Read Online A Taste for Love by Marita Conlon-Mckenna - Free Book Online
Authors: Marita Conlon-Mckenna
Ads: Link
large bowl of golden roast potatoes to the dining room, while the others all took their seats at the large mahogany table with its starched linen cloth and napkins and crystal glasses.
The lamb was tender and perfectly cooked, served with honey-glazed parsnips, carrots and some creamy spinach.
‘There’s nothing like Maureen’s Sunday roasts! I really look forward to them,’ praised Patrick as he poured gravy over his meat.
Maureen was a perfect hostess, and was in her element, asshe loved entertaining … loved cooking. In a month of Sundays Kerrie would never be as accomplished in the kitchen. She would never be able to serve a meal like this! The lamb was falling off the bone and everything was so perfect. It was a massive meal, and they all tucked in. Kerrie reckoned she must have put on at least three kilos over the weekend with all the food and drink.
‘Georgina, talk to your brother about his wedding,’ insisted Maureen. ‘Kerrie and Matt want to have only a handful of people to some ceremony in France. It’s not what people are expecting at all! Tell them about your wedding. You had over two hundred guests and it was such a wonderful day. Some of my friends are still talking about it.’
‘Mum, I wouldn’t dream of interfering in someone else’s wedding plans,’ said Georgina, giving Kerrie a sympathetic glance. ‘Matt and Kerrie are totally entitled to have the type of wedding they want.’
‘But it is going to be such a small affair,’ Maureen continued doggedly.
‘Well, when the time comes, if Charley and I are invited we’d love a few days in the South of France seeing my little brother getting married!’
‘Of course we’d want you there,’ said Matt.
‘It’s just going to be family and a few close friends,’ said Kerrie, her cheeks flaming. ‘That’s what we want.’
‘I’m not up to flying any more,’ murmured Patrick, ‘so I’ll be sorry to miss it.’
Matt cast a despairing glance at Kerrie. She knew he was very fond of his grandfather and wanted him at the wedding.
There was silence around the table for a minute, and Kerriecould feel a growing swell of resentment from her future mother-in-law.
‘Hey, well I’ll help organize your stag night!’ offered Ed. ‘That’s the part of people getting married that I like.’
‘Ed!’ They all laughed, breaking the tension.
Henry was across from Kerrie, and he was such a cute little guy, with a mass of blonde curls and big blue eyes. He had just started kindergarten and was full of chat about his class. Little Jessica began to cry and fret and was obviously hungry, and Georgina reached to take her baby out of her seat and feed her.
‘Georgina!’
Even Kerrie couldn’t ignore the glacial glance Maureen directed at her daughter, who was starting to feed the hungry baby.
‘Your father and grandfather are present.’
Dermot and Patrick were so engrossed talking and eating that they hadn’t even glanced in Georgina’s direction.
Kerrie was embarrassed, not by Georgina feeding the baby, but by Maureen’s attitude. Georgina was among family. Kerrie’s own sister Martina felt totally at home when she appeared with her babies, and had breastfed her boys till they were each about one year old.
Without a word, Georgina left the rest of her meal and got up and disappeared off upstairs with the baby in her arms. Poor Georgina, letting her mother dictate when and where she could feed her child!
They had finished dessert and coffee and Matt’s sister had still not reappeared.
‘We have to be leaving soon,’ warned Matt.
‘I’ll go upstairs and get my bag,’ Kerrie offered, scooting off up to their room.
Georgina was sitting on the landing.
‘You OK?’ Kerrie asked.
‘Fine … sometimes I forget how bad she is. Why Charley and I so rarely come to visit. I want Jessica and Henry to know this is their grandparents’ home and to feel welcome here even if they are not.’ Georgina said this tearfully, trying to
The lamb was tender and perfectly cooked, served with honey-glazed parsnips, carrots and some creamy spinach.
‘There’s nothing like Maureen’s Sunday roasts! I really look forward to them,’ praised Patrick as he poured gravy over his meat.
Maureen was a perfect hostess, and was in her element, asshe loved entertaining … loved cooking. In a month of Sundays Kerrie would never be as accomplished in the kitchen. She would never be able to serve a meal like this! The lamb was falling off the bone and everything was so perfect. It was a massive meal, and they all tucked in. Kerrie reckoned she must have put on at least three kilos over the weekend with all the food and drink.
‘Georgina, talk to your brother about his wedding,’ insisted Maureen. ‘Kerrie and Matt want to have only a handful of people to some ceremony in France. It’s not what people are expecting at all! Tell them about your wedding. You had over two hundred guests and it was such a wonderful day. Some of my friends are still talking about it.’
‘Mum, I wouldn’t dream of interfering in someone else’s wedding plans,’ said Georgina, giving Kerrie a sympathetic glance. ‘Matt and Kerrie are totally entitled to have the type of wedding they want.’
‘But it is going to be such a small affair,’ Maureen continued doggedly.
‘Well, when the time comes, if Charley and I are invited we’d love a few days in the South of France seeing my little brother getting married!’
‘Of course we’d want you there,’ said Matt.
‘It’s just going to be family and a few close friends,’ said Kerrie, her cheeks flaming. ‘That’s what we want.’
‘I’m not up to flying any more,’ murmured Patrick, ‘so I’ll be sorry to miss it.’
Matt cast a despairing glance at Kerrie. She knew he was very fond of his grandfather and wanted him at the wedding.
There was silence around the table for a minute, and Kerriecould feel a growing swell of resentment from her future mother-in-law.
‘Hey, well I’ll help organize your stag night!’ offered Ed. ‘That’s the part of people getting married that I like.’
‘Ed!’ They all laughed, breaking the tension.
Henry was across from Kerrie, and he was such a cute little guy, with a mass of blonde curls and big blue eyes. He had just started kindergarten and was full of chat about his class. Little Jessica began to cry and fret and was obviously hungry, and Georgina reached to take her baby out of her seat and feed her.
‘Georgina!’
Even Kerrie couldn’t ignore the glacial glance Maureen directed at her daughter, who was starting to feed the hungry baby.
‘Your father and grandfather are present.’
Dermot and Patrick were so engrossed talking and eating that they hadn’t even glanced in Georgina’s direction.
Kerrie was embarrassed, not by Georgina feeding the baby, but by Maureen’s attitude. Georgina was among family. Kerrie’s own sister Martina felt totally at home when she appeared with her babies, and had breastfed her boys till they were each about one year old.
Without a word, Georgina left the rest of her meal and got up and disappeared off upstairs with the baby in her arms. Poor Georgina, letting her mother dictate when and where she could feed her child!
They had finished dessert and coffee and Matt’s sister had still not reappeared.
‘We have to be leaving soon,’ warned Matt.
‘I’ll go upstairs and get my bag,’ Kerrie offered, scooting off up to their room.
Georgina was sitting on the landing.
‘You OK?’ Kerrie asked.
‘Fine … sometimes I forget how bad she is. Why Charley and I so rarely come to visit. I want Jessica and Henry to know this is their grandparents’ home and to feel welcome here even if they are not.’ Georgina said this tearfully, trying to
Similar Books
