anything.”
“So why did you stop hanging up your paintings? And why did you stop painting? You have, haven’t you?”
“I stopped liking my memories.”
Priya turned to the window again. She sensed Reyna’s frustration at her withdrawal, but Reyna said nothing.
∞
The turn onto another dirt track came up a few minutes later. The track went down as it outlined the side of the fjord. Reyna pointed to the clump of trees stuck on the side of the hill in front of them. “This is the front entrance, see that gap, the house is in the clearing there.”
A little trail of smoke crept into the air above the clearing tugged and dispersed by the breeze.
“Catherine always lights a fire, even in the summer. I think she's just addicted to the smell of burning turf.”
The track wandered into the forest and the relative darkness under the trees made Priya shiver.
She whispered, “Does Catherine not mind living here on her own? Especially in the winter?”
“When you see the house you'll understand. There’s a wonderful view and there’s such a sense of peace. She has that ability to create spaces like that wherever she goes, but the last few years she’s been the happiest I’ve seen her, until now obviously.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
The sunlight streaked through the canopy of trees as they approached the house. It sat in a clearing, the denseness of forest behind it and surrounding it on three sides. Priya glanced over her shoulder and saw the fjord spread out in a vista of blues, the mountains on the other side solid and green.
“I see what you mean. That view is spectacular!” Priya said as she turned back to look at the house.
It was an old two-storey cottage, its painted facade was old stone, its windows had obviously been updated, but the newer looking double-glazed units with red frames looked a perfect fit. The flowers in the yellow window boxes were shades of purple and red and blue. The roof had also been re-done and the work had been carried out with skill, the cottage settled comfortably in its setting. There was a stone barn to the side of the house and the shell of another building further back. A board with a white sheet pinned on it leant against the jagged stone shell.
“She really has done a lovely job of the house.” Priya said.
“Yes, she did it with the help of some very skilled local tradesmen, over the last 5 years. It certainly wasn’t like this when we used to stay here.”
The cream-colored stones crunched under the wheels as Reyna drove the car up to the red front door.
The door opened and Catherine came out to greet them. She looked relaxed in faded blue jeans and a pale purple top, her silver hair falling loose to her shoulders.
“Welcome to our little corner of Connemara, Priya.” Catherine’s smile was as warm, her eyes clear and blue and the sunlight shaded the deep creases in her face. She seemed more grounded than she had appeared on the day of the funeral.
“Thank you for inviting me. You have a gorgeous place here.” Priya took the overnight bag out and stood beside the car.
“Come in, come in. Dinner will be ten minutes. Reyna, will you show Priya to the guest room and I’ll just set the table on the patio.” Catherine ushered them in through the door.
The house felt draughty, the flag stone floor of the small foyer leading to a large hallway. There was a smell of turf as they stepped into the hallway. There were doors off each side of the hallway and a thick oak staircase rising into the darkness of the first floor. Catherine gestured down the hall and then hurried off through one of the doors.
Reyna led Priya down the hallway. The heat leaked out and hovered around the open door through which Catherine had disappeared. Reyna opened the second door down the hallway and they entered a room with a double bed covered in a knobbly white bedspread. A chair and a large dark wood wardrobe were the only other pieces of furniture in the room that was warm,
“So why did you stop hanging up your paintings? And why did you stop painting? You have, haven’t you?”
“I stopped liking my memories.”
Priya turned to the window again. She sensed Reyna’s frustration at her withdrawal, but Reyna said nothing.
∞
The turn onto another dirt track came up a few minutes later. The track went down as it outlined the side of the fjord. Reyna pointed to the clump of trees stuck on the side of the hill in front of them. “This is the front entrance, see that gap, the house is in the clearing there.”
A little trail of smoke crept into the air above the clearing tugged and dispersed by the breeze.
“Catherine always lights a fire, even in the summer. I think she's just addicted to the smell of burning turf.”
The track wandered into the forest and the relative darkness under the trees made Priya shiver.
She whispered, “Does Catherine not mind living here on her own? Especially in the winter?”
“When you see the house you'll understand. There’s a wonderful view and there’s such a sense of peace. She has that ability to create spaces like that wherever she goes, but the last few years she’s been the happiest I’ve seen her, until now obviously.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
The sunlight streaked through the canopy of trees as they approached the house. It sat in a clearing, the denseness of forest behind it and surrounding it on three sides. Priya glanced over her shoulder and saw the fjord spread out in a vista of blues, the mountains on the other side solid and green.
“I see what you mean. That view is spectacular!” Priya said as she turned back to look at the house.
It was an old two-storey cottage, its painted facade was old stone, its windows had obviously been updated, but the newer looking double-glazed units with red frames looked a perfect fit. The flowers in the yellow window boxes were shades of purple and red and blue. The roof had also been re-done and the work had been carried out with skill, the cottage settled comfortably in its setting. There was a stone barn to the side of the house and the shell of another building further back. A board with a white sheet pinned on it leant against the jagged stone shell.
“She really has done a lovely job of the house.” Priya said.
“Yes, she did it with the help of some very skilled local tradesmen, over the last 5 years. It certainly wasn’t like this when we used to stay here.”
The cream-colored stones crunched under the wheels as Reyna drove the car up to the red front door.
The door opened and Catherine came out to greet them. She looked relaxed in faded blue jeans and a pale purple top, her silver hair falling loose to her shoulders.
“Welcome to our little corner of Connemara, Priya.” Catherine’s smile was as warm, her eyes clear and blue and the sunlight shaded the deep creases in her face. She seemed more grounded than she had appeared on the day of the funeral.
“Thank you for inviting me. You have a gorgeous place here.” Priya took the overnight bag out and stood beside the car.
“Come in, come in. Dinner will be ten minutes. Reyna, will you show Priya to the guest room and I’ll just set the table on the patio.” Catherine ushered them in through the door.
The house felt draughty, the flag stone floor of the small foyer leading to a large hallway. There was a smell of turf as they stepped into the hallway. There were doors off each side of the hallway and a thick oak staircase rising into the darkness of the first floor. Catherine gestured down the hall and then hurried off through one of the doors.
Reyna led Priya down the hallway. The heat leaked out and hovered around the open door through which Catherine had disappeared. Reyna opened the second door down the hallway and they entered a room with a double bed covered in a knobbly white bedspread. A chair and a large dark wood wardrobe were the only other pieces of furniture in the room that was warm,
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