The Ha'Penny Place (Ivy Rose Series Book 3)

by Gemma Jackson

  “If you are going to be running in and out of the place,” Frank Wilson stood, “you better use the back way. I don’t want a gang of childer running past my door.” He put his hand on Emmy’s shoulder and turned her towards the back door. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

  “I’ll bring over a plate for that ham and cheese, Ivy.” Maisie and Peter stood. She didn’t want to take Ivy’s plate. You never sent back a plate empty that you had received full. Lord alone knew when she’d have the means to send back a full plate. Best if she used her own plate to shift the promised treat – there would be no obligation.

  “Give us time to find me knives,” Ivy said. “Or better yet, bring a knife with you when you bring the plate.”

  “I’ll do that.”

  The Reynolds left. The news would be all over The Lane in next to no time.

  “Jesus, Jem,” Ivy wasn’t capable of saying more.

  “I know, love,” Jem pulled Ivy into his arms, “but she’s here and alright. That’s the main thing.”

  Chapter 51

  Ann Marie’s fists were clenched on the steering wheel. She had to consciously remind herself not to speed. These country roads were not safe.

  Edward O’Connor sat in the passenger seat, sick with the knowledge he had once again failed to keep his daughter safe. He would be eternally grateful for the telephone call informing them of his daughter’s safety.

  “The responsibility for this fiasco is not yours alone.” She could practically see him kicking himself. She pushed her glasses up her nose.

  “I am her father.” He was almost ashamed to state that aloud. What kind of father lost his child by his own negligence not once but twice?

  “It is considered the done thing, is it not, to allow servants full responsibility for our children’s upbringing? I believed myself to be more enlightened. Yet, I too passed responsibility for Emerald onto staff.” Ann Marie wanted to slap herself.

  They drove in silence, each lost in their thoughts of what might have happened. The knowledge that Emerald had been so unhappy with them that she would run away was eating at both of them. They had failed the child.

  Emmy saw them first. She was playing chase with Biddy in the courtyard of The Lane and by chance saw Ann Marie’s automobile as it drove past the old entrance from Mount Street. She shouted goodbye to her friends and ran into the livery. It had been explained to her that what she had done was naughty but she didn’t care.

  “What’s wrong?” Jem asked when Emmy threw herself at him, her two arms wrapped around one of his legs. He’d been instructing his jarveys leaving to pick up passengers.

  “They’re here!” She almost climbed up his body.

  “Are they indeed?” He settled the child on his hip and continued to issue instructions. They could bloody wait until he was ready to talk to them. There was work to be done. He stood back and watched carefully as whips were cracked over horses’ heads and wheels turned. His men drove out of the new opening in his livery to take up their work.

  “Right, lads,” he shouted when the aisle was clear of carriages. “I want these floors swept, stalls cleaned and fresh straw put out.” He watched the young lads he employed jump to obey. “Conn, you’re in charge out here. John’s in the office. I’m away home on business. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  Jem and Ivy had tried to plan what they would say, what they could do when Emmy’s parent turned up. They were constrained by the fact that they were not related in any way to Emmy.

  “Right, petal, let’s go say hello to your papa.” Jem was resisting the temptation to simply run away with the child on his hip. A ridiculous notion since he had nowhere to run. “You can go back to playing with your friends after you’ve shown the man that you are in fine fettle,” he promised the solemn-eyed little girl on his hip.

  He walked out of the livery into the cobbled courtyard of The Lane. He turned right in the direction of his new home.

  “Emerald!” Edward O’Connor walked swiftly down the courtyard, avoiding the shabbily dressed children playing loudly all around.

  Ann Marie stood alone looking on. She felt disorientated. She knew Ivy had moved from her two basement rooms but was unsure which house held her new lodgings.

  “Papa.” Emmy stared at her parent with accusing green eyes.

  “You can see she’s fine.” Jem dropped Emmy to her feet. “You go play, your papa and I need to talk.” He gave the little girl’s bottom a pat.

  “Grown-up talk,” Emmy didn’t run away but stood for a moment staring back and forth at the two tall green-eyed men, “about me?”

  “That’s right, so scram.” Jem waited while Emmy rejoined her friends. “Come along, Edward.”

  He walked away, rooting in his pocket for the key to the front door. He would not walk with this aristocratic man through the back garden and into his kitchen. They would use the front entrance.

  “Hello, Ann Marie,” Jem said when they reached her side. “I’m afraid you’ll have to take us as you find us.”

  He opened the front door and led the way down the long hallway to the door leading into the back rooms. There was no sign of Ivy. He thought she was probably in one of her sheds taking out her anger and fear on the goods she had stored. He’d been doing much the same at the livery.

  “Jem, I am heartily ashamed of myself.” Ann Marie wanted to look at everything. She wanted to exclaim aloud at her friends’ improved circumstance but she rather thought Edward believed Jem owned the entire house. She was not going to say anything to disabuse him of that notion.

  “Thankfully Emmy arrived here safe and sound.” Jem washed his hands, filled the kettle and put it on top of the gas stove. “However, no one had thought to tell the child that Ivy moved – she was extremely distressed when a stranger opened what she believed was Ivy’s door.”

  “Well, well, the dead arose and appeared to many!” Ivy stepped into the kitchen.

  “Ivy.” Ann Marie stood to greet her friend.

  Jem hid a grin. Edward stared at the female glaring daggers at him.

  “We’re good enough to visit when we have something you want, it seems.” Ivy stepped around Ann Marie. She wasn’t ready to kiss and make up. “I want to slap you both senseless for what you’ve done to that child.”

  The two elegantly dressed people sat at her kitchen table and didn’t try to defend themselves.

  “Jem Ryan, are you out of your mind?” She’d noticed the enamel mugs on her lovely oilcloth. “I won’t let you shame me in front of this shower.” She grabbed the mugs from the table and began setting the table with her china.

  “It’s of no matter, Mrs Ryan,” Edward said.

  “Don’t you talk to me, Your Highness, until I’ve calmed down,” Ivy snapped.

  “But –”

  “But me no buts, yeh stuck-up amadán!”

  “Sit down, love.” Jem almost pushed Ivy into a chair with his hands on her shoulders. “I’ll make a fresh pot of tea.” He pressed a finger to her lips. “These people are guests and they feel bad enough.”

  “I didn’t invite them in,” Ivy fumed.

  “I did.” Jem turned to take care of making tea.

  “There was a reason I never told you for my removing Edward and Emerald to Dalkey,” Ann Marie said when Ivy had her first cup of tea in her hands.

  “Getting them away from unsavoury sorts like us?”

  “Ivy Murphy Ryan, that is uncalled for,” Ann Marie snapped. “I am not a snob, nor is Edward.”

  “Sorry,” Ivy said when Jem poked her shoulder.

  “And so you should be,” Ann Marie snapped. “I was reliably informed that Father Leary had people investigating Emmy and her appearance in your life. I could not risk that man sticking his nose into this business.”

  Edward took Ann Marie’s hand in his. “To our knowledge the matter of Mary Rose Donnelly and Bishop Troy has been settled, and indeed buried, but Ann Marie wasn’t willing to allow any danger to come to your door, Mrs Ryan.”


  “The name’s Ivy.” She didn’t want to let go of her anger.

  “Ann Marie and I are married,” Edward said.

  “So.” Ivy leaned back and stared. “It’s okay for you two to get married on the quiet but me and Jem had to be done up like the dog’s dinner and trotted around the place?”

  “You are such a hard head, Ivy,” Ann Marie said. “It was important that you should be seen to marry. You know that as well as I.”

  “We wish you every happiness.” Jem shook his head, standing to cross and press a kiss into Ann Marie’s cheek. He held out his hand to Edward. “I know you will both be very happy,”

  “Ditto,” Ivy said.

  “You are close enough to my feet for me to kick you, Mrs Ryan.” Ann Marie shoved her glasses up her nose. Enough was enough.

  The two men exchanged glances and silently decided to ignore the women for the moment.

  “I will continue to travel for business and pleasure,” Edward said into the silence that had fallen over the room. “Ann Marie will travel with me. We intend to make the house on the Grand Canal our main residence.”

  “And your daughter?” Ivy asked the question Jem longed to ask.

  “I have thought long and hard about what is best for Emerald. Ann Marie and I have discussed the matter in great detail.” He looked directly at Jem. “I believe we could easily claim to be related.” He waited a moment before saying, “I would not claim to be your father although the Lord knows some days I feel old enough.”

  “I’ve had one of those, thanks.” Jem didn’t know where he was going with this.

  “We have reached a decision that we think will work best for all.” Edward took a sip of tea. “My wife has the most amazing mind.”

  “I know and I’m fortunate enough to be married to another such.” Jem waited.

  “The superficial physical resemblance between us is the reason I thought of this. I think if we claimed to be related through your mother it would suffice.”

  “Suffice for what?”

  “I desire to make you and your wife the legal guardians of my daughter.” Edward sat back and waited.

  “In the name of God.” Ivy looked to Ann Marie to see if she knew about this. Her friend gave a nod but remained silent.

  “What would that mean?” Jem had a white-knuckled grip on Ivy’s hand.

  “As I’ve stated, I will continue to travel. I must for my business and truthfully I enjoy it. I want you to be her parents when Ann Marie and I are not available. We wish to learn from you two how to be good parents to Emerald and any other children we may be blessed with. Emerald would be as much your child as mine. She already is if the truth were told. I am not willing to give up all rights to my child. However, recent events have forced me to consider what my position in her life should be.”

  “If I’m understanding you correctly,” Jem could feel the grin almost splitting his face, “I,” he turned at Ivy’s nudge, “I mean we, would be honoured.”

  “We will need to make it official.” Edward was relieved to have got that out of the way. He admired Jem Ryan. The man was honest as the day was long. He’d insisted on giving an accounting of every pound of the money he had used from the stash Miss Donnelly had been carrying when she died. He insisted he would pay the money back in spite of Edward’s statement that the money was owed to him for the care he’d taken of Emerald – Emmy, he really would have to remember to call his child Emmy or be the only one calling her Emerald. “I have to fly back to Galway.” Edward would prefer to place this matter in the hands of his family lawyer. “I thought to offer you a flight. Didn’t you say your family lived in Sligo?”

  “Dear Lord!” The idea of taking an airplane to see his family! It had been a very long time since he’d visited. The livery didn’t allow time for pleasure trips.

  “That sounds like a fine idea to me, Jem Ryan.” Ivy knew he would be in heaven to get a chance to travel in one of those flying machines. “John can handle the business. Ann Marie and I between us will sit on little Miss Runaway.”

  “Ivy –”

  “Jem, talk to the man.” She waved her hand in the direction of the livery. He felt most at home there. “Go on, me and Ann Marie have things to talk about. You two go away and talk. Go on.”

  “Ann Marie?” Edward asked.

  “You have your orders, darling. You’ll find it doesn’t do to disobey Ivy.”

  Chapter 52

  “Tell me again why I’m putting a knocker on me back gate,” Frank Wilson said.

  “Father Leary.” Ivy stood in the open doorway of one of her huts watching the old man on his knees, his tools around him. He was a very handy man to have around the place. “He has my work force terrified. They don’t want him to see me going in and out of their places.” She needed these women to prepare the dolls for her. She couldn’t do everything herself. Well, she could but it would interfere with her profit margin.

  “So the knocker is for them to use.” Frank tightened the screw he was putting into the heavy brass knocker.

  “They want to pick up and collect the dolls and whatnot from here. I won’t invite them into my home. I’ll handle my business from one of these sheds.” Ivy walked over to join him. “They need the money and I need the work done. Still, it saves me time and shoe leather, I suppose.” She watched for a while before asking the question that really bothered her. “How are you managing for work?”

  “I’m getting a bit about the place.” He pushed himself to his feet. “I make more money but it’s not steady.”

  “I’m sorry I brought this trouble to your door.”

  “Nonsense.” Frank carefully repacked his tools. “Don’t you be taking Leary’s sins on yourself! He’s a dictator with delusions of grandeur. He always has been.”

  “He still managed to bring a great deal of trouble to our door.”

  “I saw your brothers at the last place I worked.” He hadn’t been sure if he should say anything. “I was working on a broken staircase.” He wanted to shuffle his feet like a nervous boy at the look she gave him.

  “Come up in the world, haven’t they?” She’d seen them about town herself but she made sure they never saw her. She had practice at remaining unseen.

  “Would you think so?” Frank checked the knocker was secure. “I thought they looked like two kicked pups meself.”

  “Here’s where you are. I tried knocking on the front door.” The postman stood behind them. “One of the lads told me to try the back.” He was rooting in his postbag while trying to get a look inside the gate. He pulled an envelope that struck fear into his audience and his clipboard from his bag. “I’ll need your signature.” Tim passed the blue-crossed envelope to Frank Wilson. Ivy watched with her heart in her mouth. She waited till the postman took his leave before taking Frank by the elbow and almost pulling him back into the garden. She locked the gate – shutting out the world.

  “It might not be bad news.” Frank raised worried eyes.

  “That’s what we all say.” Ivy left him to stand there while she shut down her work. They had gas light in the huts now. She had a free-standing paraffin heater she wouldn’t leave standing around her work. It was too dangerous.

  Frank watched Ivy hurry around the place, the envelope clenched in his trembling hand. He didn’t think he was ready for another shock.

  “Come on, I’ll put the kettle on and fix us a bite to eat.” Ivy led the way into her kitchen. “You can read your letter in peace.”

  “That aul’ bastard,” Frank couldn’t stay seated. He stood and shook the letter in his hand. “This is from the bank.” He swallowed nosily. “They are calling in the loan on this house. I have one month to come up with the remainder of the money I owe them or they’ll put this house on the market.”

  “Can they do that?” Ivy thought you were safe from eviction when you owned your own house.

  “They can do anything they bloody like.” Frank took the mug she gave him without noticing. “I hav
en’t any way of getting the money to pay back the outstanding balance on that loan. Not in the time they’ve given me. The bank are going to force me to sell this house. There’s no two ways about it.” He dropped back into the easy chair by the range. He took a gulp of tea and almost choked. There was a lump in his throat.

  Ivy left the man to his thoughts while she prepared a pot of rabbit stew to sit on the back of the range. The days were getting cooler and the heat from the range was a welcome addition to the kitchen. She chopped and diced vegetables while keeping Frank’s mug filled. She put a cheese sandwich in his hand. He ate it without comment. The poor man was in shock. She wasn’t feeling much better herself. They had spent time and money on getting these rooms and her work area up to a standard that still took her breath away. She was not willing to allow Father Leary to force her out of her home again. She’d be damned before she’d give the aul’ goat the satisfaction. He was making her working life difficult but she had found a way around that. She’d handle this too. She wished to God Jem hadn’t gone flying around the country just now.

  “Mr Wilson.” Ivy had the stew on the stove. The old man was still sitting with his feet in the range surround. She didn’t think he even remembered she was there. “I know how you feel about people sticking their nose in your business but I have a reason for asking.” Now she had his attention. She straightened her shoulders. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. “I have a reason for asking.” She gulped air before blurting out: “How much money do you owe the bank?”