by Anna Jacobs
‘There are no festivities, except in our hearts.’
‘We couldn’t afford a fancy wedding,’ Xanthe said with her usual directness. ‘Why don’t you come in for a few moments, Mr Largan? You obviously want to speak to Ronan. Would it be about your brother?’
‘Er – yes. Did you know my brother Conn well in Australia?’
‘I used to work for him as his housekeeper and my sister Maia is still – um, working for him.’
Looking startled at her frankness, Kieran turned to Ronan, head on one side, to see what he wanted.
‘My wife knows everything that’s happened to your brother. Come and have a drink of wine to celebrate our marriage, then you can tell me what you came for. If there’s anything I can do to help you – or Conn – you know I will. Have you heard from him?’
‘I have, actually. He wrote a week or two after you left and the letter arrived yesterday. He sends his regards to you, hopes you’ve not found things in too bad a state.’
‘I must write and tell him we’re married. I doubt he’ll be surprised.’
Kieran looked at Xanthe, seeming a little embarrassed as he added, ‘Conn also asked me to look after your sister if anything happened to him. He says he intends to marry her as soon as his annulment comes through. I’m sorry if this news upsets you, Mrs Maguire.’
‘I prefer to know.’ Xanthe sighed. ‘And actually, it’s not a surprise. Everyone could see how much they loved one another.’
‘You can be sure that I will look after her if it’s ever needed. Conn knows that he can rely on me this time. I let our father persuade me to do nothing last time, to my shame.’
Ronan put his arm round Xanthe. ‘Maia would always find a home with us, as well.’
They sat down and he changed the subject. ‘I’ll go and find a bottle of wine. The cellars are in a dreadful state but my brother bought in some wine, so we won’t go short of that, at least.’ He came back a few minutes later rubbing his hands together to warm them. ‘Mary’s cleaning the bottle and bringing in some glasses. Brr. Those cellars are cold.’
After Kieran had proposed a toast to the newly-weds and Ronan had responded on behalf of himself and his wife, Xanthe took Hallie away and left the gentlemen to chat. ‘It seems so far away now, Australia,’ she said wistfully as she led the way into a small sitting room across the hall.
‘Do you wish you were back there?’
‘No. I think life will be more interesting here in Ireland with Ronan. I never wanted to stay in Australia. But I hate being so far away from Maia when she’s in such a difficult position. Still, Cassandra is nearby. I’d not have left my twin there on her own otherwise.’
She looked round the room thoughtfully and changed the subject. She didn’t want to dwell on her sister and Conn. ‘What do you think? This would make a nice room to sit in, except when we have guests, and it’ll cost a lot less to heat.’
Hallie followed her lead. ‘It’s a lovely room and it seems quite big enough to me. I’m amazed at how big the rooms are here and how many of them there are. It’d take a lot of people to keep it all immaculate, wouldn’t it?’
‘Far too many. I’m thinking of closing down half the house, or more even. We shan’t be using it, after all.’
Kieran watched the door close behind his neighbour’s new wife and raised his glass. ‘You’re a lucky man. She’s beautiful.’
Ronan smiled. ‘That’s the least of it. I’ve not married her for her beauty but for her courageous spirit and her intelligence. She’s a very special woman.’ He looked down at his wineglass, then said quietly, ‘We knew before we left that your brother was deeply in love with her twin sister. Maia’s gentler, but still intelligent and beautiful.’
‘He’s very eager to get this annulment through, but the Church won’t be hurried on these things.’
‘It never was a marriage with Kathleen.’
‘I was horrified when I found out that Father had persuaded him to marry her. He did it while Julia and I were on a long visit to her grandparents in England. She was very fond of them and knew they were both unwell. They left her a good legacy afterwards. If my father had still been alive, he’d have been trying to get his hands on it.’
‘I’m glad you’re in a comfortable position.’
‘I would have been even without Julia’s legacy. That’s partly why I came here. I hear you’re hard pressed.’
Ronan nodded.
‘How bad are things?’
‘I may keep Ardgullan House or I may not. I’ve offended Reginald Johnson and he’s threatened to make sure I lose the whole property.’
‘If a few thousand pounds will make the difference, I’ll be happy to lend it to you. My father worshipped money. I don’t think Conn ever realised how he’d been cheated and I didn’t know until I inherited that my father had taken most of Kathleen’s dowry.’
Ronan looked at him in shock. ‘How could he do that?’
‘He arranged it secretly with her family. They must have been bribing him to get rid of their daughter.’
‘It’s kind of you to offer to lend me the money but I couldn’t take it from you because I’d have no way of paying it back.’
‘I could wait. You’ve been a good friend to Conn and I feel my family owes you a great deal. I feel guilty about inheriting all the money. It seems as if Conn has paid for everything, and paid very dearly too, not only losing his freedom, but his profession and his whole way of life.’
‘I felt desperately sorry for him when he was sentenced,’ Ronan admitted.
‘I always knew he was innocent,’ Kieran said. ‘No wonder my mother ran away from Shilmara after Conn was transported. She must have known my father was involved. He was talking about going after her right until he died, planning it too, for all I know. He hated anyone to get the better of him.’ After another pause, Kieran asked quietly, ‘How is Conn coping with his new life? Tell me the truth, now.’
‘He’s become very quiet and withdrawn. I think he only seeks a peaceful life now, and Maia can give him that. She’s a very restful woman. Will Michael’s statement get Conn’s conviction quashed?’
‘My lawyer thinks so. But it’ll take time. Probably as long as the annulment. I’ll send Conn out some more money and explain why. I’ll feel better if I make sure he can wait for both verdicts in comfort.’ He drained his glass. ‘Well, I won’t keep you on your wedding day. Could you please ring to let them know I’ll need my carriage?’
‘Yes, of course. Oh look, Feargus is out there.’ Ronan went to the window and hauled it up, letting in a whirl of damp air. ‘Hoy, Feargus! Mr Largan needs his carriage.’
The man walking past raised one hand in acknowledgement.
Ronan turned to see Kieran grinning. ‘There’s no use standing on one’s dignity with staff who’ve worked for nothing for years and we don’t have a dozen maids to run round after us. Besides, Feargus taught me to ride. He’s more like an uncle than a head groom.’
The two men shook hands at the front door ten minutes later.
‘Don’t forget!’ Kieran called as he got into his carriage. ‘Bring your wife round to meet mine. I think she and Julia will get on well.’
After dinner, Hallie excused herself and Ronan took Xanthe into the library. He pulled a leather box out of a drawer and held it out to her. ‘These were my mother’s. I can’t offer you much, but at least some of the family jewels are still left for my bride gift to you.’
She opened the box, surprised at how many brooches, necklaces and bracelets it contained. When she looked at him, she was frowning. ‘Why haven’t you sold these when you’re so short of money?’
‘Some of them have been in the family for over a hundred years. And they aren’t particularly valuable. These brooches, for instance, have small stones, even if they’re pretty.’
‘That’s not the point. They’d be worth quite a lot of money and you need every penny.’
‘Hubert would have sold them already if he could h
ave got his hands on them, but my mother kept them safe from him by hiding them and taking some of her favourites to Australia. I found them among her things after she died and as I knew where her hiding place was, I found the others after I got back.
‘I felt then and I still feel now that I should only use them as the very last resort. If Mr Johnson is intending to ruin me, you should keep these safe because we may have to use them to pay our fares back to Australia and start up a new life there.’
‘You think he really can ruin you, take your house away?’
Ronan’s expression became grim. ‘I’m sure he’ll try. He’s got plenty of money, not to mention a reputation for ruthlessness, so I’ll be on my guard. And I certainly behaved badly towards his daughter, so in that sense he has a right to be angry with me.’
‘I feel sorry for her. She seems very unhappy.’
‘Yes. But at the moment I’m more concerned about your happiness.’
She picked up a diamond bracelet, letting it dangle from her fingers. ‘I don’t need jewels like these to make me happy. If we sold them, wouldn’t it give us enough to pay off the debts?’
‘I don’t know, but I’m not inclined to risk everything I have. More debts keep coming to light, you see. Let’s just wait and see.’
‘Very well. I hope you have a good hiding place, because I’d worry about leaving them around.’
‘I’ll show you the family hidey-hole when we go up to bed.’ He sighed. ‘I wish I were better at figures, Xanthe. Or at business generally. I’ve led a very idle life, I’m afraid, and I’m an outdoor sort of fellow. I love riding and walking, going on exploring trips, not sitting in front of a ledger. But I will do my best – my very best – for you and for Ardgullan.’
‘I know you will. But I’m going to deal with the accounts from now on. I’m not just helping out for the moment, I’m taking over.’
He looked at her in shock. ‘You are?’
‘Yes. I’m not stupid and I’ve always been quick at arithmetic. It can’t be that hard to keep track of sums of money and to work out what there is left to spend on renovations each year.’
‘Is there nothing you won’t try?’
She beamed at him. ‘No. Well, I don’t want to try anything physically dangerous, so you won’t get me hunting, but I started to learn to ride in Australia and I’d like to continue. I’ve already discussed the present situation with Hallie and she’s offered to take charge of the house for the first week or two and do an inventory. That’ll leave you free to take over the farm and see what improvements you can make there, and work out what you can sell to give you more money. Don’t you have trees you can sell for timber or horses you can sell . . . or something?’
‘I doubt the trees here are particularly valuable. This isn’t rich land. And as for selling the horses, what would people say about that?’
‘They’d say we were being sensible, cutting our coat to suit our cloth. There has to be a way to find some money, just enough to keep us going.’
He planted a quick kiss on her cheek. ‘Does nothing ever get you down?’
‘Losing you would.’
‘I feel the same way.’ His breathing grew deeper as he pulled her closer. ‘Ah, darling, let’s stop talking about money and make our marriage real.’
He watched her nod and put the jewels carefully back into the box, then he picked it up and led his bride up the stairs. He felt happier than he had since his arrival in Ireland and it was all due to her. She made him feel anything was possible, even saving his family home. She was indomitable. That was the word for her. And he’d do his very best to be worthy of her.
Inside the bedroom she wouldn’t allow him to touch her till the jewels were safely locked away in the secret cupboard, then she moved into his arms and their troubles faded. They kissed and moved to the bed, not hurrying, because from now on they had all the time in the world to be together and love one another.
Conn arrived back at Galway House from Fremantle feeling weary in body and spirit. Leo hadn’t pestered him to chat on the journey back, not even when they were sleeping under the stars, a time when confidences were frequently exchanged. Whatever else he was slow at, Leo seemed to understand people’s feelings and needs, to sense that his companion on this journey wanted to be quiet.
The sight of Galway House made the guilt come rushing back again. Conn got down from the cart, anxious to find his beloved, leaving it to Leo and Sean to unharness the horses and give them a well-deserved rest.
He saw Maia waiting for him on the little veranda at the rear of the kitchen, her smile glowing with love and he forgot about guilt, forgot about everything except her.
Behind him, Leo and Sean watched the reunion and the old man wiped a tear from his eye.
‘He deserves some love, that lad does. Always was too soft for his own good, and that father of his was a hard man, hard on his children and a harsh master to his servants, too. All he cared about was money. I’d not have stayed at Shilmara but for the mistress.’ He clapped Leo on the shoulder. ‘Well, we can’t stand here all day. Come on, lad. You and I will see to the horses then we’ll have a nice cup of tea in the stables. Those two won’t want disturbing for a good while.’
It wasn’t until they were sitting together after their evening meal, with Nancy dismissed for the evening, that Maia asked, ‘Aren’t you going to tell me what’s wrong, Conn darling?’
He sighed and took her hand in both his, holding it as if it was the most precious thing on earth. ‘I had some bad news at the asylum. The doctor examined Kathleen and – he said she wasn’t a virgin. Worse, she has – it’s dreadful, I hate even to say the word – syphilis. Who she lay with I can’t think.’
Maia was more concerned about the deep sadness on his face than about her own situation. ‘That won’t make much difference to me, will it?’
‘It’ll make a big difference. The annulment plea is based on a claim that I never consummated our marriage. But if she lay with someone, I can’t prove that it wasn’t me, so I doubt we’ll get the annulment now. She’ll die of this dreadful disease, but that may not be for years yet.’
‘Will your word that you’ve never touched her not count for anything?’
‘I shouldn’t think so. I wonder if I ought to withdraw my plea before we face further humiliation.’
She didn’t speak at first, thinking this through carefully. ‘Darling, the only thing that would destroy me would be to lose you. The rest I can face.’
His voice was savage. ‘Well, I’m not sure I can face a lifetime of this. You don’t deserve the way people will treat you from now on. I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you. And our children don’t deserve to be born with the label ‘bastard’ on them, either. It’s a poor legacy for a father to give them.’
‘How did you take advantage of me?’
‘You know how. By taking you into my bed.’
She chuckled, a soft, contented sound. ‘I came willingly and would do it all over again if I had to. Darling Conn, I’m not some doll to be picked up and put down at will. I have a mind of my own and I use it.’
‘But look how badly you were treated at the monthly church service! I saw how that upset you.’
‘I wasn’t prepared for it. And I’ve been thinking about my situation. One of the fears for women in my position is to be left without money. I have money of my own and you’ve set up a trust for me and any children I may have, so I feel perfectly safe in that way. Stop worrying, Conn. What matters is that I’m far happier with you than I would be without you.’
He put his arm round her shoulders and she nestled against him. ‘It all seems very simple, Conn darling. You’re my man, whether married or not, my dearest friend and the father of my child. I’ve never been so happy in my whole life as I am living here quietly with you. I have no need to go out into the world and face other people’s scorn.’
‘The world might come here, though.’
‘We’ll worry about that when
it happens.’ She wouldn’t tell Xanthe about how she’d been treated, though. It would only make her sister worry. She’d write about her happiness and the coming child. Letters were a poor substitute for seeing people you loved.
The major sadness in her life was not being a fallen woman, but being so far away from her sister. She missed talking to Xanthe, sharing her thoughts and feelings, missed it dreadfully.
How was Xanthe getting on? Had she started travelling or had she and Ronan come together? She did hope so. They suited one another so well.
It was infuriating to have to wait months for news. But at least she could sense that Xanthe was all right. She always knew when something was wrong with her twin.
The day after their wedding, Ronan went across to the land agent’s office to go through some more details of his inheritance and Xanthe summoned the cook and Mary. She kept Hallie with her as they waited for the two servants.
The cook was the first to arrive, a thin woman with iron-grey hair and an immaculate pinafore. Today she had a worried look on her face and as soon as she was invited to sit down, she burst into speech. ‘I’m sorry if the food isn’t fancy enough for you, Mrs Maguire, but indeed we’ve not got half the things we need for me to do better.’
‘That’s not why I summoned you, Mrs Sullivan. I’m very pleased with the food you’ve been preparing. I enjoy your cooking and so does my husband. It’s not that. Let’s wait for Mary so I don’t have to say everything twice.’
Mary arrived, breathless from hurrying. ‘Sorry, ma’am, but I was going through the linen when I got your message and the girl couldn’t find me. Why she didn’t look in the storerooms the first time, I don’t know.’ She took the seat indicated, glancing quickly at Mrs Sullivan, then looking at her mistress and clasping her hands so tightly in her lap that the knuckles were white.
Xanthe couldn’t think of a delicate way to explain, so said bluntly, ‘You’ll know that my husband inherited a lot of debt because of his father and brother?’
They both nodded, looking at her even more apprehensively.
‘Let’s speak frankly, then, about what this means for us. We’re going to have to be very careful with the housekeeping if we’re to help Mr Maguire to keep his home.’