I smiled with pleasure. “A generous offer, Mr. Carlson. And at one time I would have jumped at the chance. But that would have been the old Sheila McGee. I’m a different person now. Thanks all the same.”
Mrs. McAteer glared at her brother and then at me.
“You’re nothing without this, miss.”
“Oh, you’re wrong, Mrs. McAteer. I was nothing while I had it. Now I’m free.”
She turned to her brother. “We can give it to Mary now,” she said. “Mary’s always wanted it.”
Mary spoke up. “No, Mother, I never wanted it. It was your idea all along. I hated being in that competition. Do what you want with it,” she said, nodding towards the tiara. “I’m going to marry George in spite of you and move as far away from you as I can.”
A hand on my arm made me turn around. It was Gavin.
“Come on, Linen Queen, let’s dance,” he said.
I followed him out into the middle of the dock. Paddy Moloney’s swing band, the same one that had played at the Linen Queen competition back in 1941, had struck up a slow tune, and Gavin took me in his arms.
“You couldn’t resist, could you?” he said, smiling.
“What?”
“Enjoying the limelight one more time.”
I laughed. “Well, the old Sheila isn’t dead altogether.”
It was about six in the morning when Gavin and I arrived at the foot of the Flagstaff. We waved good-bye to the people who had given us a lift out from the docks, and hand in hand we climbed together to the summit just as we had done when we were children. We sat down on the damp grass, leaning against our favorite stone bench. Gavin lit two cigarettes and handed one to me.
A ship’s horn echoed in the lough. Gavin stood up and walked to the edge of the land and looked out towards the horizon. I wondered what was going through his mind. Was he thinking of the Ashgrove, or his da? I left him alone with his thoughts. An image of Joel drifted into my mind. He appeared less often these days—only when I was in a place that held special memories. Like the Flagstaff. I glanced over at the big stone where he had played his fiddle. I saw him there now, playing a merry tune while children danced around him. I smiled.
Gavin came back and sat down beside me, stretching out his legs.
“I’m finished with the sea, Sheila,” he said sadly. “I’m going to take up my teaching studies again—try to do some good in the world for once.”
“Och, Gavin, you don’t mean that,” I said. “You belong on the sea.”
“Not anymore.”
The merrow poem Da had taught me came back to me. Creatures who belong on the sea never find peace when they are earthbound. I didn’t want that to happen to Gavin. My heart went out to him.
“You’ll change your mind someday,” I said. “I know you will.”
He smiled at me as if I were still the little girl he used to tease. “And what else do you know, Miss Sheila?”
I smiled back.
“A lot less than I used to think I did.”
Gavin reached for my hand. “Jesus, you’re freezing. Have you no gloves?”
I shook my head.
He pulled a pair out of his pocket. I sat up and put them on while he watched me. Then I placed my hand back in his and leaned against his shoulder.
The sun swelled in the sky, painting Carlingford Lough and the Clanrye River the color of marigolds. It set fire to the ruin of Narrow Water Castle and crowned the distant Mourne Mountains with a copper halo. As we sat without speaking, music drifted past us, carried on the breeze—fiddle music ancient as the stones that dotted this landscape. Overhead gulls circled and cried. Rabbits scurried in and out of bushes. A lone bird began to sing and then others joined in until their song reached a crescendo, reminding me of the spinners down at the mill. The beauty of this place stunned me into a belief in God. Once I had thought to leave it. Now I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else in the world.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Patricia Falvey was born in County Down, Northern Ireland. She was raised in Northern Ireland and England before immigrating to the United States at the age of twenty. Formerly a managing director with an international financial services firm, she now devotes herself full-time to writing and teaching. She divides her time between Dallas, Texas, and County Armagh, Northern Ireland. Her first novel, The Yellow House, was published by Center Street in February 2010.
ALSO BY PATRICIA FALVEY:
The Yellow House
Available from Center Street wherever books are sold.
Praise for Patricia Falvey’s Previous Novels
The Linen Queen
“Sheila McGee, the feisty young ‘Linen Queen,’ will touch your heart as she grows from a girl who values herself only for her good looks into a compassionate woman who discovers inner reserves of strength. A dramatic love story told against the backdrop of World War II in Northern Ireland.”
—Mary Pat Kelly, author of the bestselling Galway Bay
“THE LINEN QUEEN is an emotionally powerful book, and a joy to read. Falvey has a gift for creating realistic and very believable characters.”
—Frank West, book reviewer, Irish American News
“Within two days of receiving THE LINEN QUEEN, I finished reading it; thoroughly enjoying it as much as The Yellow House. Patricia Falvey writes a good story, it is an easy read, and she writes the type of book I especially enjoy reading. As I am reading, I visualize the story; an author that does that to me is GOOD! I think she has another success here with THE LINEN QUEEN. She is one of those authors whom I will always look forward to reading.”
—Diane Byrne, host of Echoes of Erin radio show, Pittsburgh
“Falvey does not disappoint with her second novel; she just reaffirms my conviction that she is by far one of the most gifted writers of our time.”
—PK Reeves, Aisle B Reviews
“Deftly rides the line between a fervently romantic love story and a heartfelt love letter to Northern Ireland.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Falvey well captures the frustrations of a small-town girl with big ambitions, making rueful comedy out of Sheila’s rivalries with her fellow millworkers. She also smoothly traces Sheila’s transformation from self-interested party girl to concerned citizen. A lively read for fans of historical fiction.”
—Booklist
“THE LINEN QUEEN takes the reader through an emotional ride as World War II transforms the lives of those in Northern Ireland.”
—Irish America Magazine
“THE LINEN QUEEN is a romance in the truest sense; it knows that love can’t conquer every ill, but if you make the right choices… Falvey’s young heroine discovers that happiness becomes a distinct possibility.”
—The Irish Voice
“Falvey’s characters balance each other nicely. While set in Ireland, the story’s location is not the main focus. The difficulties of life during wartime and balancing one’s desires and responsibilities are the main attraction.”
—Romantic Times Book Reviews; 4 out of 4 stars
“I loved the book and look forward to the next from this great author. I think this book would be enjoyed by the fans of World War II—and Ireland—themed stories. I highly recommend both of Patricia Falvey’s novels.”
—Celtic Lady’s Blog Reviews
“Lush scenes, filled with all the emotions of a war that beckons with no horizon in sight, this novel creates its own Irish lilt through Sheila McGee. Lovingly written, and just as poignant as The Yellow House.”
—TheReviewBroads.com
“Falvey is an outstanding and evocative storyteller; would recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction. I even believe she’s giving Maeve Binchy a run for her money for my favorite Irish author.”
—Read-all-over.net
The Yellow House
“The Yellow House is that great rarity, a book about Ireland written by an American who knows what she’s talking about. Intelligently plotted, with engaging
characters, the novel offers a fresh view of the highly dramatic Revolutionary Period in Ireland. The well-researched history illumines but never smothers the story line. Small details bring the era to life with stunning clarity. The writing is lucid and accessible, occasionally even lyrical. This is a very rewarding first novel and I look forward to reading more from Patricia Falvey.”
—Morgan Llywelyn, author of Lion of Ireland, Pride of Lions, Grania, The Last Prince of Ireland, and The Irish Century series
“The Yellow House is an eloquently written story of the emergence of hope and love in a time of struggle and confusion in Ireland. It avoids the ever-present pitfalls of drowning us in a history lesson while not ignoring the richness of that very history. With her debut novel, Patricia Falvey breathes life back into an Ireland that has nearly vanished from memory. For that, I am grateful.”
—Robert Hicks, New York Times bestselling author of The Widow of the South and A Separate Country
“You can often tell where a book’s plot and characters are going. But so many times I was astonished to find that what I expected on the next page was a complete surprise to me. Falvey held my attention with suspenseful events that constantly amazed me… The Yellow House is a powerful book, full of strongly drawn characters that exemplify vitality, humanity, and passion for life. They are so realistic, that early on I felt like I knew them.”
—Frank West, Irish American News
“Patricia Falvey draws on her North of Ireland roots to put a human face on the turning point in twentieth-century Irish history. A moving novel and singular achievement.”
—Mary Pat Kelly, author of Galway Bay
“This novel delivers the best of both worlds: secrets, intrigue, and surprising twists will keep readers flipping the pages, while Falvey’s insight and poetic writing tugs at the heartstrings of the most cynical audiences.”
—Publishers Weekly
“The Yellow House was extremely interesting from an educational perspective. It brings to life the struggles of individuals and communities seeking freedom.”
—Cecie O’Bryon England, Washington Times
“If you like historical fiction, with great flourishes of families destroyed and remade, this is a classic.”
—The Review Broads
“Falvey tells a good story along the way. A host of interesting characters, surprising but plausible plot developments, and deftly incorporated details of the Irish struggle for independence add up to a debut novel sure to please fans of historical romance.”
—Kathy Piehl, Library Journal
“Falvey very successfully weaves together the politics, history, and landscape of Ireland in this period… Falvey brilliantly illustrates the cultural, political, and economic conflicts that result in erecting Ireland’s North/South dividing border. The well-researched history of the period emerges through the characters, their conflicts, and their choices. The story is absorbing and satisfying historical fiction.”
—Sacramento Book Review and San Francisco Book Review
“The early scenes of Eileen’s and James’s lawless exploits for the Catholic resistance make for thrilling reading… The book serves as a provocative reminder of the tangled strings of family, war, and familial war, and also… as a splendid example of old-fashioned, minimal-bodice-ripping romance.”
—Joy Tipping, Dallas Morning News
“The characters are full, rich, and real and the history of Ireland feels authentic. The author refrains from delineating clearly between the good guys and bad guys. She allows the reader to make their own decisions and I liked that. The Yellow House is a winner. I just can’t shake the memory of it and that’s a good thing.”
—Andrea Sisco, Minneapolis Insight Examiner
“[O]ne of the best historical fiction novels I have read in years… I simply could not pull myself away from this book. It took me back to classics such as Gaskell’s North and South and the heroine Eileen had so many of the qualities that I have always loved in dear Tess of Hardy’s Tess of the D’Ubervilles. When one book can bring me back to two of my favorite books of all time that are both absolute classics, I am in awe. This book kept me emotionally invested until the very end… Wonderfully written, magically created, it could only come from a true Irish lass and to be her debut novel… amazing. I loved it… every page.”
—Stiletto Storytime
“It is rare for a first-time novelist to tackle historical events in as refreshing a manner as Patricia Falvey does in The Yellow House… Falvey controls the story, weaving her characters through the First World War and the Troubles, allowing the characters to be the masters of their own fate rather than falling back on history to guide the plot… Readers will be inclined to gluttonously scarf down this novel in one sitting as I did. Take your time reading The Yellow House; you’ll be sad to see the last page.”
—Irish America magazine
“Religious intolerance, political strife, and personal drama combine well in this historical novel whose themes are still relevant today.”
—The Hartford Courant
“Set in the tumultuous years before and after World War I, The Yellow House is an impressive debut that will appeal to readers of Irish family sagas. Falvey skillfully takes major events and reduces them to a personal level, focusing on the effects of World War I and religious unrest in Ireland on one woman and the people around her… Falvey steers clear of the stock characters that often plague novels set in Ireland. The love triangle between Eileen, Owen, and James, combined with the historical context, provides plenty of tension and keeps the story moving quickly… it’s hard not to root for [Eileen] as she fights to reclaim her birthright.”
—Historical Novels Review
Contents
Front Cover Image
Welcome
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
About the Author
Also By Patricia Falvey
Praise for Patricia Falvey’s Previous Novels
Copyright
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2011 by Irish Books LLC
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
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ISBN 978-1-599-95389-2
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