5 Peppermint Grove (17 page)

“There’s so much to get used to – it feels like
America but it’s very different, isn’t it?”

“We like
America – have you noticed all the American TV programmes?”

“Yes – I have to admit that I was up at
five o’clock this morning – still not quite on Australian time yet!”

“You’ll get there – and here we are now.”

They came to the large and imposing entrance to Sandalford Winery, the emblem of a stag emblazoned across the top of the pillars at either side. Sandalford Winery was written along the wall on the left-hand side and Caversham across the other.

“This is where they have concerts in the summer – Michael Buble played last year.”

“I like him!” Ruth said as her eyes scanned all around.

“The others are probably already here.”

He parked and a wall of heat hit them as they opened the car doors and stepped out of their air-conditioned protection. The sun baked down on top of them and they quickened their steps to take shelter in the winery.

A couple were eating
al fresco
under a pergola of vines and Ruth watched with amazement as fine water-jets sprayed out to cool them down.

“What a cool idea!” Ruth said.

“My wife doesn’t like to sit outside because she says it ruins her hair!” he laughed. “So I always book a table indoors when there are girls in our party – which I am pleased to say there usually are!”

Inside the foyer walls were lined with posters for all of the concerts and performances that the winery had hosted. The main hallway led to a shop and wine-tasting area. Steve rested his hand on Ruth’s lower back and gently guided her in towards the counter and the bottles on display.

“I think you should pick our wines for lunch as this is your first time joining us.”

Steve had a way of making Ruth feel so special that she wondered how she had put up with Ian’s treatment for so long. Steve was gentle yet firm and manly in a way that Ian had never been with her.

She tasted a sweet red and didn’t like it – then tried a few others and settled on a Merlot. The whites were harder to choose because they were all nice but she went for the Verdelho which was a grape variety that originated in Portugal according to Steve. The rest of the crew were all seated when Ruth and Steve finally came into the restaurant to eat.

A huge fireplace made of granite was the centre piece in the cool stone-clad restaurant. Upon it rested numerous cups and medals that the fine wines had been awarded over the years. The furniture was carved from a mahogany wood. A grand candle-stand with dozens of candles rested beside the mantel and more trophies and accolades hung proudly on the shelves.

There were ten altogether sitting for lunch. Ruth had met six already and Steve introduced her to the Japanese tourist board who were made up of Ikuko and Kai. She couldn’t recall the names of all the people that she had met earlier but would make a huge effort over lunch to talk to everyone. That was if she got the chance – Steve was hogging her attention and she wasn’t minding it one little bit.

The lunch was almost noveau cuisine with minute but tasty portions that resembled amuse-bouches rather than full courses. But the wine was exquisite and Steve poured it copiously into her glass.

“How am I going to go back to work if I have another glass?”

“Don’t worry about that,” Steve said with a smug grin. “We don’t work after these lunches.”

The rest of her colleagues were engrossed in conversation but she was sure that it hadn’t gone unnoticed that Steve was devoting all his attention to her. She would have liked to speak with the others and mingle more but Steve was certainly making it difficult to do so. When the beautiful Italian Marni came over just before dessert and started to ask her about Dublin and a guy that she had met in Sydney years ago who hailed from Mayo, she felt a little relieved.

Steve went out to pay the bill as peals of relaxed laughter rang out around the table. This was a very different business lunch to any of the ones that she had been a part of in
Dublin. Life was different in Australia but, from what Marni was saying, the Aussies were just like the Irish – casual and worked to live – rather than the other way around!

Steve came back to the table and bid his farewells. He looked over at Ruth. “I can drop you home if you like?”

A cackle came from Ikuko at the end of the table and all eyes were on what Ruth would do and say next. A creepy feeling ran up Ruth’s back – as if all those at the table were in cahoots or had an inside track on Steve’s style and habits.

Damned if she went with him and damned if she didn’t, she stood up.

“See you in the morning, Ruth,” Helenka from Poland said.

The smiling faces looked up at her and she felt as if she was under a spotlight.

“Very nice to meet you all,” she said and waved as she followed Steve.

“They are a good crew and will be there for you if you need any help but you will probably be working mostly on your own,” Steve said as he took a left onto the Tonkin Highway, following a different route home. He was very much the polite tour guide and Ruth could understand why he had found his career in the travel industry.

By the time they reached Subiaco it was
three thirty and Ruth didn’t relish the prospect of spending the next sixteen and a half hours totally on her own until she went into work the next morning.

She felt a smidgen of relief as Steve left her off at the door with a friendly wave goodbye. For a moment back in the winery she’d felt as if he was flirting with her but that was obviously her own insecurities lurking in her head.

She entered her sweet little bungalow and went into the kitchen. Her feet made hollow thuds on the wooden floorboards. This was living alone but it was different – she was living alone in a foreign country. She had to think of something to do to fill her evening but, without a car to explore or somebody to explore with, she didn’t know what to do.

She decided to make a cup of tea – it was a start and something Angela would have insisted upon if she were there. She missed her mother and felt terribly far away from her. Was this how it felt for her when she arrived in
Perth, she wondered?  She might even post a Shout Out on Facebook to see if there was anyone wanting to go out on a Monday night in Perth.

She turned on her laptop after she’d made her tea and browsed. She went onto Skype but even Julia wasn’t online. However, Michael in
Singapore was. She wondered if he had moments of loneliness like this – it was not an emotion that she had expected to feel so soon.

She pressed call beside Michael’s picture and waited as it rang out.

Suddenly a video picture popped up and Julia’s brother, attired in a blue shirt unbuttoned at the top, appeared.

“Hey, Ruth – how are you doing?”

“Hi, Michael – I’m in Perth now.”

Michael smiled. “I can see that from the sunshine streaming behind you. Is it hot?”

“Boiling – 34 degrees today and they say that this is nice – it can get up to forty regularly in February.”

“It’s funny, isn’t it, when you live at home all you can think of is being in a sunnier place and then when you live somewhere hot you realise that all you want is to be in air-conditioned buildings!”

Ruth giggled. “I’m still excited about the sunshine to be honest but I can see how difficult it must be to work in this heat.”

“You get used to it! So when is Julia coming over?”

“The second of February. She said that you might come down while she’s here – you’re very welcome. I’ve got a three-bedroomed house.”

“Wow, lucky you – I thought they’d have put you up in an apartment?”

“I’m very lucky. Sorry that I didn’t get to say goodbye before you went back. Christmas Day was lovely, wasn’t it?”

“Julia always puts on a good show. She holds everything together in
Dublin.”

Michael spoke with such admiration for his sister that Ruth felt a twinge of sadness –  she couldn’t imagine Niall or Kevin saying that about her.

“I miss her terribly and it’s only been a couple of days,” she said.

“I’ll look into flights – see what comes up as best value – I think I’ll probably only get about four days off but that will be enough – I don’t want to take up too much of your time with Julia!”

“Actually it would be nice for Julia if you could be here while I’m at work – I don’t know what she’ll be doing while I’m in the office.”

“I’ll have to come on a Saturday but I’ll make it late! Then you ladies can take me on the town – help me find an Aussie girl to heal my broken heart!”

“Julia told me about Lydia – I hope that you don’t mind she did?”

“Hell, not at this stage!”

“So what do you miss most about home?”

“Tayto crisps, Superquinn sausages and of course my family!”

Ruth laughed. She hadn’t worked out yet how it truly felt to be an emigrant but she wondered if she too would be hankering after a bar of Cadbury’s Golden Crisp after a week or two?

“I think Julia’s impending visit has me feeling good,” she said. “It’s when she goes that I’ll feel alone!”

Michael grinned sadly. “I think you always feel alone in a small way when you leave your homeland. It’s only natural. A part of you wants to shout out to the world about the fabulous decision you made and how much better life is in your new country than it ever was in Ireland but the truth is that there’s no place like home.”

“Hey there, Michael – or should I say Dorothy – don’t get all sentimental on me now!”

“I guess that’s why I wanted to have Lydia back – I was never happier than when I lived with her and we had such a great social life in Dublin. I think that’s something you really miss when you go away – there is always something to do in Dublin – even on a rainy November night there’s a gig on in Whelan’s or a buzz on Grafton Street. Things that you take for granted that just aren’t available in every other city in the world.”

“Oh God, you’re going to depress me now – I was going to shout out on Facebook to see if there was anyone in
Perth who wanted to go out. Mind you, I’ve had a long lunch and a few glasses of wine so I’d probably be better sleeping it off!”

“Hey, don’t listen to me! I’ve just had my heart flung back in my face – I’m looking forward to hooking up with you girls – going to book the flights now!”

“You go and do that – I’ll go out and work on my tan in the garden!”

“See you soon, Ruth, and call me any time – thank God for Skype!”

“Take care, Michael.”

Ruth closed the screen and felt better having spoken with someone familiar. She had  never felt close to Michael in all the years that she was friends with Julia but now, by virtue of the fact that they were only a five-hour flight away from each other and two Irish people living abroad, he was as close as family.

She smiled as she took out her suntan lotion and a towel and set off for the small but welcoming garden. The crow was still cawing in the uncomfortable tone that he had been using that morning but she was getting used to it!

Chapter Twenty-four

Julia was anxious but not sure why before going into the office on Monday. She had left Gillian to take a lift home from Dylan on Saturday night while she had taken a taxi with Odette earlier.

Gillian was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when Julia walked into the office.

“Good morning, Julia – can I get you a coffee?” she gushed, jumping up to take Julia’s coat from her.

“Thanks, Gillian – yes, that would be lovely.”

“I had such a great night on Saturday – thank you so much for including me. I can’t believe we won the table quiz.”

Julia couldn’t believe they had won either. And it was on the strength of all the useless knowledge that Gillian carried around. She kicked herself for having such unpleasant thoughts – Gillian had done nothing wrong. She felt unsettled after the evening but it wasn’t Gillian’s fault.

Julia managed to get through the morning without answering any awkward questions about Dylan but it was clear Gillian was smitten and in the afternoon asked Julia if she had plans for the following weekend.

“None this weekend, Gillian.”

Julia had reverted to calling her Gillian but she could take it as long as she knew that there was a chance of seeing Dylan again.

“I don’t suppose you’ll be seeing Dylan next weekend?”

Julia shook her head. “I certainly hope not!” she said, then realising that she sounded a bit too abrupt she changed her tone and said lightly, “I’m hoping to get the last few bits for the holiday fair out of the way – you know how it is.”

“Where does Dylan usually drink at weekends?”

Julia shrugged. “I suppose Gibneys or Gilbert and Wrights – he lives in Malahide – or he could be in town and that could mean anywhere.”

“Oh, right – I just thought you might know . . .”

Julia felt bad for being unhelpful – after all, she didn’t want Dylan or any part of him so why shouldn’t she help Gillian? After all, it was what she had proposed to do last weekend.