“What do you think?” Noreen asked. She looked away, softened her tone. “Aye, but only one. Only Ivan.”
Esther turned to Joy.
“George,” Joy said. “I’m his. You belong to Tam.”
“What about Mary?” Esther asked.
Mary didn’t raise her head, even as Joy put an arm around her.
“Not yet,” Joy said.
“But it’s only a matter of time,” Esther said, “isn’t it?”
Joy gave her a look so full of hate that she could not hold her gaze.
“We have to do something,” Esther said.
“Don’t start,” Noreen said. “Not again.”
“I won’t let him touch me.”
“Then he’ll hurt you,” Joy said.
“Let him try.”
“Oh, God and Jesus,” Noreen said, burying her face in her hands, and Esther wondered for a moment if it was truly a prayer, or merely blasphemy. “You’re going to get us all killed.”
Reaching for a strand of hope, Esther spoke to Mary. “What about the plan?”
“What plan?” Noreen asked. “What are you talking about?”
“Mary has a plan.” A smile flashed on her lips, wiped away with her hand, the same hand trapping a giggle that tasted of madness. “Mary, tell them,” she said from behind her palm.
Mary remained silent, pushing crumbs around the table with her fingertips.
“Leave her alone,” Joy said, craning her neck to see out of the back window, to the yard, checking if Ivan was still out there, not listening from the hall. “Don’t get her mixed up in anything.”
“Tell them, Mary,” Esther said. “Tell them your plan. Tell them about George.”
“George?” Noreen echoed. “That’s enough, now. Shut up before any of them hears.”
Esther got to her feet and leaned across the table, took Mary’s hands in hers. “Please, Mary, tell them. Tell them what you told me. How George is the weakest of them. How he’s soft for you and Joy.”
Joy grabbed Esther’s wrist with one hand, pulled at her fingers with the other, trying to free Mary from her grasp. But Esther held on.
“Tell them. For Christ’s sake, tell them.”
Mary looked up at her, shook her head.
“What’s all this, now?”
Esther released Mary’s hands at the sound of Ivan’s voice in the hall doorway and stepped back from the table. Noreen and Joy stood too, their chairs scraping against the stone floor. Last of all, Mary got to her feet. None of them looked at him.
“Well?” Ivan stepped into the room. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Noreen said, keeping her gaze downward. “We just had a wee disagreement, that’s all.”
Ivan clucked his disapproval. “We’ll have none of that auld nonsense. Not in this house. Come on, now, get all this mess cleaned up and get on.”
They got to work.
When the men had eaten their tea, beef and potatoes again, and the women had cleaned up, Noreen lifted the bowl of scraps to take downstairs. Esther went to follow her through the door to the stairs beyond, but Tam called her back.
“You can eat something later,” he said, still sat at the table. “You’re having a bath, remember. The child’ll help you get it ready.”
The other men left the kitchen, saying nothing. Only Esther, Mary and Tam remained.
He pointed to the tin bath in the back hall and said, “Go on.”
“I don’t want to,” Esther said.
“What’s that got to do with it?” Tam asked. “You’ll do as you’re told.”
It was Mary who went and got the bath while Esther stood in the centre of the kitchen, her arms folded around her middle, sobbing. Mary dragged it back into the room, the tin scraping on the stone. Tam winced at the noise.
Mary fetched the big pot from beside the stove, brought it to the sink, and worked the pump to fill it with water. She tried to lift it out of the sink again, but it was too heavy.
“Don’t make the child do all the work,” Tam said. He got up from the table and bolted closed the door to the cellar, slid the padlock through the loop, but did not fasten it.
Esther helped her hoist it up and back over to the stove and onto one of the two hotplates. Mary lifted a smaller pot and brought it back to the sink, filled it, and carried it to the stove’s second hotplate herself. Esther remained by the window as the water heated, watching magpies pick through the gravel on the driveway. It was still light outside and she could see their white flashes clearly as they squabbled. And she could see the open gate at the end of the driveway, the narrow lane beyond. Only the glass between her and it.
An idea came to her then, bright and shining in her mind. Break the glass. With her fist, maybe, then let a jagged edge tear open the veins in her wrist. Bleed to death right here in this kitchen. Or perhaps take a piece and open her throat before Tam could stop her.
Mary touched her hand, pointed to the steaming pots of water.
They took the largest one and emptied it into the bath tub, followed by the second. Then they repeated the action, filling first one pot, then the other, placing them on the stove.
Esther returned to the window. The magpies had gone. The sun hung low over the trees. She thought of Reverend Clarke, his lingering in her bedroom as she changed, behind the door as she bathed. She wondered why men were so wicked. She wondered if her father had been like that too, had he been cruel and she hadn’t known? Perhaps if he hadn’t died, then he would have shown that side of himself, eventually.
Her brain registered the movement at the gate before she was conscious of seeing anything. A car turning in.
Esther’s skin tingled, every cell of her being suddenly crackling and alive. She held her breath. The car’s engine rumbled, its tyres crunching gravel as it approached.
“No,” Tam said.
She heard his chair fall to the floor as he stood. She heard the padlock rattle and the bolt slide. The car’s handbrake creaked as it came to a standstill, side on to the front of the house. A man inside, barely visible.
“Come on,” Tam said, a hoarse whisper. “Get down them stairs. Quick.”
The driver’s door opened, on the other side of the car, and a man stood upright. He wore a dark green uniform, a tie, silvery buttons.
A policeman. My God, Esther thought, a policeman. She almost wept when he looked right at her through the glass.
Behind her, Tam barked, “Come on!”
“It’s too late,” Esther said, her voice trembling with a giggle. “He’s seen me.”
21: Mary
It was the same policeman I’d seen before. I knew his face. So handsome. I saw him take a step closer to the window. He looked at Esther, all confused, like he saw a ghost standing there. Esther started to shake. I think she might have been tittering, I’m not sure.
Says Daddy Tam, No, no, no, no, no.
Over and over and over again like if he said it enough times he could magic that policeman away. He grabbed my arm and tried to pull me over to the door, but I did a thing I’d never done before: I stood my ground.
Says I, He’ll see you.
Daddy Tam let go of my arm then and just stood there, breathing hard. I never seen him afeart before, but there he was, near in a panic. The policeman came right up to the window, put his nose to the glass, with his hands around his eyes so he could see better. He looked at us a wee moment then he waved and pointed to the front door.
Daddy Tam didn’t move, just stood there, panting like a dog. Only I knew he would’ve hit me a clip, I would’ve tittered just like Esther.
Daddy Ivan appeared in the kitchen door and says, Oh, Jesus. He looked at Tam, then back at the window. Says he, Pull yourself together, boy, or we’re ruined. I’ll go to him.
While Daddy Tam bolted and lo
cked the door to the cellar, Daddy Ivan went out to the hall and I heard him unlock the front door. Then I heard voices, low so I couldn’t make out the words. I walked closer to Esther so I could see through the door, see what was happening. Daddy Tam tried to grab at my sleeve, but I slapped his hand away. I never would’ve dared do that before, never ever, but now I did, because here was the policeman and he was going to take us all away from here, me and Esther and Mummy Joy and Mummy Noreen, he was going to take us out of here to a good place where no one would hurt us.
Daddy Ivan let the policeman into the hall, then he followed him into the kitchen. The policeman didn’t have his hat on him, and his shirt collar was unbuttoned, and his tie was loose. There was a smell off him that I’d smelled before, a sweet smell on his breath, like Daddy Tam’s when he was drunk and thran, and his eyes were red and watery.
Says he, Tam, how are ye? Then he looks at us, the steaming bathtub. Who’s this then?
Daddy Ivan was behind him. Says he, These are my sister’s grandchildren. They’re just here to visit for a lock o’ days.
Daddy Tam came between me and Esther and took us each by the hand.
Says he, Just here for a lock o’ days to help out about the place.
Says the policeman, Oh, aye? Nice to meet you, girls. Here, I was supposed to pick up some beef from the butcher’s for the missus, but I sort of didn’t get around to it. Would yous have a wee joint you could spare? I’ll pay for it, like. Not even a good cut, just something she can stick in the pot for the Sunday dinner.
I felt Daddy Tam’s fingers squeezing mine awful hard, and I knew he was doing the same to Esther. I thought she was going to say nothing. Nobody said anything. We all stood there not making a sound, the policeman looking from one to the other.
No worries if you can’t, like, says he.
Help us, Esther says.
Behind the policeman, Daddy Ivan looked at the floor, his shoulders dropped, and he shook his head. I saw Daddy George, then, in the hall, coming up behind them.
Says the policeman, What, love?
I looked at the policeman’s belt, the gun he had in a pocket there. I didn’t know it was called a holster or a pistol, but I knew what it was.
Help us, Esther says. They’re keeping us prisoners here. Us and two others. They’re locked in the cellar.
The policeman stared at her a wee moment, this look on his face like he didn’t know if she was codding or not. His eyes were darting about all over the place, from one of us to the other, like he was waiting for someone to explain what was going on.
It was Daddy Ivan who spake up next.
She’s playing a joke, says he, patting the policeman’s shoulder. She’s a bold girl. That’s why the two of them was sent here. Their granny thought some farm work would put some manners into them.
It’s not a joke, says Esther. Help us.
There was a quake in her voice now. I could see the tears ready to fall from her eyes. She looked down at me, and I swear, my voice was gone. I wanted to speak. I wanted awful badly to ask that policeman to take me away from that house, to take me anywhere but there. But I could only open my mouth.
Says Daddy Ivan, She’s having you on. My sister sent them down to me from Ballymena, says they’re getting their heads turned living in the town, staying out, talking back, tailing around after the boys, getting up to all sorts. Aye, they don’t like it here, but that’s only ’cause they’re not used to hard work. Sure, you know yourself. You know the sort of them.
The policeman stood there like a mouse caught in a trap. He didn’t know what to do, I could tell. He spake to me then.
What do you say, love?
I opened my mouth again, but nothing came out.
Tell him, says Esther. Mary, tell him. This is our chance.
My voice came back, small like a mouse in my throat, but it was there.
I want to go with you, says I to the policeman.
He looked to Esther. You say there’s others?
Esther nodded over to the door with the bolt and the closed padlock. Down there, says she.
She’s making a cod of you, says Daddy Ivan, laughing like nothing was wrong. Ah, dear-oh, wait till the rest of the boys in Lurgan station hear about this.
Says Esther, Go and look. You’ll see.
The policeman looked around at the men once more, and this time he noticed George at his back. He walked further into the kitchen, over to the door to the cellar. Ivan and George followed him. He leaned close to the door and he called, Hello?
Not loud. Weak, like a man who isn’t sure of anything.
But there was no mistaking about what happened next. There was thunder on the stairs on the other side of the door, then banging and thumping, and the door shook on its hinges, the bolt rattling.
Who’s there? Help! Help us!
It was both of them, Mummy Joy and Mummy Noreen, shouting. There was a moment, hardly even a second, hardly any time at all, where I had this feeling in my chest. A light feeling, like everything was going to be all right. Like we were saved.
And then the policeman turned to look at Daddy Ivan and Daddy George, and he looked more afeart than I’ve ever seen any man look in my life. He reached for that gun at his hip, but he wasn’t quick enough. Daddy Ivan grabbed his wrist. The policeman went for it with his other hand, but Daddy Ivan grabbed that wrist too. He pushed him back agin the door, pinned his hands agin the wood.
Get the pistol, says Daddy Ivan.
Daddy George reached through Daddy Ivan’s arms and pulled the gun away from the holster.
Shoot him, says Daddy Ivan.
Says Daddy George, What?
I said, shoot him, for God’s sake.
The policeman was fighting now, trying to push away from the door, but Daddy Ivan was too strong. He turned his hips when the policeman tried to kick him between his legs; he ducked to the side when the policeman tried to slam his forehead agin his nose.
I can’t, says Daddy George. I can’t.
I felt Daddy Tam’s hand loosen on my wrist.
Here, I’ll do it, says he.
And he let go of Esther’s wrist, and mine, and he went to the others and he grabbed the gun from George’s hand.
Then Esther near pulled me off my feet.
She dragged me out to the hall, to the front door, and I saw it was open a crack and then I knew what was happening. She threw the door open and pulled me through, and I mind the sun hanging over the trees, just touching the tops of them, lighting the leaves up bright green. Birds scattering out of the branches. And the gate at the end of the drive.
We ran around the car, me trailing behind, and along the drive.
The others, says I, the Mummies.
We can’t help them, says Esther. Run. Just run.
And we did, my hand in hers, our feet grinding on the gravel.
There was an awful bang from behind, and something cut through the air between us. I felt it pass even if I couldn’t see it. Then another bang, and this time something passed above us, and I heard Daddy Tam curse.
We were almost at the gate, and the lane beyond it. And I was tittering and laughing like it was the best game I’d ever played.
A third bang, and it went wide, the branches of the trees ahead of us turning into splinters. Daddy Tam cursed again and shouted something about his rifle. And now we were through the gate, and says Esther, This way, this is the way we came.
We were on the lane and we were running, Esther in front, pulling me behind and I was laughing and laughing and now Esther was laughing too, and I thought we would really do it. I thought we could really get away.
22: Sara
Greenway Care and Convalescence Home stood at the centre of Morgan Demesne, an expanse of gardens and woodland on the far side of Morganstown. It had once been a grand house, built by the
Morgan family who had established the village around its linen mill. The mansion’s two wings had been converted into a mix of small assisted-living apartments and single bedrooms. A gentle exercise class was being held on the lawn in front of the house; some of the residents paused and watched as Tony’s van passed along the driveway, and he parked in one of the bays in the shadow of the building, facing the expanse of lush green lawn.
“You sure you don’t want me to come in with you?” Tony asked as he shut off the engine.
“I’m sure,” Sara said.
“You sure you should be going in there at all?” he asked, his voice dropping. “Is there anything she can tell you that’d make you feel better?”
“I don’t know. But I want to see her.”
Sara undid her seat belt and opened the passenger door.
“You don’t need to wait,” she said. “It’s not that far to walk home. I can do it in forty, fifty minutes.”
“I don’t mind,” he said. “I’d enjoy the . . .”
His words faltered, and his skin bloomed red. His hand, raised mid-gesture, fell to the steering wheel. He looked straight-ahead, across the grounds to the trees beyond.
“I don’t mind,” Tony said again.
“I know,” Sara said. “But you have to go and fetch those switch plates from the supplier, right?”
He exhaled, smiled, as if released from a trap. “Yeah, I do. And then I’ve to get back to the house and get them fitted. So long as you’re sure.”
Sara climbed down from the passenger seat, her shoes crunching on fine gravel. “I’m sure. And Damien doesn’t need to know I came here. He doesn’t need to know you brought me. Even if he comes home early, for all you know, I went for a walk.”
He turned his gaze to her for a moment, then away, his fingers flexing on the wheel. “Aye,” he said. “A walk would do you good.”
“Thank you,” she said, and closed the passenger door.
Sara walked to the steps leading to the open front doors of the house and turned to watch as Tony put the van in gear. As he turned in the small car park, he glanced at her once, and once again, each look seeming like a small theft through the glass. She wondered about him, the scars on his hands, the length of his fingers. The space between his jaw and his ear, the stubble on his throat. She wondered if it would be warm against her lips.
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