She felt calmer as she looked in the cheval mirror, patting the curls on top of her head where the maid had entwined peach satin ribbon. Johnny had disappeared somewhere, but was not disappointed when he returned clutching a small delicate posy.
“These were the last the woman had in her basket,” he said gruffly, “though I don’t think violets go with the colour of your gown.”
He thanked the maid and tipped her a few pennies. Maggie had whizzed around before she came to help her, putting all the clothes back into the wardrobe again.
“Maggie, you look beautiful. I can’t believe I’ve got you back in me life again.”
He took her in his arms and kissed her cheek.
“I aim to make this week the happiest you have ever had.”
They were greeted by the Major Domo as they hesitated in the restaurant doorway. The place seemed to be in a uproar, with white-gloved, uniformed waiters rushing about with tureens, silver platters and bottles of wine or champagne.
“It’s the Aintree Races this week, Sir. I must apologise if your table isn’t ready yet, but I’ll set one of my staff to it as soon as one of them is free. Meantime, would you and your good lady wife like to sit in the drawing room? I could bring you an aperitif, on the house of course.”
Maggie felt herself relaxing as they entered the comfortably-appointed room, with its pretty fabric-covered sofas, occasional tables and heavy rugs on the shining wooden floors. Couples sat nursing their after-dinner coffees or drinking from fluted glasses. A man sat at a grand piano quietly playing a popular tune.
“I would like a small glass of sherry, thank you,” Maggie said to the young man who had been summoned, while Johnny ordered a tot of rum.
“I was a little worried just then, Johnny. Jack could be here on business from Ireland. Did you know he had a stud farm in Wicklow?”
“Yes, Eddie’s dad told me when I was contemplating calling to visit you. I’d heard he’d cleared off again. Must have caused a lot of heartbreak, Maggie. Not only just for you.”
“I’m over it now,” she shrugged. “It was Hannah who suffered more than me. She had always been Jack’s princess and this business with Eddie brought out the worst in her father and I have to admit we were going through a bad time.”
“Not happy, I suppose, that you’d managed to exist without him while he was off in America all those years,” Johnny said dryly.
“Well, what was I supposed to do without him, Johnny? I’m sure the Dockertys filled yer in with all the details; told yer about Miss Rosemary and me rise to fame.”
“Yes, of course they did,” he replied gently. “You were the enemy as far as Maddy was concerned; she was bound to tell me all she knew. But I thought we were putting this behind us; starting afresh as it were.”
“ To face the future we have to talk about the past,” Maggie said quietly. “You must know all there is about me and I need to know all about you. No hidden secrets from each other, nothing that could rear its head and cause any problems. I had enough of that with me husband. You know that Hannah is only Jack’s?”
Johnny was saved from making further comment as their drinks arrived on a silver salver. They both took a sip from their respective glasses gratefully.
“It all sounds rather lively in the restaurant,” Johnny said to the waiter. “We can hear the noise from here.”
“We’ve got two parties in this evening. One belongs to Lord Belsham and the other is part of the Earl of Sefton’s group. One of their horses won on the steeplechase at Aintree and they all turned up unannounced on our doorstep. The manager couldn’t turn them away, of course, because of who they are. But they’ll be going soon. Off to one of their regal residences to continue their celebrations, I’m sure.”
Maggie tugged at Johnny’s sleeve as the waiter walked away from them.
“Johnny,” she said urgently, a blush appearing in her cheeks in her agitation. “Johnny, we can’t eat in there if Lord Belsham is there with his party. Can we go somewhere else fer dinner? I’d rather not be where he is… I might see someone I know.”
“Why, does he know yer, this Lord Belsham? I hadn’t heard that yer mixed in such exalted circles, Maggie,” he replied teasingly.
“No, I don’t know him, but Jack did. Jack went over to America as his agent. It would be just my luck fer Jack to be in contact again with him, especially as he’s in to racing now. He mentioned Aintree as one of the meetings where he raced his horses.”
“Oh, all right, Maggie. Let’s not spoil our evening with you peering over yer shoulder and jumping at the slightest sound. I’ll ask for a menu and see if we can have our meal served in our quarters. Mebbe even better, hey? It’s not every day that I get me dinner served in the Crosby suite. I’ll take advantage while I can.”
After they had finished their meal of pheasant paté, cod creole and lemon crumb pudding, Johnny poured the last of the wine into the two silver-stemmed goblets before them.
“Ah, that was a wonderful meal, Maggie, wasn’t it? And this Burgundy is a good drop of stuff too. I don’t usually drink wine, but I might take it up if this is anything to go by. How about you? Are you a wine drinker? Have you got a cellar full of interesting wine?”
“We haven’t got a cellar,” Maggie replied, lethargically. “No, I’ve never been much of a drinker. A drop of sherry before a meal, maybe another after, but Miss Rosemary didn’t drink wine at all, so I’ve never bothered to try it. Yes, the meal was very pleasant. I must ask Joan if she knows how to make that lemony thing. A drop of sauce of some sort would have been nice with it though; I’ve a bit of an aversion to cream.”
“I’ll ring for someone to clear these dishes away, Maggie, and I’ll ask fer another bottle of this, unless you’ve had enough and want to retire now.”
“No, it’s still early, but even if it wasn’t, I think you and I should use the time fer talking, but perhaps I’m being selfish. Perhaps you’d prefer to go to sleep instead.”
As they waited for someone to come to their suite, Maggie began to feel rather self-conscious. This was ridiculous really. Here they were, all dressed up in formal clothes; she in a tight restrictive gown and high-heeled boots, Johnny sat there like a mannequin in a tailor’s window. The room was warm and a pleasant glow emanated from the gas lamps. The food she had eaten was having a soporific effect on her and the wine had made her limbs feel heavy. There was a silence hanging companionably between them. Neither wanted to break it, talking maybe of unpalatable things.
The young man who had served them their meal arrived.
“Everything all right for you, Sir, Madam? I’ll clear these away shall I and then I’ll uncork the wine? You’ll probably be pleased to know the gentry have departed! It’s always like this when the gee-gees are running. They seem to follow one another around all of the racecourses.”
“Jack used to do that,” remarked Maggie, once the rather familiar Liverpudlian waiter had gone on his way. “I never knew whether he was at Epsom, Derby, Cheltenham or Chester. He would tell me he was away fer a few days of racing, then I’d not see him until he turned up again!”
“Well, let’s not talk about Jack, Maggie. I’d like to know what it is like being at the head of a vast business empire, because when I first met you, you hadn’t got a pot to piss in.”
He laughed when he saw Maggie’s face redden in annoyance.
“That may be so, but it’s taken me years to perfect this cultivation,”she snapped. Then she smiled ruefully at him, as she realised he was teasing.
“Oh, come on, Maggie. We may be sitting here pretending that we were born to this kind of lifestyle, but you and I know our backgrounds all too well. So let’s not put on airs and graces while we’re alone. We’ll not be disturbed until the morning now, so let’s say I change into something more comfortable and you can do the same.”
She nodded tentatively then Johnny bounded off to the bedroom, coming back a little later wearing a pair of brown moleskin trousers and a plain cr
eam collarless shirt with nothing on his feet.
“Phew, that’s better, Maggie. I don’t think they need a fire burning in each room like they have here. We’ll let them die down a bit, shall we? Now it’s your turn. What will you change into?”
Maggie had been pondering on this all the while Jack had been away changing. Would it seem too forward of her if she was to wear her nightdress and her matching robe? Or should she put on one of her day dresses? The muslin one was fairly simply cut, but it did have a garish pattern on. The georgette one had far too many ruffles and flounces and it was a bright yellow. She would look just like a daffodil in this pastel shaded room. She decided on her nightwear. If Johnny thought it was a signal for any tomfoolery, it was his hard luck.
“Pour me another drink, would yer, Johnny, while I go and choose from me vast array of clothing.”
She giggled at her joke as she made her way unsteadily.
So that was what it was like to be made love to with a passion. Maggie lay quietly in Johnny’s arms, listening to his even breathing. Had he lied when he’d said he wouldn’t have his way with her? Had he plied her with that wine, so that she’d be panting for his love? And she had been, hadn’t she? She had gloried in the admiration from his eyes, when he’d seen her in the silky robe, its plunging neckline showing him a great amount of her rounded breasts. She’d burnt as his fingers touched hers briefly, as he handed her the goblet. They had moved over to the sofa on the pretext of being more comfortable, but as they’d sat sipping their drinks, both knew there would be no need for a bolster in the bed. Johnny had made the first move, taking her glass away and placing it back with his on the tray. He had moved closer, putting his arm around her waist and drawing her tenderly to him. Then had come those little kisses, placed lovingly on her neck, then forehead. Each one caused a tingling sensation, desire flaring in her down below. Her nipples had hardened quickly under her nightdress as Johnny had firmly put his mouth on hers, then probed it open with his tongue. She had felt his hands move gently underneath her, to pick her up and carry her through to the bed. Gone was the tenseness of their situation, gone was the pretence of getting to know each other first.
There was not a squeak of protest; Maggie had just lain pliant in Johnny’s strong, muscled arms. Their bodies then took over, like a raging thirst in the desert that must be quenched before the person can then stagger on. They had given into a sensuous abandonment. Maggie had been tearing at her nightie before Johnny had taken his trousers off.
It had surprised them both, this intensity; this almost craven desire. It wasn’t until they were sated did they wonder where the hunger for each other had come from. But both knew then it had been an irrevocable plunge into the waters of unknown.
“I cannot believe it, Muirnan,” Johnny whispered sleepily, as Maggie lay later in his arms. “ To think that you’re here beside me after all those lonely years. It’s a wishful dream come true.”
Chapter 15
The sound of a hotel waking caused Maggie to stir next morning.; rattling sounds, murmured voices, someone clanking about in the room adjacent to hers. From the street below came the noise of the city, horses clip-clopped and footsteps scurried. Another day was beginning for them.
She raised her head from the pillow then sank back with a moan as the pain of a terrible hangover clutched her forehead as if caught in a vice. She moved her leg a little to see if Johnny was still there beside her as the memories of the night before came immediately rushing in. She contemplated her next move as she found the space beside her empty. He must have been gone for quite some time as the sheet that he had lain on was no longer warm. There was a chill in the air and she shivered. She felt for her robe or nightdress, remembering as she did so that the fire in the bedroom would have gone out by now.
“The top of the morning to yer, Maggie.”
Johnny appeared, carrying a small white cup, his voice sounding happy as he stood by her bed.
“Oh don’t shout, Johnny,” Maggie gasped, covering her nakedness quickly. “Me head feels as if someone’s hit me with a hammer and me mouth has turned to acid drops. I just want to lie here and never get up again. What have yer got there in that cup? Not more wine I hope. Don’t even think I’ll touch an alcoholic drink again. I might even go and sign the pledge!”
“This will put yer right, Maggie. Water with a dash of pepper. An old cure for a hangover given to me by a Polish shipmate. They drink a lot of vodka, yer know, in their country, so I’m sure he knew what he was talking about. The maid has been in and lit a good fire in the sitting room. She’s sending up someone with our breakfast and, while you’re drinking this, I’m going to draw you a nice hot bath.”
He placed the cup on the small bedside table then bent to kiss her cheek. He raised her chin so that she would look at him.
“You don’t regret what we did last night, do yer?”
For a moment she saw a flash of fear, as she met his steady stare. She smiled weakly, then caught his hand to her.
“I regret nothing about our time together, except this pounding in me head.”
Johnny smiled and she sensed his relief at her answer. Had her answer been any different it would have wounded him to the core. He left her with instructions to gulp down all the drink at once as it didn’t taste very pleasant. Then he set about his task of running a bath tub full of water, taking delight in doing so as he poured some of her perfume in.
“Well, Johnny, that tip from yer Polish friend certainly worked,” remarked Maggie, as she walked in from the bedroom, newly bathed, attractively dressed in yellow, her shining hair firmly caught back in a chignon. There had been a moment when she had wanted to throw the mixture back up again and had dashed quickly to the bathroom, but her wobbly stomach had soon settled down as she slowly completed her toilette.
“Good, I’m glad, Maggie. Perhaps you would like some breakfast now. I’ve had mine while it was hot, I hope yer don’t mind.”
She looked under the silver lid of the dish which held a few congealed sausages, a bacon rasher and a hard, pale-looking egg.
“Uh, I don’t think I could eat any of that stuff, Johnny. I’ll make do with some apple from the fruit bowl. I’m still rather full from yesterday’s meal.”
“I thought perhaps we could take a walk along Ranelagh Street. Have a look in Lewis’s, then maybe stop fer lunch in a restaurant? I’m in desperate need of a few bits of clothing so as not to show you up in your finery.”
“You’ve only just eaten breakfast, you greedy hog, but what’s wrong with what yer wearing? You’re looking very handsome to me, though perhaps yer could do with a different jacket. That one doesn’t match your trousers, does it? A fawn maybe or a lighter brown, but certainly not navy. It just doesn’t go at all.”
Johnny laughed and caught her hand in his. He pressed it to his lips slowly with a look of something akin to adoration. Her heart lurched as she saw it. Jack had never looked at her in this way.
“I suppose I’ll have to get used to you helping me choose me clothing. Oh, Maggie, will that ever happen? Could we make a life together? Is it possible that we could be together for the rest of our days?”
Maggie chose her words carefully before she answered him.
“I would like us to be together, Johnny, I’m sure of it. I’ve been very lonely since Jack abandoned me again. I know I’ve got me family, Hannah, Eddie and me little grandson and the businesses of course, but yer showed me last night the strength of your love. You said yerself that it was a dream come true fer us to be together, but I remember the scandal when Jack appeared, after I’d convinced everyone that I was a widow. I don’t know if I can weather another round of gossiping and yer have to admit that you were one of the one’s to point a finger too.”
Johnny grabbed her fiercely into his arms, his voice trembling with emotion.
“Don’t yer think I was cut to the quick when I learnt of your masquerading? When I found you again, heard that Jack had died on the fighting circ
uit, I was over the moon with happiness. At last, I thought. I could give you an old-fashioned courtship, then me world crashed around me when I found that Jack was still alive.”
“It wasn’t my fault, Johnny. It was Alice, his mother. Couldn’t bear the thought of the family being laughed at when Jack ran off with Kitty May.”
“Kitty May? No, yer don’t have to live the pain again by telling me, Maggie. Come over here with me.”
He took her to the window of the sitting room and asked her to look across the rooftops to the River Mersey. It lay glittering there in the distance, beyond church spires, housing, offices, newly-built structures vying with the old. Rows of docks and warehouses lined the banks of the wide estuary, cluttered with the masts of schooners, brigantines, barques and the funnels of heavy steam ships. It was the busiest port in all the world from what Maggie could see.
“Over there’s the river on which I’ve spent most of my working life, sailing up and down. It’s bin in me blood, the Mersey river, since I sailed out of Liverpool on a slave ship in 1843 under cover of taking emigrants to the America’s, as it was after William Wilberforce introduced his Bill to abolish slavery. It was the only ship to take me on as I was an Irish Mick. I saw the depths that man will sink to in the degradation of other human beings. Not only the treatment of emigrants, but the slaves we then brought back with us to sell. I won’t sicken yer with the sights I saw, Maggie, just to say that I couldn’t wait to get off the ship and go back to me homeland. That’s why I took command of a vessel that only delivered cattle. I couldn’t bear the sight of people crowded like animals in steerage, to line the pockets of their fellow man. As yer know that venture ended when the Dee started really silting up, so I coasted along the Mediterranean for few years, visiting ports with cargo and bringing fruit, the oil of olives and wine back with me. Then yer know the rest, don’t yer? I have a part share in the Irish Maiden, which is making us quite a good living, bringing passengers from Dublin across the Irish Sea. I’ve been lucky. Apart from being exposed to a few violent storms and nearly losing me life off Blackwater bank, the sea and this river have been good to me. But I’m willing to give it all up to be with the woman I love.”
Dreams Can Come True Page 21