Dreams Can Come True (22 page)

“Oh. And do yer want to take Joan and Olive, too?!”

“I don’t think they’ll want to come where we’re going.” Jack smiled wryly for a second at her. Maggie still had the power to get all fired up, that was why he had been first attracted to her.

“I’m going into partnership with Paddy Fearon. His parents have left him a place out in Wicklow, so we’re going to start our own stud farm. I’ve the money to tide us over ’til we get a reputation and I’m taking Dalton and Fletcher too. Of course I’ll leave Lincoln and Jefferson to pull your carriage; it must have been very inconvenient for you recently.”

Jack reached out to touch Maggie gently on her hands, which she had balled into clenched fists on her knee.

“You’ve never really loved me have yer, Maggie? You’ve gone through all the motions and you’ve certainly fooled me at times, but deep down it’s money and power you’ve been after. You’ve never wanted to play the little housewife, even fer me.”

“How can yer say that, Jack?” retorted Maggie hotly. “I’ve never give yer cause to doubt me. I let yer go your own way when yer wanted to be a fighter. I had yer back when yer wanted to come home. I gave you a second chance to be me husband and me lover but let’s face it, deep down I’ve never been enough for yer. It’s the wanderlust yer have.”

“Well, whatever yer think, I’ve made me plans and we’ll be away by Saturday. You never know, you may miss me so much you’ll want to come over and stay.”

“I don’t think so. Once you go from here, you and I will be finished for good. Pity, ‘cos in a few months you are going to be a granddad, so we won’t be able to play happy families.”

“Maggie, don’t give me all that sentimental rubbish, especially as you’re being sarky about it. Yer know I’ve washed me hands of me daughter. She’ll end up breeding like a rabbit and we’d be overrun with her brood. That wasn’t what I wanted for me daughter, but if she’s fool enough, so be it.”

Maggie got up then and started pacing the length of the conservatory. There was a silence between them then, only interrupted when Olive brought in a tray of tea.

“Cook says to ask if yer both in fer dinner?” she said looking at Jack with enormous eyes, because she and Joan had heard every word that had been said. Funny how employers thought that their servants were deaf or that walls were so thick that arguments couldn’t be heard through them. Joan had told Olive that perhaps the Haineses thought their servants were invisible.

“I’ll be out,” Maggie snapped. “Ask Cook to leave me a little supper on a tray.”

“Thank Joan and tell her that I will be in for dinner,” Jack replied.

“I suppose your mother knows yer going,” Maggie continued, standing angrily beside him now with Olive out of the way. She felt like hitting him across the head. All that she’d gone through in Ireland with him; worrying herself half to death in case Jack was taken from her. The money she had spent bringing in the best specialist to see him. The care and devotion she had given him after the Fenians had attacked him that day.

He nodded that he had told his mother, then sat stiffly as he waited for the next tirade to begin.

“And am I to say that I’m a widow again, so that she can keep her head high in the community?”

“Sarcasm doesn’t suit you, Maggie. Yes, she does know I’m leaving and she does know why, but the story will be that I have to oversee me business interests in Ireland, but it’s up to you to say how long I’ve gone for. How long I’ll be away.”

“Then you’d better get on with it. I leave yer to yer packing. I’m off down to Lilac Cottage. I take it you’ll be taking the dogs as well?”

“Yes, and I’ll be putting Simba through the auction at Chester tomorrow. Hannah doesn’t ride him now and seeing as I bought him for her in the first place, he is now mine to sell.”

“Oh, Mother, I wondered if you would come over today. I’m just putting the chicken in the oven for mine and Eddie’s dinner. I’ve followed a recipe from that book you gave me on household management. It has been a godsend. Gives you tips on adding more flavour to dishes and there are some scrumptious desserts that I intend to make. Mother, what’s the matter? Have you been crying? Come and sit on the sofa and tell me what’s happened. Eddie will be a while yet, so I don’t have to think about dinner now until he gets in.”

Hannah pulled off her pans from the top of the kitchen range and set them aside, then came over quickly to sit by Maggie.

“Has father been upsetting you? You said the other day that he had moved into the guest room and hardly ever speaks to you. Oh dear, it’s all because of me, isn’t it?”

Maggie’s tears began to fall then. She had been burning with anger when she had slammed out of Selwyn Lodge, but her walk across the fields had given her time to calm down a little and she had begun to feel sorry for herself.

She scrubbed at her face with the handkerchief that Hannah took out of her pinafore pocket, then took some deep breaths before she told the girl her tale.

“He’s decided to leave and go to Ireland. He says that our marriage isn’t working and there’s nothing left fer him here. I should have seen it coming, but I’ve been so busy with all the committee work, deciding what to do with these building plans and all the messing about with the Town Hall. I suppose when you think that your marriage is on solid ground, you start taking everything fer granted. When he came back after all those years away, I assumed we were settled for the rest of our lives.”

“But all that changed when you took my side and started helping me and Eddie, had this place done up for us and bought us all this furniture. I suppose he feels he should have had your loyalty and he’s angry because I didn’t make a good marriage with someone like Jeremy.”

“Yes, that’s true, Hannah, I have to admit it, but it’s the deceit that I can’t handle. He’s been planning this move with Fergal and his wife since your wedding. That’s what I don’t like.”

“You mean Fergal and Ivy are going with him? What’s he going to do in Ireland and why Fergal and his wife?”

“He’s starting a stud farm in Wicklow. Paddy Fearon, that’s the man who helped him buy his horses in Ireland, has been left some property, so Fergal will go to look after the horses and they’ll need a woman to run the house. He is very kindly leaving me the carriage and Lincoln and Jefferson, but now I’ll have to find a man to look after them as well. Do you know, Hannah? I don’t need this at the moment. I can get used to your father not being there, let’s face it I did without him fer years, but I’ve all these decisions to make as well. Me head feels it’s going to burst!”

Maggie was not far from tears again, so Hannah took her stepmother’s hand and squeezed it gently.

“Mother, I can help you with some of it. What do I do all day but keep this place nice for Eddie? He’ll understand if I come up to help you, he won’t mind a bit of dust or the occasional crumpled shirt.”

“No, Hannah. I can’t expect yer to take on my problems. You’ve only been wed these last four months and it would be unfair to both you and Eddie, especially when you might be expecting a baby.”

“Oh, Mother, please don’t turn me down,” she said eagerly. “I want to help. You don’t even have to get a man in to see to the horses. I had plenty of experience with Simba. I was always cleaning out his quarters and Lincoln and Jefferson know me very well.”

“That’s something I haven’t told yer, Hannah,” Maggie said sadly. “He’s selling Simba. Says you don’t ride him anymore and Simba is his to sell. And he’s taking Fang and Rufus too.”

She waited for Hannah’s reaction. If it had been her she would have stormed over to Selwyn Lodge and brought the animals back here, but her stepdaughter had never been a firebrand; she just got on with life in her own quiet way.

“He certainly knows how to hurt, doesn’t he?” Hannah’s eyes filled with tears and Maggie pushed the handkerchief over to her. “But in a way I can’t blame him. I caused Father pain by marrying Eddie, so it’s his way of punishing me.”

“Yer know, Hannah. It never ceases to amaze me how hurtful the ones who are supposed to love yer can be. I used to be jealous of the bond you and yer father had, felt hurt at his lack of attention, though I knew that it was a different kind of love. The same with Mikey; we were so close when he was little, I couldn’t wait to see him when I got back from Miss Rosemary’s, but look what’s happened with Mikey. One letter in nearly a year. He could be dead for all I know and it hurts me that he just doesn’t bother writing. Never mind,” she said with a forced brightness. “We’ve got each other now and hopefully soon we’ll have a little babby that we all can love. Talking of which… Oh, Hannah, I’ve just had a marvellous idea! Put the kettle on will yer, and make us a cup of tea? I want to gather me thoughts fer a moment. I think I’ve got a wonderful plan.”

A little while later, Hannah nearly choked on her tea that she had started sipping when Maggie made clear her thoughts.

“You’re saying you want me and Eddie to move into Selwyn Lodge?” she gasped incredulously. “Are you sure? You don’t even know Eddie very well and you must have spent a fortune on this place here.”

“Well, I’m not forcing yer to come. You can talk it over first with Eddie. It’s the thought of me rattling around in that big house with only Olive and Joan fer company. But you’ll be needing help with the baby and your old nursery could be used again.”

“Yes, and I’d be nearer the stables to see to the horses and I’d be on hand to drive you around like I used to. But Mother, I’ve just got used to the cooking, shopping and cleaning and I have to admit I’m happy creating a pleasant home.”

“Then we’ll sack Joan and Olive,” said Maggie dryly. “You can work fer your keep by being me housekeeper as well.”

Maggie lay awake that night listening for any sounds of movement coming from her husband’s room. Should she get up and plead with him to stay? Did she want him to? It would spoil all the plans she had for the future. Was there still any love between them? Had there been any in the first place? Did she really know what love was? So many questions, and her mind couldn’t give her any answers. Perhaps she was just a selfish person and only loved herself. But that wasn’t true, she thought to herself, remembering back to when they had been on their trip to Ireland. When Jack had been lying ill in the convent’s infirmary, she had prayed that he would get better, realising then that she loved him and needed him in her life. She had prayed that they would be together until they reached their nineties; but was that love or a need in herself that she shouldn’t be alone again? Maybe it was all her fault. She had got tied up with her ventures, her meetings and anything else that gave her satisfaction, as soon as she’d got home. She had left him to his own devices and this was her reward. But did she want to give all this up – everything she had worked hard for, to share a kitchen with Ivy over there in Wicklow? Be at Jack’s beck and call and give up the independence she had grown to love? The answer was no. It came to her loudly and strongly. If she had to give her independence up, she didn’t want to be Jack’s wife.

Eddie walked along the lane that lead to Lilac Cottage, past the near ruin of Ashlea and the hovel that they called Thistledown. He was tired and looking forward to seeing Hannah. He had been working on the roof of a property on the promenade and the wind had kept buffeting as he had tried to knock the nails in the slates. Eddie whistled tunelessly to himself as he neared his home. What a shock his wife had given him yesterday after he had walked in and Maggie was on her way out. She had smiled at his greeting and turned down his offer that she should eat with them, saying mysteriously that they should have some time to themselves. He had laughed and replied that was all he lived on earth for. Aye, it was true, he thought to himself. These last few months had been a dream come true. Hannah was everything a man could ask for in a wife.

Her time at the college had been well spent. How she managed to be so clever with her housekeeping money and turn out well cooked meals of quality was beyond him. She kept the cottage like a little palace and was never too tired to delight him in bed. His life was like being in a bubble; a bubble they shared when they shut the cottage door on the world; but it was about to be popped. Hannah had a hankering to live back at Selwyn Lodge again.

“So come on then, what’s Maggie being all mysterious about?” he had asked, after taking Hannah in his arms and burying himself deep into her lusciousness. “You’re looking happy anyway, or is it because I’ve come home?”

“Go and wash your hands and I’ll serve up dinner, then I’ll tell you. I think you’ll be pleased with the plan.”

“But we can’t live at Selwyn Lodge,” Eddie had cried, with his fork midway to his mouth holding a piece of succulent chicken. “Yer father would make me life a misery and Hannah, we’re so happy here.”

“Father is moving out. He’s moving to Ireland and taking Fergal with him, so Mother will have problems driving the carriage herself.”

“You mean you want me to be a coachman? Hannah, I couldn’t do it, I’m no good with horses, I’ve no experience fer a start.”

“No, silly. I would see to the horses and drive Mother. You would continue working for Jimmy Pearson, but we would move up into a better world.”