Chapter Fifty-Eight

Mary woke with a start. She had not slept at all well and Tom brought her coffee and toast in bed, together with a letter from Meggie.

“Postman’s been busy this morning,” he said, “Mostly bills, except for that one.”

He pointed to Meggie’s letter and raised his eyebrows as he glanced at Mary as she sat up in bed and opened her letter with great excitement. Her eyes quickly scanned the first page and then the second as she always read her mail in this way before she settled down to absorb the whole content.

“Tom,” she cried out excitedly, “Tom ... Meggie’s got engaged to be married.”

“Well, that’s lovely. Will she be home soon?”

Mary read on in silence, except for the crunching sound as she nibbled her toast.

“No...”she said, somewhat sadly, “She’s getting engaged out there as they want to get married as soon as they come home together on their leave. George sounds very nice from what Meggie tells me about him Tom. Look! See what you think?” She handed him the letter. “I wish I could have met him, though I wish I could have known a little bit more about him. I hope she’ll be happy.”

Tom put a consoling arm around her and pressed her close.

“Meggie’s a good girl, Mary. She’s got a good head on her shoulders and she knows what she’s doing. I’m sure she’ll be happy ...what about an engagement present ... any ideas?”

Mary looked to the ceiling and sighed again as she nibbled her toast and sipped her coffee. Her thoughts turned to the Convent again and to Aggie.

“I wonder if she slept alright, last night. I wonder what the beds are like ... Hard, I shouldn’t wonder, Tom...Wouldn’t you?” She pushed Meggie’s letter back into its envelope as she spoke, as if it was the least of her concerns. “It seems such a cold and lonely life for a young girl, doesn’t it Tom?”

Tom reflected on Mary’s statement.

“Yes ... I suppose it does, to us Mary, because we have each other, but I would be cold and miserable if I didn’t have you, so I’m sure Aggie is happy, since that is where her heart lies.”

Mary thought for a few seconds and then she smiled.

“Yes, I suppose you’re right Tom as indeed you always are, bless you. You know that Reverend Mother ... she seemed happy enough, wouldn’t you say ... and I smiled when she told us about that young nun who tried to repair the blocked drain. Poor girl ... Someone should have told her that she would need a bucket before she started.”

Tom chuckled softly.

“They seem to be very practical ... don’t they Mary?”

“Yes they do and I always thought contemplative nuns went about praying all the time. I had no idea that they did most of their own jobs themselves like decorating and plumbing and things like that.”

“They make vestments too and altar breads for Communion When do they get the time to pray?”

Tom sighed in agreement with Mary’s thoughts and then his eyes lit up.

“Well there are sixty-four of them, Darling and that makes a hundred and twenty-eight hands, you know.”

Mary giggled and drank her tea.

“Now about this engagement present for our other lovely daughter”

“What did you say, Tom?”

He looked into her eyes and took the cup from her hand.

“Meggie’s engagement present for when she marries that young George Whatsisname.”

Mary sat upright in bed.

“Oh! Goodness ... I have just thought. We must get an engagement present for Meggie now that she’s getting engaged Dear. Mustn’t we?”

Tom smiled.

“Yes Darling I really think we should .” he said, but Mary settled down again resting her head on the pillow.

“Tom?”

“Yes Darling?”

She turned to face him.

“I think it’s ever so sweet that you referred to Meggie as our daughter,” she said softly. “I love you Tom Carey. I really, really do.”

“Well that’s alright then,” he said.