friday, may 13, 2016

Nick and Jane picked up a picnic lunch and headed to Connemara National Park.  A leisurely stroll quickly shifted into a legitimate climb, and although other hikers had professional gear, our heroes had sandwiches and a bracing red hiking wine.  Jane ate both sandwiches and drank nearly all the hiking wine.  Nick claimed he was too full from breakfast, like a liar.

At the top of the mountain, with our heroes both out of breath, they looked out on the rare sight of a nearly cloudless view across miles of Connemara countryside.  Nick reached into his backpack, and did not pull out the snack Jane was expecting.  He got down on one knee and asked Jane if she would choose him to be her partner for life.

She didn't mind that he didn't have a snack, but Jane cried anyway.

Saturday, may 14, 2016

Another beautiful sunny day spent reading and eating in front of various fire places and balconies on the grounds of the hotel, and recovering from the generosity of the family and wonderful people at Ballynahinch who had plied them with celebratory whiskey and champagne.  In the afternoon, they decided to go for one of the walks on the estate toward the castle island of pirate queen Grace O'Malley.

When they had a good view of the island, Jane insisted that they stop by a bench near an old rusty cannon.  She surprised Nick by proposing back to him with a pair of custom made golden cufflinks.

Having proposed to each other, the two continued on their walk, thoroughly engaged.  At the end, one more surprise awaited.

a conspiracy unmasked 

Nick had arranged for seven of Jane's closest friends to surprise her.  They flew in from New York after months of furtive planning, sometimes in a blizzard, without Jane catching them. They flew in from Los Angeles, crossing half the globe to be there.  They flew in from Boston, smoothly creating an alibi when Jane called as they boarded their flight.

About half an hour after Jane counterproposed, she was ambushed by a pack of accordion-playing, champagne-popping, dancing fiends.

They did have snacks, but Jane cried anyway.

A journey in the dark

Like the Irish-castle-friend-surprise, months prior, Jane had mentioned the Celtic tradition of hand fasting to Chaney.  The ritual would signal a couple's engagement, and, if after a year and a day the two still wanted to get married, a second hand fasting would mean marriage.  Hence the phrase "tying the knot."  

Chaney began her druid training, ordered supplies from the Aran Islands, casually made some flaming torches, and performed the ceremony by the shores of the lake.