Harriet.
Laughing out loud at the sight before her, her laughter vanished when she saw how cold the poor boy looked. Into the light stepped another young boy, who was better dressed.
The one who had seized her cuff spoke first.
‘We came to say hello, miss. Are you moving in today? My mam says you have come from Dublin to live here and you must be relieved to be safe at last. Is that true?’
Harriet instantly warmed to him. How many youngsters would go out of their way to say hello? she thought to herself. Most children were shy, especially boys.
Little Paddy continued, ‘Are ye going to stay for long? They sent a priest already to replace Father James, but he spent just the one night in the Priory. He said the place needed to be burnt down and that it was unholy. Me mammy said he was really just scared.’
Harriet was thoughtful. It occurred to her that the dog looked better fed than Little Paddy, not realizing that her own chicken supper was already in the dog’s stomach.
Harriet could hear the clumping of Anthony’s feet on the hallway stairs.
‘Well, I will be too exhausted to travel back tomorrow, so I will be here for at least two nights, that’s for sure, and if I know my brother he won’t be leaving until there have been definite improvements.’
‘Goodness me, who have you there?’ asked Anthony as he stepped out onto the driveway.
Sister Evangelista bustled to his side. ‘Heavens above,’ she exclaimed. ‘You will get yourself frozen standing out here and what are you two doing here?’
Harriet wanted to hear more from the boys, to include them in the conversation, but was amazed to discover that they had vanished. Where they and Scamp had stood only seconds before was now empty space and it was as if they had never been.
Less than an hour later, they were all gathered round the fire in the study, chatting to Sister Evangelista after enjoying Annie O’Prey’s shepherd’s pie and sponge cake. Harriet sat back in her chair, fighting to keep her eyelids open, and smiled sleepily as the conversation buzzed around her.
‘That was a lovely supper, Mrs O’Prey,’ Harriet had said. ‘I have never had cake as good as that anywhere before in my life.’
Annie O’Prey beamed from ear to ear. She liked Harriet instantly.
When Harriet smiled, Annie knew at once that the four streets were going to be lucky with her. She could feel it in her bones and see it in Harriet’s eyes.
As the new father and his sister ate upstairs, Annie cleared away the pans in the basement kitchen, while chatting to her dead friend, Molly, whose bloodstained reflection gazed back at her through the kitchen window from the deep, dark night.
‘Well, Molly, I can see as clear as the nose on your face they are just grand. The father and his sister, they is just what we need around here now. Yer man, the father, he is nothing like Father James, nicer altogether, if ye ask me, and his sister, well, she knows a good cake when she tastes it. I could always bake a better sponge than you, Molly, and that’s a fact.’ Annie turned the tap on full and filled the bowl with fresh water.
‘But, you know, there are enough families on the docks could do with a bit of her kindness, that’s for sure. I’ll just finish this pan, Molly, and I’ll make us a cuppa.’
Molly had been Annie’s closest friend in life. Annie hadn’t told anyone, but she knew that, even in death, nothing had altered.
Upstairs, Sister Evangelista spoke in hushed tones as she related the events that had rocked the congregation and the community to its core. While Annie conversed with Molly in the kitchen, in the study Sister Evangelista recounted the details of Molly’s violent death.
Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door. They heard the quiet voice of Annie O’Prey and the louder one of another woman, full of anxiety.
‘I had better see who that is, Father,’ said Sister Evangelista.
The study door burst open. Harriet was lost for words
Laughing out loud at the sight before her, her laughter vanished when she saw how cold the poor boy looked. Into the light stepped another young boy, who was better dressed.
The one who had seized her cuff spoke first.
‘We came to say hello, miss. Are you moving in today? My mam says you have come from Dublin to live here and you must be relieved to be safe at last. Is that true?’
Harriet instantly warmed to him. How many youngsters would go out of their way to say hello? she thought to herself. Most children were shy, especially boys.
Little Paddy continued, ‘Are ye going to stay for long? They sent a priest already to replace Father James, but he spent just the one night in the Priory. He said the place needed to be burnt down and that it was unholy. Me mammy said he was really just scared.’
Harriet was thoughtful. It occurred to her that the dog looked better fed than Little Paddy, not realizing that her own chicken supper was already in the dog’s stomach.
Harriet could hear the clumping of Anthony’s feet on the hallway stairs.
‘Well, I will be too exhausted to travel back tomorrow, so I will be here for at least two nights, that’s for sure, and if I know my brother he won’t be leaving until there have been definite improvements.’
‘Goodness me, who have you there?’ asked Anthony as he stepped out onto the driveway.
Sister Evangelista bustled to his side. ‘Heavens above,’ she exclaimed. ‘You will get yourself frozen standing out here and what are you two doing here?’
Harriet wanted to hear more from the boys, to include them in the conversation, but was amazed to discover that they had vanished. Where they and Scamp had stood only seconds before was now empty space and it was as if they had never been.
Less than an hour later, they were all gathered round the fire in the study, chatting to Sister Evangelista after enjoying Annie O’Prey’s shepherd’s pie and sponge cake. Harriet sat back in her chair, fighting to keep her eyelids open, and smiled sleepily as the conversation buzzed around her.
‘That was a lovely supper, Mrs O’Prey,’ Harriet had said. ‘I have never had cake as good as that anywhere before in my life.’
Annie O’Prey beamed from ear to ear. She liked Harriet instantly.
When Harriet smiled, Annie knew at once that the four streets were going to be lucky with her. She could feel it in her bones and see it in Harriet’s eyes.
As the new father and his sister ate upstairs, Annie cleared away the pans in the basement kitchen, while chatting to her dead friend, Molly, whose bloodstained reflection gazed back at her through the kitchen window from the deep, dark night.
‘Well, Molly, I can see as clear as the nose on your face they are just grand. The father and his sister, they is just what we need around here now. Yer man, the father, he is nothing like Father James, nicer altogether, if ye ask me, and his sister, well, she knows a good cake when she tastes it. I could always bake a better sponge than you, Molly, and that’s a fact.’ Annie turned the tap on full and filled the bowl with fresh water.
‘But, you know, there are enough families on the docks could do with a bit of her kindness, that’s for sure. I’ll just finish this pan, Molly, and I’ll make us a cuppa.’
Molly had been Annie’s closest friend in life. Annie hadn’t told anyone, but she knew that, even in death, nothing had altered.
Upstairs, Sister Evangelista spoke in hushed tones as she related the events that had rocked the congregation and the community to its core. While Annie conversed with Molly in the kitchen, in the study Sister Evangelista recounted the details of Molly’s violent death.
Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door. They heard the quiet voice of Annie O’Prey and the louder one of another woman, full of anxiety.
‘I had better see who that is, Father,’ said Sister Evangelista.
The study door burst open. Harriet was lost for words
Similar Books
