There is dock slip in Dublin’s harbor, large enough to hold a good-sized yacht that I’m interested in purchasing. Ask Miss Kennedy to see to that. Slips are hard to come by of that size and I want this one. Also, Naas Canal can handle good sized boats and is a short drive from the distillery. See attachment.Please give my apologies to Raven and River. I never wanted to create an environment that made the girls feel as though they couldn’t be themselves…together with their sister. I hope my absence solves this problem.
I would appreciate news from both of you. I dislike being gone from you boys for so long. And Daniel.
You both know that I love our Muskogee compound. I think perhaps it’s best that I make Oklahoma my permanent residence again. Pat, I will come back in October to see my newest grandchild.
I will come the moment either of you need me.
Dad
6
“Oh, Rowan!” Matilda gasped, hands going to her chest as she took in the hours and hours of painstaking progress Rowan had achieved on the armoire memory cabinet. Hugh had shipped the cabinet here after River had found it in Scotland, sitting in a talented woodworker’s shop. It was a sumptuous American black oak, but the real jewel of the piece was the tree of life carved in the doors.
Rowan had been living in Matilda’s hotel suite—penthouse or luxury apartment was a better description—for a little over three weeks, working on her design job for a boutique during the day and this cabinet in the evenings. When Rowan had reached out to Tilly, as the older woman preferred to be called, and asked if she might consider letting Rowan stay at her place until she and Diana returned, Tilly had been thrilled.
When Rowan had asked that she keep the small detail of Rowan living there from her son, she’d gone silent, hesitating. Matilda had to be curious why Rowan would ask for the favor, but she was circumspect enough not to ask.“Of course, dear. I’ll let Tina, my assistant, know to expect you and have a key made.”
And that was that. Rowan had been here almost a month and enjoyed every moment of working on this cabinet. Tina had given her enough photographs and boxes and folders of memorabilia treasures to fill four armoires. It took her seven days to sort the trove into what would eventually make up the individual ‘rooms’ inside the cabinet. Vignettes that explored a small part of O’Faolain history through arts and crafts—high-end arts and crafts.
Rowan grinned up at Matilda from her kneeling position in front of the cabinet. “I should be done in no time, but still, I’m stoked with the progress.” Tilly had only gotten back to Oklahoma the night before, and she couldn’t wait to see her reaction.
Matilda looked stunned, her eyes taking on a sheen as she tried to take in all the family bits at once. Standing, Rowan said, “Here, Tilly, let me take you through the rooms that are done, and I can also describe my ideas for the remaining space.”
At Matilda’s nod, Rowan started at the top. “Jo found a lovely shop in Dublin that sold a lot of antique textiles, painted silk wallpaper, and things like that. Before I left the city, I visited the shop and found this lovely French toile and striped silk paper. I can tell you,” Rowan laughed, “it felt like sacrilege to cut that fabric into tiny bits, but once I saw how perfect it was as a backdrop, I got over it.”
“Stunning. Absolutely stunning, sweetheart. You must take Diana and me to the shop the next time we visit. Perhaps in October when River and Patrick have their baby.”
“Oh, I will. I didn’t know Diana would be coming for the birth. That’s awfully nice.” Diana Gaines was Matilda’s oldest best friend, exorbitantly wealthy, sharp, witty, and a fire-breathing dragon. Rowan and her sisters adored Diana now, but it took a moment to get used to her prickly nature. Her acerbic wit was entertaining, like watching a practiced thespian on herpersonal stage. It was also amusing that Bran, Patrick, and Hugh shuddered in terror at the mere mention of her name.
“Of course, she will. She didn’t make it to see Daniel because she had managed to get a small cold right before we were to fly out and she didn’t want to chance being around a newborn or the family. Diana’s poor secretary, who accompanied us while we traveled, looked as though she’d been through the wringer when I got back from Dublin. Diana was upset about not being there and made sure everyone was miserable right along with her.” Matilda chuckled at the memory.
“She loves the boys, and Hugh as well. She just doesn’t show it very well.” Matilda shrugged. “Enough of that woman. We decided to take a two-month break from one another. We were both getting on each other’s nerves by the end of our trip. However, fifteen minutes ago, Diana’s secretary emailed me dinner reservations at the Country Club. Her brother and his son will be in town,” Matilda sighed.
“So, two months meant two days?” She only smiled and shrugged at Rowan’s question.
“Tina accepted the invitation. I had her add a plus one for you, and Tina is picking up several dresses for you to choose from. Diana will expect us all to dressed to the nines.” Rowan didn’t bother to decline. The O’Faolain matriarch could be just as stubborn as her son.
“Okay, give me the rest of the tour,” Matilda gestured toward the armoire.
Rowan took her time explaining the piece. Why she’d chosen one item over another. Why she’d picked specific color themes. Matilda laughed when she spied the hand-drawn cards from her grandsons, oohed, and aahed over Hugh's handmade shell necklace when he was only five. He’d collected the shells himself during a family vacation in Greece.
“What are these spaces going to be?”
Matilda was referring to the paper placeholders that Rowan had tacked around the open spaces between the shelves and cubbies. Rowan felt her cheeks pinken. Damn her Irish complexion. She’d taken a chance on her skill as an artist. She was second-guessing that choice hardcore now.
“Well, some of the pictures I wanted to use didn’t have duplicates. Not that I’ve found, anyway. And, well…dang, you might not want to use what I’ve done, which,” Rowan threw her hands up, waving them to and fro, “is completely fine. You will not hurt my feelings, Tilly, I swear.”
“What in the world, Rowan? Everything you’ve done is so exceptional, so thoughtful and one of a kind. How can you think I wouldn’t like it?”
Perfect. Rowan managed to drum up extra anxiety by drawing more attention to her project. Taking a deep breath, she started walking to the guest room where she’d been sleeping. “Okay. I’ve been working on some pieces. One of them is done. I did it while I was still in Dublin with this project in mind.” The other two are almost done. They just need extra time to dry. I did them in oil, and it takes a while.”
Rowan flipped the light on, illuminating the bedroom and the three pictures on stands that stood near the floor-to-ceiling windows. Rowan stopped speaking as Matilda walked to the first picture. Rowan painted one of Jonathan and Matilda’s wedding photos. The album held the normal, traditional wedding pictures, but the photographer had taken a few candid photos of the newlyweds. One in particular had caught Rowan’s eye.
Jonathan and Matilda looked like they’d just walked onto the dancefloor. No one was near them. They weren’t dancing, only staring into each other’s eyes. As though they couldn’t believe they actually belonged to one another. Jon was holding one of his wife’s tiny hands to his chest. He was looking at her in awe.Matilda cupped her husband’s jaw, her thumb laid across his lips. It was intimate. Private.
“If I were to name the picture, I would call itForever,” Rowan spoke quietly, the older woman still studying the painting.
Matilda swayed. Rowan wrapped her arm around her waist, gently backing the older woman until her legs met with the bed. She sat without being asked. Never taking her eyes from the painting.
