The Life Daisy Devlin Designed

CHAPTER 7

Daisy tried to calm her nerves as she drove slowly along the winding back roads of Wicklow towards Granary House the following Tuesday. After the initial excitement of landing the prestigious project, the reality of what she was taking on was starting to hit home.

She was going to be working for Matt. Redesigning what was clearly his dream home. And hers, if she could ever afford a place like that. She just hoped she could do it justice.

Now she had the job, she’d briefly considered telling James. It would normalise it, she thought, remind her that she wasn’t doing anything wrong. This was just work.

James had been on the phone, pacing up and down the sitting room, when she’d got home the previous evening. Judging by the scowl on his face when she’d looked in, she’d assumed it was a business call and had left him to it.

Eventually he’d come into the kitchen.

“Mum and Dad said hello.” He’d taken a beer out of the fridge. “Nothing new with them. Daniel and Fiona are marching steadily towards world domination, so the pressure is completely off me.”

Daisy had known better than to argue. She had tried, unsuccessfully, to reassure James that he was as successful as his older siblings, both of whom had moved to England before she’d met him. Daniel was a doctor in London, and his sister lectured at one of the colleges in Oxford. Privately, Daisy wondered if James actually felt more overshadowed by his dad, who ran a huge property firm. Either way, it hadn’t felt like the right time to mention that she was going to be working for her ex-boyfriend.

Now she indicated left onto a small road, flanked on one side by the River Hevren. Shortly after she swung right through the large iron gates, and up the short driveway to the house.

Its grand, stone facade was covered with ivy, but Daisy knew it had undergone a lot of structural work under its previous owner. It included a sizeable kitchen extension and conservatory to the rear, which overlooked an easterly facing kitchen garden and, behind that, a half-acre of orchard and three acres of unused land.

The ground became gravel beneath the car wheels as Daisy pulled in beside Matt’s Jeep. Quickly, she exchanged her runners for pumps, and got out, her Mary-Jane heels sinking a little into the stones. She smoothed down the fitted forties-style skirt that clung a little too uncomfortably to her curves. Determined to make a good impression, she’d paired it with a cropped, hand-knit red sweater that she’d designed and made herself.

As she collected her bag and locked the car, Matt opened the front door.

“Hi.” Daisy could feel a pulse beat in her neck, as she managed what she hoped was a warm, professional smile. How did you smile at your ex, anyway?

“Hey.” Matt tipped his head. “It’s so quiet out here, I heard your car from the back of the house. Come in, coffee’s nearly ready.”

He turned and walked back into the house, leaving Daisy to follow. She released a breath, not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed that he hadn’t attempted a kiss or hug at the door. But maybe he’d decided to keep things business-like between them.

She followed Matt down to the generous kitchen, where a rich smell of coffee filled the air. The sun slanted in through the windows, warming the flagstone floor and outdated units that ran along the opposite wall. In the centre of the room was a long, pine table.

“I inherited it all with the house,” Matt said cheerfully. “But I brought the coffee machine and a few other things from the States. It makes me feel like I’m on holidays, using European adaptors. So, do you still drink dairy? I have oat and soy ...”

The notions! Daisy smothered a nervous laugh. When she and Matt had been together, she could hardly remember him having any sort of milk in the fridge. But back then he’d shared a house with Brian and a couple of others, so a well-stocked kitchen had been low on the agenda.

“Dairy is fine, thanks.”

“Give me a minute.” He frothed up a jug of milk and poured her coffee into a mug.

He handed it to her and she took a careful sip. “Not bad.”

He grinned. “Don’t give up the day job just yet, so?”

They stood in the quiet warmth of the room together, drinking their coffee.

Matt placed his mug on the counter. “It’s a bit weird, isn’t it?” He looked at her. “Us, together again like this, after all these years.”

She clearly remembered their last time together, just before he’d left for New York. She’d replayed it over and over after he had told her he wasn’t coming back, wondering what she’d said or done wrong. She’d tried to recall if Matt had said anything that night, given her some sign that he wasn’t planning on coming home again.

But he was probably just making small talk. She shouldn’t read too much into it. And she wasn’t ready to delve too deeply either – not yet. Even though the question she’d been asking herself for the past five years burned her mouth like the first hot gulp of coffee.

She took a breath. “Why don’t you give me the grand tour? I’ll measure the rooms and take notes and photos. Then we can sit down and go through everything in detail.”

Matt inclined his head. “Bring your coffee and we can get started.”

Daisy was acutely aware of Matt’s closeness as she followed him around Granary House. Even though she’d seen it before – its high-ceilinged hallway and reception rooms that stretched the width of the house, the five ensuite bedrooms upstairs – being here with Matt made it feel like her first time.

He lingered in the largest bedroom at the front of the house. “I think this would be the master bedroom.”

“Right. Brilliant.” Her heartbeat picked up as her gaze tracked across the worn floorboards. She walked over towards the window, stopping as she noticed the expanse of floor that looked newer and brighter.

“I reckon the bed was there,” he said.

He met her eyes, and she nodded.

“Fair bet. We can always put it somewhere else, of course.”

He shook his head. “I like to sleep near a window.”

I remember. She stared at him, wondering if he could read her mind. Total head-wreck! What was she doing here? He’s a client, Daisy, remember? You’re here to redesign his house, not think about his bed. Although that last bit would be part of it. From a design point of view, obviously! She smiled brightly.

“Let’s see what sort of shape the bathroom is in.”

“So, what’s your honest opinion?” Matt said half an hour later, as they sat down at the kitchen table.

“Honestly?” Daisy crossed her legs, swinging her foot absently. “I think it was worth every cent you paid for it. And I agree about the guest wing – it’s in far better shape than the rest of the house.”

“Excellent.” He waited.

“So, structurally, it’s in good repair. You’ve five spacious en-suite bedrooms, which we can completely update.” She grinned at Matt’s comical expression. “Consider the floral wallpaper and matching curtains banished. The two big bedrooms would also be perfect for walk-in wardrobes.”

“Fine.”

“Good.” She glanced around. “Are you particularly attached to that conservatory?”

He shrugged. “Why, do you think I should get rid of it?”

She shook her head. “If we put in a support beam, we could give you a bigger kitchen with a gorgeous dining area. And you’d have all the extra light coming in.”

“Sounds good.”

“We could also turn one of the reception rooms into a great home office.”

Matt chuckled and Daisy shifted a bit self-consciously. “What?”

“You.” He shook his head. “Sorry, it’s just so cool to see you like this after all this time. l hadn’t thought of you like this.”

So he’d thought of her. She’d thought of him. Too much. It was something she’d never admitted to anyone, not even Laura.

When she said nothing, he added hurriedly, “You were always creative but, here you are, running your own company. I’m just really glad for you.”

Daisy had learned that people tended to assume that creative people weren’t smart at business. Back in their early twenties, Matt had always referred to her as the creative half. And she had always thought of him as the smart one. It had been part of his appeal.

“A home office sounds like a great idea,” he said. “What about you? Do you ever work from home?”

She shook her head. “Not really.” James did. But she didn’t want to talk about James.

“Tell me more about this award.”

She beamed. “It’s like the Oscars for the industry. Laura and I try to enter every year with our best projects.”

“Do you compete against each other?”

“No.” She laughed. “Either of us being shortlisted would be a win. I’ve been longlisted a couple of times, though.”

“So, what happens now?”

She took out her tablet and an A4 pad and placed them on the table. “I want to get some more ideas from you first. Then I’ll go away and draw up plans.”

“I’d like to keep a few bits.” Matt looked around the kitchen. “This table, for example.’

Daisy’s pen stilled on the page and she glanced up.

He shook his head. “What? You’re going to tell me now it’s full of dry rot, aren’t you?”

She blinked. “No, not at all. I was actually thinking the same thing about the table. Most clients just want me to get rid of old furniture they’ve inherited. I usually end up stripping everything out, unless I can convince them it’s worth up-cycling.”

“Is this?”

Daisy took a closer look. “Yes, I think so.”

“Good.” Matt looked pleased. “Apart from that, I’d probably describe my style as pretty minimalist. No clutter.”

Which was not something she’d ever have associated with him.

“I’ve changed a lot since college,” he said.

Daisy’s heart thumped a bit louder as she stared at him. When had he started reading her mind again? It had always been his superpower.

“We can streamline the whole house, make it inviting, but easy to keep. I’d like to introduce some maximalist notes ...” She stopped, noticing Matt’s puzzled expression. “I have some examples on screen that I can show you. Don’t worry, we’ll keep its character, what makes it special. The sooner I can have you approve all the plans, the sooner we can make a start.”

He smiled. “I’m glad we’re doing this, though.”

Daisy met his eyes. He wasn’t just talking about the house.

In an overly bright tone, she said, “It’ll be worth it when we’re finished.”

Matt said nothing, and Daisy knew he’d guessed that she’d deliberately misunderstood him.