“See. All good,” Bonnie said, her slim, sure fingers reaching to undo her seatbelt.
Penny’s upset stomach did not indicate that all was good, but eventually, she released her grip and wiped her shaky hands on her shorts.
“It’s going to get better after this. I promise.”
“It better.”
The next half hour was a blur of motion and the press of bodies as they stood in line for customs, got their baggage, and made their way out of the airport.
“We’ll just take a cab,” Bonnie explained, leading the way to the exit. “My cousin was supposed to pick us up. But when I texted him in Dublin, he said he couldn’t make it. Of course, I gave him practically no notice, so it’s kinda my own fault. Which I’m sure he’ll bring up. It’s only about twenty minutes, though. Not too bad.”
And then they stepped outside.
The change in the air was instantly palpable. It was damp and heavy but not in a hot or humid way. It definitely wasn’t that, because Penny’s arms were already pimpled with goosebumps from the temperature change. It was refreshing, though, as if they were standing by the ocean.
It was only a whisper, not meant for anyone, but Penny heard it as the word came out of Bonnie’s mouth. “Home.”
She turned to see Bonnie’s expression, but her friend was already on the move, getting them a cab. Bags were thrown in, Bonnie gave the address, and they were on their way, Bonnie’s leg bouncing with enthusiasm while Penny tried to keep a growing panic at bay. Was she really doing this?
The car ride passed quickly, and the view was thankfully distracting. Penny caught her mouth hanging open more than once, perpetually amazed by everything she saw. She’d never been further than Canada, which was similar enough to home. Here, she felt the foreignness in everything surrounding her. The brightly colored houses were made of stone instead of wood.The green, sloping hills soon led to the city—a city unlike any she’d ever seen, with tightly packed tiny houses and buildings older than the town she came from. There were churches that seemed like something out of medieval films, with dark gray steeples rising high into the sky. And the roads, oh shit, the roads were tiny and winding, especially for the speed they were traversing. And they were driving on the wrong side.
Not for the first time, Penny thought, if she’d known she was coming, if she’d had time, she would have watched shows on Ireland, would have read books, looked things up, and been prepared. This was quickly followed by the thought that if she’d been told sooner, she never would have come. Her friend, with more than willing accomplices, had tricked her, and she was too muddled, awed, and exhausted to decide if it was a good trick or a bad one. But for the moment, she was so overwhelmed by the newness of it all that she forgot to be scared.
“Wow.” She uttered the word, unaware she’d done so.
“I know, right?” Bonnie’s delight was evident, and her body turned towards her own window.
Soon enough, they were winding their way down a charming tree-lined street, with houses set back from the road, behind walls that made them hard to see. Penny had been preparing herself for one of the smaller dwellings they’d passed that sat right on the sidewalk. They seemed to be the predominant style of residence. Still, she’d told herself, they might be tight quarters, but when you’re being given a free place to stay in another country, you can’t really complain.
That is not, however, what they pulled up to. Instead, they passed through a bright red wooden gate leading into a courtyard the size of some of those houses. Pulling onto a graveled drive, they followed it until it circled around a green patch with a large tree in the center. Their driver seemed asimpressed as Penny, craning his head closer to the steering wheel so he could peer out at the place.
It wasn’t a brightly painted house, like many of the smaller ones she’d seen. It was a gray and imposing structure with a slate roof and ivy growing over one side of it. It was two stories, maybe more, and it was definitely old. The cherry red of the front door matched the gate they’d driven through and stood out against it all.
“What the hell, Bon? You should have told me what to expect. I wasn’t prepared for this.”
Bonnie attempted a shrug, faltering halfway through the motion. It was clear from the look of adoration on her face that she loved this place. “I wanted it to be a surprise.”
Penny knew Bonnie’s dad had money. It had been evident from the first day they’d met. She’d also been to her house in Grosse Pointe, a very well-to-do suburb of Detroit. It was large, elegant, and perfectly maintained by a cleaning lady and a gardener. But having a house like this in another country, even if he did share it with his brother and rent it out, was something else entirely.
“Come on. Let me show you around.” Digging deep into her purse, she first handed over two blue bills to the cab driver as he finished unloading their bags. Then she pulled out a set of keys.
“Cheers,” their driver tipped an imaginary cap before glancing back once more at the imposing building, then climbed into his cab and headed away.
Bonnie shuffled through about five different keys before triumphantly coming up with the correct one. She stepped up to the door, gripping the brass handle, fiddled for a minute, and then, with a bit of a shove, pushed the door open.
“Welcome to your home for the next ten weeks.”
Amazing was not a word that did the house justice. It was huge, elegant, and dated, but in the best possible way.The ceilings were high, giving the place a spacious feel. They stepped into a large area with a welcome mat and a coat stand. Across from them were stairs leading up to the second floor. Penny dropped her bag, stepping further in to peer in either direction down the corridor. Unintentionally, she found herself spinning in circles, trying to see everything at once, unsure which direction to explore first. Both beckoned, looking equally enticing.
There was a slight mustiness in the air, but she could get used to that. It gave off the feel of a different era, as did most of the décor. Penny wished she could look back in time to see it when it was first inhabited.
“Right. Tour time,” Bonnie announced, breaking the spell. “This way to the drawing room.” She pointed to the left as she headed that way.
Penny followed as if pulled by an invisible string. There was so much to see, and she wanted to explore it all. Without conscious decision, the fireplace drew her first. Her fingers stretched out to the white marble long before her feet placed her in front of it. It was cold and smooth; her hands glided over the stone as if they could discover its history through touch. The size of it was something she’d never encountered before. She could have fit inside it if she’d tried. She felt herself headed that way, fortunately retaining enough self-control to stop before she did anything embarrassing. She felt like a child entering a castle. An image of winter days in a bygone time with a roaring fire came to mind, and she wondered if they’d be able to use it during their stay, even though it was summer.
Looking down, her eyes were drawn to the giant Persian rug underfoot. Dominated by patterned reds and blues, it covered most of the dark wooden floor. Again, she felt the urge to touch it but refrained from kneeling on the floor. Three large leather couches were placed around the rug, boxing in the fireplace,with a dark wooden coffee table in the middle. The couches were a faded burgundy that spoke of extensive use. They were dated and worn, but seeing them, Penny couldn’t imagine replacing them with anything new. Off to one side, a chess set sat on a round wooden table with two high-backed wooden chairs on either side of it. Pulling the whole room together was a patterned burgundy wallpaper, covered here and there by giant landscaped pictures in gold frames.
“It’s a bit dark,” Bonnie conceded, “But on a cold rainy day with the fire going, it’s lovely. I can already picture you cuddled up with a book there.” Her mouth turned down momentarily as she viewed the fireplace. “We’ll have to ask my cousin about actually using the fireplace, though. I’ve never been the one to light it.”
