t have to work if I don’t want to.”

“The business you have here is more than a hobby, I can see that,” Emma said.

“It is,” Patrick said. “You have no idea how happy it makes me for you to say that.”

“I’ve seen how much you care for your clients.”

“I don’t want to be known as some rich boy playing games with small business owners, for fun and enjoyment. I want to do what I’m doing now.”

“And you’re good at it.”

“I don’t need the money I have, I don’t particularly want it either. It’s great to have, it allowed me buy this land without a mortgage but I don’t want it to make me into someone I don’t want to be.”

“That was your father’s worry.”

“Yeah,” Patrick said. “And he was right. It wasn’t the life for me. This is my life.” He said, looking out over the fields surrounding the cottage.

“I can see that,” Emma said.

“And I want to share it with someone,” he said. “And so far I’m enjoying sharing it with you.”

Emma felt her emotions rise. She hadn’t been expecting this at all. She had been expecting him to talk about Maia. She could see why he’d bring this up first. If someone was going to be weird about money then why would he tell them about his daughter?

Emma pulled her arm free from the giant bathrobe sleeve, and placed her hand on Patrick’s forearm. “You’re a great man,” she said. “You care for people.”

“Thank you,” he said. “You have no idea how much that means.”

Emma woke a little confused. She couldn’t remember where she was for a few seconds, then it dawned on her that she was in one of Patrick’s cottages. And he was rich. And he didn’t like being rich. And Sandra was visiting her today. Emma had so much to tell her.

Emma realised she wasn’t that surprised to find out Patrick was rich. He was good at what he did. He could easily afford a nice lifestyle just from the business he had in Ballyhane.

Emma looked over at the bathrobe that rested on the chair in her country bedroom. It was such a fine robe, he said it came from a fancy hotel. She realised how fancy he had meant: a five star hotel. He probably spent more on that bathrobe than she would spend on one night in a hotel she could afford.

Emma got dressed, brushed her teeth and made her way to Patrick’s cottage.

“There’s coffee in the pot if you don’t want to wait for tea,” Patrick said.

“I was thinking of driving down to the town, Sandra is visiting today and we’re going to go to that trail.”

Patrick put down his coffee cup and walked over to Emma, he held her tight and started kissing her quickly on the lips. “I’m happy she’s coming down, you haven’t been right these past few days.”

“That’s why I called her, a dose of the familiar might help.”

“I know this is such a big change for you,” he said. “Why don’t you travel back up to the city and go out with some friends next week.”

“You know, I’ve thought about that. I thought about it in the bath actually,” she said.

“Baths are a real help for that thinking business,” he said. “Not too much though, you don’t want to strain yourself.” He kissed her forehead and patted her head.

“I’ll have you know I’m an expert thinker,” Emma said.

“It hurts my head,” Patrick admitted. “I let Stan make my decisions.”

“You’re doomed!”

“So, you were thinking,” Patrick said.

“Yeah, I think it’s just a little culture shock I was going through, and some loneliness.”

She could see Patrick tense up at that. She knew it could be seen as a slight against him, saying she was lonely. The situation with his daughter, that he still hadn’t mentioned was playing on her mind but she realised he was just trying to protect Maia. It’s what she would want to do for her own family. But saying she felt lonely here obviously hurt him a little, she could see that.

“I’ve never really been away from my friends and family, even though I often wouldn’t see them for two weeks.”

“I can understand that,” he said.

“And I love spending time with you, but getting used to the distance between me and the city was just something that had to happen.”

“And getting used to my strange ways.”

“I’ve yet to notice any of your strange ways so maybe you shouldn’t point that out.”

“Ho boy!” He said. “You’re in for a treat then. An inside secret, I hide chocolate around the house to give myself a cheery surprise when I find it again.”

“That’s not good, won’t you get mice?”

“Those mice are some of my closest friends!” He said. “They really get me.”

“Well I hope I can be the person who really gets you, from now on.”

He hugged her again. “I don’t want you to feel lonely down here.”

“I don’t think I do, that’s the thing,” Emma said. “It was just a little shock.”

“And you think you’re getting over it?”

“I slept with the curtains and windows open last night,” Emma said.

“And it was a beautiful night for it, not even moonlight to cast a shadow.”

“And when I listened to the wind blowing, and saw the glinting of the starlight in the dark sky I realised I’m starting to get used to the quietness here.”

“Maybe that’s what was putting you off.”

“And we’re still getting to know each other,” she said. “I care for you. You’re ridiculously handsome.” She could see his male ego grow a few feet at that sentence. “And you’re sweet. But this is still the early stages.”

“I know, and it means a lot for you to be living here. I know we’re not in the same house, but still.”

“It is a bit different.”

“I’ll get the hot water running today, if I can. Then you can have the entire space for yourself, if you want it.”

“I’d appreciate that but I like calling over to you when I need a bath,” she said. “Last night was wonderful.”

“Did you have time to think?” He asked.

“About your money?” She said. He nodded.

“I didn’t need to think about it. I care for you not your wealth.”

“Even still—“

“Even nothing!” She said. “You could live your life happily here without your riches, and I know you would.”

“That doesn’t change that I do have it.”

“This is your strange behaviour,” she said. She could see him tense up again. “It’s not that you’re a bad person because you have wealth, you just want a different life from being rich.”

“I do have a different life—“

“And you don’t fully believe it, you worry that it’ll draw you back and you’ll become Mr. London with a penthouse again,” she said. “That’s not going to happen. That’s not that man I’m falling for.” She could see she was getting to him. “That’s not that the man your father knew you to be.”

There it was. She said it, and she could see it hit home. All his worries were wrapped up in that. That he would never be the person that he wanted to be. That he had wasted his life working in marketing in London, with wealthy clients and a wealthy lifestyle, fast cars and who knows what else?

“That’s not who you are. That’s not the man I know.”

She could see he was getting emotional. For once she was the one who hugged him, she held him in close and she could tell he was like a small child, or maybe a young man in her arms. He was scared, of who he was and who he could turn out to be. “I care for you because you’re a good man. People need to tell you that.”

“Thank you,” he said. She could see his eyes had started to glisten. She was glad she could reassure him for once.

They both turned as they heard a car pull into the driveway.

“That must be Sandra,” Emma said.

Before walking out the front door to go great her friend Emma held Patrick once more. She kissed him again, tender and a passion between them of two lovers who had just shared something special. A passion between them that only happens when two people have opened up their vulnerabilities and let their true selves be known. “I’ll introduce you,” Emma said. “You’ve never had the joy of a conversation with Sandra.”

They walked out to the driveway and Emma’s face lit up as she saw Sandra. Sandra’s face did the same, “My god, girl! You have it made here!”

Emma clung on to Patrick and he had his arm wrapped around her waist. It felt special, Emma felt closer to Patrick than ever before. Sandra sent Emma a look that they both knew was hidden to Patrick. It said that this was the real deal, and they both knew it.

“I brought you some flowers, but that looks like a waste now,” Sandra said as she looked at the garden and potted plants scattered around.

“They’re not wasted at all,” Patrick said. He stepped out to Sandra and took the flowers from her. “I’ll find a vase and Emma can take them to her cottage.” He walked inside with the bouquet held across his arms, so as not to damage the petals.

“You’re sleeping in a separate house?” Sandra asked, eyebrow raised.

“Yes,” Emma said. “We’re taking it slow. Not all of our pants are lit aflame at the first sight of a handsome man.”

“That’s the first time I’ve heard you call him handsome,” Sandra said.

“I’m sure it’s not,” Emma said as she mentally tried to retrace her conversations.

T
hey came to a clearing on the trail. It was well cared for and a little plaque was embedded into a rock that stood on its own, “Cared for and funded by the Ballyhane Tourist Trail and Tidy Towns’ Committee.” There were a few stone picnic tables laid out and a little area with a small children’s playground, made up of wood and metal spring amusements for toddlers and young children.

Emma placed the picnic basket on the table and said to Sandra, “I’m guessing you’re hungry.”

“You guessed right, I’m always hungry.”

“Let’s see what Patrick packed us,” Emma said.

“He’s too good, I say. I bet you’ll discover he’s secretly planning on fracking the whole of Ballyhane,” she said. “It’ll be a fight between your love for a rugged body, and the rights of a small town. Coming to cinemas near you this summer.”

“Your imagination is never up to good,” Emma said. “But he does have some secrets.”

“Oh, wow, gossip!” Sandra said. “Spill the beans.”

Emma placed the plastic dishes on the table and poured a little of the elderflower water. She arranged the food on some larger plates in the middle of the table and handed Sandra a knife and fork.

“You can’t say that and keep me waiting,” Sandra said. “Stop housewifing and tell me!”

“He’s rich,” Emma said as she sliced a tomato with the sharp knife Patrick packed for them.

“How rich?” Sandra asked, eyes wide. “Are we talking private jet to Monte Carlo for a weekend on the beaches, or are we talking toppling small governments in the Pacific?”

“I don’t know,” Emma said. “I didn’t ask. Comfortable, I guess.”

“How could you not ask? Think of the diamonds, woman!”

“I don’t want diamonds.”

“Everyone wants diamonds, give into the greed,” Sandra said.

“I like him, his money means nothing.”

“You’re not right in the head. Think of the holidays, the galas, nights filled with champagne baths!”

“He also had a daughter.”

“What!” Sandra said. “The bastard! When did he tell you?”

“He hasn’t,” Emma said.

“He hasn’t told you? Demand an answer from him!”

“He told me he has money, he’s probably letting that sink in first. And seeing how I react.”