‘Paddy! Will ye look at me?’ Marie called as he leaned on the paddock gate.
‘Sure, I am after lookin’ at ye, Madam!’
‘Well, here I go now,’ she laughed as she spurred the pony into a canter to jump the pole propped up on two straw bales. As she landed Marie looked back to see if Paddy was still watching, and in that moment became unseated and fell off.
Quickly Paddy unlatched the gate and ran to where she lay motionless.
‘Are ye hurt, Marie?’ he asked lifting her from the ground, but she was limp and fear gripped him.
‘Oh God, don’t let her be hurt,’ he murmured.
Suddenly she giggled.
‘Huh! That fooled ye!’
‘Oh ye little devil,’ he said dropping her, ‘I thought ye were dead.’
Marie pointed a finger at him.
‘Ha ha, that caught ye out.’
She scrambled to her feet and continued to laugh as he chased her around the paddock. When he caught hold of her, he tickled her until she yelled for him to stop. But he wasn’t prepared to give in that easily,
‘Say ye’re sorry then,’ he demanded.
‘Oh sure I am.’
He let go of her.
‘Don’t ye be cheekin’ me now, Marie, or I’ll have to set about ticklin’ ye again,’ he said breathing heavily, ‘Now, get back in the saddle and finish off yer exercises before I put her away for the night.’
Paddy lit a cigarette and stood watching Marie remount the pony, then sit perfectly straight in the saddle and trot around the paddock practicing her show jumping.
He checked the time on his watch.
‘Now then. Same time tomorrow and we’re ready for the show on Saturday, where we intend to win – is that right?’
Marie jerked her head to flick the hair off her face and smiled at him
In her face Paddy suddenly saw a vision of Cat. His chest constricted and he felt his jaws tighten in the familiar way he once experienced whenever he heard Cat’s name, or saw someone that reminded him of her.
All these years later, and he still could not rid himself of anger at being jilted. She haunted his dreams; burned a huge jealous streak into the calm of his life. Damn her, he thought!
Marie called to him and reluctantly he dragged his thoughts into the present. He opened the gate to allow her to trot through with the pony then closed it behind her.
Smirking, she looked down at him.
‘Thank ye yer Lordship.’
‘Don’t ye get too cheeky young lady,’ he laughed as she steered the pony towards the stable.
Marie turned in the saddle at the stable door. ‘Are ye goin’ to rub her down or will I?’
He thought for a moment. ‘Why don’t we do it together, ’twill be quicker.’
‘Right, together it is then,’ she said slipping down from the saddle and began unbuckling the girth strap.
Paddy pulled the saddle off and heaved it up onto the side of the horse stall
‘Now, Miss,’ he said looking serious, ‘ye’ll need to be here nice and early on Saturday, we’ve to plait the tail and give her a good brush before the competition.’
‘Have I ever been late? Ye know ye don’t have to worry about me bein’ here I’ll arrive before ye’ve had yer breakfast.’
‘Good. Now be off home or yer aunties will be eatin’ supper alone again.’
‘Aw they don’t mind, Paddy.’
‘Nevertheless, off ye go now.’
‘I’m goin’,’ she said moving toward him and raised her chin. ‘Kiss before I leave?’
‘C’mon now,’ he said giving her a peck on the cheek, ‘away with ye.’
She turned and walked toward the stable door.
‘See ye tomorrow then, Paddy. Bye.’
After she left he stopped what he was doing and stood thinking for a while. What in the name of God was he doing? He had begun to feel something different for this young girl who reminded him so much of her mother.
He reflected that there was no hope of any children of his own as years of marriage had failed to produce one single baby. Now, with his wife so poorly, it was final – there would be no heir.
Strange thoughts had begun to creep into his head of late. He’d begun thinking that if his wife died then he could wait a few years and maybe, just maybe - Marie and him? No, don’t be so stupid, he chided himself. She was just a child. And yet - what was wrong with having a little daydream to help him through?
He finished putting the pony to bed, left the stable, bolted the door and strolled across to the house.
The silence enveloped him like a heavy black blanket. He liked peace and quiet, but he had begun to feel he was dying a slow suffocating death along with his wife; just going through the paces of living out the months until he was a single man again.
The atmosphere oppressed him but there was no way out. Oh well, he thought, better get inside and cook the supper and then sit alone reading some old book until bedtime.
He sat brooding long into the evening and as often occurred, his mind turned to the events of years gone by, of his involvement with the Irish National Volunteers and their attempts to disrupt the political endeavours of the British Government.
All a long time ago now, he thought, and for what purpose? Nothing had come of it all and they were no better off. True, he was comfortable himself as he had inherited everything from his parents, but many of the local population were in dire straits and most young people left to work in England or America once they finished school.
There was no work around in Fethard other than on the land, the railway or the dairy. The place was dying along with his wife.
Paddy did not have to worry about money as the thoroughbred racehorses he bred were much sought after. He had the finest bloodline in winners throughout Tipperary, if not the whole of Ireland.
But there was a void in his life. A big hole that was never filled. He knew that it was because he had no family other than his wife, and she too would soon be gone.