Rose of Tralee (55 page)

For Caitlin, as her father had promised, had a ringside view of the King and Queen, and had given her flowers, if not to the Queen herself, to a charming lady in a wonderful, flowing dress, who had promised to see that the Queen got them when she got down from her car in Birkenhead. ‘There’ll be no chance, now, of handing them to her,’ she said consolingly to Caitlin. ‘But you’ve got nearer to the King and Queen today than most people do even when they live in London and can visit Buckingham Palace every day.’ And she had given Caitlin the sweetest smile as she followed the other members of the royal party who were taking to the cars once more.

After that they had met a lot of Sean’s and Colm’s fellow workers and their wives and children, and then a large party of them, a great many Irish amongst them, had gone off to a spacious fish and chip cafe on the Scotland Road, where they had pretty well filled the place and had a supper which, Cracky had said blissfully, would number amongst his best and happiest memories of a very wonderful visit.

She had, throughout the day, been proud to be seen
with Cracky. He had looked so smart, with his hair almost smooth, and if his face still reminded her of a bulldog burning to teach another dog a lesson, sure and he couldn’t help that, could he? Her mammy said a person’s looks didn’t matter, and wasn’t it the person underneath who counted, so though it was a pity that Cracky wasn’t handsome, with regular feature and even white teeth ... well, he was Cracky, her best pal, which was all that mattered really. And presently, Caitlin slept.

Rose and Colm climbed into their bed in the attic room and put their arms about each other, and Colm smoothed the curls away from Rose’s face and kissed along the line of her jaw and told her how much he loved her and how lucky they were. ‘For when I came to England I’d been dotty over the silliest, most selfish girl in the whole of Dublin, an’ I didn’t care for me own daddy overmuch,’ he whispered, though there was no need for quiet, since they were the only ones up here in the converted attics. ‘Then I saw Mona, an’ didn’t I nearly do the same t’ing again, fallin’ for yaller hair an’ a come-hither manner?’

‘I knew it,’ Rose said severely, snatching up his hand and pretending to bite his fingers. ‘I could see right through you, Colm O’Neill!’

‘Well, it didn’t take me long to realise that me daddy was a grand feller, a daddy to be proud of. And sure an’ I was even quicker to realise that little Rose Ryder was a pearl beyond price, so she was, an’ poor Mona just ... just a pretty face.’

‘Oh?’ Rose said, suspiciously sweet. ‘And I’ve not got a pretty face, then?’ As she spoke she picked up his hand again and fastened her teeth in his thumb. ‘Rephrase that,’ she said thickly, through thumb. ‘Or
I’ll bite you so’s you’ll be scarred for life, you big jessy.’

‘Oh, oh!’ Colm shouted. ‘She’s disfigurin’ me! Help!’

He got his thumb back and a punch in the chest at the same time. ‘Shut up, you idiot, or someone’ll be coming up to see if we’re being robbed,’ Rose whispered, giggling. ‘I didn’t know you weren’t too friendly wi’ your daddy, Colm. Why was that?’

‘Well, I didn’t know him too well,’ Colm said after a moment’s thought. ‘It’s hard on the women an’ kids left behind when a feller comes across the water to work, an’ I t’ink I got to believin’ we could manage very well wit’out him. But he’s a grand feller, me daddy. I’ll miss him.’

‘Me too,’ Rose said soberly. ‘He’s got a good head on him, your daddy. If it hadn’t been for his far-sightedness, you’d not have gone for your driving licence, nor left the tunnel whilst the pay was still coming in regular. But now you’re safe in a good job whilst all the other poor devils is just starting out to find work.’

‘That’s it. But though we’ll miss Daddy, and the family, they’re startin’ on a new life which will be a deal better for all of them,’ Colm said. ‘And soon enough, alanna, we’ll be startin’ our own new life, because when your mammy becomes Mrs Dawlish she says they may move out an’ leave us to pay them rent an’ get ourselves some lodgers to make ends meet.’

‘Ye-es, but they won’t go
too
soon,’ Rose said after a rather doubtful pause. ‘I know I’ll be stopping work in a few months, but I’ve always had Mam standing by, if you see what I mean. When it’s just you and me running this place ... it’ll be different.’

‘It won’t be just you an’ me, don’t forget this feller,’ Colm said, laying his hand gently on Rose’s rounding stomach. ‘Believe me, alanna, he’ll make it all worthwhile.’

‘I know it,’ Rose admitted. ‘Mam’s longing to be a gran, too. I just wish . . . but it’s no use wishin’. Wishin’ butters no parsnips.’

‘You were wishin’ your daddy hadn’t died on you,’ Colm murmured. ‘I wish I’d known him, Rosie. But at least you’ve never let your mammy believe that you grudged her marryin’ again. You’re kind, so you are.’

‘I understand more how lonely she must have been, because when you stormed out that time I just wanted to die,’ Rose mumbled. ‘It did me good, that. If I hadn’t remembered how I felt I don’t think I could have been nice to poor Mr Dawlish when Mam told me they were engaged.’

‘There you are, then – everythin’ happens for the best, one way or t’other. Now are you goin’ to let me get some sleep, Mrs O’Neill, or shall I be goin’ to work tomorrer wit’ great bags under me eyes an’ me steps draggin’?’

‘Me, stopping you? I like that! But hasn’t it been a good day, Colm? One of the nicest days ever, I should think.’

‘Aye, pretty good. Well, tomorrer I’ll be drivin’ through the tunnel – think o’ that! Why, I’ll be deliverin’ in Birkenhead in a few minutes instead of havin’ to drive right the way round. And though I’ll be sayin’ goodbye to Daddy tomorrer, in a few months I’ll be a daddy meself. We’ve come a long way since first I come to St Domingo Vale, young Rosie, a rare long way.’

‘We have,’ Rose mumbled. ‘Oh, and you shouldn’t tek it for granted that we’re having a boy; it could be
a girl.’

‘Oh aye? An’ pigs might fly.’

Colm lay very still, ready to dodge, to catch her and kiss her, but there was no retribution for his daring and presently he realised why. Rose was asleep.

Colm rolled over and put his arms round her. It’s a wonderful world, he thought contentedly. We’ll never be rich or famous, but we’ll be happy, me an’ Rose, an’ that’s a lot more important. He began to think of the future, of the child which would be born in nice time for Christmas, of the work in store when his in-laws moved out. I should be like Daddy, an’ plan an’ save an’ be farseeing an’ sensible, he was thinking. I’ll write a list tomorrer, I’ll put down just what we’ll be wantin’ ...

And Colm, curled round Rose, slept.

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Epub ISBN 9781446427569
Version 1.0

Published by Arrow Books 2001

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Copyright © Katie Flynn

Katie Flynn has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.

First published in Great Britain in 1998 by William Heinemann

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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 9780099416333