by Rachel Quinn
‘Aileen will be Aileen,’ he says with a chuckle.
They pass through a few junctions without comment and are perfectly comfortable with that. He peers through the haze and makes a joke about how the snow saved everyone having to buy confetti on that day. She tuts – she’s heard it before. She’s heard them all before. But that doesn’t stop her smiling and giving him a loving glance.
Then he turns to her and says, ‘You really miss the kids coming to our anniversary dinners, don’t you?’
She shrugs. ‘A little, not a lot. Next year’s the big one though. Perhaps we could push the boat out, hire a hall or something – invite people in our old neighbourhood, people we used to work with, people from the Irish Club.’ She tilts her head in thought for a second. ‘But I do like the routine of going to Arturo’s. Same day every year, same table.’
‘Same menu,’ he adds.
‘And I swear that chunk of parmigiana is the same one every year too. The waiter grates a little more off but it always stays the same size. It’s the everlasting cheese.’ She grasps his hand and gives it a little shake. ‘Joking aside, I really do enjoy it. We’ve had some memorable anniversary dinners over the years. It’s the one time a year we get to talk about –well, you know – what happened all those years ago.’
‘You like to reminisce. I get it.’
‘It’s more than that. I find it . . . I don’t know . . . comforting.’
‘You’re getting sentimental in your old age.’
‘Well, once a year I deserve it.’
‘You do, Aileen. You do.’
Leetown, County Wicklow, July 1943
The truck pulled up outside Sweeney Cottage and Niall jumped out confidently and strolled to the front door.
He straightened his tie, checked his boots for scuffs, knocked on the door and fixed on his broadest smile.
Thirty seconds later the smile had unfixed itself and his teeth were gritted in frustration. He’d borrowed an army truck and driven to Leetown to tell Aileen when he’d be taking her to the bright city lights of Dublin.
And nobody was in.
He cursed under his breath. The idea had been to see Aileen again, to arrange the date personally. At least he’d had the foresight to bring a pencil and notebook. He really, really wanted to see Aileen today, but accepted he might just have to leave a note.
He knocked on the door once more, louder this time. Again there was no reply. Again he cursed. He heard a creak and turned to see a window of the next house swing open.
An old man’s face appeared. ‘They’re out cutting turf,’ he said.
Before Niall could ask when they might be back, the window was closed. Niall got out his pencil and notebook.
When the Sweeneys returned, Fergus was first to spot the note, and picked it up while the others removed their shoes at the door.
He said the first few words aloud, which were ‘My dear Aileen’, and laughed so much he couldn’t read out the rest.
Briana grabbed the note. ‘It’s from Niall,’ she said excitedly.
Aileen scurried over and snatched it from her sister’s hand, her eyes scanning it feverishly. ‘Next Saturday,’ she said.
The two sisters jumped up and down with glee a couple of times.
‘Will the two of yez calm down,’ their father said. ‘The way you’re carrying on you’d think she was courting one o’ them there Rockefeller fellas.’
Aileen and Briana exchanged glances. Briana chewed on her lip to control her amusement. There was no such attempt from Aileen, her face turning a darker shade of pink as she chuckled away to herself.
‘What?’ their father said. ‘What’s so funny?’
‘Ah, tis nothing.’ They both carried on laughing as they almost bounced out of the house and started walking toward the beach.
‘Sure, you’ll have to wear your second-best dress,’ Briana said.
‘I will.’
‘And I’ll help with your make-up. Can I help with your make-up?’
‘Of course you can.’
‘I can’t wait. I’m so excited for you, Aileen.’
They crossed the road, and as their bare feet hit the sand, Aileen halted and turned to her sister. ‘Briana,’ she said, her face losing all traces of humour, ‘why is it you’re not married yet?’
Briana’s jaw fell open and she took a step back. ‘Heck, Aileen, that’s a big question.’
‘I’m sorry, I was just wondering. It’s grand you’re helping me so much, but what about yourself ?’
‘Aach, you don’t want to be worrying yourself about that, Aileen. You’ve more important things to think about.’
‘I’m serious. If you don’t want to tell me, that’s grand. But you’re almost three years older than me, and I . . .’
Aileen’s words petered out as Briana walked away from her and toward the sea. She followed and soon they were both shin-deep in the freezing water, some distance apart.
‘I’m sorry,’ Aileen shouted across. ‘Twas only something I wondered.’
‘And you don’t want to make the same mistake as me, is that it?’
‘Well . . . I don’t know,’ Aileen said. ‘I’m not sure what you mean.’
She sidled along toward Briana so they didn’t have to shout. They both knelt down in the shallow tidal water and started rinsing the sweat and black peat dust off their skin and out of their hair.
‘If you want my advice,’ Briana said, ‘don’t appear desperate at first, but when you get a man’s interest, hold on to him, get away from here as soon as you can, and don’t look over your shoulder as you leave.’
‘You’re not serious?’
‘I am so, Aileen. You might only get one or two chances, and remember that Daddy will always take them on.’
‘I still don’t understand.’
‘It’s simple,’ Briana said. ‘If any man falls out with Daddy, he’ll never let you even see him again, let alone marry him, and that’ll be that.’
They heard shouts over the rush of the breaking tides, and turned to see their three brothers running down the beach toward them.
‘Is that what happened to you?’ Aileen said.
Briana nodded. ‘Twice, if you really must know.’
Aileen tried to think back. There were vague muggy memories of arguments and tears. ‘I think I remember the one,’ she said. ‘The red-haired chap.’
‘Michael Delaney from up the road in Bevanstown.’ Briana threw a wistful glance toward the next village along the coast. ‘I loved him, I really did. He made me laugh the way Niall does you. I felt alive and special when he was around me, like someone cared for me in a way Mammy and Daddy don’t. I knew he’d treat me well. I had grand dreams for us, so I did.’
‘And what happened?’
The shouts from their brothers made them flinch. As usual, the boys ran straight into the water at full pelt, not caring who they splashed. Then Fergus paused to lean down and cup his hands in the water, throwing it over his two sisters, whooping as he did so. They both screamed and he laughed. Then he joined his brothers, splashing and shouting the cold away.
‘C’mon,’ Briana said, nodding back to the cottage.
They started walking.
Aileen said nothing, waiting for Briana to answer her question, to tell her what had happened with Michael Delaney.
‘Twas politics,’ Briana said eventually. ‘Michael and Daddy had a few drinks, started discussing the treaty.’
‘The what?’
‘The treaty with the Brits to give up the six counties. Daddy was anti, said it was our island and we should have it all. Michael was pro, said they should just accept the deal and get on with it. They ended up almost fighting, so they did.’ She shook her head dolefully.
Aileen leaned across and gave her sister’s shoulder a squeeze. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Ah, I’m grand now, so I am.’
‘Good. But . . . you said it happened twice.’
A sad smile played on Briana�
��s lips. ‘The second one was Johnny Lynch from Dublin. I wasn’t quite so mad about him, but I would have accepted him. There was something there and I knew it would grow.’
‘Something?’
Briana shot her sister a grave look. ‘You know when it’s there, Aileen. You know.’
Aileen nodded. ‘I think I see. So, what happened with this Johnny fella?’
‘You were probably still too young to take any interest in what happened. Again, Daddy liked him at the start, but they soon fell out. Daddy always finds a way to have an argument. In the end he threatened to take his belt to me if I ever met with Johnny again.’
The two sisters didn’t exchange another word until they reached the road.
‘I’m sorry,’ Aileen said again.
‘Ah, tis me who should be sorry,’ Briana said.
‘And why’s that?’
‘I’ve ruined your day out.’
‘Aach, nonsense. Better to be warned.’
‘Well, yes, consider yourself warned. Alannah knew what she was doing when she moved away from here. She told me the same thing as I told you and I ignored her.’
Aileen said nothing. They went inside and spent the next hour sitting by the fire drying off.
The next Saturday, Briana and Aileen arranged to have the bedroom to themselves. Briana did Aileen’s make-up while their mother pressed Aileen’s second-best dress. Briana lent Aileen some shoes as Aileen’s had been ruined that day on the beach when she’d fallen over. They were a tiny bit too big, but some straw padding sorted that out. Briana told her that little extra length made Aileen look slightly more elegant. They even roped in young Frank to polish them so they ended up looking even shinier than when they were brand new. Then again, he’d been told they would have to be like a pair of mirrors for him to earn his bottle of lemonade.
‘Are you sure about these shoes?’ Aileen said to her sister as she walked up and down the gap between the beds.
‘Just get out there. He might turn up at any moment.’
They killed time playing cards with Frank at the table. He’d won all three hands when they heard a truck pull up outside. Aileen stood up and ran her hands along her hair and down her dress before striding to the door.
‘Sit down,’ Briana said.
‘But that could be—’
‘Calm down, Aileen. Give the poor man time to knock.’
Aileen took a deep breath, nodded and returned to the table.
When the rap on the door came, Briana told Frank to open it and see who it was.
‘Why me?’ he said.
‘Do you want that bottle of lemonade or not?’
He answered the door and the sisters could hear Niall’s voice.
‘Who is it?’ Briana shouted across the room.
‘Yer man Niall,’ Frank replied.
‘Well, invite him in, won’t you?’ she said, motioning for Aileen to stand up.
Niall was over immediately, lifting Aileen’s hand to kiss it.
Aileen giggled at the gesture. ‘Sure, I never knew this was the eighteenth century.’
‘Ah, don’t,’ Briana said to her. ‘Tis nice.’
‘Well, I thought so too,’ Niall said, and kissed Aileen on the cheek. ‘Are you ready?’ he said. He looked her up and down. ‘Listen to me and my stupid questions.’
‘D’you like it?’ Aileen said, giving a twirl.
‘You look a million dollars, so ye do. Really.’
‘You don’t look so bad yourself,’ Briana said.
‘Ah, my one and only suit and my one and only pair of shoes.’ He looked down at the brown pinstripe suit framing a white shirt and dark green tie. He jerked up his toes to draw attention to the brown brogues, almost as shiny as the shoes Aileen wore. Then he lifted up the black trilby hat in his hand and gave the top of it a wipe.
‘And your one and only hat?’ Aileen asked.
‘Not even that,’ he said. ‘Borrowed.’
She giggled and put a hand up to cover her mouth.
‘Don’t take any notice of her,’ Briana said. ‘You look lovely.’
‘Lovely if you’re in Hollywood,’ Aileen said with a wry grin.
‘Ah, no,’ he said. ‘Tis what they’re all wearing up in Dublin nowadays. Wait and see for yourself.’
‘All right, I’ll believe you for now.’
‘Are you ready?’
‘I am. I was just wondering whether I can bear to be seen with someone the spit of Jimmy Cagney.’
He laughed. ‘And here was me going for the look of Clark Gable or Cary Grant.’
‘And me that Katharine Hepburn.’ Aileen turned side-on and posed with a hand behind her head.
Briana tutted and shook her head. ‘Will the two of yez cut out the double act. I’m not sure about Clark Gable and Katharine Hepburn – tis more like watching Laurel and Hardy.’
Aileen burst out laughing, but had enough control to notice Niall looking at her in a way that made something inside of her seem lighter than air.
‘I have a feeling I’m going to enjoy our first official engagement,’ he said.
‘I’m sure you will,’ Briana said, straight-faced. ‘Tell me, will you be getting the train in?’
‘Ah, well now.’ He glanced at Aileen and gave a mock scowl. ‘That’s the bit that lets us down a little.’
‘Let me guess,’ Aileen said. ‘The coach and horses you booked didn’t show up?’
Niall pointed at her. ‘You’re good. You’re very good. How did you know that? I swear to holy God above I booked the gold-encrusted coach along with the four white horses and the driver with the tall hat.’
‘They must have got lost on the way,’ Aileen said.
‘That’ll be it. Sure, Leetown’s easy to miss.’
‘That’s enough,’ Briana said, unsuccessfully trying to stifle her smile. ‘I’m getting caught in the crossfire here. Are the two of you going now or what?’
‘I’m sorry,’ Niall said. He turned to Aileen. ‘I’ve got the truck outside. It’s not a horse and carriage, but it’s dry and you won’t have to wait.’
‘Sounds grand.’ Aileen grabbed her coat. She kissed her mother and sister goodbye and climbed into the truck. Minutes later they were out of Leetown and away from the salty air.
‘Do they not mind you taking a girl out in army property?’ Aileen said.
‘In all fairness, they don’t have much use for it.’ A few seconds later he added, ‘They don’t have much use for an army, now I think of it.’
‘Don’t you like being a soldier?’
‘In all fairness, tis a little boring at times. We don’t have much to do.’
Aileen’s eyes locked on to his. ‘You like that phrase, don’t you? In all fairness.’
He took his eyes off the road for a second and flashed a smile at her. ‘Sure, I like to be fair,’ he replied. ‘In all fairness, of course.’
The Curragh Camp was almost silent by the time Niall returned the truck to the compound later that night.
The evening had gone better than he’d dared hope for. But now he felt a little sickness in his heart. He’d made a deal with himself that he was going to tell Aileen, but only when the time was right. The problem was that from the initial meeting at the cottage to the moment he’d dropped her back there, that smile of hers and her wit had both captivated him and derailed his plans. The meal, the movie, the walk along the Liffey, the journeys to and from Leetown – these had all felt more than perfect and there had been no ‘right time’ to tell her. And Niall knew that wasn’t right.
He took a long sigh before opening the door to the barracks, hoping Kevan, Jimmy and Dermot had all gone to bed.
But they were tucked away in a smoky corner around a card table.
Nobody spoke until Niall had sat down on the edge of his bed.
‘So?’ Kevan said.
‘So what?’ Niall replied, a sharp edge to his words.
‘So, did you tell her yet?’
‘I didn’t w
ant to spoil her day out.’
‘Or yours?’ Jimmy said.
Niall nodded. ‘That’s true, in all fairness.’ He reached down and started unlacing his boots. ‘Although I did try to mention it once or twice.’
‘What stopped you?’
And Niall could hardly say he was lying, that he didn’t try to mention it at all, or that it was as if he’d been hypnotized by Aileen.
‘The thing is,’ he said, ‘I don’t know how to tell her.’
‘But you know what you should tell her,’ Dermot said.
‘I do. And I feel terrible about it. But it’s easier said than done. I was going to say it once or twice, but then her face was lighting my life up and I . . . I just couldn’t. The words stuck in my throat.’
‘Ah, she’s one girl among thousands,’ Kevan said. ‘I remember her, and you’re right about her being pretty and all. But don’t be falling for the girl, Niall. Not at a time like this.’
‘You know, I think I already have.’
‘There’ll be no backing out now,’ Jimmy said. ‘You’ve given your word. We all have.’
‘I know, I know. And don’t be thinking like that. Any soldier is a man of his word and I’m a soldier.’
‘So, when are you going to tell her?’ Kevan said.
‘When I’ve worked something out,’ Niall replied. ‘I have an idea but I need to sleep on it.’ He lay back on the bed and placed his cap on his face as a shield from the light.
Chapter 6
For the next few days Aileen could hardly keep a smile off her face.
Even when she and Briana went with their two eldest brothers to help bale hay at O’Reilly’s fields, the grimace of exertion was somehow laced with pleasure. Briana told her she’d noticed. Fergus and Gerard probably noticed, but only Briana remarked on it, and if there was any jealousy it didn’t show.
At the end of the day they all walked home from O’Reilly’s, took some cooling water from the stone jug, and sat resting their weary limbs. Aileen had just closed her eyes ready for a catnap when Daddy, who had been unusually quiet, approached her.
‘Aileen,’ he said, ‘would you do me a favour and come outside for a moment, please?’ He smiled as he spoke, but it was an awkward smile, and he was just a little watery-eyed.