Authors: Ellen Gable
“Liam is quite
proficient on the violin, isn’t he, Carrie?”
Caroline nodded.
“Yes, Lizzie, he most certainly is.”
Chapter 8
Caroline drummed
her fingers on the sill as she waited at her bedroom window. Liam would be
arriving any minute and she was anxious to see him again.
“Miss Caroline,”
Patsie said through the closed door.
“Yes, Patsie,
what is it?” Caroline asked, opening the door. “Sure an’ ye’ve got a message
from the convent in Chelten’m.”
Patsie handed the
envelope to Caroline, who immediately tore it open and read it. She gasped.
“Selly’s gone
into labor. It’s too soon, Patsie, and she must be scared to death. I must get
there immediately. This letter says that she began having pains in the middle
of last night. Do you think Uncle will take me?”
“Himself is bein’
out and about the whole day, Miss.”
“That’s right.”
“Well now, I
don’t have a mind as ta who could be takin’ ye ta be with Selly,” she said as
she left the bedroom.
“But she needs
me,” Caroline pleaded, as she followed Patsie down to the basement kitchen.
Caroline glanced
out the doorway and saw that Liam had arrived and was walking his horse to the
back hitching post.
“Liam can take
me.”
“No, Miss
Caroline.T’wouldn’t be proper, what with him courtin’ ye n’all.”
“Well, what about
Ben?”
“He’s bein’ in
town for a bit. But I’m fair certain he’ll bring ye along ta the convent later
on, with Miss ‘lizabeth, if ye still a mind ta go.”
“I must leave as
soon as possible. I am certain that Liam will do this for me.”
“But a colleen’s
got to be thinkin’ ‘bout her reputation.”
“I shall worry
about that later.I promised Selly.”
Caroline leaned
her head out the doorway. “Liam.”
“I didn’t see you
up at your window.”
“No.” She took hold
of his arm and pulled him into the warm kitchen.
“Selly’s having
her baby and it is imperative for you to take me to the convent in Cheltenham. Do you know where that is?”
He glanced away
then looked directly at her. “Of course I do, but Selly has people assisting
her, does she not? The nuns will care for her adequately.”
“I promised her,
Liam. Please.”
He regarded her
with raised eyebrows. “Caroline, we’re a courting couple, not a married
couple. I can’t very well take you across town without a chaperone.”
“Where’s
Elizabeth, Patsie?”
“I’m thinkin’ she
went to the city with Himself.” “Patsie, can you come with us?” With raised
eyebrows, Caroline regarded the servant.
“Miss Caroline,
sure an’ I got a chicken roastin’, pies half made and I’ll not be able to
leave.”
“Well, then we’ll
just have to go alone.”
“I told you, we
can’t be traveling alone, especially for the reason you want.”
“What I want
isn’t important, Liam. I promised Selly that I would be there for her. She
doesn’t have anyone in the world to care for her.”
“You told me that
the nuns agreed to take care of her.”
“Yes, but it’s
not the same as. . .” Caroline stepped back and studied Liam. His face was
without its usual pleasant expression.
“Besides, I have
an important business meeting that I must attend to. Be a good girl. The
sisters will take good care of her.”
Caroline began to
grind her teeth and clench her fists. She turned away from him.
“Please do not
act like a child. I really cannot go, nor will I take you. There are certain
rules one must follow when one is courting and if I broke one of those now,
well, it would do nothing for either of our reputations.”
Caroline couldn’t
believe that he wouldn’t take her. Of all people, she was under the impression
that he would do whatever she asked. There was no use attempting to convince
him. For the moment, Caroline decided to pretend as if she were brushing it
off. She forced a smile.
“Well, I suppose
I should never have promised her something I wouldn’t be able to follow through
on.”
“That’s right,”
he said. “Well, I hate to leave so quickly but I have an emergency meeting
with a customer from out of town. Patsie, I dropped off two boxes for Mr.
Martin. Make sure that Ben puts them away when he returns.”
“Yes, Mr. Liam,
sir.”
“See you
tomorrow, Caroline.” He tipped his hat and left.
Caroline forced
another smile as he left, although she was angry with him. She hated how rigid
he was with regard to rules. As Liam was riding away, Patsie’s loud voice
bellowed behind her. “Now, that Mr. Liam’ll be havin’ a good head on his
shoulders. I’m glad he won’t be fallin’ for no feminine wiles. Ye know, Miss
Caroline, sure an’ it ain’t safe or seemly, and t’would’ve been causin’
scandal. . .” Patsie’s lecturing became background noise as Caroline’s eyes
welled up and finally, she allowed herself to cry. Patsie pulled her to a
motherly embrace. For several long moments, Caroline sobbed.
“Now, now, don’t
be takin’ on so, Miss.”
“Patsie, I
promised that I’d be there when her time came.”
“Sure an’ ye jest
can’t be there fer her, not jest right now. Ye best be waitin’ till Ben or
Himself comes home. Besides, Selly’ll understand,” Patsie said soothingly.
“The colleen knows already how much ye’ve done fer her.”
Caroline
stiffened and broke away from Patsie. “If Liam won’t take me there by horse,
then I shall go by foot.” Caroline immediately began to walk briskly down the
laneway.
Patsie’s
high-pitched voice screeched. “Miss Caroline, sure an what in the world do ya
think ye’ll be doin’? Ye can’t be walkin’ ‘cross Philly ta the convent. It’ll
be after takin ye days ta get there.”
“I don’t care how
long it takes me,” she yelled, without turning around. “I must make an effort.
I promised her.”
“Now then, sure
an’ ye can’t be after doin’. . . oh, me breath. . . Miss Caroline, ye can’t
be. . .” Her dress swishing back and forth, Patsie was trying hard to keep up
with her mistress, who rushed down the laneway like a runaway horse with its
first taste of freedom. Caroline had almost reached the road when a small
carriage pulled in. The two women stopped as the carriage came to a halt
beside them. David had that ridiculous “happy go lucky” expression on his
face, a smirk that was completely inappropriate for the occasion.
“Well, Miss
Martin, good afternoon. Seems an odd place to find you. Taking an afternoon
jaunt?”
Caroline avoided
eye contact, then shot the servant an expression which said, “Don’t speak to
him.”
“Mr. David, Miss
Caroline’s walkin’ to the convent in Chelt’nham where Selly be stayin’ and she
went into labor. . .Selly I be meanin’, and she wants to go. . .Miss Caroline,
I be meanin’. . .but no one’ll take ‘er an. . .”
“Whoa, hold on.
Miss Martin wants to be with. . .Selly?” He looked at Caroline, who now glared
at him.
“Yes. You
remember Selly, don’t you? The girl you took advantage of and who carries your
child?” As she finished saying it, even Caroline was surprised at how cutting
her tone was.
David let out an
audible sigh.
“Excuse me, I
have a very long walk ahead of me and I. . .” As Caroline began to walk away,
David grabbed her arm. “Just a minute.”
“Remove your hand
from me, Mr. O’Donovan,” she said, without glancing up at him.
“I will take you
there.” He said it so softly that she wasn’t sure she heard him correctly.
“What?” she
asked, convinced that he would be smiling or teasing her. But when she studied
his face, she found it to be without the normal hint of playfulness.
“I will take you
there,” he said more distinctly.
“Now, Mr. David,
sir, ye can’t be takin’ Miss Caroline anywheres. There’ll be a scandal and ye
can’t. . .”
“Quiet, Patsie.
Besides, I certainly don’t intend to tell anyone and I know Miss Martin won’t
say anything. That just leaves you.”
“Well, ye can’t
be doing this, Mr. David. Yer not thinkin’ ‘bout Miss Caroline’s reputation.”
“She has two
options, to walk or to allow me to take her there.”
“Ye be forgettin’
the third one, Mr. David, sir, to stay home.”
“Indeed, that is
an option. So, Miss Martin, which shall it be? Allow me to take you, walk or.
. .” Before he could finish, Caroline stood alongside his carriage, her head
held high.
David raised his
eyebrows. “Well, I suppose we can figure out which option Miss Martin has
chosen.”
“Have a mind o’
me words, Miss Caroline. Ye be in trouble if someone finds out.”
Caroline turned
around. “Patsie, I know you won’t say anything. It’s up to you to keep my
reputation sound.”
“And what’ll I be
after tellin’ Himself, when he comes home, Miss?”
“Tell him that I.
. .that I took a leisurely walk on the grounds. I’m always doing that anyway,
right?”
Patsie snorted
her disapproval. “I’m not in the habit of lying to Himself, Miss Caroline.”
“It’s just a
white lie, Patsie.”
“Sure an’ a lie
is a lie and dressin’ it in white won’t be makin’ it any better.”
“Well, then
you’re not lying,” she said, “I did go for a walk. It just so happens that Mr.
O’Donovan came by.”
Patsie snorted
again.
David assisted
Caroline into the carriage. For the next half hour, it was a quiet, awkward
ride. Caroline wasn’t sure whether to feel gratitude or disgust. After all,
he owed her this ride to the convent.
David finally
spoke up. “Ben Franklin once said, ‘Three may keep a secret if two of them are
dead.’” He was chuckling under his breath. Caroline scowled at him.
After that, both
remained silent and Caroline wondered whether she had made the right decision
to allow Liam’s brother to drive her to the convent.
“You must turn
left at the top of the hill. We’re going to Cheltenham,” Caroline eventually
said.
“Well, I’m taking
the back roads. It’s best that we’re not seen together and I know several
roads that are less used. The chances of us running into anybody will be more
remote.”
“But how shall we
find the convent?”
“I know where
Selly is, Miss Martin. I’ve been there.”
“You’ve visited
Selly?”
“No. . .but I. .
.had to be in that part of the city to do some business and I wanted to check
out the place and. . .”
“All of a sudden
you have a conscience?”
“I suppose I
deserved that.”
“You most
certainly did.” Caroline paused. “What shall we tell someone if they see us
together?”
“That there’s
been an emergency and that I’m. . .your. . . brother.”
Caroline gasped
then lowered her head.
“Well, you know,
it’s not that far from the truth, is it?”
She ignored him
and remained silent.
They continued
with only the clopping of the horse, and the occasional chirping of birds
filling in the silence.
Chapter 9
In the downstairs
study after meeting with his client,
Señor
Mendez, Liam organized the receipts and contract and filed them
away in his desk drawer. It was only through his shrewd handling of his Cuban
customer that their company would continue to import the high quality cigars.
Unfortunately,
David had consumed too much whiskey before the last meeting. When
Señor
Mendez had suggested an increase in price
for his company’s cigars and tobacco, David had told him to shove his cigars in
an inappropriate place. Yes, the O’Donovan Trade and Merchant Company could
possibly have gone out of business over that one incident since more than 20
percent of their imports came from their one Cuban client. Instead, Liam
cajoled
Señor
Mendez, apologized in the most polite
manner possible, and even offered to waive the import fee. Thankfully,
Señor
Mendez not only agreed to allow the
O’Donovan company to continue to import his tobacco plantation’s goods, he
graciously accepted a reduced increase.
Over the last
hour or so, he could not seem to erase Caroline’s disappointed expression from
his mind. Liam could imagine what sort of discussion he would have to endure
with Mr. Martin to convince him that it would be acceptable to marry Caroline
if he had spent the whole afternoon driving her to and from the convent. Liam
didn’t want to say no to Caroline’s request, but Caroline seemed to deal well
with his refusal. That in itself illustrated what kind of obedient wife she
would make. With a feeling of complacency, he shut the desk drawer and made his
way upstairs.