Kilpara (36 page)

About that same time, we received an
invitation to Daphne's and Charles Sloane’s wedding. Morrigan and I
did not attend the ceremony but sent our best wishes instead.
Morrigan was heavily pregnant by then, and although it was not a
difficult pregnancy, she had uncomfortable moments. To my surprise,
Purcenell accepted the invitation and made arrangements to attend
the nuptials. When I voiced my curiosity about his decision to
Morrigan, she laughed and explained that it was an opportunity for
him to brag to acquaintances about becoming a grandfather and about
Brazonhead siring Pandora's foal. And the endurance he suffered
living under the same roof with his American emigrant
son-in-law.

She was right about Purcenell's pride in
becoming a grandfather. When Deirdre-Ann was born in June, he
frequently remarked that his granddaughter was a miniature version
of Morrigan. He doted on her, and this brought about a change in
him I hadn't expected.

A year and a half later, after a long labor
and health threats to both Morrigan and the baby, Grace was born.
We named her Grace because she was truly a miracle child. After her
birth, the doctor ordered Morrigan not to have any more children.
There was too much risk, he said, including the possibility that
she might not survive another pregnancy. This was more of a blow to
Morrigan than to me. She wanted to give me a son. But I was content
with our two daughters. It was difficult convincing Morrigan she
was not a failure because our family could not be larger. As time
went on she accepted this as our fate.

Life in Ireland became a mixture of what had
gone before. Maureen wrote from Maryland after she married Tom and
said it would be an adventure to come to Ireland and view
Stonebridge’s twin-like structure. She felt she already knew
Ireland from everything her parents had told her, and Tom was
curious about the old customs. They made a commitment to work at
Kilpara for one year, but once they arrived, Ireland agreed with
them so much they stayed beyond that period. The same year Grace
was born, they had a baby boy, who was born with a slight mental
defect. His disability became evident a few months after his birth.
I was proud of the love Maureen and Tom showed the child and
respected their decision to treat him as normally as possible. Aunt
Sadie and the midwife both agreed the problem had surely occurred
at the birth due to Maureen's long, hard labor. They observed that
during delivery, the baby may have suffered loss of oxygen to the
brain for a short while when the umbilical cord became squeezed
around his neck seconds before he was born. Tom and Maureen named
the child Olam, and he was a pleasant little fellow to have around.
He adored Grace and she was always kind to him.

Brazonhead’s foals proved to be very popular
with the European aristocracy. In Ireland and Britain, horse
breeding was a profitable business. I didn’t spend as much time as
I might have raising horses. I left that mostly to Tom and Rengen,
and Gully Joyce who took much pride in training the horses. I
opened a financier agency in Galway. Business was slow at first,
but this changed as the landed gentry looked for ways to increase
their profits. The biggest surprise had occurred when Charles
Sloane contacted me and became one of my first clients.

He proved good for business because he took
the news to other landowners who liked this trend and decided to
join in. I often suspected Sloane's real motive for seeking to do
business had more to do with the opportunity to maintain close
contact with Morrigan. There was always naked desire in his eyes
when he looked at her, and he used the excuse of business matters
to visit Kilpara whenever he could. The dark Daphne avoided us
whenever possible. But their son Cecil, born just months after
Deidre, visited Kilpara regularly with his nursemaid once he became
old enough to play.

In a sense, I pitied Sloane. Morrigan grew
more beautiful with age and I never ceased to wonder that she chose
me for her husband. She still loved to walk barefoot on the beach,
which we often did together. Each time I saw her footprints in the
sand, I was reminded of our first encounter on the beach and how it
changed my life forever.

THE END

About the Author

Patricia Hopper is a native of Ireland but has
resided in West Virginia for many years. She graduated Magna Cum
Laude from West Virginia University with her Bachelor’s degree in
English and a Master’s in Education Leadership. This is her debut
novel, however she has had several short stories published, as well
as non-fiction articles.

Previously published fiction works:

“Separate Dreams” Mist on the Mon (an
anthology)

“Summer Dream” Amore Magazine

“A Rose for Annie” Woman’s Way Magazine
(Ireland)

“Black Gold, Fool’s Gold” Appalachian Heritage
Magazine

“New Year’s Promise” Woman’s World
Magazine

“Separate Journey” Hamilton Stone
Review

“A Grand Day” Ireland’s Own Magazine