Hers were hard at work studying his.
“Oh, aye, I mean it,” he said.
“I belief you.” She continued to study his face, all the while holding his penis. She started to smile. “I luff you.”
He gave her a sweet kiss. His eyes twinkled. “I love ye, too, and it would be nice if ye let go my cock before I’m fully ready to ravish ye again.” He looked down at himself. “Too late.”
They both laughed. She let go. He pushed her to her back and crawled between her legs anyway.
Chapter 18
“The Sleepin’ Beauty has awakened,” Liam chirped from the parlor. He stood up and walked to Annie at the bottom of the stairs, kissing her on the cheek. “It’s nearly eleven. Eva’s got a breakfast for ye. Finnish pancakes, bacon, and eggs.”
Annie greeted Eva, who was sitting with Liisa on the parlor sofa.
“Where’s Ellen?”
“Gone to church vit Saimi,” Eva answered.
Liam took Annie into the kitchen, sat her at the table, and began to serve her.
“Is this the custom, then, where ye’re servin’ me every mornin’?” They smiled at each other, “because if it is, then I’m all for it. The cookin’ smells grand.”
“Don’t get used to it. Today I’m not on call so I don’t have to go anywhere.” He smiled at Annie.
“As I was washin’ and dressin’, I thanked God you are here, otherwise I’d be in the middle of nowhere by meself. Why on earth did ye come so far north?”
“That is a good question. I just kept hoppin’ trains from St. Louis, and here I am.”
Eva came into the kitchen and sat down, holding Liisa on her shoulder. Eva turned Liisa in her lap so the wide-eyed infant could see the world around her. Annie and Liam became enthralled with Liisa and her sweet ‘Liam-face’ smiling at them.
“She’s such a sweet babe,” Annie said. “I still can’t get over how she has the look o’ ye, Liam.”
Liam had gotten coffee for himself, Eva, and Annie. He smiled at Annie.
“Ye’re not eatin’ then?” Annie said.
“We had our meal earlier, while ye were catchin’ up on yer sleep. It’s quite an epic journey from Europe to America.”
Annie smiled. “I still feel like I need another week of solid sleep to catch up. What a time that was, gettin’ here.”
“Are ye up for a short walk to the lake, about a quarter mile from here? Eva suggested we go, you and I, to talk. We can stay as long as the rain holds out.”
“You take umbrella in case,” Eva said. “I stay here to cook dinner vit Liisa.”
“It’s a grand idea,” Annie said. “Let me finish these delicious pancakes, though. They’re meltin’ in my mouth. Pass me the preserves, Liam.”
~~~
Thirty minutes later, Liam and Annie were strolling through a field full of spring flowers, a blanket of pastels still wet with the morning’s earlier rain. They had suddenly gone quiet with each other. Liam knew that the things they were to talk of were going to be painful. As they entered the wooded path, Annie started first.
“I saw yer mother in the city center a week or so before I left. She invited me for afternoon tea in one of those nice tea rooms.”
“Did ye join her, then?”
“Aye. She seemed rather contrite in my presence. I didn’t have time to write about it, so I thought I’d tell ye in person. She informed me yer father died about a month before of a heart attack. She said he had heart disease for a while. It got worse after ye left.”
“I had no idea. How did she seem, and what’s she plannin’ to do now?”
“She said she’s still in the mansion, but it’s quite lonely there. She was thinkin’ of sellin’ it and buying a much smaller place. Perhaps she’d go to London, she said. She has had an older gentleman caller recently.”
“Hope it’s not some gold digger.” Liam then changed his thought. “Ah, well, what do I care? I’m out of the will anyhow. It doesn’t matter.”
“But it does, Liam.” Annie stopped walking and grasped his arm. “Ye’re not out of the will. Seems Lord Pirrie at Harland and Wolff wouldn’t set up yer Mam’s pension if yer father wrote ye out of his will. They knew by then yer Da was failin’, tryin’ to get all the details in order before he passed.”
“Jesus, ye’re not jokin’ with me, are ye, Annie?” He took hold of her arms.
“No, Liam. I am not. I heard it with me own two ears and saw who was speakin’. She wanted to know where ye were. I gave her yer address and a bit of news of ye. I didn’t tell her everythin’. I did tell her that Dolly had died in an accident and that some years later ye’d met someone and were married again, that ye had a baby. She seemed pleased for ye, Liam. She was startled to find out she was a grannie, though. I think it pleased her.”
“Hmmm.” He couldn’t see her bouncing any baby off her knee.
“All I could get from the whole conversation was that she seemed quite regretful, full of remorse about what had happened after her ‘fall from grace’ with the Belfast high society. But just how far back in time she went with that remorse, I couldn’t tell.”
As they came out of the woods, Annie gasped at the pretty lake. Even though the day was gray, they could see a thin bright band of clearing skies on the western horizon. They sat on the double swing, facing each other. The breeze had dried the benches.
“What happened to ye, when ye left New Jersey?” Annie asked.
Liam took a big breath and let it out through his nose. He knew he would be explaining things for quite a while. “After stayin’ in Jersey City for several days after—she was buried, I traveled to Chicago. I stayed there for a while, maybe a year. I moved around quite a bit, livin’ in flop houses and down-and-out hotels, and then a boardin’ house in the Irish section of the city. I still had money from my accounts that I transferred from Scotland, so I didn’t have to earn much of a livin’. That’s when I started to fight again. And drink. I couldn’t stand listenin’ to what went on in my head if I was sober. The fightin’ … I figgered was a form of punishment.”
“What de ye mean ‘punishment,’ Liam?”
“I blamed myself for her death.” Liam could not say Dolly’s name. “She had such vertigo on the ship. It was the last day, we were almost there, and I let her go to get her magazine in the room on her own.” He leaned forward, elbows on knees, head in his hands. “I was sleepy on the sun deck. She fell down a set of stairs.” He began to well up, choking on his words. “She—the uterus—tore … that’s what I guessed, and she bled to death.” He forced the words out. “They couldn’t … didn’t have the facility. I couldn’t do anythin’. She went so fast …”
In a flash, Annie was next to him, holding him in her arms as he sobbed. She sobbed as well, for him. “Jesus in Heaven, Liam, I can’t imagine bein’ you. How did ye get through Ellis Island?”
“I don’t remember most of it. I’d been sedated heavily. I was assigned a woman who was Irish, to help me through everythin’, and gettin’ the … remains … off Ellis. The lady arranged everything, includin’ a Catholic burial at a cemetery in Jersey City. Like I said, I’ve blocked a hell of a lot out of my mind.” He wiped his tears on his shirt sleeve.
“Just as well, darlin’, I wouldn’t want to remember. I had similar experiences with my passin’ husband, and son.”
Liam turned to Annie and put his hand on her cheek, remembering with her. He remembered how she told him about her son Conor dying. He wiped her tears from her cheeks.
“You were missin’ from me for more than four years,” Annie said. “What did ye do and where’d ye go? That’s if ye’re willin’ to say, Liam.”
“I got caught up in the fist fightin’ syndicate, lots of money, and lots of nefarious characters. I was always walkin’ a thin line with the bosses, snubbin’ ’em and never followin’ orders. Can’t tell ye how many times I nearly got my head stove in. They didn’t want to harm me too much, though. I was a cash cow for ’em. I won a lot, and I could throw a fig
ht, if they wanted me to.”
“How did ye manage to get here?” Annie asked.
“I was in St. Louis at a fight match. I was supposed to win a certain fight, but I got drunk and lost it. The boss, Sheridan McKay, was none too happy. He was comin’ for me and I knew this time he didn’t want me to stay alive. I was in the dressin’ room and overheard his thugs. I managed to grab my things, all my documents. I jumped out the window and ran for my life. I hopped a train before anyone saw and headed for Minneapolis. I stayed there for a few days on a binge. Somethin’ told me to keep goin’, even in my drunken stupor. I was gettin’ sick, too. I ended up here, on the train floor. By the time I arrived I couldn’t walk, I was so sick and drunk. The station attendants brought me here, to the boardin’ house, and Saimi and Eva nursed me back to health. They even got me through the alcohol withdrawal and I haven’t drunk since. Now what’s interestin’ is that Eva was havin’ marital problems with her husband of nearly ten years, Ellen’s father, with all sorts of extenuatin’ circumstances. She was as much a mess as I was only without the alcohol. He was extremely jealous of me and the minute I was better, he accused me of bein’ after his wife and sent me packin’.”
“Were ye, then?”
“To tell ye the truth, Eva and I were attracted to each other and he saw it plain and clear. I found Ed Murphy in town and stayed there. I was afraid to leave because I was hidin’ from a man who wanted my hide—still wants it. A few weeks later, Eva's husband died suddenly. I went back to take care of Eva, who was at the precipice of losing her will to live. I went at the doctor’s request.”
“Why did the doctor ask you?
“He told me up front, he thought Eva seemed better when I was there the first time, when she was takin’ care of me.”
“He saw the writin’ on the wall,” Annie said.
“Eva and I both went through immense grievin’ together, helpin’ each other, and fallin’ in love.”
“I think that is the sweetest story, even though it was serious for a while. Seems like you found another puppy to nurse to health.”
Liam smiled at the Dolly reference.
“Did ye resist at first?” Annie asked.
“Oh aye, even though we had … well … desires. . .” Liam blushed.
“Oh, aye. It was hard to keep yer hands off each other,” Annie said, grinning.
“Aye, Christ. Just look at her!”
“I have! Ye’re nothin’ to turn a nose up at either.”
He blushed again. “It’s not just the outer beauty, it’s her whole beauty. She’s quietly funny. She’s a wonderful mother, and now she’s my best friend.”
As they sat and talked, the sky became cloudless and the sun, moving into the western sky, began to shine on the lake, adding that jewel-like sparkle to the lake’s ripples. Liam noticed the sun, letting it warm his face.
“So, what about this McKay, then?” Annie asked.
“I don’t know. Knowin’ him, though, he’s probably keeping an ear and eye out for me. I lost him a lot of money that night. I look around every day for anyone that looks like a McKay thug. They wear leather vests like a uniform.”
“So, it’s not over with McKay. Does Eva know anythin’ about this?”
“Nothin’. She knows I used to fist fight, but that’s all.”
“Well, it may get interestin’, Liam.”
Liam took a big breath and let it out, knowing Annie was correct in her thinking. He leaned back on the bench, feeling a weight had been lifted now that he and Annie had talked. He noticed she seemed relieved along with him. She, too, was leaning back and relaxing, letting the sun shine on her face, eyes closed.
“We’ve been here for close to two hours. It’s dinner time; we should get back,” he said.
“I wonder what Finnish delights we’ll have for dinner,” Annie said, picking up her unused umbrella. She climbed off the big wood-framed, double swing with a hand from Liam, and they headed for home.
~~~
With Liisa in her arms, wrapped in a warm blanket, Eva watched Liam and Annie walk across the big field on their way to the lake. She was happy to see the two together. She smiled and turned to go back inside to cook. She had some chickens to roast and vegetables to peel. She thought about a peach pie or two for dessert, to be popped in the oven when the chickens were done. Everyone would be back from church by one o’clock or a little after.
As Eva put the chickens and vegetables in the oven a short while later, the horse and buggy with the church contingent arrived and pulled into the barn. Eva had to go to the sauna to fetch some clean kitchen towels left behind. She had Liisa in her arm as she walked to the outbuilding under the clearing skies letting the sun shine on her face.
She met the returning household members in the yard. Saimi asked if there was anything to be done in the kitchen. Ellen was running circles around everyone.
“Vhere’s Pappa and Annie?” she inquired.
“Dey vent to lake to be ’lone to talk. You stay here,” she said, preempting any ideas her daughter may have about heading out there.
At that moment, a strange yet familiar voice interrupted them. The voice came from behind her, as if that person were walking through the front yard. He spoke in Finnish.
“Hello, Eva. It’s been a long time since I saw you last. Remember? You didn’t want me to leave you.”
Eva spun around to see who it was. Her heart filled with shock, then dread at the horrifically unkempt sight of Eino Mattson. She hardly recognized him through the grime and overgrown facial hair. Those penetrating blue eyes were unmistakable, however. “Satan be damned,” she said and gasped. “How did you find me?” She shook her head. “Why did you find me?”
“I’ve always wanted to find you,” he said. “When I left you that day we made love, I knew someday I would find you. I knew you loved me.”
“As much as I did love you, we were never meant to be together.”
“Victor didn’t deserve you, the boy-whore that he was.” Eino spoke with biting vehemence. “Do you have any idea how many girls he’d been fucking since he was sixteen? And he kept it up even after he and you became more than friends.”
Eva's belly cringed. “I know, now,” she said sarcastically. “He’s dead, you know. He died two winters ago of a brain aneurism.”
He took his eyes from Eva and looked at the rest of the people in the yard. “The rest of you,” Eino warned the others, “will go inside now, or I’ll shoot you.” He pulled out a gun, showed it to them, then put it back into the pocket.
Saimi herded Ellen and the rest of the people inside, but she came back out to get Liisa. As she did so, she whispered to Eva, “Emil vill call Sheriff now,” and went back inside.
“What do you want?” Eva asked Eino, facing him.
“I want you, of course. I’ve come to take you with me.”
“You can’t. I’m married again. I have children. I don’t want to go with you. You are … ill.”
“I’m not that ill. I had six years in Karelia. After that, I’ve managed to support myself, on merchant ships, mostly.”
“Eino, I’m sorry. I can’t go with you. Now, you need to go.”
“I’m not going without you. I gave you up a long time ago. I’ll not do it again,” he said crossly. He walked toward her and grabbed her upper arm, hard. He pulled her to the bench outside the sauna, making her neck jerk, and pushed her to sit. She could smell the filth. His teeth were a yellowy-brown. His dark blond beard was knotted and grizzled. He was once considered the handsomest of his three brothers. Now he was a stinking mess, a mere shadow of a beautiful Mattson man. She would feel sorry for him, but that pity was overshadowed by fear of what was in his sick mind.
“You didn’t know that I saw you and Victor on your wedding day,” he announced.
“Why did you come back?”
“I almost killed him when you left him to eat his cake on the far side of the house. Some … one … stopped me.”
“Yo
u couldn’t. He was your brother.”
Eino ignored her. “I’m going to wait for your new husband to come back. Then I will shoot him dead and take you. You’ll be free then. I didn’t know Victor had died until I saw an old newspaper in Duluth with his obituary in it. I was in luck when I saw you last fall at the orchard. I couldn’t believe it.”
More dread passed through her as Eva realized she hadn’t been dreaming after that day at the orchard when she thought she’d seen Victor. It had been Eino in real life.
Eva’s throat dried as she tried to think of what to do next. When he was suddenly distracted by a noise in the barn, she lunged at him. “You will not kill anyone, Eino,” she hissed through her teeth.
“If I can’t have you, no one will then,” he cried. He clumsily pulled out his gun from his jacket. He lost control of it when Eva charged into him with all her might. The gun went off, and then flew about twenty feet away onto the grass. Without a weapon, he wrapped his hands around her throat.
~~~
Saimi and Ellen were watching from the kitchen door window. It all moved at lightning speed. Before Saimi could tell Ellen to get into her bedroom, Ellen was out the door, running towards the man who now had her mother pinned in a choke hold.
Ellen screamed and careened into the man attacking her mother. As she did so, it forced him to loosen his death grip on Eva’s throat, knocking him to his back. He yelled in surprise at the attack, got to his knees. He picked Ellen up by her clothing and slapped her hard across her face. She screamed again. He dropped Ellen on her side in the dirt.
Ellen looked up to see Saimi cock her arm with a frying pan and swing it as hard as she could, hitting Eino Mattson square in the head, rendering him no longer a deadly threat.
~~~
Liam and Annie were half way across the field when the gunshot sounded. Liam screamed bloody murder and ran, yelling again as he heard Ellen scream.
“Oh, Jesus,” was all Liam could say. He ran with all his strength to his family, not knowing what was going on or if they were being harmed, possibly by McKay’s men.
Eva and the Irishman Page 54