by Comfort Me
‘Now don’t mock, my dear,’ Dr O’Brien protested. ‘It’s a very interesting subject. The coming thing.’
‘I’ve seen the book you spoke of mentioned in newspapers, doctor,’ James said. ‘By Dr Freud, wasn’t it?’
‘Have you indeed?’ the doctor said eagerly and Mrs O’Brien said to Anna, ‘We’ll get no sense out of them now. Let’s go and have a cup of tea in my room, Anna, and a good talk.’
They went to the small parlour and Anna told Mrs O’Brien everything that had happened, from first walking home from church with James. ‘He’s still in love with Dorrie, but of course it’s hopeless, and I know you’ll think this strange but I can’t forget Eugene,’ she said.
‘So it’s Dorrie and Eugene, these dream people, as Paddy calls them,’ said Mrs O’Brien. ‘Well, you and James are much better off with each other. Dorrie’s a sweet-natured girl but you know we both always cared much more for you, Anna. She was lightweight and you were always much better value.’
‘Oh no. Dorrie was always popular with everyone and she could have married anyone but she was lucky that she and Michael met and fell in love,’ Anna protested.
‘They are certainly well matched,’ Mrs O’Brien conceded, ‘but I think you and James will be very happy together. I know you want to remember the pleasant side of Eugene but don’t forget, Anna, there was another side to him. James would never hurt you as he did.’
‘I know that,’ Anna said quietly.
Changing the subject, Mrs O’Brien asked how long it would be before her father’s return. ‘I asked at the shipping office and they said a month approximately so it won’t be long,’ Anna said. ‘I can bear with Mama until then.’
‘You are very welcome to stay here, Anna, until your father’s return or until your wedding,’ Mrs O’Brien said. ‘You know that, don’t you?’
‘Thank you. It’s very kind of you but I think Father might be hurt,’ Anna said. ‘I’ll be all right.’
‘Well, bear it in mind,’ Mrs O’Brien said, smiling.
Soon afterwards Anna and James left to walk to Westbourne Street and Anna told him of Mrs O’Brien’s offer. ‘She means it too,’ she said. ‘It’s not just a vague suggestion.’
James insisted on coming in with her to see her mother. ‘It’s only eight o’clock,’ he said, ‘and she has brought me into it herself,’ so Anna agreed.
Her mother and aunt were in the parlour, her mother in her usual seat on the sofa.
Anna introduced James to Nelly in the hall so that her mother and aunt were forewarned when she and James went into the parlour.
‘Mama, this is James Hargreaves,’ she announced, and to James, ‘My mother, Mrs Furlong.’
James bowed and said, ‘How do you do,’ but Mrs Furlong only gaped at him, then Anna introduced him to her aunt. Clara shook hands with James and moved papers from a chair so that they could sit down.
Mrs Furlong was still silent and James leaned forward and said pleasantly, ‘I’ve come in to see you to tell you that Anna and I are planning to marry as soon as possible. We became engaged two weeks ago but we intended to say nothing until I could see Captain Furlong and ask his permission as a matter of courtesy.’
‘He won’t give it,’ Mrs Furlong burst out. ‘I can tell you that now. The impudence! Sly, underhand, deceitful.’ She fell back, gasping and passing smelling salts under her nose.
James said calmly, ‘As I said, it was a matter of courtesy, as we are both legally free to marry whenever we want. I’m sure the Captain would have preferred that arrangement but as you have had Anna followed to my house our hands have been forced.’
‘What do you mean?’ Mrs Furlong shrieked.
‘I mean that now our engagement must be announced before I have the opportunity of speaking to Anna’s father so that it’s not the subject of gossip and innuendo by the sort of people who sneak around following people,’ he said.
‘I think you’re very wise,’ Clara said and her sister-in-law shot her a venomous look.
‘Her opinion counts for nothing,’ she said. ‘She’ll chase anyone’s leavings, like her niece.’
James looked at her with dislike. ‘I can see what Anna has had to bear,’ he said. ‘When Anna came to tea with me my housekeeper, Frances O’Neill, was always present. I have too much respect for Anna to suggest anything that might compromise her.’
‘Why wasn’t I told? Because she knew I’d forbid it, that’s why,’ Mrs Furlong shrieked. ‘Disgracing our family. What are you?’
‘I gave Dr O’Brien as one of my references when I wrote to your husband so we’ve been to see the O’Briens before coming here,’ James said. ‘Mrs O’Brien has offered to have Anna to stay with her until her father returns or until our wedding but Anna is reluctant to hurt her father. If you make her life intolerable, though, I’ll insist that she accepts Mrs O’Brien’s invitation and explain why to Captain Furlong.’
Mrs Furlong seemed unable to speak, spluttering and gasping, but Clara said to James, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll have a lot to tell my brother. Don’t think he’d approve of all this creeping about following people. He’s an honourable man.’
Mrs Furlong’s face was red and she was glaring at Anna and James but everyone ignored her and James turned to Anna. ‘Will you be all right, love?’ he said quietly and she nodded. They both stood up and James shook hands again with Clara and wished her well, then, saying curtly to Mrs Furlong, ‘Goodnight,’ he went out of the room, followed by Anna.
‘I’d no idea you could be so forceful,’ she said as they stood in the hall. ‘Mama will never recover.’
‘I hope you didn’t think I was too rude,’ he said, ‘but if there’s one thing I’ve learned, Anna, it’s that the only way to treat a bully is to stand up to them. Fight fire with fire.’
Anna sighed. ‘Mama’s learned a great deal tonight, I think,’ she said. ‘I wish I’d had more courage in the past.’
James put his arms round her and kissed her. ‘You were simply too nice to deal with that but you must tell me, Anna, if your mother makes you unhappy. I’d no idea that you had so much to endure. Dr O’Brien told me about her and the reasons for her behaviour and I can feel sorry for her but I can’t bear to think of you being treated like that.’
‘It’s not too bad now,’ Anna said, wondering what Dr O’Brien had told James. ‘Aunt Clara is on my side.’
James left and Anna went up to bed feeling that their relationship had moved on a great deal since the morning.
The next day there was a bulky letter from Dorrie. Often her letters were scanty, but occasionally she wrote to Anna at length, and as soon as her tasks were done Anna took the letter to her room to read it in peace.
Since she moved to Caterham, Dorrie had sometimes grumbled about other women or conditions in married quarters, but never about Michael, and although she had recently made occasional critical comments about him or his family Anna was shocked by what she read. This letter had been written when Dorrie was bitterly angry with her husband and she poured out all her grievances.
‘Dear Anna,’ she wrote, ‘I have just had a furious row with Michael and I’m sure you will agree that I am in the right and have every reason to be angry. I didn’t have a chance to tell you, when we came back from Ireland, how annoyed I was by the way he was always having long talks with his mother and she was telling him what to do. His father is always sweet to me but Michael talked to him too.
‘I know now it was about his future but it’s my life too and he should have been discussing it with me. He has just informed me that he is leaving the army, his term is up, or something, and he doesn’t intend to re-sign. I told him I had no intention of being buried alive on the Irish farm, being bossed about by his mother and he made a nasty remark about Mrs Rafferty, which really made me lose my temper. He knows she’s my best friend.
‘He didn’t take any notice of what I said, only said he has made arrangements to go into partnership with a friend and we will go to li
ve in this place in London where he took me a few months ago. The slyness! He said nothing then. I said I liked the place but I’d no idea he was planning to dump me there. I was hysterical and told him I was happy as I was and he said, “Too happy. That’s why we’re going,” so he admits he doesn’t want me to be happy. I would leave him, Anna, if I had anywhere to go. At least, thanks to Mrs Rafferty, we haven’t any children. Mama would welcome me home but Father would never allow it. I see now why you went on about women running their own lives. Not being ruled by fathers and husbands. Anna, I’m so unhappy. Your loving sister, Dorrie.’
Anna sat holding the letter, shocked and dismayed by the raw unhappiness it displayed. Dorrie was always dramatic, but in the details and in the abrupt, despairing ending there was real misery and sadness. She could feel only sympathy for Dorrie and anger at the callous way her life had been disrupted.
How could Michael treat her like this? He had seemed so truly in love with Dorrie and to want only her happiness. How could he have changed so quickly into the overbearing husband Dorrie described?
Anna tried to remember everything that had happened on their last visit. Michael had changed, she had thought, but only to become more mature. She also remembered that he had been worried about Mrs Rafferty’s influence over Dorrie. Perhaps he had consulted his mother but this was too drastic a solution, surely.
She read the letter again, pleased that Dorrie had turned to her for comfort but realising that it placed her in a dilemma. She had planned to write to tell Dorrie of her engagement but now Dorrie needed a loving, comforting letter about her own troubles.
Finally she wrote a letter sympathising with Dorrie but suggesting that as she had dreaded going to married quarters yet been happy there, perhaps the next move would have the same happy ending. She made no criticism of Michael, thinking that she needed to know more before blaming him.
As a postscript she wrote that she had some news but would save it until the next letter.
Anna found that her mother seemed to avoid her during the next few days but Clara told her that she approved of the engagement and of James and that she would tell her brother so.
‘I haven’t seen Mr Hargreaves for some time,’ she said. ‘Not since I started going to eight o’clock Mass on Sundays. I used to see him with his mother but he looks more personable now. You seem to have found a man who will look after you. Stand up for you.’
‘I was surprised,’ Anna admitted, ‘because he’s usually very diffident.’
‘Perhaps he’s one of those people who can stand up for others but not for themselves,’ Clara said. ‘Anyway, you’ll be well out of here, away from her, although I’ll miss you.’
‘Thank you, Aunt,’ Anna said, thinking of the years she and Dorrie had suffered from Clara’s sharp tongue. Her mother had certainly made a bitter enemy of her sister-in-law and changed her attitude to her niece too.
There was another letter for Anna from Dorrie, evidently written before she received Anna’s letter but after receiving one from her mother.
‘Mama tells me you are to marry James Hargreaves,’ she wrote. ‘I just can’t believe that you would do such a thing. You must know that he is still in love with me. Mrs Rafferty says he will be marrying you for a housekeeper and you will marry him for a home but I can’t believe you would descend so low. Mama says you have been chasing him for months, yet you’ve said nothing to me. I feel that now I can’t trust anybody and I’m only sorry I told you so much of my affairs. Dorrie.’
Anna had opened the letter eagerly and its contents were like a blow. She rushed to the bathroom and locked herself in to weep in private. I might have known, she thought, that Mama would waste no time but for Dorrie to write like this! And to discuss us with Mrs Rafferty! She was shaken by anger and felt as though a dirty finger had touched her relationship with James, then she rinsed her face with cold water and crushed the letter in her pocket.
Lifting her head proudly, she walked downstairs, determined that no one would see that she had been hurt. Perhaps Michael has had more to put up with than we know and he’s doing the right thing, she thought, in taking Dorrie from that circle.
For the rest of the day she worked in the house, saying as little as possible, although it was necessary for her to speak to her mother as her aunt would still not speak directly to her. She longed as never before for her father’s return.
She said nothing to James which would destroy his illusions about Dorrie but she sent no reply to the letter and received none from Dorrie in reply to her attempt to comfort her.
She wrote to Isabel, telling her of all that had happened and that her engagement to James could not wait until her father’s return.
‘We have both written to Father but you know only too well how chancy letters are to men at sea. I don’t want to hurt Father but if necessary I will tell him how my hand was forced. I think Father will like James. Do, please, write quite freely to me, Isabel. Mama is very subdued at present. Much love to all the family, Anna.’
It was true that Mrs Furlong had been very quiet since her encounter with James and she and Anna spoke to each other only when necessary. Two of her cronies came to visit one afternoon and Nelly served tea and cakes to them but Anna took the opportunity to go to the Deagan house.
She knew that the cronies would be fully primed with gossip which would spread round the parish like wildfire so she wanted her friends to hear her news from her.
Maggie was out but Jim opened the door and they went into the kitchen, where he made tea. ‘I’m off today. Been signing papers for the new premises and making various arrangements,’ he said. ‘How are you, Anna?’
Anna always found it easy to talk to Jim and he listened approvingly as she told him of her proposed wedding.
‘I’m very pleased and relieved to hear it, Anna,’ he said. ‘I’ve always liked and respected James Hargreaves. He’s survived a rotten childhood and he deserves some happiness if anyone does. You both do and I know you’ll make each other happy.’
‘But, Jim, it won’t be an ordinary marriage,’ Anna said. ‘Not romantic. It’s for companionship but we wouldn’t marry if we didn’t like and respect each other. You see we both love other people in that romantic way but marriage to them is impossible.’
‘People come to marriage in various ways, Anna,’ Jim said gently. ‘There are very few like Dorrie and Michael but most people are happy. Liking and respect is the best basis for a good marriage, I think.’
Anna looked down at her clasped hands and said in a low voice, ‘Dorrie’s friend said James was marrying for a housekeeper and I was marrying for a home but that’s not true, honestly, Jim.’
‘That was a nasty remark!’ Jim exclaimed. ‘Which friend was this?’
‘Nobody here,’Anna said. ‘A friend in the married quarters and Dorrie told me in her letter.’
‘I’m surprised at Dorrie,’ Jim said indignantly, ‘and I think she should be more selective in her friends.’
‘She might have been angry because James was in love with her. Still is,’ Anna said, ‘and I am with Eugene, but we both know they are just impossible dreams.’
‘You’ll probably both forget them when you’re married. Perhaps you needed someone to dream about while you were so unhappy,’ Jim said, smiling at her.
‘That’s what Dr O’Brien said!’ Anna exclaimed.
‘He always hits the nail on the head,’ Jim laughed. ‘I don’t think I’d mention them to anyone else if I were you, Anna. Just concentrate on being happy with James.’
There was a sound at the door and Maggie came into the kitchen. Jim said immediately, ‘Anna came to give us some good news, Mag. She’s going to marry James Hargreaves.’
Maggie dropped her basket on the table and flung her arms round Anna. ‘I’m made up,’ she said, ‘and Ma would have been too. He’s a real good man. He carried my basket for me one day and I was upset about Ma so I couldn’t speak but I didn’t feel a bit awkward with him.’
‘He’s very well regarded in the parish, Anna, and everyone will be pleased that he’s getting such a good wife in you,’ Jim said. ‘And all your friends will be delighted with James too. I’m sure you’ll both be very happy.’
‘Have you fixed the date?’ Maggie asked but Anna explained about waiting until her father came home.
When she returned next door she felt pleased and encouraged by the way her news had been received but she reflected sadly that, though friends might rejoice, her mother and her sister did not wish her and James well.
On the following Sunday, which was cold but bright, James asked Anna to look at a house he had seen. Many wealthy merchants had built houses on the brow of the hill and many smaller houses had also been built when Everton had been regarded as a healthy place to live because of the fresh breezes from the River Mersey.
Many of the mansions had been demolished and cottage property built on the site but several houses had survived. The one James had found was a Georgian-type house set in large gardens and Anna loved it immediately.
‘I only rented the present house but I thought when I married I would buy a house so that my wife could choose it and could furnish it as she wished,’ he said but then he added honestly, ‘I’ve got to tell you the truth, Anna. It was Frances who advised me. I’d still be stuck in that mausoleum if it wasn’t for her.’
James had the keys and they looked over the house, which was named Rosemount, delighting in the size and lightness of the rooms. There was dark paint everywhere but they decided that it would be replaced with white and made many plans, the most important being a bedroom for Frances. It was more and more difficult for her to climb stairs but there was a bright morning room looking out on to a secluded part of the garden which Anna decided would be perfect for her bedroom.
‘We’ll keep it as a surprise until it’s all ready for her,’ James suggested but Anna shook her head.
‘She may be worrying about the stairs in a new house and how she’ll manage them. I think we should tell her, James, so she can look forward to the move.’