Page 90 of The Last Saturday In July
‘I hope you didn’t feel pressured to leave early tonight?’ Adam kept to Jess’s pace as they passed the grand Georgian houses of Merrion Square, all of them now converted into offices.
Jess shook her head. ‘You didn’t pressure me.’
He spoke quietly. ‘I’m glad.’
They walked in comfortable silence until they reached one end of the square, which was quiet and lit by late Victorian streetlamps, and a half-moon in a near cloudless sky.
Jess stood and breathed in the crisp air, wishing she could freeze the moment.
‘What are you thinking?’
Jess looked over at him. That it’s a perfect night, Adam, and there’s nowhere else I want to be, and nobody else I’d prefer to be with. It was a total head-wreck.
‘What did your dad mean about this not being the job you really want?’ She tried to read his expression. ‘It’s just, you seemed so relaxed at the farm.’
He looked amused. ‘I’m always relaxed on the farm, it’s where I grew up.’
Jess shook her head. ‘It was more than that.’
Adam sighed and looked around the elegant city square. ‘I love cities at night, don’t you? They’ve a sort of magical quality. But you’re right, I’m a country lad at heart, Jess. And I haven’t been quite truthful about the farm.’ He met her eyes. ‘The thing is, it was always my plan to manage it for Dad, and eventually take it over. But I have my own ideas.’
Jess looked at him curiously. ‘Go on.’
He shrugged. ‘Dad is totally reliant on dairy farming. I want to phase out a lot of the herd and introduce specialist animals: ostriches, game, maybe a couple of species of pig, see if we can establish direct relationships with restaurants. That might mean starting with some farmers’ markets to build our brand.’
She tried to imagine Adam standing behind a stall at a farmers’ market. ‘Would that not be a lot more work?’
‘Different work. The farm would need to be adapted.’ He shook his head. ‘It doesn’t matter, anyway … it’s a bit complicated.’
‘Of course it matters, if that’s what you want to do.’ Jess remembered something else. ‘Why does your dad think you don’t like what you’re doing now?’
Adam was quiet for a moment. ‘It doesn’t matter. I gave a commitment to Frank.’ His expression closed.
Jess tried to lighten the mood again.
‘What about the horses? Will you keep them?’
Adam smiled. ‘I meant to ask you about that. On the farm you said you don’t ride out very often. You know there’s lots of stables around Dublin and Wicklow.’
‘I know.’ Jess pulled her wrap a bit tighter, wishing she didn’t have to fudge the truth. She couldn’t tell Adam that she used to ride every weekend. When she and Simon started to get serious, she’d told herself that she didn’t have as much time. With both of them working so hard during the week, they only had the weekends together.
She’d always spent Saturday mornings at the stables. When Simon had suggested they spend that time together, Jess had convinced herself it was nicer to spend her weekends wandering around bookshops, or through food markets, or visiting a new art exhibition, than grooming horses and mucking out stables. After she moved in with Simon, a morning at the stables meant having to shower and change at her parents’ house, before going back to the flat, as Simon seemed to be allergic to the smell. And it had become easier to stop going.
She realised Adam had said something. ‘Sorry, I was miles away.’
‘I said don’t worry about the horses, we’ll keep them. How else would I get you to come visit?’ His tone was light.
‘Oh, I’d still come visit.’ Jess suddenly realised how much she’d love it, and how unlikely it was. How could she visit Adam’s family farm if she was married to Simon? Her stomach squeezed. She should be trying to work things out with Simon. Every moment she spent with Adam, she found herself forgetting about her real life. Like the time they’d walked by the river in Ballygobbin. And now, in this beautiful square on a summer’s night.
It was the perfect setting with the wrong person.
A taxi turned the corner, and Jess flagged it down. ‘I really need to get home. Do you want to share?’
Adam gave her a puzzled look. ‘Is everything okay?’
She smiled brightly. ‘Yeah, I’m just tired. You coming?’
‘Actually, I might walk for a while longer.’ He sounded a bit dismissive. ‘Safe home.’
