“I want my child.” Edward matched Jem’s quick strides through the streets of Dublin, not really seeing anything of his surroundings.
“Of course you do,” Jem was quick to agree. “I have no intention of keeping her from you. I only ask that you allow her to stay with me while you settle on a home for her.” They were making good time. They’d be at the little school Emmy attended soon.
“I find I am unable to think beyond the thought of seeing Emerald.” Edward couldn’t make plans for his future at this moment in time. He had to see Emerald, touch her, to truly believe that what this man had told him could possibly be true.
“We’re here.” Jem felt his eyes water. “I’ll ask the teacher to release Emmy early. I’ll be right back.” He stepped through the school doors.
Edward stood in the street, staring at the nearby biscuit factory. His eyes examined the rough area around him. What was his child doing in a place like this? What kind of effect had all of this had on his little girl?
“Papa!” The joyous shriek broke through the noise of the passing traffic.
He opened his arms to the little hooligan running towards him, her black hair streaming behind her.
Chapter 36
“This is where I play ball.” Emmy pulled her father by the hand. “My friend Biddy is at school. You can meet her later, Papa.” She continued to charge all around The Lane, determined to show her papa her new world. “Those are my friends,” she pointed him in the direction of the sad boy and his dogs. They were in the back yard of the tenement block, practising new routines. “They appear on the stage. The dogs are very clever.”
“Emerald . . .” Edward wanted to pull his child into his arms and run from this place. He gave generously to charity but this place was beyond his experience. He wanted to express his horror but his daughter was obviously extremely proud of this world.
“You don’t like it.” Emmy stared up at her father.
“I’m a little confused.” That was all he was willing to say to his child. He had noticed that Ryan spoke to the child as an adult.
“I love my new life, Papa.” Emmy could see that something was very wrong. She didn’t understand. Her papa and Uncle Jem didn’t laugh and joke with each other when they went to lunch at Bewley’s restaurant. They were cold and polite and she didn’t like that. “I have loads of friends. I’m never alone. No one pinches or punishes me here, Papa.”
“You are my daughter, Emerald.” Edward tried to explain what should be perfectly obvious. “Your place is with me.”
“But you go away all the time, Papa,” Emmy said. “You leave me alone with staff. Uncle Jem doesn’t leave me with anyone. I love my Uncle Jem and Aunty Ivy, Papa. I don’t want to go away and leave them.”
She didn’t want to show her papa any more wonders. He didn’t understand. She began to walk sedately back in the direction of the livery, her papa’s hand holding hers tightly. It was as if he was afraid she was going to disappear. He was the one who always disappeared and left her alone.
“Is my Uncle Jem going to be in trouble because he helped me?” She stared up into his face. She would be able to tell if he told an adult lie.
“How could I be anything but thankful to Mr Ryan?” Edward wasn’t accustomed to having his emotions in such a turmoil. There was a correct way to do things and he prided himself on always behaving correctly. He could not believe that he was walking around this den of poverty, his daughter’s hand in his. He should have insisted on booking a suite at the Shelbourne Hotel. He wanted to remove his daughter from this place but how could he do that? Emerald was happier than he had ever seen her. She had been full of news and stories about the many wonderful people in her new life. She’d insisted on performing her ‘party piece’ for him over lunch.
Perhaps he was dreaming. He had fallen ill and was in a world where his Emerald was alive but everything else around him had changed.
“I want to show you where I live.”
Edward followed meekly along as he was towed through the livery. The working lads shouted greetings at ‘Emmy’ as his daughter was called here. Everyone seemed to have something to say to his little girl. The men and young lads working around the place were examining him carefully, he noted.
“Everything okay?” Jem stood in the aisle of his livery. He’d changed out of his business suit and was now wearing his work clothes.
“No,” Edward understated.
“You are confused and lost, aren’t you?” Jem thought the other man looked as if he needed to lie down in a darkened room.
“I’m completely at sea.”
“Might I make a suggestion?”
“Please.”
“Return to your club.” He held up his hand when the other man looked like objecting. “You have a great deal to think about. I can’t imagine how you must be thinking or feeling. Today has been one shock after another.” He picked Emmy up when she ran over to his side with her arms in the air. With the child on his hip he faced this stranger who had the power to change all of their lives. “You can see that your daughter is safe here. Give yourself time to reflect on all that has happened to you. I promise Emerald will be here when you are ready.”
“I want my daughter with me.”
“I appreciate that but, until you can arrange something for her, she is safe here with me.” He held out his hand. “I promise I will take very good care of your child until you can rethink your life.”
“I don’t know what to do.”
“Come,” Jem put Emmy on the ground, “if you are not too proud to be seen with a working man, Emmy and I will walk you back to your club. I’ve given you my card. As soon as you are clearer about what you want to do, telephone me here.”
“I don’t want to let her out of my sight.”
“You look like you need a nap, Papa,” Emmy said.
Chapter 37
“Miss Gannon,” Edward raised his hat. “Thank you for offering the use of your home for this meeting. I’m very grateful.”
“Mr O’Connor, do come in. You are the first to arrive.” Ann Marie stared at the man standing on her doorstep. He looked nothing like the debonair airman she’d photographed. His eyes were haunted.
“I’m afraid this must be a great imposition.” Edward, when he’d telephoned the livery after hours of heart-searching, had almost been ordered to present himself at this house by Ryan.
“Please.” Ann Marie stepped back, silently inviting him inside.
She waited while he removed his hat and coat, hanging them on the stand she pointed out. She walked to her study, conscious of him at her back.
“I know a little of what has been happening but not all,” she said over her shoulder as she pushed the door of her study open. She’d set up the large front-of-house withdrawing room as her own personal study. The big green leather chairs and heavy furniture gave the appearance of a men’s club. The delicate feminine touches and tall containers filled with fresh flowers dotted around the room offset the severity of the space.
“I feel as if I’m lost in one of those ‘penny dreadful’ novels.” Edward almost fell into the chair placed in front of a gently glowing fire. He took a deep breath. “I wondered if I might ask your advice.”
“I’ll help in any way I can.” Ann Marie didn’t offer the man a drink. It seemed what he needed was someone to listen. She wasn’t surprised. What Jem had to tell must have come as an enormous shock to him.
“I’ve learned so much in such a short space of time.” Edward quickly filled her in on the details of the injustice perpetrated against him.
“How dreadful!” She had believed as soon as she’d heard Jem’s story that there must be more to be revealed. Edward was not a man who would neglect his duties or those under his care.
“I spent the most astounding period of time with my daughter,” Edward said. “I wanted to hold her close and never let her out of my sight.” He shrugged. “Emmy Ryan, as she is called now, let it be known that she had
obligations. She had friends to play with and places to be. A father appearing out of the blue did not appear to bother her at all.” He’d been horrified to learn that his child lived over a livery – sleeping in a cupboard bed, for goodness’ sake. Emerald had pointed all of this out to him with enormous joy. “In point of fact my child practically ordered me to go away and take a nap.”
“She is a delightful child,” Ann Marie said.
“How well do you know this chap, this Jem Ryan?” He didn’t know what to do for the best. How could he leave his only child living in what he considered dire poverty? He looked around the well-furnished room he sat in. Surely this woman shared his opinion of the living conditions in that place Emerald called The Lane.
“I was introduced to Jem by my friend, Miss Ivy Rose Murphy.” Ann Marie felt she knew how he was feeling. “Yes, the people of The Lane are not in our social class. I can quite see how that would concern you. I have to say, however, that Ivy Murphy and Jem Ryan are two of the finest people I know.”
“Steady on . . .” Edward stared to see if she really meant that statement.
“I would imagine that you and I were raised in the same fashion.” Ann Marie didn’t smile but she wanted to. “I would never allow my uncle or his family to visit The Lane. I would be mortified by their reaction. But I have come to know these people and I find them fascinating.”
Edward didn’t want to get into a discussion on social standards. He was having difficulty putting his thoughts in order. “Jem Ryan has asked that I leave my child with him while I sort out my own situation.”
“I would not hesitate to agree,” Ann Marie said, since he appeared to be waiting for her opinion. “Emmy is one of the most loved, bright, articulate young ladies that I’ve encountered. She has had the opportunity to see a side of life that you and I were never aware of. She has been cosseted and loved by Ivy and Jem. You can surely see that at first glance. Did she appear distressed to you?”
“I am her father,” Edward stated. “I want her with me.”
“Forgive me.” She understood, but Emmy was happy where she was. She knew it was going to break Ivy and Jem’s hearts when the child left their care. “I understand that you are staying at the Hibernian Club. You have nowhere to take a young girl. Why not leave Emmy where she is for the moment? I am sure you could see her as often as you wished. You would have the freedom to plan what you want to do. Surely that makes the most sense.”
“You truly believe that my child is safe where she is?”
“A lot safer than where you left her.” She was being cruel to be kind.
“Touché,” Edward was forced to agree. He’d believed he’d left his child with someone who cared for her. Look how that had turned out. Emerald appeared to love the life she had at this moment in time. How could he tear her away and put her under the control of a strange nanny in a hotel room? That was all he had to offer at the moment. “I need to return to Galway and speak with some people.”
Ann Marie leaned forward. “If you will forgive me for being presumptuous –”
“I came here seeking advice,” Edward cut in.
“Today’s events have come as the most appalling shock to you. Why not give yourself time to think before making plans that affect the rest of your life. Emerald is safe and close to your hand. Get to know the people who have had the care of her. See the kind of young lady she has become. The decisions you make now are vitally important. I advise you step back and consider what you want for both you and your child.”
“I was presented as ‘Emmy’s da’,” he offered helplessly.
Ann Marie’s laughter pealed around the room. “It is somewhat off-putting, I’m sure.” She tried to keep the broad grin off her face.
“You have no objections to Ryan using your home as a meeting place?” He was vastly more comfortable in this room than standing in the walkway of a livery.
“My friends thought you would be more at ease in these surroundings.” She gestured around the room with her hand. “Relax,” she advised. “We all want what is best for your child. She has stolen our hearts. Now, what would you like to drink?”
Emmy was standing on one of the kitchen chairs in Ivy’s back room while Ivy tried to get her ready to go out. She was scared – her Uncle Jem had told her that her papa would take her home with him. She didn’t want to go. She loved her papa but why couldn’t he leave her here with her new family and friends? Papa travelled all the time. She was lonely and frightened when he was away. She wanted to stay here with the people who loved her and took care of her. Was that wrong? Was she a naughty girl?
“Bend your arm, love.”
Ivy gently pushed Emmy’s arm into the sleeve of her white broderie anglaise dress. The little girl had eaten a hearty meal before her bath. Jem and Ivy hadn’t managed to eat a bite. Their emotions were choking them. It took a great deal of effort to wash Emmy’s hair but, with the help of the special soap they all now used, she’d succeeded. Ivy had spent time towelling dry and combing Emmy’s mane of glossy black hair. It was past the child’s bedtime but the upcoming confrontation could not be delayed – not if she and Jem wanted to retain their sanity anyway.
“I feel like one of the toffs today, I’ve changed my clothes that many times.” Jem came into the back room. He was attired once more in the suit he’d worn to his meeting with O’Connor. “I’ll finish up here.” He walked over to join his little family, his heart breaking. “It’s your turn to put on your glad rags.”
“I left the green ribbon on the table.” Ivy stepped back, away from the chair. She brushed her hand softly against his and gave a half smile. They were both miserable. “I gave the ribbon a belt of an iron.”
“She’s a thing of beauty,” Jem said, staring at Emmy. He reached for Ivy’s fingers, desperately trying to hold onto his composure. “It won’t take a minute and we’ll be cocked, powdered and shaved. I’ll take the little one over to the livery – give you a chance to wash yourself down.” He released her fingers, stepping over to pick up the long green ribbon that went around the waist of the white dress.
Ivy prepared an enamel bowl of water for her use while watching Jem and the child out of the corner of her eye. She smiled and promised not to be long when the other two were ready to leave. She had to fight the tears she wanted to shed. She wasn’t going to meet Emmy’s papa, the man with the power to ruin their lives, with red eyes. Time enough for tears later when it would just be the two of them. The pain in her heart at that thought was almost crippling.
She’d asked Ann Marie’s advice about the clothes she should wear for this first meeting with Emmy’s papa. Ann Marie had suggested she wear the blue dress she’d worn to the theatre. The dress was drop waist in the current fashion and the bugle beads that covered the top of her arms would cover her fading bruises. It felt a bit naked to Ivy but Ann Marie was the expert. Her matching blue fabric T-strap shoes would complete her outfit.
The adults stood around Ann Marie’s study, staring at each other, unsure of what to say or do. Jem had Emmy in his arms, unwilling to release the child.
“This is ridiculous,” Ann Marie said suddenly. “Sit down and I’ll pour each of us a stiff drink.”
Edward wanted to grab his child and leave but the way Emerald was clinging to Ryan’s chest showed more than anything that he needed to understand this situation.
Ivy was desperately trying to hide her emotions. Jem and Emmy were breaking her heart.
“Jem, I can fetch a rug to go over Emmy,” Ann Marie said. “She can have a nap on one of my settees.”
“No!” Emmy had a stranglehold on Jem and at this suggestion she tightened her little arms, almost choking him. What if she went to sleep and when she woke up her Uncle Jem and Aunty Ivy were gone?
“We’re fine,” Jem took a seat, arranging Emmy on his lap, “but I’ll take that drink and thanks.”
“Ivy, I know you would rather have a pot of tea but just this once I think you might have a drop of the demo
n drink.” Ann Marie was glad she had something to occupy herself with. The misery on her friends’ faces was enough to break her heart. “I have blackcurrant cordial for Emmy. I must say you all look very attractive this evening.” Ann Marie passed a sweating glass of gin and tonic to Ivy. The green grin of a lime slice bobbed within the ice pieces.
“You don’t look so bad yourself.” Ivy accepted the glass and sipped. She admired Ann Marie’s silk dress.
“Emerald!” Edward couldn’t bear to watch his child settle into the other man’s arms.
He stood and pulled the child into his arms. Jem and Ivy jumped to their feet as if the child were being threatened. He was her father!
“Papa, I’m Emmy now.” The little girl returned her parent’s fervent embrace. She wanted everyone to be friends. She loved her papa but she loved her Uncle Jem too.
“Please, we should all sit down,” Ann Marie said into the awkward silence. “There is a great deal to discuss.”
They sat.
“If I might make a suggestion?” Ivy said. “I believe we should hear what Emmy has to say.”
“Emerald is a child.” Edward had been raised to believe that children should be seen and not heard. It was ludicrous to suggest a child could be capable of forming an opinion about anything.
The Ha'Penny Place (Ivy Rose Series Book 3) Page 19