Fiona looked at the front of the blue airmails, checking the handwriting. She guessed one at least would be from Michael. It wouldn’t be the first time two of his letters came together on the same day. On this occasion, one was from him, with a Boston postmark, and the other, with the familiar New York postmark, was from Elizabeth.
Since her mother was sitting just across the kitchen from her, she decided to read Elizabeth’s letter first. She slid her thumb under the envelope seal and took it out. It was a fairly short letter, just the back and front of one page. Fiona’s eyes quickly scanned down one side of the pale blue paper, then turned it over to read the back.
“You’re not going to believe it,” she said, looking up at her mother. “Elizabeth is coming home for a wedding in October. A cousin from Wicklow. She’s coming for a fortnight’s holiday. The people she is working for are paying her air fare.”
“That’s great news altogether,” her mother said. “You’ll look forward to that. It shows you how easy travel is getting. I heard one of the women in the hairdresser’s talking about going out to see her son in Chicago.” She smiled at Fiona. “But you know more about travelling back and forward to America from Michael.” She nodded to the letter on the table. “It won’t be long until he’s here again. July, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it’s only five or six more weeks.”
“Did Elizabeth have any other news?”
Fiona looked down at the page in her hand. She wasn’t going to say anything, but since her mother had asked, and was looking at her she said, “She just added a little note at the end to say that Mrs Davis asked her to let me know that the other girl who took my job is leaving at Christmas. She said that if I’m still interested to get in touch at the end of the summer, before they advertise the job.”
Nance looked directly at her. “And, are you still interested? Would you still like to go?”
Fiona’s gaze moved back to the letter. “I don’t know,” she said. “I’m not sure. I hadn’t expected the job to come up again, and I don’t know how things will be here with you, or between me and Michael...”
“Well,” her mother said, “you don’t have to make that decision right now, do you? Give yourself a bit of time and see how things go over the summer.”
Fiona nodded and looked out of the window, trying to think it through. Her mother was undoubtedly much improved. She was now back at work every day in the shop, doing what she had done before their father had died. She looked much better, and she was fitter than she had been in a long time. The doctor had advised her to start walking every day, and to take up some interests in the evenings.
Fiona had not imagined that her mother would do either of those things but, surprisingly, she and Mrs Mooney had started walking for an hour together every morning, after breakfast. They did a circle around the town and out the Charleville Road.
And even more surprisingly, her mother had joined a local amateur drama group. Her friend Nora helped to produce the shows, and she had asked Nance if she would help out as a prompter. At first she had been unsure, but after reading the script over and enjoying it, she decided that it would be something that wouldn’t require too much pressure and would get her out in the evenings.
Her mother was so busy with rehearsals now that Fiona was in the house in the evenings more often on her own than not. On the whole, things were much improved, but not enough, she thought, to consider leaving her on her own in the house and shop.
Her mother suddenly cut through her thoughts. “This is a strange letter from the convent,” she said, “and it’s from the Mother Superior. She is asking if the parents can come early on Friday morning to collect the girls in Bridget’s class for the summer. She says that if possible it has to be the parents or guardians as it’s of the utmost importance.” She put the letter down and looked at Fiona. “What do you make of that?”
Fiona raised her eyebrows. “I was going to drive over and collect her myself, but I think we better go together.” She picked up her letter from Michael, which she planned to read in the privacy of her bedroom, then she stood up. “I’ll go upstairs to finish getting ready for work now.”
“I’ll be down as soon as I’ve had my walk,” her mother said, looking at her watch. “Mary Ellen should be finished the breakfast down at the pub now. She only had one fellow to cook for. I’ll put my coat on now and meet her down there. It will save her the walk up.”
“She’s done well,” Fiona said. “She told me she’s lost nearly a stone already.”
“It’s the walking,” her mother said, smiling at her. “I think it’s helping us both.”
On Friday afternoon, Fiona and her mother and Bridget walked up the path to the house and came in. The two girls went straight into the sitting-room, while their mother went to put the kettle on to make them all tea.
“Are you okay?” Fiona asked her sister again.
Bridget nodded, her face white and strained. “It’s just the shock,” she said, tucking her blonde hair behind one ear. “Our whole year being dismissed. Fifteen girls being sent home and told there’s no place for us next year. I’ve never heard of it happening before.”
Their mother came in now, and went over to put her arms around Bridget. “You’ll just have to try not to worry about it. You’re off now for the summer, whatever happens. Try to put it out of your head.”
“But the nuns didn’t tell us anything. I don’t understand it – I never even got a chance to talk to the other girls.”
“They didn’t tell the parents much either,” her mother said. “I told you that in the car coming home.”
“What was it they said again?” Bridget asked. “I couldn’t take it all in when you were talking in the car. Can you tell me again?”
“Mother Superior just said that several serious incidents had occurred over the year between some of the girls – both in the convent, and at home – and they felt it had affected the quality of the training of all the aspirants in that year. She said that some the girls’ vocations were now in question, and they had taken advice from the main convent. They were advised to just dissolve the whole class.” Nance’s brow wrinkled, as she tried to remember. “She said while the main problem was caused by only two girls, the bigger problem was that a number of the girls in your class knew that something was going on, and helped keep it a secret.” Nance shrugged. “She kept going on about the secrecy thing, which the convent felt had completely broken the trust.”
Bridget threw her hands up in frustration. “But they questioned us all a few weeks ago, when Mother Superior brought us all in one by one, and I told them anything I knew.” She thought about how she had told the nuns about the letter in the wall and how she had seen the farmhand taking it. “It wasn’t much, but I told them.”
Nance patted her daughter’s shoulder. “I have a feeling it was something more serious than anyone knows. But they said it was confidential, and that it was between the two girls and their parents. I suppose they have to respect that.”
“What am I going to do?” Bridget asked. “I don’t want to give up my vocation. I still want to be a nun.”
“There’s nothing we can do about it,” her mother said. “We can’t argue with the nuns – especially that Mother Superior. Their minds are made up on it. They’ve said it’s up to the girls who feel they still have a vocation to apply to other orders now, so we can look at different ones over the summer, and see if you can find a place somewhere else. It’s not as if you were involved with the two girls, I don’t see why you should suffer because of them. We can talk to Father McEvoy. I’m sure he will advise us.”
“Or Father Fahy,” Fiona said. “I think he’s more open in his thinking.”
Bridget looked from one to the other and gave a great sigh. “I can’t believe it. My whole future is up in the air now – all my plans. I don’t know where I’m going to be or what order I’m going to be in – if any order will take me.”
“Bridget,” Fiona said, “don�
��t worry about it. It will work out. You’re exactly the right sort of person that is suited to be a nun, and I’m sure one of the other convents will be delighted to have you.”
“Do you think so?” Then she put her hands up to her mouth. “Oh, I’m sorry, Fiona! Going on about my future when all your own plans to go to New York had to be cancelled.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Fiona said. “Things have a way of working out, and some things just take a bit longer than others.”
Their mother stood up. “The kettle will be boiling – I’ll go and get us all a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake.”
After she left the room, Bridget turned to Fiona. “There’s something else. I need to speak to you and Angela together.”
“What is it?” Fiona said. “Is it something to do with those girls at the convent?”
“No, it’s nothing about that.” She could see Fiona was worried now. “Look, it’s something I just need to sort out and get some advice about. It’s complicated...and I’d rather wait until I can talk to the both of you.”
“Okay,” Fiona said. “As long as it’s not something very serious?”
“It’s nothing that can’t wait a few more days.”
“I can ring Angela this evening and maybe we could drive up to see her on Sunday. I haven’t seen her since she came back from England, and I know she wants us to go up to see the new place she is living in out in Ballsbridge. Mam is out in the afternoon at a drama rehearsal, so she won’t mind us being out. Isn’t it great she’s out and about herself now?”
“Mam is the best I’ve seen her in a long time,” Bridget said. “Thank God she’s back to her old self. When I saw her at Easter I’d almost given up hope of that happening. She was really bad with the shingles, wasn’t she?”
“She was,” Fiona said. “Hopefully, it’s all in the past.”
The sound of their mother’s heels came tapping along the hallway.
“We’ll get a chance to talk about it on Sunday when we’re all together,” Fiona said.
Nance came in and put the tray down on the table. She gave a cup of tea to Fiona. “So, you’re in the bar tomorrow afternoon and evening while Patrick is at his cousin’s wedding in Athlone?”
Fiona nodded. “Yes, I offered to do it. There’s nothing particular on tomorrow night, and if you can give me a hand we should manage it between us.” She took a sip of her tea. “Isn’t he an awful man that he wasn’t going to go? I only found out about it when Mrs Mooney mentioned it to me. She was saying that all Patrick’s family were going but him.”
“He didn’t say anything about it to me either.” Nance handed a cup and saucer to Bridget now, and a side plate with a slice of chocolate cake. “I wonder if he thought we couldn’t manage without him?”
“No,” Fiona said. “Mrs Mooney said she thought it was because he had no one to take to it, and the others all had partners.”
“Well, he won’t be on his own – all his family will be there.” Nance sat down with her own tea now. “At least the day out will do him good.”
Chapter 43
On Saturday morning, Fiona waited until her mother went to her hair appointment at eleven o’clock to ring Angela from the shop. Angela was delighted to hear from her, and glad that her mother was continuing to make a good recovery and was back at work.
“She’s been very good ringing me more often,” Angela said. “In fact, she’s made more effort since that weekend she was in hospital than she’s ever made.” She paused. “And how is the romance going?”
“Great,” Fiona said, “apart from the fact he’s on one side of the Atlantic, and I’m on the other.”
“Hopefully, it won’t be for too long.”
“He’s definitely coming in July, so I’m looking forward to that. And we’ll see how we get on.” She stopped for a second, seeing someone passing the shop window, wondering if they were coming in, but they passed on by. “The reason I rang is to see if Bridget and I could come up to visit you tomorrow? I’m sorry it’s short notice, but we wanted to come on our own, and Mam is out at a drama rehearsal.”
“I think that’s fine for me. What time were you thinking of?”
“Would around three o’clock suit? We’ll have our lunch at one, so we can leave after that.”
“Could you hold on for two minutes?” Angela asked. She came back, sounding a little breathless. “Yes, that will be absolutely perfect for me. We’ll have a nice afternoon tea, and catch up on all the news.”
“Before we do, just to let you know that Bridget’s class have all been dismissed at the convent school.” She quickly filled Angela in on the bones of the story. “Mam is planning to ring you later to tell you all about it, so I’ll leave it to her to tell you the details. And no doubt Bridget will tell you more about it tomorrow. Apparently Bridget has something else she wants to talk to you and me about, so she’ll be delighted we’re seeing you tomorrow.”
“I’m really looking forward to seeing you both,” Angela said. “I think you’ll really like Moorhill House. I hope you do, because I absolutely love it.”
As Fiona put the receiver back in its cradle, she thought how well Angela sounded. She was the most relaxed she’d heard in a long time. And it occurred to her that she had been much better about Mam since that awful weekend, it was almost as though it had brought them a little bit closer. And the new job certainly sounded as if it suited Angela very well. She had been full of stories about the old house in Cheshire and then the trip down to London.
Her mother arrived back from the hairdresser’s sooner than usual.
She stood at the door. “What do you think?” she said, turning around.
“I don’t believe it!” Fiona said. “You’ve had it all cut off!” She stared in silence for a few moments, taking it in. “It’s absolutely gorgeous – a short bob really, really suits you. It takes years off you.”
“Maggie and the girls in the salon said the same.” She came into the shop now, patting the back of it. “I’m delighted with it, and it will be easier to manage myself. I’m getting too old to have it long now, and I was fed up pinning it up.”
“It’s lovely. I didn’t know you were thinking of having it cut.”
“I was sitting waiting to have it done,” Nance said, “and I was just looking through a hairdressing magazine when I saw a picture of this style, and I just took a notion to have it done. Maggie was in an awful rush this morning, so one of the other girls did it. Maggie was actually under the dryer herself – one of the other girls had put rollers in her hair. As I was leaving, she came out to the door to tell me how well the bob looked on me, and to give me a little bit of news.”
“Oh,” Fiona said, “what was that?”
“You’ll never guess – she’s going to the wedding with Patrick.”
“What?” Fiona said. “Oh, my God...how did that come about?”
“Seemingly, Maggie went down to the bar last night – to the snug – to get a bottle of peppermint cordial. Don’t ask me why she wanted that, but they got chatting and then he asked her. She looked delighted with herself.”
Fiona remembered the night in the bar, the night she met Michael for the first time. “I’m delighted for them, too. I think they would make a nice couple.”
“Well, it will be interesting to see where it leads, if anywhere.” Nance went over to the little mirror on one of the shelves. “I didn’t need my hair coloured today, but I said I’d have a tint in it next week as well as the wash and blow-dry.”
“Good for you,” Fiona said.
“I’m not letting myself go again.” Her mother lifted her eyes to the ceiling and sighed. “I’ll never get over the state my hair was in when I was in hospital last month. The length of the grey roots – I looked like an old witch. That will never happen again. My hair will be blown dry twice a week from now on and coloured every month.”
Fiona smiled. Her mother was definitely getting back to her old self.
Chapter 44
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Sunday was cool for June, and a generally dull day. As they pulled into the driveway of Moorhill House, Fiona could see Angela watching for them by the window.
By the time they got out of the car, she was at the front door waiting to greet them.
“What a place!” Fiona said, as she came towards her. “It’s beautiful.”
“Huge,” Bridget said, looking around her. “I didn’t realise it was so big.”
“Come inside,” Angela said. “I have a nice fire in the sitting-room.”
“I’ve a box of groceries that Mam sent for you,” Fiona told her. “They’re in the boot.”
“Oh, that was good of her. We’ll get them in later.”
The girls had a quick look around the hall and then Angela brought them down to her private quarters. They sat down on the deep sofa and chairs in front of the marble fireplace, and then she went along to the kitchen to let Eileen know that the girls had arrived. She went back to join them, and then a short while later there was a knock on the door and the major came in.
“I hope you don’t mind my intruding?” he said, smiling over at Angela. “I thought I might just come and introduce myself to the ladies before you have your tea.”
“Not at all,” Angela said, getting to her feet. “Girls, this is Major Harrington, who I work for.”
“Edward, please,” he said. “We don’t need the formalities.”
“This is my older sister, Fiona, who I’ve told you lives at home in Tullamore and works in the shop.”
The major came to shake hands with Fiona and then when Bridget was introduced he did the same.
He stood chatting to them for a few minutes, telling them about his friend who lived outside Birr, and how he hoped to come down to Tullamore at some point to see the exact area where the hot air balloon had crashed. Fiona told him that one of her friends lived in the same street, although the houses were different as the original ones had burned down.
A Letter From America Page 37