Page 23 of A Taste of Paradise

‘Why should I be careful? I’m not doing anything dangerous.’

‘Not that kind of careful. I mean you need to be careful in case this man tries to maybe … soothe his broken heart in your company. Rebounds are never a good thing, sweetheart.’

‘Mum, I’m not trying to date him! I’m just being a friend.’

‘And is he a friend?’

‘Yes. Shay and I both consider each other friends. We’ve spent a lot of time chatting over calls in the past six months while planning the wedding.’

‘But that was work surely? And with the fiancée too.’

‘Actually, it was just Shay. She left him to do all the planning. And we didn’t just talk about the wedding either, we got to know each other quite a bit during that time. He’s really funny. He has a laugh a bit like Dad’s,’ she continued, completely unaware that she was smiling.

‘I see,’ her mother commented, watching her closely. ‘Well, like I said, be careful …’

It was closer to lunchtime when Lily collected Shay from the resort. He was so tall he practically had to fold himself into her Mini but seemed comfortable enough once he was in. His black hair was brushed back out of his face and today his attitude was less melancholy, even if only marginally so.

When a few minutes later they pulled up outside a pair of red iron gates that served as the entrance to a stately two-storey historic plantation house, he looked around impressed. With its multiple cursive gables and Tudor arches, the house was a testament to old and new-world architecture and skill.

‘Wow, what is this place?’

Lily smiled. ‘Since you obviously appreciate architecture, I thought you might like this. It’s one of only three remaining Jacobean mansions in the West.’ She pointed out the ornate sash windows. ‘See those? They were added in the late seventeen hundreds, plus a Chippendale staircase and triple arcaded portico.’ She went on to give him a lengthy rundown of the property’s background and history.

‘At this rate, I hardly need to take the tour,’ he joked.

She chuckled. ‘Sorry, I guess I know a lot about this place. It’s owned by family friends and I’ve spent quite some time here over the years. They took great lengths to see this place restored. It has a colourful and intriguing history of secret lovers and even a little rumour of murder,’ she continued like a storyteller weaving her yarn. ‘Now it’s a business and museum.’

They were met by Larry, the owner of the property who knew Lily’s family well and was a long-standing customer of her father at the bank. His kind inquiries about her mother’s welfare caused a quizzical look from Shay, but thankfully he didn’t say anything as they continued their tour.

The house had many of the features and furnishings of the original plantation owners, including two Wedgewood tea sets. The floors had been replaced in 1910 with Honduras Pitch Pine, but some of the wood structures, such as the mahogany drawing-room door and the cedar panelling, were from trees felled on the property itself.

While Shay was taken with the architectural elements, he didn’t seem especially interested in the furnishings. His main interest seemed to be the accompanying rum distillery, which housed a uniquely manufactured distillation system to produce the island’s signature rum made from cane syrup. It was 184 proof before dilution for ageing, and gave a new meaning to the term ‘strong drink’. Lily could only hazard a guess that his interest in this stemmed from his Irish heritage.

‘So how do you like the plantation?’ she asked, as she and Shay strolled the expansive grounds in the warm sunshine. The entire property was spread over 400 acres and included gullies, cane fields, and herb gardens.

‘It’s great. I’m definitely picking up a few bottles of rum to take back home,’ he commented as he knelt to study the leaves of a rosemary plant in the herb garden. He thumbed the delicate spines and then sniffed. ‘I love this scent,’ he commented. ‘Always good in a rub for lamb.’

‘I can see you like to cook too …’

‘Is it that obvious?’ he joked as he stood and walked towards her. He smiled and she couldn’t help but notice the way his eyes wrinkled at the outer edges when he did, and his teeth weren’t quite straight. It was cute and rather endearing.

‘Something wrong?’ he asked, when he noticed her staring.

‘Sorry, no. Just lost in my thoughts for a moment,’ Lily explained as she pulled at the leaves of a bush she didn’t know the name of. ‘It’s almost lunchtime. Will we get a bite to eat?’ she mumbled, more for something to say than any actual hunger.

‘Sure. Lead the way.’

Shay followed her to the nearby terrace café, which overlooked a lush tropical gully close by. The terrace itself was tiled and adorned with ornately crafted black wrought-iron chairs and tables, which bore a tree motif to complement the surrounding flora. It was still early for lunch, so they were able to have their pick of tables, which were shaded by centre umbrellas to ward off the heat.

Shay decided on one closer to the trees. A pianist, sitting on a raised platformed gazebo nearby, played a popular tune to entertain visitors, while she covertly checked her messages to see that she had a couple from Erin at the hotel, requesting to call her back.

It had been months since she’d had a day off – couldn’t The Palms get by for a couple of hours? Lily thought, a little irritated. But to be fair, the new manager might not have remembered that Dee was also available in case of any issues. She’d call her back later, but this was merely another example of why it truly was way past time for her to consider her options.

She and Shay each started their meal with a local delicacy, salted codfish, that was served with pepper jelly sauce and crisps. Lily followed hers with a chicken salad sandwich with sweet potato fries, while Shay had a roast beef wrap and a rum punch.

They ate in comfortable silence for a while, before he spoke up. His question was one she wasn’t entirely surprised by, but she had kind of hoped he wouldn’t ask.

‘That man, Larry, asked about your mother when we arrived earlier. Is she sick or something?’ he asked as he bit into his wrap. Lily watched for a moment as she contemplated the best way to respond. She didn’t want sympathy, and she supposed she could simply lie and say her mother was indeed ill, but it wasn’t in her nature.