turn round.
He forced a smile. ‘No need to worry, Mother. Kathleen just had an – accident.’
‘I won’t be served by sluts and when I reprimanded her, she threw the tray on the floor. I’m a lady born and bred, the wife of a man who was born a gentleman, at least, and I will not be treated like this. That lazy creature must go.’
Surely she didn’t think he’d believe this lie? Conn was utterly certain that Xanthe had not thrown a tray of food on to the floor, not because she hadn’t had time to run out of the room before he got there, but because it wasn’t in her nature. Kathleen had changed for the worse in the years since he’d seen her. No wonder his brother Kieran didn’t want her staying on at Shilmara. No wonder her own brother didn’t want her living with him and his family. The wonder was that they’d not locked her away before now. They must be delighted that she’d come to Australia.
‘Perhaps we’d better send for Orla to help you to your room.’
‘Why?’ Kathleen’s gaze was wide. ‘I don’t need her help just now, Conn. What I want is some food, served properly by those whose job it is.’
Ronan began to pick up the broken crockery and food. As he passed Conn, he whispered, ‘Don’t send for the maid. She beats poor Orla.’
Kathleen stood up, shoving her chair back so hard it fell over. ‘What are you whispering about?’
Conn’s mother moved forward. ‘Why don’t you come and sit with me on the front veranda, Kathleen. We often eat out there.’
‘You’ve lowered your standards.’
‘It’s a different country. Different standards apply here.’
‘That’s not what the women on the ship said. I used to listen to them talking. They didn’t bother to lower their voices. They said the gentry had to maintain their standards here. That’s what I’m doing.’
‘Some try to do that and they live miserable lives because it’s impossible. There aren’t enough servants here.’
The younger woman blinked her eyes furiously. ‘I wish I’d never come.’
‘It would have been better to write first. Anyway, you’re here now, so come and sit down with me, Kathleen. We’ll both have a piece of cake and a cup of tea.’
His wife stood there for so long Conn was about to intervene, but gradually the wild look faded from her eyes and she moved forward.
‘You’re moving very stiffly,’ she told her hostess, ‘worse than before.’
‘My joints are less painful than they used to be in Ireland, however.’
‘Stay with them,’ Conn whispered to Ronan. ‘I don’t want to leave her alone with my mother.’
Ronan gave him a pitying look and nodded.
When they’d gone, Conn went to speak to the maids, his heart heavy with fear about what his wife would do next. In the kitchen he asked for tea and cake for his mother and wife on the veranda. While he waited for Xanthe to get it ready, he studied Orla, who was looking subdued and had a red mark across one cheek. He went across to study it. ‘Did my wife hit you?’
The maid shrugged. ‘She does sometimes. It’s not so bad, sir.’
‘I’m not having it.’
She looked at him, her eyes dull and hopeless. ‘How will you stop her, sir?’
Silence, then. ‘Why do you stay with her?’
‘The old master said he’d throw my family out if I tried to leave.’
‘Did Kieran say the same thing?’
She looked puzzled. ‘I don’t know. It’s not for me to ask the new master about such things. He did say he was pleased she had me.’
It wouldn’t occur to Kieran to worry about whether Orla was happy. He usually left the servants to his wife. Conn turned to the two maids. ‘I’m sorry my wife is behaving – strangely. I think you two had better not be alone with her from now on. She’s very strong and can be quite violent. Orla, you must call for help if she hurts you again. Whoever’s nearest will come to make sure you’re all right.’
‘Better not, sir. She’ll get even angrier. It’s just a slap
He forced a smile. ‘No need to worry, Mother. Kathleen just had an – accident.’
‘I won’t be served by sluts and when I reprimanded her, she threw the tray on the floor. I’m a lady born and bred, the wife of a man who was born a gentleman, at least, and I will not be treated like this. That lazy creature must go.’
Surely she didn’t think he’d believe this lie? Conn was utterly certain that Xanthe had not thrown a tray of food on to the floor, not because she hadn’t had time to run out of the room before he got there, but because it wasn’t in her nature. Kathleen had changed for the worse in the years since he’d seen her. No wonder his brother Kieran didn’t want her staying on at Shilmara. No wonder her own brother didn’t want her living with him and his family. The wonder was that they’d not locked her away before now. They must be delighted that she’d come to Australia.
‘Perhaps we’d better send for Orla to help you to your room.’
‘Why?’ Kathleen’s gaze was wide. ‘I don’t need her help just now, Conn. What I want is some food, served properly by those whose job it is.’
Ronan began to pick up the broken crockery and food. As he passed Conn, he whispered, ‘Don’t send for the maid. She beats poor Orla.’
Kathleen stood up, shoving her chair back so hard it fell over. ‘What are you whispering about?’
Conn’s mother moved forward. ‘Why don’t you come and sit with me on the front veranda, Kathleen. We often eat out there.’
‘You’ve lowered your standards.’
‘It’s a different country. Different standards apply here.’
‘That’s not what the women on the ship said. I used to listen to them talking. They didn’t bother to lower their voices. They said the gentry had to maintain their standards here. That’s what I’m doing.’
‘Some try to do that and they live miserable lives because it’s impossible. There aren’t enough servants here.’
The younger woman blinked her eyes furiously. ‘I wish I’d never come.’
‘It would have been better to write first. Anyway, you’re here now, so come and sit down with me, Kathleen. We’ll both have a piece of cake and a cup of tea.’
His wife stood there for so long Conn was about to intervene, but gradually the wild look faded from her eyes and she moved forward.
‘You’re moving very stiffly,’ she told her hostess, ‘worse than before.’
‘My joints are less painful than they used to be in Ireland, however.’
‘Stay with them,’ Conn whispered to Ronan. ‘I don’t want to leave her alone with my mother.’
Ronan gave him a pitying look and nodded.
When they’d gone, Conn went to speak to the maids, his heart heavy with fear about what his wife would do next. In the kitchen he asked for tea and cake for his mother and wife on the veranda. While he waited for Xanthe to get it ready, he studied Orla, who was looking subdued and had a red mark across one cheek. He went across to study it. ‘Did my wife hit you?’
The maid shrugged. ‘She does sometimes. It’s not so bad, sir.’
‘I’m not having it.’
She looked at him, her eyes dull and hopeless. ‘How will you stop her, sir?’
Silence, then. ‘Why do you stay with her?’
‘The old master said he’d throw my family out if I tried to leave.’
‘Did Kieran say the same thing?’
She looked puzzled. ‘I don’t know. It’s not for me to ask the new master about such things. He did say he was pleased she had me.’
It wouldn’t occur to Kieran to worry about whether Orla was happy. He usually left the servants to his wife. Conn turned to the two maids. ‘I’m sorry my wife is behaving – strangely. I think you two had better not be alone with her from now on. She’s very strong and can be quite violent. Orla, you must call for help if she hurts you again. Whoever’s nearest will come to make sure you’re all right.’
‘Better not, sir. She’ll get even angrier. It’s just a slap
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