Having no appetite for the breakfast placed in front of him, James stared at the coins sitting in a neat, freshly counted pile on the table. Mary had taken the news about the boat better than he had expected, which helped ease some of the guilt he was feeling. He had put the money on the table as soon as Maggie left to walk the children to school. She had taken to a ramble each morning, paying a visit to one house in particular on her return home
“I think your sister has a fancy man, James. You need to have a word with her, she has been very secretive lately.”
“And what business would that be of mine, she has a mind of her own and I’m merely the wee brother.”
“You are the man of the house, James McGrother, and quite capable of making decisions on your own – even foolish ones like this,” Mary pointed to the money on the table, “You had better not tell Pat about the boat, it would break his heart.”
“He knows already. I didn’t have to tell him, when I said I had some money that would help get him out of jail, he guessed where it had come from. It was never my intention to speak about it but he was in such a desperate state, I wanted to give him some hope,” James sat opposite his wife, elbows resting on the table, his palms covering his face.
Reaching across, Mary took hold of her husband’s wrists and drew his hands away from his face. Her heart ached for him when she saw how tormented he was.
“I broke a promise I made to him, Mary. I told him I would not even think about selling the boat for a year, then I went behind his back without even consulting him on it. He will never forgive me.”
“Don’t feel so bad, my love, your intentions were good and Pat will realize that in time. Sure he’s forgiven you already, I know he has. I prayed this morning that we will be allowed in to visit with him today. God is good, you’ll see, James, and we will all feel better by this evening.”
“I can’t face him just yet, Mary. You and Maggie go yourselves. Bring him the food you’ve put by for him. That will cheer him up.”
James smiled weakly but his wife knew his heart would remain sad and heavy for a long time. She had betrayed the trust of the elderly fisherman herself, not too long before, and the guilt was still hanging over her.
“I, too, broke a promise I made to Pat. I told him I would not go against anything he said or did, no matter how I felt or what I believed. He doesn’t know that I spoke to Mr. Harrington about him and I will be called as a witness in his defence. We decided it was best not to say too much about it to Pat, his mind being of a fragile nature and all,” Mary sighed and walked around the table to rest her hands on James’s shoulders. “So you see, my love, you are not the only one to have broken a promise to him. I dread to see his face when he finds out that I have done the same.”
At that moment Maggie burst through the doorway with the children, her face red from running. She glared at her younger brother when she saw the money lying on the table, “So it is true,” she said, taking a seat by the fire. “You sold the boat.”
“No you didn’t, Daddy, tell her she’s wrong. The men took it out this morning without you, isn’t that so?” cried Catherine.
“You should have taken the children to school first, Maggie, before coming back here to berate your brother,” Mary was annoyed at the intrusion.
Thomas stood beside James, placing a hand on his father’s shoulder. He knew as soon as he saw the money the story about the boat was true. The young boy believed there would be a good reason for selling it, compassion and solidarity for his father sweeping away his disappointment. “We will get another boat, Daddy. I can find work, you’ll see.”
James patted his son’s hand before reaching across the table to gather up the money. Putting it into the bag and drawing the string tight, he held it out to his wife.
“Put this in a safe place, Mary, where I cannot find it – I don’t trust myself anymore. I am going to ask for work on the Freemont estate, I heard they had a fallen tree topple a wall this week. On the way back I’ll pay a visit to Paddy Mac’s. No better place to put the word around that I’m looking to join a crew.
“What in heaven’s name possessed you to get rid of your boat, James? We could have arranged a loan for the rent. Where you drunk when you sold it?”
“Leave him be, Maggie. He did it for Pat, not for the rent. Mr. Harrington has most of it in his office and says he won’t touch a penny for himself but it may be of use in some other way,” Mary said in defence of her husband.
“Does Pat know about this?” asked Maggie.
James nodded, “I had no intention of telling him when I was allowed a five minute visit yesterday, but he looked so pathetic. I wanted to give him something to hold onto while he awaits his trial. Did you know that it must go to the quarterly sessions?”
Both women were shocked at the news. Mary took hold of Mary-Anne’s hand and pulled Thomas away from his father. She needed to get out from under the misery that hung in the air of her house.
“Come along, children. There is no need for ye to miss a whole day of schooling. I’ll walk ye back up the road,” she ignored their complaining and turned around before stepping through the doorway. “I think you have a matter you need to discuss with your sister, James, and it’s not something that these little ears should be listening to, is it?”
When they were alone Maggie stood in front of James with her hands on her hips, “Well, what have you got to say for yourself? Although there is nothing can convince me you were right to sell that boat.”
“She wasn’t talking about the boat, Maggie. I don’t quite know how to put this to you,” James sighed. “I am the man of this house and as your brother, whether youngest or not, I have the right to ask this of you. Have you been keeping company with a man without telling us?”
“Is that what Mary says? Could she not have asked me to my face, instead of gossiping behind my back to my wee brother?”
“Will you stop calling me that, I’m a good six inches taller than you,” James stood up to prove his point. “Her exact words were that you had a ‘fancy man’ and I’m inclined to believe her, judging by your reaction.”
Maggie could not stay mad at her brother for long. The look on his face as he tried to exercise some authority over her, made her laugh almost as much as the idea of them thinking she had a secret admirer. She knew that the real reason for her regular visits to the cottage of Michael and Sean McGuinness could never be revealed and had an answer already prepared for such a question. Gossip was quick to spread in small communities and stories became embellished as they were passed along
“I have been mending their clothes, sure the poor old souls have no woman to look after them since their sister passed away. I made some bread for them too, you should have tasted the results of their attempts. How they are not poisoned I’ll never know. Does that ease your mind now, James?”
The young man breathed a sigh of relief, “Can’t you bring the clothes here to mend. It would look better, Maggie.”
“Sure I’ve finished with them now. It’s not as if they have a trunk full of trousers, is it? But I fully intend on keeping up my visits and baking them a batch of bread when I do. They are lost for a bit of female company and it takes my mind off my own troubles to help them. Now what have you got to say about that, wee brother?” asked Maggie, her temper rising.
James knew better than to push his sister any further on the subject. He had far more important things on his mind, like finding some work. The money he had held onto from the sale of his boat would helped cover a couple of month’s rent, but it wouldn’t last long if he was to continue dipping into it. James put on his cap as he walked towards the door.
“Right. Well, I’ve done my duty as the man of the house. Wouldn’t you agree, Maggie?”
“I would, James. There’s no one can fault you there. Now, you go on about your business and I’ll get on with mine,” Maggie held out some warm potatoes she had taken from a pot over the fire. “Take these with you. With any luck you’ll find a bit of work for the day and you’ll need to keep your strength up for it.”
As James was leaving the house he saw Mary approach. It was too late for him to turn and head the other way so he braced himself. Passing him by, she slowed down to whisper, “Did you have a word with Maggie?”
James nodded sternly and carried on walking, relieved that he had left the house before his wife’s return. He knew that Maggie would pretend to be in agreement with them, but still carry on as she herself saw fit.
When Mary bustled through the doorway, prepared for a confrontation, Maggie greeted her in a friendly manner. “You look the better for your walk. I have some tea brewed, do you want a cut of bread to go along with it?” she asked.
Mary studied her sister-in-law’s face for any sign of resentment but all she saw was a warm smile. “Thank you kindly, Maggie. I was thinking of bringing the children with me to see Pat. Do you think we could sneak around the back and lift them up to the window?”
“Do you want to frighten the life out of them? From what James has told us they would hardly recognize the poor man, and he may very well be confused as to who is peering in through the bars at him. No, Mary, I think it would be a mistake to do that, but they are your wee ones and you must do whatever you feel is best.”
The words were spoken in a friendly manner but Mary knew they had a deeper meaning and realized that no matter what James had said to his sister, she was her own woman. A deep sigh and a sip of tea gave Mary some time to gather her thoughts.
“I suppose you are right, Maggie. We must all make up our own minds and suffer whatever the consequences may be,” she took a bite from her bread. “I think what you said about confusing Pat may be true. It would be unfair to make him any worse than he is.”