Across a Summer Sea (20 page)
‘I heard there will be trouble.’
‘Aye, there’ll be that all right.’
‘Davy, shouldn’t you be thinking of Rita and the children? How will you all manage if you’re locked out? I’ve seen it happen in Liverpool.’
‘Why should you care? You’ll be away from here. But I expect you’ll be able to play the Lady Bountiful and take Rita and the kids in if things get too bad here,’ he mocked.
She shook her head. ‘No, I won’t be able to do that. Mr O’Neill made it very clear to me that he’ll have no strangers descending on him.’
‘And who is this great
Mr
O’Neill? Nothing more than an absentee landlord’s agent! Bloodsuckers draining the country of its wealth. Not caring if we live or die as long as they get their rents so they can live the life of Riley over there in their big houses in England. He’s nothing more than a traitor and a turncoat!
Mr
O’Neill, me arse! One day we’ll be free of all of them. We’ll send them packing back across the water where they belong. Ireland will be for the Irish! We’ll make our own decisions, we’ll run our own lives and country. We’ll keep the money here for ourselves. We won’t be breaking our backs to have it taken from us to finance their lifestyles and their wars. We’ll spend it on
ourselves
- for a change!’
Mr
O’Neill? Nothing more than an absentee landlord’s agent! Bloodsuckers draining the country of its wealth. Not caring if we live or die as long as they get their rents so they can live the life of Riley over there in their big houses in England. He’s nothing more than a traitor and a turncoat!
Mr
O’Neill, me arse! One day we’ll be free of all of them. We’ll send them packing back across the water where they belong. Ireland will be for the Irish! We’ll make our own decisions, we’ll run our own lives and country. We’ll keep the money here for ourselves. We won’t be breaking our backs to have it taken from us to finance their lifestyles and their wars. We’ll spend it on
ourselves
- for a change!’
She was shocked by his outburst. She’d never known such deep resentment and hatred was harboured by him, or by anyone Irish. ‘And I suppose that includes me?’
‘It does. You’re English. You don’t belong here and you’re like all the rest of them. Greedy, grasping, conniving—’
‘I’m not! And I’m family. Molly is my own mother’s sister!’
‘I’m not interested, Mary! I’ll be glad when you’re gone to live with your Mr O’Neill! You deserve each other.’
She was about to reply when Molly stirred and sat up. ‘Is that the time already and me still in me bed?’
‘I’m off,’ Davy growled and slammed out.
‘What ails him this morning?’ Molly grumbled. ‘I declare he gets more humoursome by the day and now he’s woken the childer.’
‘Well, it’s time they were up. I’ve plenty to do today and I want to talk to them before they go to school. I’ll try to explain to Lizzie later on, when I’ve a bit more time to spend with her. Will I call Rita?’
‘You will so. I’ll put on the kettle.’
Katie and Tommy had listened in silence when Mary had told them about the new life that awaited them, but Katie was still confused.
‘I just don’t see
why
we have to go?’ she complained to Tommy as they trudged to school with their cousins.
why
we have to go?’ she complained to Tommy as they trudged to school with their cousins.
‘Because she’s going to earn great money and we’ll all live in a huge big house with hundreds of rooms and a river and a canal outside the door. I can learn to fish and do jobs and all kinds of interesting things.’ Tommy as usual was enthusiastic about anything that seemed new and exciting.
‘And what can Lizzie and me do?’
‘Help Mam. Go to school, make new friends. And there’re all the fields and woods and other places to play in. Don’t be such a misery, Katie. It’ll be great!’
‘It doesn’t sound great. I like it here. There’s plenty to do and see here.’
‘Don’t you want to be rich? Mam says we’ll be able to have all the things we’ve never had before.’
‘Like what? Toys? Nice dresses?’
‘I suppose so. We might even get bicycles.’ It was Tommy’s dream to have a bicycle of his own. He’d whiz along the roads at a great speed. It would be fun and a lot easier and quicker than having to walk everywhere. ‘Mam says they’ve a pony and trap and a horse and cart for the heavy things!’ That in his eyes set them apart from everyone he knew.
‘I’d sooner stay here and be rich and be able to go to school on the tram and have nice dresses and dolls.’
‘You’re so stupid, Katie! We
won’t
be rich if we stay here! No one’s going to give Mam all that money for working in the flour mill. She’s to be a housekeeper and that’s a very big and important job.’
won’t
be rich if we stay here! No one’s going to give Mam all that money for working in the flour mill. She’s to be a housekeeper and that’s a very big and important job.’
‘Will we be able to come and see you in this grand house and play with all your toys and ride your bicycle?’ Brendan asked. It all sounded like a great stroke of luck to him, his cousin Mary landing this job in the country.
‘I suppose so, though you’d better not mention the bicycle to Mam just yet,’ Tommy replied cautiously, kicking a stone along the gutter heedless of the damage to the toes of his boots.
Katie still looked unconvinced and little Lizzie was of course utterly confused, although both Mary and her sister had tried so hard to explain what was going to happen. However, Katie had accepted it a little more by the time Friday came after a week of preparations. Mary had borrowed the money from Molly, Rita and even Davy to rig herself and the children out with what she considered ‘suitable’ clothes for life in the country. It would all be paid back when she received her first month’s salary. She had also bought herself some heavy unbleached calico working aprons, and two white cotton aprons with frilled edges and two frilled white cotton caps to be worn when she wasn’t doing heavy housework. Mrs Maguire from next door had been in service when young and had advised her that that was the correct form of dress for a housekeeper. That and a black fine wool dress with a belt from which to hang all the keys she would be expected to carry with her at all times. Mrs Maguire had gone on to explain the duties of a housekeeper, which Mary had found very helpful if a little daunting.
‘But it’s not really a very grand household. There’s no butler or menservants or kitchen maids or parlour maids. Just Cook, me, a handyman and a girl to help out a bit at times,’ she’d demurred apprehensively.
‘But ’tis still a good thing to
know
about such things, Mary. He’ll think more highly of you and respect you for it,’ the woman had replied and Mary had left still wondering about the correct way to serve afternoon tea and lay a dinner table.
know
about such things, Mary. He’ll think more highly of you and respect you for it,’ the woman had replied and Mary had left still wondering about the correct way to serve afternoon tea and lay a dinner table.
Only Molly went to see her off on Friday. Both Rita and Davy were at work and the children were at school. She had said her goodbyes to them earlier that morning and had promised that she would be at the station to meet them when Molly put them on the train in the care of the guard the following Friday.
‘Ye will write and tell me how ye’re getting on, Mary?’ Molly urged, still worried how her niece would cope with such a drastic change of lifestyle.
‘Of course I will and don’t worry about the money, I’ll send everything I owe as soon as I get paid.’
‘Don’t I know that, ye’re a good girl and I’ll miss ye. Now ye’d best get on the train or ye’ll not get a seat. Sure, I never realised so many people travelled the country.’
Mary hugged her and hoisted her two carpet bags, which contained all her possessions and many of the children’s, into the carriage.
During the journey she went over things in her mind. First she would unpack. Then she would get changed, find young Bridie and set her to work, give her own rooms a good clean and make up the bed. Then she would lay the table in the small dining room and serve Mr O’Neill his dinner. After that she would help Mrs Moran clear up the kitchen, set the table for breakfast and make a list of the rooms to be cleaned in order of priority. She’d have to make sure that Bridie was under no illusions about what work she was expected to do. She’d also have a word with Sonny about the state of the yard. She had no intention of scrubbing out the hall and beating and cleaning the rugs only to have it all undone by the muck and mud that would be traipsed in on everyone’s feet. A week of sheer relentless hard work by herself and Bridie should have the house in a state fit for a gentleman to live in. After that it wouldn’t be too hard to keep it spick and span. In what spare time she had she would mend curtains and linen. She intended to make the most of the opportunity that had been given her really to come up in the world and provide a secure and comfortable life for her children, despite Frank’s rejection of them.
True to his word Sonny was waiting at the station with the trap. He greeted her warmly and flung her two bags in effortlessly; she realised that he wasn’t nearly as old or frail as he looked.
‘What have you in them at all?’ he enquired, helping her up.
‘Everything I own. I’ve come to stay,’ she replied determinedly.
‘That’s what the one before last said but I hope you do. I’ve taken to you, Mary, and so has Julia. Mrs Moran,’ he corrected himself, noticing her raised eyebrows.
Their progress was noted with some interest from the houses and cottages they passed after they turned off the main road.
‘Ah, they’re all wondering about you and how long you’ll stay,’ Sonny commented as he saluted the neighbours.
‘Why
does
no one stay? What’s the matter with Mr O’Neill?’
does
no one stay? What’s the matter with Mr O’Neill?’
‘He’s not the easiest to get along with and they don’t like being so isolated. He doesn’t like company. In fact he forbids it. And then there’re his political views . . .’
‘Well, I’m not in the least bit interested in politics. Life’s hard enough without worrying about things like that and I certainly won’t have time to be chatting and gossiping and entertaining. There’s far too much to do. That house is in a terrible state of neglect. Would you ask Bridie to come and see me, please? Say at two o’clock?’
‘Hasn’t she gone into Tullamore.’
‘And who told her she could go off into town today? She knew I was arriving.’
‘Himself sent her.’
‘I see. Well, as soon as she gets back ask her to come and see me. We have a lot of work to get through before my children arrive next week.’
‘I hope she’ll be able for it. She’s only used to looking after myself.’
‘Oh, she’ll be able for it. I’ll make certain of that. She’s young and healthy, isn’t she?’
‘She is that but you have to mind the way you ask her to do things. She’s inclined to be humoursome.’
‘Really?’ Mary replied, thinking that she’d soon change that. She was standing no nonsense from a moody young girl like that and she would have no insolence either.
There was tea, soda bread, home-cured ham and chutney waiting for her when she finally arrived.
‘Oh, this is very kind of you, Mrs Moran, to have gone to so much trouble.’
‘’Tis nothing, Mary. Didn’t I have to put a meal on the table for Mr O’Neill? Sonny, sit yourself down and have a bite with us. Did you put all those things in the outhouse like I asked?’
‘I did so and there’s enough soap and bleach and scrubbing brushes and the like to clean every house in the Parish. I nearly cleaned Jack Hickey out of all his stock.’
‘I’ll need it all,’ Mary said, smiling. ‘You won’t recognise this place when I’ve finished with it.’
‘That’ll make a change,’ Mrs Moran commented drily as she poured the tea.
She’d unpacked, changed into her working clothes and given her sitting room and one of the bedrooms a good clean before Bridie appeared at the door.
‘You’re back then,’ Mary said, wiping her hands on her apron.
The girl looked at her sullenly and then her gaze went over the freshly cleaned room. She didn’t answer.
Mary noticed that she looked tidier and cleaner than she’d been the first time she’d seen her, and she wore stockings and boots.
‘Come in and sit down while I go over this list of things I want you to do to help me. This house is in a shocking state, it’s not fit for a decent man to live in. We’ve both got a great deal of hard work ahead of us, Bridie.’ Seeing the expression on the girl’s face she continued, ‘I don’t expect you to do it all. I’ll work just as hard. I’m not above getting down on my knees and scrubbing or dragging carpets and rugs out and beating them.’
‘Well, ’tis more than the others would do,’ the girl replied. Mary seemed fair but just how much hard work did she expect her to do? No smooth-talking English-woman was going to get round her
that
easily. All the others had treated her like a skivvy and maybe Mary wasn’t all that different, despite what she said.
that
easily. All the others had treated her like a skivvy and maybe Mary wasn’t all that different, despite what she said.
‘There is no task that I will ask you to do that I will not do myself. I’m strict but I hope I’m fair and if we’re to get along well together I expect you to pull your weight. Do you understand?’
‘Yes, ma’am,’ came the muttered reply.
‘I don’t expect you to neglect your father and once the place is clean I will only need your help a few days a week. I presume Mr O’Neill pays you?’
‘He does so, ma’am, and we live rent free.’
‘Then he is a good employer. Now, this won’t take long and then we’ll both make a start in the main house.’
By the time Mrs Moran came to inform them that she was about to start dinner they had the small dining room fairly clean. The floor had been scrubbed, the rugs beaten, the furniture polished, the windows cleaned and the few items of silver glowed in the light of the oil lamps. Sonny had come in and lit the fire in the hearth and filled the turf basket.
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