The Life Daisy Devlin Designed

CHAPTER 1

“Right, we have to win this year.” Daisy Devlin marched into the office of Discerning Designs shortly after 8 o’clock, and put a cardboard tray with three takeout coffees on her desk. She turned to the other two. “You do know what day this is?”

Laura unfolded herself from behind her desk and crossed the room, her heels echoing lightly on the wooden floor in the high-ceilinged, open space, and picked up the two Americanos.

“It’s Monday, babes.” She perched herself neatly on the edge of Fionn’s desk, and handed one of the coffees to him. “You probably should have taken the day off to recover, Daisy. Weren’t you down in Galway minding your sister’s twenty kids at the weekend?” She gave a dramatic shudder.

Daisy picked up her flat white. “Four kids, Laura. And my parents were the ones minding them.” Although Rosie had rung at least twice a day to check up on them. Her sister was a total control freak.

“ Hmm .” Laura rolled her eyes. “All I’m saying is you’ll be at least partly to blame if Rosie’s family is bigger in nine months’ time.”

That didn’t bear thinking about. Daisy sat down at her desk and turned to their intern. “What day is it? Get the answer right, and I’ll do your coffee round tomorrow.”

Fionn grinned. “First, can I say you are killing that whole fifties look? But I’m going to be cheeky and say stop playing it safe with navy pumps. Go for killer heels in bright orange – they’ll pick up those flecks in your outfit.”

Daisy examined the tiny flowers in the full skirt of her vintage navy dress.

“Orange shoes, Fionn?” Laura shook her head. “How do we even let you answer the phone?”

Daisy and Fionn ignored her.

“Secondly,” Fionn continued, “I know the answer because it’s on my calendar. Submissions to the Interior Architect of the Year Awards open today.”

“Exactly.” Daisy took a gulp of coffee, wincing as it burned her throat. She looked at Laura. “So?”

Laura flicked a thread from her immaculate cream trouser suit. “So, I don’t think any of my projects this year would be suitable.” She pulled a face. “I finished those two commercial ones and then that awful one for Mr and Mrs Three-bed Semi.”

Daisy took a floral scrunchie out of her skirt pocket and pulled her thick, red hair into a high ponytail. “Stop being such a snob! I’d kill to live in a three-bed semi.”

“Yes, but you wouldn’t insist on having Grecian columns in your kitchen extension.” Laura tutted. “There should be a law that says if you’ve no taste, you shouldn’t be allowed to make a fool of yourself.”

Daisy and Fionn exchanged a grin.

“Anyway,” Laura was brisk now, “I’ve nothing I can enter. So unless some amazing project lands in my lap this week, and I manage by some miracle to get it finished in three months’ time, I’ll have to wait until next year.”

“You can submit once you can guarantee it’ll be finished by the judging date.” Fionn finished his coffee and dropped the cup in the bin beside his desk.

“Still not holding my breath!” Laura sighed and turned to Daisy. “What about you?”

Daisy switched on her laptop and monitor. “My best bet is Freya’s place. It’ll be a stunning family home when it’s finished.”

Laura wrinkled her nose. “I thought she and her husband said they didn’t want the house featured.”

“It’s a privacy thing, and they’re worried about security.” Daisy looked thoughtful. “But I’ve managed to persuade clients to change their minds before …”

Fionn cleared his throat. “Will we tell her the news, Laura?”

“Ah, yes.” Laura ran a hand over her smooth, pale hair, which was secured in a messy low-knot. “Granary House has been sold.”

“ What? ” Daisy sat bolt upright. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, it’s all here.” Fionn gestured towards his monitor.

“Read what it says.”

“It’s all stuff you know already, I think.” Fionn clicked his pen on and off, stopping when Laura glared at him. “‘ One of the oldest houses in County Wicklow to come to the market in recent years ... sits on four acres of land … includes a walled kitchen garden and orchard … was run until two years ago as a guest house ... ’ Doesn’t say who bought it.”

“I can’t believe it’s finally been sold!” Daisy finished her coffee, half wishing she’d bought a pastry but, as Laura was a health nut, who did Pilates three times a week and the Clontarf park run every Saturday morning, and Fionn seemed to live on air, she always felt a bit uncomfortable eating sugary foods around them. “It needs a lot of work, but structurally it’s perfect, and the Georgian proportions are amazing.”

Laura arched an eyebrow. “The new owners might sit on it for a while. And, even if they decide to start work immediately, they mightn’t bother using an interior architect’s firm at all.”

“Or they might go with another firm.” Daisy was thinking. “Another firm who will probably canvass for the job. Let’s send out a brochure.”

Fionn sat up a bit straighter. “I’m on it.”

Daisy shot him a grateful look. “How are the assignments going?”

“I’m on track with my final projects.” He swept a carefully arranged side fringe out of his eyes. “I know I’ve said it before, but I’d love to work here when I qualify.”

Daisy and Laura exchanged a glance.

“We’d love that too, Fionn, but …” Daisy knew there was no need to say anything else. As a small agency, they’d stretched themselves to give Fionn a part-time internship during his college final year, but they’d never had more work than two interior architects could handle.

Laura’s mobile rang and she swiped a long, manicured finger across the screen.

“If the cat got sick again this morning, it’s your turn to take him to the vet,” she said to whoever was on the phone. She flicked Fionn a sly look. “Actually, it might be cheaper to get him put down. Or just run him over.”

Fionn’s eyes widened. “Tell me she’s taking the piss.”

Daisy grinned. “We have to hope.”

“ Fuck me!” Laura’s voice rose.

Daisy tried not to laugh. When she’d first come up to Dublin from Galway twelve years before, and met Laura Nealon in college, the south Dublin girl had at first struck her as far too refined to swear. The fact that Laura could actually make grown men blush had endeared her quickly to Daisy.

“You’re absolutely sure? Fine, fine, I’ll see you later.” As Laura hung up, she swore under her breath. “That was Brian,” she said slowly.

“I guessed.” God, she could do with a second coffee before having to hear about Laura’s bloody husband.

Fionn put his hand up. “Am I too young and innocent to hear this?”

Laura ignored him. “Brace yourself, babes. Matt Deveraux is back from the States.”

Daisy felt a bit lightheaded. “He’s back?” Her voice seemed to be coming from far away. “You mean for a visit?”

“According to Brian, he’s back for good.”

Laura was watching her closely.

“ Um , who’s Matt Deveraux?” Fionn asked.

Laura didn’t take her eyes off Daisy. “He’s Daisy’s ex. Shut up, Fionn.”

“So, he’s back.” Daisy shrugged a little shakily. “I probably won’t ever run into him.”

“Right.” Laura sighed and folded her arms. “I guess that depends.”

“On what?” Daisy managed.

Laura pursed her lips. “He’s the new owner of Granary House.”

It took Daisy a few moments to recover. “So, when did Matt get in touch?” His name tasted strange in her mouth.

Laura shrugged. “I’m not sure. Probably today, if Brian’s only telling me now.”

A look passed between the two women, and Daisy knew Laura was remembering exactly the same thing as she was. The four of them had once been so close, wiling away endless hours in the rundown house Matt and Brian had shared in college and in their early twenties – until Matt had gone abroad. Matt Deveraux: smart, a bit shy, slightly geeky, and her boyfriend of five years.

Daisy folded her arms and aimed for a professional tone. “He’s definitely bought Granary House?”

Laura gave her a hard look. “Here it comes.”

Daisy sat forward in her chair. “What do you mean by ‘Here it comes’?”

“I mean you shouldn’t get involved but no doubt you will.”

“How would I be getting involved?” Daisy’s voice had risen and she took a deep breath. “Transforming Granary House would be a dream job, Laura, you know that. And it would be the ideal project to submit to the contest!”

“I also know it’d be a terrible idea to work with him.” Laura’s voice softened. “Why would you risk it?”

“I’ll just leave you two to ... uh ...” Fionn stood and slipped quickly out of the room.

After he left, Daisy got up, walked over to one of the sash windows that overlooked the street below, and peered out.

Discerning Designs occupied a divided first-floor room of a converted Georgian house, a stone’s throw from Dublin’s fashionable St Stephen’s Green. The two women had spent the last five years steadily growing it, but it had suffered a setback during the Covid pandemic and, after an initial upsurge when they reopened, things had quietened down. They couldn’t afford to ignore any potential business.

She turned to Laura. “I wouldn’t be risking anything. Matt and I haven’t seen each other in five years. We’ve both moved on. But this is a sign! This was meant to happen! If I don’t pitch for this job, I’ll always regret it.”

Laura looked like she was trying to choose the right words. “What if it’s a sign to run in the opposite direction? Have you forgotten what happened, Daisy? The guy just left. Five years together and he –”

“I remember what happened.” Daisy’s tone was sharp. “And, yes, I admit I was very hurt at the time.”

“You were devastated,” Laura said quietly.

Daisy shivered slightly and wrapped her arms more tightly around herself. “And then I met James and I moved on.”

Laura nodded. “I know, babes.”

Daisy blinked hard and turned back to stare out the window. “It might actually be good to see him. I could get ... closure.”

“You could get closure,” Laura said. “Or you could just not go there. You could really mess things up with James. And what about you? This is a potential head-wrecker.”

“That wouldn’t happen.” Daisy huffed. “We’re grown-ups. And this is exactly the business opportunity I’ve been wanting for so long.”

Fionn came back into the room. “Too soon?” He looked at Daisy, who waved a hand in his direction.

“Sit down. I’ve decided. I’ll contact Matt and, with a bit of luck, we’ll get the chance to redesign Granary House.”

Fionn flicked Laura a quick look. Her lips were tightly pursed.

The silence stretched until Fionn broke it. “Sound.”

A flicker of worry passed across Laura’s face. Then she gave a one-shoulder shrug. “I wouldn’t touch him with a ten-foot barge pole, but it’s your choice.”

Daisy smiled to cover her annoyance. She was long used to Laura’s scepticism, but it stung that she had so little faith in her. It didn’t matter that the thought of seeing Matt again terrified and confused her in equal measure. Running her own business, pitching to clients and working with crews to deadlines, meant constantly pushing herself out of her comfort zone.

Except this is completely different, Daisy, this is personal . She pushed aside the fluttery feelings in her tummy and the annoying voice in her head. If Matt agreed to her proposal, their working relationship would be just that. And if it brought her closure, so much the better.

If she did land the redesign, she wouldn’t bother mentioning it to James. There’d be no need – he didn’t share all the details of his work with her. These days, he hardly shared anything with her. Anyway, this would be just like any other job.