“You see a great deal of the lad?” Theo had heard enough of the slander being poured on this woman’s head. He wouldn’t make any judgements until he’d heard her out.
“He’s teaching me.” Ivy’s smile was bright and full of the joys of learning.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Liam – I asked him to teach me to read.” Ivy was almost bouncing in place as she tried to explain.
“The nuns failed to educate you?” Theo was surprised. The nuns had a certain reputation.
“Father Leary allowed my father to convince him I needed no schooling.”
Ivy explained what had happened. She didn’t try to hide her bitter resentment of the two men involved. She had loved her da but she wasn’t blind to his faults. She wouldn’t badmouth the priest to his fellow cleric.
“Unfortunate.” Theo didn’t want to say more but he was furious. The abuse of power involved would have to be investigated.
“Right.” Ivy grinned across the table at him. “Anyway, when Liam came home I wanted to help him stay alive.” She shrugged. “We all have to have a roof over our heads and food in our mouth.”
“Indeed.” Theo smiled and held out his cup for more tea.
“I didn’t want to offer Liam charity.” Ivy waved her arms around her living area. “I can’t afford to offer charity anyway.”
“He spends his nights here?” Theo still didn’t understand the venom he’d heard in the Parish Priest’s voice and was looking for a reason.
“Of course not.” Ivy snapped. “He sleeps in the hayloft of the livery across the way. He spends time here eating and teaching.”
“How is he as a teacher?”
“To be perfectly honest,” Ivy grinned, “Emmy is a better teacher. She has more patience.”
“Emmy?”
“Jem Ryan is the man who lives at the livery. He has a six-year-old niece, Emmy. She comes to me after school. I prepare a meal for the three of us to have together – Liam, Emmy and I. Emmy will show me what she learned in school. She loves turning into a teacher. She has endless patience with my fumbling.”
“Fascinating.” Theo didn’t know what else to say. “Does Liam interact with anyone else?”
“No.” Ivy sighed. “His father is frightened of the consequences of Liam’s actions. Liam doesn’t want to involve his mother and brothers and sisters in a family feud. He’s been keeping away from the very people who might help him. He’s deeply unhappy. I sincerely fear for him. He believes he failed God. The burden is crippling him. He needs guidance desperately. Someone he can respect who will listen to him and advise him.” Ivy bit her lip.
“So you came to the friary.” Theo didn’t wonder any more about the effect this young woman had on Brother Roderick.
“I thought a friar might impress the bejabers out of Liam!” Ivy laughed at the look on Brother Theo’s face. “Well, when you go looking for help you might as well go for the big guns.”
“You, young lady, are an imp.” Theo enjoyed a mind that seemed to see the world so clearly. What a tragedy that this woman had been denied a basic education! He would take his time but he would not allow this woman to rely on a young boy and a girl child for her education. He’d delight in teaching her himself. He’d find some way of arranging it, but not yet.
“I’ve been called worse.” Ivy laughed.
“So I heard.” Theo left it at that. “I need to spend time with Liam.”
“Saint Francis was a great one for the animals, was he not?” Ivy had a fondness for the stories of Francis of Assisi.
“Truly, a very cheeky imp!” Theo laughed. “Would you be suggesting I sit in the hay with this young man and his dog?”
“The dog is nursing four young pups.” Ivy shrugged. “Liam will be tied to her side for a while. I’ll bring Emmy over here for something to eat. You and Liam will have the livery to yourself. Saint Francis sat in the hay with the animals. Will you?”
“A challenge, by heaven!” Theo laughed with true delight. It had been a long time since anyone challenged him. He was so tired of the unhealthy awe he was held in. “I’ll go talk to your confused young man.” He stood away from the table. “Will you permit me to call on you again?” Theo found he was almost holding his breath.
“You’ll be welcome here any time.” Ivy promised. “As long as you agree to converse, not lecture me.”
“I can do that.”
“Good,” Ivy smiled in relief. “I’ll take you across and introduce you to Liam. I’ll take Emmy out of your way.”
She led the way from her home.
“The young man’s lucky to have a friend like you.” Theo was aware of the women standing in open doorways and neighbours staring from behind their curtains. He deliberately walked slowly with his head bent towards Ivy. He needed to show his approval of the woman openly. She didn’t deserve the notoriety he’d witnessed when he first arrived. One of the first things Theo intended to do when he returned to the friary was begin an investigation of the local Parish Priest. Theo would not allow such bully-boy tactics to flourish under his nose.
“Liam!” Ivy knocked on the people portal. “Liam, open up!”
“He’s hiding.” Emmy opened the door. “The sad boy is crying,” she whispered, rolling her eyes. “Again.”
“Liam, I’ve brought someone to meet you.” Ivy set her shoulders, determined to force Liam out in the open.
“Let me handle this.” Theo put his hand on her shoulder, stopping her stepping through the door.
“If he needs someone to sit with the pups,” Ivy took Emmy by the hand, “we are available.” Ivy fervently hoped Liam could be helped before he lost his mind completely. “Come on, Miss Emmy.” Ivy smiled down at the serious little girl. “We have a dinner to prepare.”
“Can we do our lessons on the floor again?” Emmy skipped along beside Ivy.
“I don’t see why not,” Ivy agreed.
Emmy used the black stones of Ivy’s floor as a blackboard. The little girl set out homework for Ivy on them. The two of them enjoyed scrambling around the floor, learning as they went.
“Will the man in the dress help the sad boy?” Emmy asked as soon as Ivy had closed the door at their backs.
“I hope so.” Ivy shrugged. “It’s not a dress he’s wearing – it’s a robe.”
“It looks like a dress.”
“So it does.”
“What are we making for dinner?” Emmy wanted to know. “Is my uncle eating with us?”
“I think so.” Ivy was worried about Jem. He was coming back to the livery earlier each day. Then as soon as Emmy was in bed, and with Liam as a baby-sitter, Jem left again to spend most of the night trawling for business. He couldn’t be earning enough to support three people and all those dogs. Jem insisted on supplying most of the ingredients for the meals they all ate together. Things had to change.
While Emmy and Ivy prepared a meal, Brother Theo was trying to deal with a young man who was being eaten alive from inside. The best solution as far as Theo could see would be to take the young man away with him.
Liam Connelly was falling apart at the seams. He needed to be surrounded by people who would understand his moral dilemma. People whose opinion the lad would respect. The situation was indeed as dire as Ivy had indicated to Brother Roderick. The poor lad couldn’t take care of himself, let alone five dogs.
“I think you should come with me,” Theo suggested tentatively.
“I can’t be a priest!” Liam sobbed. “I really can’t!”
“I’m not suggesting you take up your studies again.” Theo wanted to punch something. How had this lad been allowed get to this point of despair? There were safeguards in place that obviously had not even been attempted. “I just want you to come with me for a period of respite. You can sit and read. Talk with the brothers who will be happy to listen to your concerns. You can work at restoring your health both mentally and physically.”
“I can’t leave here.” Liam buried his hands
in his dog’s coat. “I have responsibilities.”
“Do you think Ivy Murphy would agree to take care of the dog and pups until you return?” Theo wanted to get this young man into care.
“Poor Ivy, everyone dumps their responsibilities on her!” Liam groaned, coming up onto his knees and staring into Theo’s eyes for the first time. “Do you know that she was the sole financial provider for her family since before her ninth birthday?” Liam hadn’t known that. His mother had told him recently.
“Really?” Everything Theo heard about Ivy Murphy deepened his fascination with the woman. She was a case he would delight in studying.
“Ivy Murphy and her friends are the most Christian people I’ve ever met.” Liam wanted to have someone in power on Ivy’s side.
“Is that so?” Theo waited.
“Father Leary tried to ban the people in The Lane from any dealings with Ivy.” Liam glared at Theo. “The woman goes out of her way to help.” Liam buried his fists in his hair. “I hate to ask her to take on more responsibilities. It will mean a financial outlay for her as well. It’s not cheap to feed a load of dogs.” Liam almost wailed.
“I’ll talk to Ivy,” Theo said. “Do you want or need to say goodbye to anyone?”
“No.” Liam refused to face his family.
“Do you have anything to pack?”
“Only the clothes on my back! Which I have courtesy of Ivy Murphy.”
“She is an exceptional human being.” Theo smiled softly. “I’d already figured that out for myself.”
“Her lessons!” Liam yelled. “I forgot all about her lessons!”
“I’ll take care of that too,” Theo promised. He intended to see that Ivy Murphy received the best education he could provide. A mind so bright, a true seeker of knowledge, was a gift to a teacher. She’d been brought to his attention now. He wouldn’t fail her.
Chapter 23
“Morning, Davy,” Ivy greeted the young bootblack when his dirty face appeared in the slowly opening back door of Number 8. “Is she up yet?”
“Mary took Miss Gannon’s breakfast tray up some time ago!” Iris Jones shouted from the kitchen before Davy could open his mouth. Iris didn’t want to be left out of the strange comings and goings around Number 8. “Come away in, Ivy.”
“I’m here, I’m here!” Ann Marie, suitably dressed in her second-hand suit, shouted as she almost ran into the kitchen.
“Let me see yeh,” Ivy said. The brightly lit room had her squinting her eyes in reaction. “Where’s yer shawl?” Ivy rolled her eyes towards the ceiling. ”And yeh can’t wear them gloves, Ann Marie.” Ivy pointed at the cream calfskin gloves in her friend’s hand. “Where’s the gloves Granny gave yeh?”
“I’m afraid of ruining them.” Ann Marie admitted. “I’ve never been given a hand-knitted gift before.”
Granny had knit a matching hat and gloves for Ann Marie. After meeting Ann Marie for the first time the old woman had been completely won over, to Ivy’s profound relief. Granny wanted to be involved in Ann Marie’s ‘disguise’. Ann Marie’s frequent visits to the old woman seemed to have lifted Granny’s spirits.
“I’ll get your shawl, hat and gloves, Miss.” Mary Coates almost pulled the gloves out of Ann Marie’s hand and hurried from the kitchen.
“Ivy, I asked Cook to bake bread for us to take with us.” Ann Marie accepted the cup of tea Cook put into her hand without even noticing. “I don’t like to go visiting empty-handed.”
“Have yeh yer money safe?” Ivy stared at Ann Marie. She’d taken the time to slit the seams of the suit skirt-pocket and sew a button-down purse inside the material.
“I do.” Ann Marie patted her skirt with a grin, delighted with everything.
“Cook, yer blood should be bottled!” Ivy watched Iris Jones wrap two loaves of bread in greaseproof paper. A circular fruit cake was next to be wrapped.
“It was the Miss that gave me the nod to bake extra.” But Iris beamed at the implied compliment.
“Ann Marie might have given you the go-ahead, Cook, but you did all the hard work. The blessings of God on yeh.” Ivy had finally given in to Ann Marie’s constant begging to be allowed to accompany her on her travels around Dublin. This Tuesday morning Ivy planned to visit Sadie and her girls after a morning spent at the Haymarket. The bread and cake would be a welcome addition to Sadie’s household.
“Yeh need to bring extra shoes with yeh, Ann Marie.” Ivy examined Ann Marie’s feet, comfortably shod in her work boots “Them boots will eat the feet off yeh until yer skin hardens.”
“I’ve two pair of thick socks on, Ivy.” Ann Marie noticed Ivy’s accent thickened whenever her aunt’s servants were about.
“I made the Miss a bag,” Davy said from his place by the fire. He raised his eyes from the shoes he was polishing, a grin splitting his face. The servants in Number 8 were enjoying a type of notoriety and not one of them wanted to be left out. The entire army of servants that worked in the square’s households wanted to be kept up to date on the latest chapter in the Ivy and Ann Marie saga.
“Davy, how kind of you!” Ann Marie watched as Davy, a young boy she’d been unaware existed until recently, pulled a hessian string sack he’d fashioned into an over-the-shoulder bag from its hiding place under his skinny rear end. “Thank you so much.”
“I figured yeh’d need it.” Davy was looking at Ann Marie’s boots with longing. In his heart of hearts he prayed the Miss would pass the boots on to him when she got sick of this malarkey. They’d be a bit big like but he could stuff them with newspaper until he grew into them.
“I’ll pack the bag for you, Miss.” Mary Coates hurried around, preparing the bag.
Ivy watched, wondering if Ann Marie was even aware that her every need was catered for before she was even aware of it.
“I made a bite to eat for you to take along, Miss.” Iris Jones put a packed lunch on the kitchen table before putting it alongside the bread and cake in the bag Davy had made.
“Everyone is being so kind,” Ann Marie grinned. “Thank you all.”
“Are yeh about ready, Ann Marie, or should I call one of the men to carry yeh in case yeh’re feeling tired after all you’ve done this morning?” Ivy intended to stop and have a cup of tea and a sausage sandwich at Hopalong’s stall. It was part of her routine. It gave her time to look around, see who was about, who had what on offer and what she might be able to add to their stalls.
“Are you sure you’ll be warm enough, Miss?” Mary Coates arranged the knit hat on Ann Marie’s head and pulled the shawl up over it and around her lady’s shoulders. She shoved the hat pins she held into the shawl and hat.
“Ann Marie, if ye don’t get yer skinny arse out of here right now, I’m leaving yeh here!” Ivy turned and made her way outside. She could hear the frantic mumbling and stumbling coming from the kitchen but she didn’t care. If Ann Marie wanted to come with Ivy she needed to get a move on. This was not a pleasure trip.
“This is so exciting, Ivy.” Ann Marie attempted to pass the heavy hessian sack to Ivy.
“Ann Marie, I’ve got news for you.” Ivy’s accent was once again refined. “That,” she pointed at the sack hanging from the tips of Ann Marie’s wool-encased fingers, “is your bag. You brought it along. You carry it.”
“Can’t you put it in your pram?” Ann Marie didn’t see the problem.
“No!” Ivy snapped, gripping the handle of her pram tightly. “I don’t know what’s in that thing. Suppose cook put something that might spill in there. I can’t afford to have my goods damaged.”
“Oh, of course, I didn’t think.” Ann Marie held the sack out from her body and waited.
“Ann Marie, you’re a useless article!” Ivy sighed. She took the sack and passed the long strap over Ann Marie’s head. “Wear it like that.” Ivy pulled Ann Marie’s arm out through the opening. “It’s easier to carry that way. Now for God’s sake, will you get a move-on? I’ll be late.”
“It’s so early, Ivy.” Ann Mari
e was looking all around her with wide eyes. This was a different world to the one she knew. “The Corporation water carts aren’t even out yet.” She was speaking of the horse-drawn water wagons that washed the Dublin streets.
Ivy ignored Ann Marie’s ramblings. She turned into Holles Street, turned down Denzille Lane and into Fenian Street. She needed to get on. She hadn’t time for Ann Marie to stop and admire everything.
“Morning Ivy, is that yerself?” a voice called out of the darkness.
Ann Marie jumped. She hadn’t seen anyone.
“Morning, Betty, what are yeh after today?”
“Tomatas.”
“Keep us a few, will yeh?” Ivy shouted to the figure appearing from the early-morning haze. The figure was pushing a heavy pram at speed along the street. “I’ll see yeh down there.” Ivy had to grab Ann Marie by the elbow and pull her out of the way.
“Ivy, is that yerself?” another voice called when Ivy turned onto Westland Row, heading towards Pearse Street.
“It is, Lissy.” Ivy didn’t stop. She didn’t even slow down.
“If yeh get to Donnelly’s before us,” Lissy’s voice echoed through the gaslamp-lit street, “get’s a pound of his sausages, will yeh? I’ll see yeh right.”
Through Streets Broad and Narrow (Ivy Rose Series Book 1) Page 26