“Sounds grand, Liam,” Ed said. He helped Annie off the step to the weather-worn wooden platform.
Much had happened since Annie’s arrival. Saimi and Liam had introduced her to Ed, a widower with no current prospects. One day, Saimi had taken her unawares to the soda fountain. Ed and Annie’s first date was going to Sunday Mass. After that, they were inseparable. Ed started to spend a lot of time with the Dadys, and Ellen got to know him as a grandfather figure. Liam and Ed developed a strong friendship. Whenever he visited Annie, Ed always made sure he had a conversation with Ellen about school and her interests. Ellen liked that a lot. It was the same with Grannie Annie. Ellen had become very close to both of them.
“Ye’re gonna be a beauty just like yer mother, Ellen,” Pappa Ed said once. “But that’s not all. Ye’re gonna go far with that brilliant mind, darlin.”
~~~
They headed into the lunch room at the station. Everyone was amiable, sitting at a rectangular table in the busy station diner. They ordered hot dogs and lemonade. Liam noticed how Annie was beaming, especially when Ed was talking. She’s really in love with him, Liam thought.
“Annie,” Liam said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen ye so happy before.”
Annie blushed and glanced at Ed.
“Since I came to work at the mansion, I don't think I ever was. Oh, here and there, things were fine, especially when I could parent ye and it made a difference. But I think back, and except for those few short years with my son, I really can’t say I’ve ever been this happy.”
“I’m pleased for ye, darlin’,” Liam replied.
After taking another bite of his hot dog, Liam glanced at his wife. Eva was looking pale. He hadn’t seen a menstrual cycle from her other than a light one about two months ago, roughly two weeks before Eva had thoroughly entertained him with that memorable extended sex romp at dawn. Liam figured that since Liisa had stopped nursing full time near her first birthday, Eva’s cycle had started and she was feeling her oats. He also observed her retreating inward periodically throughout the day, perhaps pondering the same thing. If she was pregnant again, that was fine with him. He had a moment of feeling sexually aroused at the possibility. He smiled to himself at how wanton he could become seeing her baby belly, for real, or in his mind’s eye. She’s so amazing, he thought.
He watched her enjoy the company in her animated state. He was looking past her physical beauty and into her soul. He remembered when he first met her, how overcome with anger she’d been at her husband and his infidelity. Then the profound despair that nearly killed her when Victor died suddenly with everything between them unresolved. Liam and Eva’s transformation through their healing together was nothing short of divine intervention. Now look at us with our own family and very much in love. Well, if she’s pregnant, we’ll know shortly, when she starts heavin’ her guts. It was a thought that brought a bit of guilt about her morning sickness, along with the pleasure of thinking about that early morning in March, or any of the vastly numerous times since then.
~~~
As she ate her hot dog, Eva wondered if she was with child for the second time with Liam. She glanced at Liam, who was looking at her. She knew what he was thinking, and exchanged that knowledge through her eyes. Her hand went to her lower belly, unnoticed by the others. Liam smiled, shrugged, and his eyes said, “That’s fine.” She felt at ease and took another bite of her hot dog. She impishly chewed as she kept eye contact, wanting Liam to think it funny. She got an ear to ear grin from him with her inside joke about eating for two again.
~~~
Ellen had thoughts going as she ate her hot dog and drank her root beer float, sitting strategically between Annie and her mother. What is going on between Mamma and Pappa? They have some secret they are sharing and I will, by the end of the day, know what it is, or I’m not Ellen Franciina Mattson. I wish I could have Dady as a name, too. Maybe I’ll ask them if it’s possible. No, I’ll stay with Mattson for my father. Will Annie have a baby, too? How old is Pappa Ed? He looks like a grandpa. He’s a nice man, and Annie seems to like him. I tink Mamma and Pappa are planning something, but I can’t figure it out. I hope it’s not having another baby. They sure spend a lot of time in their room with that latch hooked. What don’t they want me to see that I haven’t already? The baby’s in there. Why don’t they mind that she’s in there? Will I get married someday? Who will I marry? I hope it’s Arvid. Not Owen Miller. He’s so annoying. I’ll never tell Mamma I saw Arvid’s pee-pee when he peed behind the barn last juhannus. He didn’t care that he showed me. I didn’t care that he showed me. I saw Pappa Victor’s once, when he was with the lady who died. Why was it so big? Then he put it in her. That’s what Liam did to Mamma, and then Liisa was born. Maybe I’ll ask my teacher, Miss Lehto. She knows a lot. That’s what I’ll do. Ellen took an exaggerated sip of her root beer float through the wet, flattened paper straw.
~~~
Liam watched Ellen and could see the wheels turning inside her head as she looked from person to person. My God, what is that girl formulating in her mind? Only she and God know for certain, he thought. He could only guess. He cringed a little along with his amusement.
~~~
Annie MacDonald cried after the naturalization ceremony. Ed was more than happy to hold her. Liam, standing near, remembered the mixed emotions at his naturalization. Things were utterly different than what had been planned in the kitchen in Belfast, with those plans going so terribly wrong. He knew what Annie was thinking and he felt those emotions. He wanted to hold her.
“Congratulations, darlin’,” Ed said.
Annie let Ed hold her for a few moments, smiling affectionately with him. She then politely let go of him and turned to Liam, letting him wrap his arms around her. The ceremony was, in truth, the end of a long journey that had started more than six years earlier.
“Perhaps,” Annie whispered as Liam sobbed, “ye can have a sense of it bein’ over now.”
~~~
“Good, ve haff fiss boil,” Eva said. The group walked into the inn from the cold, blustery waterfront. Outside, it was just too chilly and windy to be enjoyable on the edge of foreboding, choppy Lake Superior. On one side of the inn was the dining room and on the other, a tap room, divided by a wall. It wasn’t a fancy place, since much of the clientele were sailors and dock workers.
It was two in the afternoon; the lunch rush was nearly done. There were just a few customers left in the dining room and several men at the bar in the tap room.
Eva felt uncomfortable. The smell of the tap room reminded her of her long-ago visit to the tavern to quell her anger with Victor. But, because she was so hungry, she was willing to forego any negative feelings for some melt-in-your-mouth, delicious fish chowder and hearty bread. As they sat themselves at a table in the big picture window, she looked at Liam. Something was not right with his expression. He looked as though he had seen a ghost.
Liam glanced at Eva. He appeared to be trying hard to regain his composure.
~~~
Jesus, Liam thought to himself. He felt sick to his stomach. Is that man at the bar who I think he is? He looks like one of Sheridan McKay’s thugs I remember hangin’ ’round all the time. The leather vest and newsboy cap give it away. What the hell is he doin’ in Duluth? Christ, I hope he hasn’t seen me. And if he has, would he recognize me?
Liam remembered the time he left McKay, running for his life. McKay was going to kill Liam for not winning a fight he was supposed to win in St. Louis. The money lost didn’t matter to McKay any more. From time to time in those years with him, Liam had scoffed at McKay and his absolute authority. That wasn't the issue. The permanent settling of scores would be foremost in McKay's mind.
When it came time for the McKay man to leave, Liam watched out of the corner of his eye. The man paused to put his cap on before opening the door. He didn’t glance at Liam when passing through the door. Neither did he look directly at him when he passed them sitting in full view in the wind
ow. But Liam couldn’t be absolutely sure, however, since he didn’t make eye contact. He took a deep breath when the waitress came up to the table.
Liam decided it was safer to assume McKay’s man had seen him. Liam didn’t know the guy’s name, a nefarious figure, always in the shadows around McKay. Now, it was only a matter of time before he would see McKay’s men in town. He would have to let Ed in on this. Perhaps Ed would have friends, not unlike Patrick O’Brien’s Catholic gang in Belfast. With hope, Liam and Ed could set up a look-out system, mostly to protect Eva and the children. Liam wouldn’t put it past McKay to kidnap children or wives to flush him out. He was dangerous, and merciless. Liam had seen what he was capable of. Many times, Liam had seen McKay whispering in the ear of men like the one Liam had just seen, and then hearing of someone coming to harm or death shortly thereafter.
Liam remembered flashes of a time in Kansas City where he’d had three challengers one night. Liam was supposed to defeat the first two handily and lose the third fight. The odds on the third challenger were about thirty to one. McKay had placed a large amount on the challenger secretly, and planned on winning big money. The manager of the venue caught wind that McKay was fixing fights and skimming from the venue’s winnings, and he confronted McKay on the issue. The manager turned up missing the next day. Two days later, his body was found dumped in a warehouse near the slaughter houses, beaten nearly beyond recognition. No evidence was found against the suspected perpetrator. McKay was gone with the next train out of town. The law knew who was responsible, but there were too many officials in McKay’s pocket who benefited monetarily from his boxing racket.
When Liam had lost that fight he was supposed to win, he had no doubt in his mind what McKay would do. Even in his drunken state, he was able to grab his belongings, get to the train station, and hop a train out of St. Louis without anyone seeing him. He just kept hopping trains until he arrived at the Mattson boarding house, hundreds of miles from McKay. Now, his past was coming back to haunt him, and he was putting his family and loved ones in danger. Inside, he was seething with anger—at himself.
Chapter 2
By mid-May, Liam was sure that Eva was pregnant. One morning, he was startled out of a peaceful early morning doze by Eva scrambling out of the bedroom to run to the privy. She didn’t make it out the door and was forced to use the kitchen sink. Liam went to her when he heard her retching. Ellen heard it, too, and emerged from her bedroom.
“I’ll get a vet cloth, Pappa. You get her to bed.”
“But, I haff to pee,” Eva squeaked.
Liam fetched her robe and took her to the privy. The early morning was chilly, but it promised a nice spring day. It was a tight fit, but each of them sat on one of the two holes in the bench. Liam had the child sized one.
Eva looked at Liam. “Don’t say nottink,” she warned.
“I won’t. But, don’t ye think—”
“Here ve go ’gain,” Eva said. “I feel like I yust had baby yesterday.” She and Liam sat for several minutes.
“Yer one-woman sex orgy was successful last March. Congratulations, Mrs. Dady. I remember well how amorous ye were.” He was satisfied he was able to say something that maybe could make Eva smile, but she wasn’t paying attention.
“Are you happy, Liam?”
“I’m happy. I’m all right with it,” he said. “I am all for children, as long as you are. We are still young and healthy, you especially.” He looked impishly at her. “And ye’re fit, with those child-birthin’ hips of yers. You just popped Liisa out.” Liam laughed while Eva smacked him on his arm. She almost smiled.
“Dere vas no ‘pop,’ Liam Dady. Dere vas plenty hard labor.” She was still a bit grumpy.
“Come here, darlin,” Liam said. He gave her a soft kiss, the kind he knew made her melt. When it ended he said, “Now, there’s my girl.”
“Don’t try to be funny, yust kiss me like dat.”
“I love ye, Eva, and I’m glad we’re havin’ another baby.” He spoke into her hair. “You liked the kiss.”
“Yes, I did. Vhy you say dat?”
“I could feel ye relax.”
She dampened his ear with a heavy sigh.
~~~
After cleaning themselves, they went in to wash at the kitchen sink. If there was one thing Liam had taught everyone at the boarding house, it was better hygiene practices, especially when Ellen had had the influenza. Annie, Eva, and Saimi got into the habit of washing before food preparation. Annie even passed the information on to Ed in the kitchen at the soda fountain.
“Wash with soap and very warm water,” he would remind everyone, specifically after toileting. “That kills and washes away a lot of germs.”
Now that Ellen had made up her mind she was going to be a doctor, Liam and Eva would watch her at the kitchen sink, washing as though she was prepping for surgery.
“She looks quite serious about being a physician,” Liam would say to Eva, who would beam with pride.
~~~
Liam was attentive towards Eva that morning, her first sick morning for the next few weeks. He helped her wash up and get dressed. At first she protested, but then she relented to his need to pamper her.
He is happy, she said to herself, but he feels guilty that I am throwing up because he made me pregnant. And it’s not going to go away any time soon. I hope he’s not going to be so overprotective this time.
As he buttoned up her blouse, she cupped his face in her hands and stared at him. He avoided looking at her and kept up the buttoning until he was finished.
“What?” He finally looked into her eyes, seemingly irritated.
“I luff you, but I can dress myself. I like vhen you take dem off.” She brought his face to hers and kissed him.
“I can’t promise ye I’ll be less protective. But we can take it one day at a time.”
She felt her heart sink a little.
“I saw what just happened in yer face, and I’m sorry,” he whispered. He took her face in his hands and kissed her back. He finished dressing and went to the kitchen.
~~~
Liam did not tell Eva that he had talked to Ed about the dangerous man who was after him, that Ed had men watching the house and the train station now, and that it wasn’t a matter of if McKay or his men would show up, but when.
I haven’t a fuckin’ clue as to what my plan is, Liam said to himself, his anxiety mounting day by day.
As far as Eva was concerned, he thought it was better that she be blissfully ignorant than knowledgeable and worried to death. She’ll be angry as hell when she finds out I’ve been keeping this information from her, but perhaps her anger won’t last long. He would blame it on wanting to protect her, which was absolutely true. I hate doing this, lying to her. He seethed inside again.
~~~
Liam was aware that Ellen was involved in a few events at the Mid-Summer Festival. She and her best friend Katia were in a group that would be performing traditional Finnish dances. She was scheduled at eleven in the morning. She also had entered some weaving projects: a table runner and a rug in her age category. Eva had been teaching her how to weave.
It was blistering hot and sunny on the first day of summer in the North Country.
“How can it be so severely cold here in the wintertime,” Liam puzzled, “and be so damned hot in the summer?”
No one could answer him. It was just that Eva was so sick and the heat didn’t help.
Eva had been severely sick with this pregnancy, but bound and determined to be at her daughter’s performances. She had dressed in her lightest summer suit. Liam had to support her physically while Annie held an umbrella over her. Her nausea had been debilitating. She was light-headed if she wasn’t lying down. A few weeks prior, Liam brought home an I.V. line and put her on fluids for a day or two.
Annie and Ed had come along to the Festival. So had a group of Irish cronies of Ed, under the guise of curiosity, to keep an eye out for nefarious characters. Liam thought the good g
uys were a bit nefarious looking themselves, but he was glad for them.
As soon as they arrived, Liam turned to Ellen. “As soon as yer dancin’ is finished, I’ve got to take yer mother home, out of this heat.”
“I don’t like this baby making Mamma so sick, Pappa,” Ellen said.
“I’m sorry, though it really isn’t the baby’s fault. It’s just a symptom from the baby being new. Mamma’s body needs to get used to it. It should be over soon. Mamma’s almost four months.”
“I wordy, you know, Pappa. Mamma needs caring.”
“Then you and I are a team, and we will care for her.” Liam was touched by Ellen’s concern for her mother, a carryover from her days when Victor was sneaking around behind Eva’s back. He knew Ellen would do anything where her mother’s safety and happiness were concerned. He witnessed it after the fact with Eino's attack. Ellen had been fearless. “But, first, you dance for Mamma,” he said.
“All right, I do it.”
There was a group from Hibbing that danced before Ellen’s troupe. When it was her turn, she stood poised and determined among her group of about ten girls, at the ready for the music.
Liam was impressed with her grace and ability. When her dance was over, she raced to her mother.
“Ellen, you looked beautiful,” Eva said in Finnish. “Everyone in Finland would’ve been proud.” Eva interpreted in English for Liam what she had said to Ellen.
“Mamma, I tink you should go home now. Liam and I will take you.”
“But don’t you vanna stay vit Katia? You planned it. Den you and Katia come to our house tonight. Annie and Ed say dey stay vit you. Saimi, too. Look, Arvid is here. You stay,” Eva coaxed. “Pappa vill stay vit me. I am fine vit Pappa.”
Ellen looked at Liam. He gave her the all-right wink.
Eva and the Irishman Page 56