The rest of that memorable day passed in a haze for Sheena. At one point she was dimly aware of a noisy argument between Rory and one of his workmates, which ended when she heard Rory say, “Aye, Dunkie it’s real good of ye tae offer tae break the news to his brother, but ...” Here the young lad’s voice broke. “If anybody’s gonnae tell my Uncle Fergus aboot this tragedy it’s me. See that Fergus Bell ... he’s the bastard that caused all this misery in the first place.”
Sheena, sat with her head in her hands, alone with the turmoil of her own thoughts.
Rory, son, she thought. There’s more, much more involved here than you could ever possibly imagine.
As the day of the funeral approached, Mr Buchan took Sheena aside.
“Now then, Mistress Bell, you have worries enough to deal with, so let me give you assurance on one point ... even though I don’t hold with the sin of suicide, there is absolutely no way that I’ll be evicting you and your family from your home here. Rory is a fine lad, a real credit to you, a good worker and, as long as he is in my employ, your home in the boatshed is secure.”
Sheena feeling that not only had one massive worry been lifted from her shoulders, but also that there were still some good people in the troubled world, at the first opportunity she related the good news to Rory.
He listened in silence, then to her amazement he frowned and said, “Very generous of Mr Buchan, I’m sure, but if he thinks that I for one could go on working within sight and sound of the very place where I found my poor father hanging from the rafters, then yer saintly Mr Buchan has another think coming. So, thanks for nothing, Mr Buchan, sir.”
Sheena, aghast at his reaction grabbed hold of his hand.
“Rory, we’ll be homeless again. Is that what ye want?”
He looked at her and there was a decidedly scornful tone in his voice as he said: “Mother, young I may be, but already I know one great truth ... what we want in this life and what we eventually get, are often two entirely different things. Anyway, my mind is made up and, homeless or not, I’ll not stay here a minute longer than is strictly necessary, and that’s an end of the matter.”
And no matter how Sheena pleaded with her son, it was to no avail.
Finally, when it was clear they were getting nowhere in their endless discussions Rory said, “Mother, let’s get the funeral over and done with. I promise you I won’t say or do anything drastic until then, so let’s just go along with what happens each day and see what turns up.”
Like it or not, Sheena had to be content with that as she thought, Stubborn as a mule, he is. Takes that after his father … aye, but Fergus or Rab? That’s really the last thing I need to be worrying about right now.
Chapter 11
In the weeks that followed Rab’s funeral, Sheena and Maggie found that if anything of value was to be achieved in the way of any kind of forward planning, then they would have to bury their differences and their, too public, animosity towards each other.
Thus with an undeclared but nevertheless very real truce between the two women, it now meant at least they could meet in some sort of outward semblance of a vague, insipid friendship. Today’s meeting over a pot of tea in the Harmony Row cottage was just such an occasion. Even so and despite her own best efforts to get Maggie to stick to hard and fast details of the proposed plan, nevertheless, Sheena was finding it well-nigh impossible to pin her sister-in-law down.
So far, they had discussed the weather, old Auntie Netta’s kind offer of hospitality and accommodation for Sheena and her bairns.
When silence fell between the two women, it was left to Maggie to try again in the family’s joint effort to solve the problem. Having cleared her throat, Maggie launched into the fray. “So, this offer of a roof over your head from your Auntie Annie, you’re still dead set against accepting it? It seems very generous to me, I must say.”
Sheena thought for a moment, nodded, then said, “Well, you can say and think, any damned thing ye like, Maggie, but for heaven’s sake, the poor old soul, she’s aboot in her dotage noo. Don’t forget she was nae lassie when she took it upon hersel tae bring us up. The same for Auntie Netta that brung up Fergus and Rab. They’re auld women noo and Auntie Netta’s cottage is crowded enough with hunners of stray cats she adopts; the stench of the place would make ye throw yer heart up, fair reekin of cat pee, so it is. Anyway, me move intae that stinkin hell-hole? Fine weel Ah ken what would happen next Ah’d be the one, the bloody eejit that’d end up lookin after ma ain weans and playing nursemaid tae a crabbit, dementit, aff-her-heid auld woman intae the bargain. Generous offer did ye say? Humph, damn-all help tae me that would be.”
Unwilling to let matters rest there, Maggie chewed at her lower lip. “I think you’re rather losing sight of the fact, the important truth is, that at least it would get you all out of that boatshed in Buchan’s Yard and away from the scene of your dear husband’s suicide.”
Sheena’s face suffused with angry colour.
“Don’t you mention my so-called ‘dear husband’ tae me ... he wasnae thinkin of me or the bairns when he tied that bloody noose roonaboot his neck, selfish or what? And as for getting me oota Buchan’s Yard and intae an overcrowded hovel stinkin with cat pee, well, thanks but no thanks. But if ye think it’s all that generous an offer, ye see how ye’d like it.”
Before Maggie could answer, Sheena got to her feet and said, in a voice thick with barely controlled anger, “Listen Maggie, if this is your way, your sneaky way, of trying to get me to forget the promise Fergus made ... in front of everybody on the day of Rab’s funeral, well, ye can just forget trying tae fob me off tae Auntie Annie. Fergus made a promise and he’ll have to see it through, like it or lump it.”
Maggie frowned in puzzlement “I’m sorry, Sheena, I can see you’re angry, but I’m afraid I still don’t get your drift …”
“Oh ye’ll get more than my drift, don’t you worry aboot that. Just you get this straight, me and ma weans will hang on at Buchman’s yard for as long as it takes till your man comes up trumps with the promised boat tickets. So ye can just get that into your stupid heid.”
Sheena plodded over towards the door of the cottage.
Fergus muttered, “Haud on a minute, Sheena, Ah’ve just had a great idea, it would be tae the benefit of us all and ...”
Sheena turned her head and yelled, “Thanks all the same, Fergus, but Ah think Ah’ve had aboot as much discussion as Ah can stand for one day. If yer wonderful idea, whatever the hell it might be, still seems as great tomorrow, time enough then for you tae come round tae Buchan’s Yard and tell Rory and me. Happen by then we’ll all be in a better frame of mind.”
Just as Sheena had hoped, Fergus arrived at the Yard early on the Sunday morning to outline his plan.
He would travel to Canada with Sheena and her family posing as her husband thus hopefully escaping the long arm of the long Arm of the Law. He would then be on hand to help Sheena and her family get the free land offers for willing emigrants. At a later date, as a free man, an escaped Radical, then he could send for Maggie and his own bairns.
Sheena stared at him in open-mouthed amazement. “Such a daring ploy would help you escape the authorities in this country?”
He nodded. “It’s a least worth a try, kill two birds with one stone, as it were.”
Sheena laughed. “Dae ye think ye’ll escape Maggie’s wrath quite so easily, for no matter which way we look at this, Ah cannae think that Maggie will be best pleased.”
He frowned. “Ah’m not about to pretend that she’s exactly overjoyed at the prospect, even though she can see the advantages in my escape plan. but ...” he paused, “in fact, and in all honesty Ah must tell you, she tried everything in her power tae get me to change my mind and take her instead of ye.”
Sheena cocked her head on one side. “Oh indeed, and just exactly how did she go about that?”
He fiddled with the cuff of his jacket, looking decidedly uncomfortable, abashed and downright embarrassed. Fina
lly he said, “All you need to know about that particular event is this ... Ah dumped you once before Sheena and Ah’m not about to let history repeat itself. Now can we leave it there and get down to plans for the big day?”
Chapter 12
January 1820
Standing in the early morning chill on the bleak quayside at Greenock, Sheena, Fergus and her children gazed up in fascination at the tall ship on which they were to sail. For about the tenth time in as many minutes, young James, his face flushed in a fever of excitement, asked, “Mammy, is it true, really true are us yins goin on that big ship?”
Fully aware not only of her son’s excitement, but also his barely concealed terror of the unknown ... so much had happened since his father’s suicide, Sheena deposited her bundles on the damp quayside and gathering up into her arms her wee boy, she tried to reassure him. “Aye, son, it is indeed true and once they’ve let all the people of quality on board, then at last, at long last, it’ll be our turn.”
“People of quality, Mammy, who’s them?”
Sheena put him back down on the quayside. “See them folk in the fine velvet clothes, fancy hats, furs and ‘furbelows’.”
He looked in the direction she pointed.
Sheena nodded. “That’s them, the very ticket. And would ye just take a gander at their children with their fur-trimmed coats, hats and muffs, must have cost a pretty penny all that finery, Ah’ll be bound.”
Catriona who wasn’t quite tall enough to see over the heads of their fellow would-be passengers, then started jumping up and down in a vain attempt to catch sight of the passing show. Fergus, seeing this, winked saucily at Sheena, and lifted Catriona up on to his shoulders. As she ooh-and aahed in wonder at the passing fashion show, almost to himself he murmured, “Those toffs are also known as oor betters, but mark my words, once we’re all in Canada, let’s see how much better they are at turning to do a spot of hard work as pioneers in the new country. When that day comes, they’ll just be common or garden workers, same as the rest of us.”
Hearing this diatribe, Sheena elbowed him in the ribs. “Sh, hush now, Fergus, just be a wee bit careful with such talk, at least until we’re safely aboard and on the high seas.”
He lifted Catriona down from her perch. “You’re right, Sheena, we’ve been lucky so far, but we’re not on the ship yet. In fact we could still be a long way from getting safely on board. I hate being the one to tell you, but it has been known on many occasions for unscrupulous folk to sell the self-same boat tickets two or three times over. If the Captain should then decide that he’s overloaded with passengers, ye can guess what happens then.”
To take her mind off the terrifying prospect of not being allowed to board the ship despite having paid their fare tickets, Sheena let her gaze wander around the quayside. It was black with the heaving sprawling mass of humanity like themselves. In the long snaking line-up, every man, woman and child was dressed in what was little short of rags. And scattered on the wooden planks of the quayside lay the tied-up bundles of their, precious to them but still decidedly meagre, earthly goods. On some of these more robust bundles, weepy, irritable toddlers sat disconsolately kicking their feet while the more adventurous children in their ranks played a spirited game of leapfrog over any convenient object.
There were shouts of admonition from anxious mothers desperate to keep their brood safely gathered together as they waited the long-delayed word of command from the ship’s officers to approach the gangway. As Sheena went on surveying this motley throng, she was all too aware not only of the noise, but also of the stench of unwashed, flea-bitten, flea-ridden humanity which now hemmed her in on all sides. Despite herself, the thought went through her head. Dear God, I hope we’ll have a decent amount of space on board this ship, assuming we ever get on it in the first place. But come to think of it, mibbe they don’t call them coffin ships for nothin, mibbe that refers to the limited amount of space allocated to each person? And if we are all to be herded together like cattle, God knows how Ah’ll stand it, being huddled together with hundreds of stinkin people.
Just at that moment, a rowdy group of some of the older children bumped against Sheena, causing her almost to fall. “Here youse yins, that’s enough of that, behave yersels, or ye’11 feel ma hand aff the side of yer jaw, see how ye like that.”
Another would-be passenger standing in front of Sheena, swivelled her head to say, “Quite right, hen, we’re miserable enough standin here like eejits, withoot a bunch of weans pushin us over next.”
Sheena acknowledged the woman’s support with a sigh and a nod of her head. “And by the looks of some of those weans, a bit dicht wi a face flannel and a bit of soap wouldnae go wrong either. Ah might have lived in a shack, but Ah was aye clean, cleanliness bein next tae Godliness and all that.”
Sheena would have been content to let the conversation lapse at that point, but the other woman seemed equally determined to keep on.
“Uch Ah suppose it’s no wonder the weans is gettin a bit too boisterous, they’re fed-up, same as us. A damned disgrace making us wait all this time. Why should we have tae wait till all them high-falutin folk get on first. But what can we dae aboot it, nothin, bloody nothing. But jist you wait till we all get tae Canada, things’ll be different then. A different kettle of fish. Nane of yer damned class distinctions there.”
As the woman’s words seemed to hang in the air with Sheena refusing to comment, finally it was Fergus who leant across and said, “Ah can see ye hold the same views as myself, and like me, ye’re hopeful of greater social equality in the New World.”
The woman opened her eyes wider and took a closer look at Fergus. “Oh aye, Ah wasnae eavesdroppin or nothin earlier, but I did hear ye spoutin along those lines tae yer wife a bit earlier on. But see me, Ah’m no just hopin for such a change in Canada. It’s no just airy-fairy hopes with me. Ye see, Ah already know that anyone who’s prepared to work hard in Canada can, from the word go, count himself every bit as good as his master. All equal oot there so they are.”
Sheena alarmed that if the woman had overheard Fergus’s earlier diatribe about his Radical views, then there was no telling who else might also have heard and any one person in the crowd could then denounce him to the authorities in the hope of getting a reward for turning in such a wanted man.
With these alarming thoughts racing through her brain and determined at all costs to keep Fergus out of any such further discussion, she quickly suggested that he take the children for a wee walk along to the end of the pier. Knowing full well what such a ruse was all about, Fegus marshalled the children and with a parting, quizzical look at Sheena and a friendly nod to their gossipy neighbour, he turned away.
Once he was safely out of earshot, Sheena leant closer to the woman with the question, “What ye were saying earlier sounds to me as if ye already really know what’s what over in Canada, am Ah right?”
The younger woman nodded her head vigorously. “Aye, too bloody right Ah dae. Ye see ma man’s already out there. Earnin good money digging ditches, canals, and even layin railways. Mind ye, Ah don’t know that the Irish is any more welcome than they ever were here in Glasgow, but at least over there they will employ my man, all the different nationalities, all in the same melting pot, so that’s something to be grateful for, Ah suppose.”
Still wary of giving away the slightest bit of information as to her own reason for leaving Scotland, Sheena made an effort to concentrate on her neighbour’s story. “Yes, Ah dae know the Irish have always had a very hard time of it in Glasgow, but Ah’m no being nosey, but ye don’t sound all that Irish yersel.”
The woman threw back her head and bellowed with laughter and with such gusto that several people turned round and smiled, obviously glad that somebody could still see the funny side of life while standing frozen to Greenock’s windswept quayside.
Wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes, the woman said, “Me Irish, that’s a laugh. Naw, hen Ah’m as Scottish as haggis, porridge and whisk
y. And just because Ah merrit a Paddy frae the Emerald Isle, that hasne turned me intae nae leprechaun or a shamrock.”
Here the woman held out her hand and as Sheena clasped the work-worn hand in hers, the younger woman grinned and said, “Ma name’s Angusina, by the way. Ah was named for my Hielan gransfaither, but maist folk and all my freens, they just call me Gussie.”
Sheena smiled her response. “Then Gussie it’ll be. Ah’m Sheena Bell and my ... er … my husband, he’s called Fergus.”
Gussie appeared to digest this information, then opening her eyes really wide, she cupped her mouth to shield her words from any curious eavesdroppers, she whispered. “Fergus? Mind ye, Ah’m just goin by the way he’s been spouting on aboot social rights and stuff, oh my God, he wouldnae be Fergus Bell. the Fergus Bell by any chance now would he?”
The look on Sheena’s face was confirmation enough, and undeterred, Gussie went on,
“My brothers, my uncles and even my auld faither, they’ve all been raving on for months aboot some wonderful speaker for the Radical cause, now gone intae hiding, but a real fighter for the rights of the common working man. Oh my God, Fergus Bell, he’s famous, so he is and many a time my brother Duncan heard him speechifying at Glasgow Green, bloody marvellous, it seemed.”
Sheena cast a wary glance around their immediate neighbours, then she held a warning finger to her lips before saying, “Just one thing, Gussie, then Ah’ll say no more on the subject, I think you can now make a good guess as to why my ... er ... my husband and oor family, why we’re leaving Scotland. And why we are so desperate to get on that boat and safely out of harm’s way.”
For a woman who so obviously loved the sound of her own voice and to whom gossiping and blethering were as lifeblood, for once Gussie appeared to be totally bereft of words. She stared and went on staring at Sheena as though stunned and weighted down with the burden of the secret which had just been shared with her. Finally, Gussie leant even closer, and said in a voice choked with emotion, “Listen, Sheena, if ever we dae get on this bloody boat, one thing’s for certain sure, you, me and wur faimlies we’ll all stick close the gither, safety in numbers and all that and if Ah can help ye in any way, it’ll be my privilege tae dae just that. Any man that’s spoke up for the workers, him and his family deserves all the help that’s goin.”
In Loving Memory Page 11