Mr. Daily went to the front of the classroom. It was near the end of the day and time for announcements about the next day’s activities and homework assignments. “In two weeks, we will have the all-school science fair,” he said. “In three days, I want your ideas of what you want to present for that day. The project will have a written and spoken presentation and a visual model—drawings, objects, anything that can be made or used so people can see what you are talking about.”
Ellen was excited beyond belief. She immediately thought of the carved ivory human skeleton in her father’s office he shared with Dr. O’Neill at the hospital. If they could let her borrow that, she could draw and label each and every bone in the human body. How perfect would that be for a science project? Extraordinarily perfect, she thought, her excitement soaring.
Ellen and Sean walked home from school together. His sisters Maggie, a third grader, and Alice, a first grader, followed not far behind.
Sean nudged her with his shoulder, knocking her off balance. “Ye’re quiet this afternoon, Ellen.”
She smiled and shoved him just a little harder, knocking him off the slate sidewalk. They laughed. “I was just thinking,” she said, “about what I was going to do for the science fair. I’m going to keep it a secret.”
“Girls don’t usually participate in the science fair,” he said.
“This girl will.”
“Well then, good luck with it.”
As they approached Sean’s house, they paused. Maggie and Alice ran inside.
Sean hung his book strap on the gate and said, “come on, I’ll walk ye home.”
“Let’s have pie and milk when we get there,” Ellen suggested.
Sean walked in silence for a few moments. “Do ye want to work as partners in the science fair, Ellen?” he said at last. “I’m an excellent artist, if ye have drawin’ in mind.”
“Are partners allowed?”
“As long as ye indicate who did what work, partners are fine.”
“I want to be an equal partner.” She emphasized the word ‘equal.’ “I want it to be known that it’s my original idea and given credit for everything I do.
“Take it easy,” Sean said, amused. “What are ye, one of those suffragettes?”
“If you mean do I want all women to have voting rights, yes.” She was serious, but joined in his amusement.
“All right, Susan B. Anthony. Tell me yer science fair idea.”
“How do you know about her?”
“Me mam told me.”
~~~
The night before the science fair Ellen and young Sean were at the Dady house finishing up the loose ends of their skeleton project. They were working at the dining room table, which was covered with a large oil cloth. The chandelier was blazing. There were pairs of scissors, scraps of paper, string, a pot of black paint, and homemade paste. The table and floor were littered. Young Sean had been able to create some very nice pencil drawings. They had taken different areas of the skeleton and labeled the drawings with Latin names, starting with the skull, moving to the torso, and then the extremities. They made books out of the drawn sections, similar to an anatomy text. Their fathers were allowing them to borrow the ivory skeleton for their exhibit. It would be delivered to the school auditorium the afternoon before.
While Sean illustrated the bones, Ellen looked up their names and made labels in Latin, along with their more common English names to glue on Sean’s drawings that went into the books. They cut out and painted letters that would be attached to the wall in the auditorium where the science fair would be set up. The letters spelled THE HUMAN SKELETON, by Ellen Mattson and Sean O’Neill, Sixth Grade.
As they finished and were cleaning up the last of the mess, Eva came over to the table. “Everytink look so nice,” she said with pride, fingering the books.
Ellen and Sean grinned at each other.
~~~
The next afternoon, Liam arranged for some time off. He and Eva left Liisa with Molly O’Neill and went to the science fair. There were many fine exhibits, from an erupting volcano, to wild animals of Montana with taxidermy examples, to a miniature steam engine built by a group of senior boys. The last exhibit was set up outside since it needed coal to heat the water.
Liam spotted Ellen and young Sean. “Which one is Mr. Daily?” he asked them. They pointed him out.
Liam went over to Mr. Daily and introduced himself, expecting him to make some comment about Ellen's participation in a mainly male realm. He wasn’t disappointed.
“I’m surprised you let your daughter participate,” Mr. Daily said. “This is boys’ territory.”
“I encourage her to do what she desires. She wants to excel in academics and that’s what I support. Times are changin’, Mr. Daily. I’ll not have either daughter of mine thinkin’ their role in life is simply ornamental or second rate. They have quite a bit to offer the world.”
Mr. Daily gave Liam a look of indignance. “I’m wondering who actually did the work between the two of them.” He jerked his head in the direction of young Sean and Ellen.
“I’ll have ye know, it was her idea originally. Sean did the art work while Ellen did the research and writin’.”
Liam got a look of incredulity from the condescending bastard.
“Are ye thinkin’ me a liar, Mr. Daily?” Liam spoke softly and evenly, subtly changing his position to face Daily straight on.
Daily lost his composure, seeming to realize that Dr. Dady was not going to stand for any falderal about his stepdaughter.
“From now on, Daily, I want to hear nothin’ about you discouragin’ my daughter in any way, shape, or form. She’s a brilliant girl. You’d see it if ye’d just shut yer pie hole about boy’s territory or girl’s territory.”
Liam held his stance and eye contact. Mr. Daily was the first to look away. Liam knew it was a sign of submission. Daily opened his mouth to say something, but closed it.
“I do believe we’re done with this conversation,” Liam said. “I would like to go see my daughter’s and her friend’s exhibit, if ye’ll excuse me.”
Satisfied that he’d gotten his point across, Liam walked away to join Eva at the exhibit table. He loosened his tense neck muscles as he consciously put on a “father face,” pleased with the children’s hard work. The elder Sean had come as well, and all were proud and happy at the human skeleton exhibit.
Ellen and Sean gave a talk on their project each time a group of judges came to their exhibit. They both were audible, clear, and confident. The judges were a group of business owners and town government members. All were men. All of them knew Dr. O’Neill, who in turn introduced the judges to Liam and Eva.
“Your daughter seems to be an anomaly,” one of the businessmen said to Liam and Eva. “We never see girls participating. Having daughters myself, I’m impressed.”
“Tank you,” Eva said with pride.
“She’s goin’ far,” Liam said. “We already see that in her. She’ll blaze trails, I know it. Perhaps yer daughters will too.”
“Good for you, Miss Mattson,” the businessman said to Ellen.
Ellen gave him a natural yet charming smile. “Thank you, Sir,” she said.
~~~
Eva was in high spirits on the walk home, because her daughter seemed like she was in seventh heaven. She watched as Ellen and young Sean walked ahead, bumping and pushing each other. She and Sean had won first prize in their age group. Eva and Liam, along with elder Sean, walked behind the kids. She also listened while her husband and his new friend chatted. All afternoon, Eva had strived to hide her uncomfortable feeling that elder Sean seemed to be harboring feelings for her, and had been for a while. She could tell by the way he watched her whenever the families were together for Sunday dinners. Eva had seen his unending gaze on her today at the Science Fair. She wondered if Liam had seen it. If he was aware, he was not saying a thing about it. She shook off her discomfort, vowing to stay close to Liam whenever the families were together.
“As am I,” Liam said.
“Vhat you talk to Mr. Daily ’bout, Liam?” Eva asked.
“I saw that interesting exchange, Dady,” elder Sean said.
“He gave me grief about girls bein’ in the science fair, so I wanted to let him know I was expecting him to encourage Ellen to express herself academically with no barriers put forth by him or anyone else.”
“Ye didn’t threaten him, did ye?” Sean senior asked, with a wry half-smile.
“Who me?” Liam quipped. “I’m a doctor. I took an oath to do no harm.”
Eva watched them both glance at each other, the two men smiling with conceit like younger men. Eva took Liam’s proffered arm, giving an audible sigh. She made eye contact with him in a scolding way. She understood well, men boasting dominance and prowess over other males. It was a universal trait, and it made Liam smile like an adolescent with his new friend, despite her non-verbal scolding. She couldn’t help grinning at his rare childish behavior.
~~~
Annie and Ed Murphy arrived in Helena the first week in October.
“Ye may as well stay with us,” Liam suggested before they left the train station upon arrival. “Especially since ye say yer daughter and her husband have so little room in their tiny house near the mines.”
“It shouldn’t be forever,” Ed said, accepting the offer.
“It can be lonk as you need,” Eva offered kindly.
“I’m just happy to be here,” Annie said, hugging Liam.
Colleen had showed up in a cab to greet her father and Annie. Richard was at work. She was invited for dinner at the Dadys.
The bruise on Colleen’s cheekbone was obvious.
“What happened to ye, darlin’?” Ed asked.
“Oh, I bumped into an open cabinet door,” Colleen explained dismissively, waving it off. “Nothin’ more.”
Liam sensed something not right about Colleen’s dismissal, but he was soon distracted by Annie’s comment about her gladness.
“I’m glad ye’re here too, Annie,” Liam responded, kissing her forehead. Out of the corner of his vision, he noticed the dark circles under Colleen’s eyes, like some war refugees have.
“I’m so happy, too, Grannie,” Ellen added, affectionately hugging the only grandmotherly figure she had in America.
“Where’s my wee selkie?” Annie said, becoming animated. She headed toward Liisa, who was in Eva’s arms.
Liisa squealed and leaned into Annie to be held.
Chapter 8
Liam thought that because they had the longest table, they would host Thanksgiving Dinner. He talked it over with Eva a few weeks before the holiday. They invited the O’Neill clan, Annie, Ed, Ed's daughter and son-in-law, and Sally’s family.
Eva was, for all intents and purposes, nine months pregnant. It showed in her overly big belly. Her ankles swelled easily and her back hurt after standing for a period of time.
Liam lectured her on Thanksgiving morning in their bedroom. “Eva, I know ye’ll want to help today but ye can’t, plainly.”
“But I vant to. It’s my house and I am—”
“Look at yer ankles right now.”
“Den I stay up here, and don’t come down.” She pouted.
“I can see ye start to dig yer heels in.”
“I don’t know vhat dat means.”
“Ye’re gettin’ stubborn.”
“Who is stubborn vone?” she said sharply.
Liam had a feeling this was going to be a difficult day. In his mind, however, he was going to be the victor in this conflict.
~~~
After Annie, Sally, and Molly O’Neill arrived to cook, Liam realized Eva had gone to the kitchen with them. He found her helping the women and ordered Eva to sit next to the fire in a club chair, bolstered with pillows and plenty of mehu, her feet on a hassock. Once she was settled in, he went to stand next to elder Sean near the game table in the corner of the parlor.
“Christ, Liam, are ye sure ye’re the father and not the giant from Jack and the Beanstalk?” elder Sean said. “I’ve never seen a bigger belly on a pregnant woman.”
“I can assure ye, Sean, I’m the father. And yes, I am quite the giant.”
Both of them smirked. Liam followed Sean to the group of drinkers where elder Sean took a refill of whiskey from Ed.
“She’s givin’ me the hairy eyeball,” Liam said, half guilty, half indignant.
“She’s not happy with ye,” elder Sean said. “I know that glare well meself. I’m drinkin’ as much as I can before Molly grabs the glass from me hand.”
“Then I’ll be the doctor on call,” Liam said. “Ye can’t go drunk.”
“I thank ye beforehand, then,” elder Sean said. He raised his glass to Liam and downed the double shot of Jamesons in a single gulp.
A short while later Liam took Ed Murphy off to the side to speak to him privately.
“I wanted to talk to ye as well, Liam,” Ed said. “Have ye seen Sean O’Neill have eyes for your Eva?”
“That’s why I pulled ye aside. Will ye say somethin’ to him for me? I don’t want to ruin our workin’ relations. I rather like the man, other than his lust for my wife.”
“I know just what to say. It’ll be all me. I won’t involve ye at all.”
“Thanks.”
~~~
Eva seemed overly irritated that Liam wouldn’t let her go anywhere near the kitchen. He kept catching her trying to sneak in there when he wasn’t looking. Eva told him he was being ridiculous, actually escorting her up and down the stairs to use the toilet, which, at this point in her pregnancy, was quite frequent. Colleen, Ed’s daughter, was just as pregnant and she, too, was propped up in a chair just like Eva’s next to the fire upon Liam the Physician’s directive. It was Colleen’s first baby and she had many questions for Eva.
“I should’ve had a toilet put in on the first floor this past fall,” Liam said to elder Sean and Alpo Sr. after the half dozen times he escorted Eva to the upstairs.
“Ve put toilet in sauna, Liam,” Alpo reminded him.
“Yes, but it’s also freezin’ rain out there today. The ice is treacherous. First thing this spring, we’ll have ye put a toilet on the first floor, Alpo,” Liam said.
Just then the telephone rang. Liam answered.
“I have to go in,” he called over to Eva. “A man cut himself carvin’ the turkey. He needs stitches. I’ll be back in an hour. Do not move, do ye hear me?”
He got no verbal response from Eva, just a glare. He left.
It didn’t take an hour, and when Liam arrived back forty minutes later, he found Eva in the kitchen. “Ye’re standin’ when I told ye not to,” he said though his teeth.
“Everybody lookink at you, Liam,” Eva said.
“I don’t give a damn.” He saw her face, noting that her heels were not only dug in, but buried. He took a deep breath and changed tactics. “Please, Eva. Please go sit.”
She went back to her chair.
“Yer bein’ rough on her, Liam,” Annie said, taking him aside in the backroom off the kitchen. What’s it about then?”
“Is it any of yer business?” he snapped. Then he felt ashamed. “I’m so sorry, Annie.” He took her into his arms. “I’m worried about her bein’ pregnant, and her health, and the stairs …”
“I can see yer fears, darlin’, but ye can’t make her sit this whole time.”
“Ye’re right. I’ll try to stop, and then talk with her tonight.” Liam kissed Annie on the forehead and let her go.
After, Liam’s scolding Eva slowed down, but didn’t stop.
~~~
When the O’Neills had arrived earlier, Ellen had escorted the children to her room. She had decided that she would do her own entertaining. She set up a plate of ginger cookies and mehu on her bedside table. They played most of the day in Ellen’s room, alternating between quiet card games and raucous jumpi
ng, screaming, and laughing.
At the present, the kids were all sitting cross-legged in a tight circle on the Turkish rug, playing a game of crazy eights. Liisa was in her crib, asleep with her thumb in her mouth.
Maggie and Alice hadn’t a chance to win the card game with the cutthroat playing between young Sean and Ellen. The pair always found anything they did together an opportunity for friendly competition. Games, horseback riding, school grades: everything was fair game.
“Let’s see who can eat the most pieces of pumpkin pie,” Sean suggested as they finished with cards.
“Fine by me,” Ellen said. “Hey, I found some scary stories in the library the other day by Edgar Allen Poe. Let’s go read them to each other.”
“Grand, but they won’t be scary to me,” Sean said confidently.
“Then I’ll read you The Telltale Heart,” Ellen said with equal confidence. “You can tell me how it makes you feel when I’m done.”
As the O’Neill brood stomped out of Ellen’s room, she checked on Liisa for a moment, saw she was fine, and ran to catch up with the rest. When they all thundered down the curved staircase like a herd of rogue elephants, both Liam and elder Sean, standing between the parlor and the large foyer with Ed Murphy, gave the group a sharp look and a “Hey! Slow down.”
Liam stopped Ellen at the bottom of the stairs. “Where’s Liisa?” he asked. “Did ye close the gates?”
“Da, Liisa’s sleeping in her crib, and I closed the gate up top.” She didn’t wait for a reply as she sped to catch up again. “I’m sitting next to Sean,” Ellen yelled. She shut the double doors of the library.
~~~
After the kids went into the library, Liam and elder Sean looked at each other.
“Do ye trust them, Liam?” Sean asked.
“Fer now, Sean, but I still keep a solid eye on them. I’m sure I make yer son more than a wee bit nervous.” Liam crooked one side of his mouth in a smile.
Sean mirrored the smile. “Good!” he said.
“While we can’t keep them from fallin’ in love, we can jam it into their heads—no babies before their lives can get goin’. Ellen still wants to go to medical school.”
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