that in the whole of New York you haven’t found a girl to suit you. Are you difficult to please, Mr Sullivan?’
‘I wouldn’t say so,’ Joe said. ‘I mean, not more than most men, but I may be more on the cautious side.’
‘I wouldn’t have said that that was part of your personality at all.’
‘Ah, maybe not generally,’ Joe said, ‘but I think it pays to be a little hesitant when someone is making a lifelong commitment.’
‘And there you have it, my dear,’ Brian said. ‘The man rests his case. Anyway, a wife might bring further problems. It suits me to have Joe as free as a bird just now. Anyway,’ he went on, ‘Gloria will be home in a week and your time will probably not be your own then, for, going by past performances, you will be called on to be a taxi service to Gloria and her entourage of friends.’
‘I shan’t mind that, sir.’
‘That’s what I like, an adaptable man,’ Brian said. ‘And you know I can barely wait to see my little girl again.’
Nor can I, thought Joe, but kept that thought to himself. He had no intention of rocking the boat. Many men had to cope with the fact that they loved a woman who was unattainable and he was just one more. He was sure he would get over the fixation he had for Gloria Brannigan in time. He had to, and that was all there was to it.
FOUR
When Gloria arrived home in the summer of 1925, she had finished school for good. To celebrate, Brian bought her a car.
‘A Model T Ford,’ he told Joe. ‘And a snip at three hundred and fifty dollars. I don’t know why you don’t buy a car of your own. You said to me one time that you had a heap of money stashed away and you have had a rake of rises since then. Why don’t you spend some of it?’
‘I suppose if I am honest, sir, it is because I have been encouraged to be frugal all my life,’ Joe said.
‘What are you saving for?’ Brian asked, adding sarcastically, ‘Your marriage?’
‘Hardly, sir, with no one on the horizon.’
‘Well, your funeral then?’ Brian said. ‘And after your death you can have a great mausoleum built and people will come and look at it. “Joe Sullivan,” one will say to another, “Who was he now?”
‘“Well, now, I am not too sure,” will be the reply, “but he must be someone important to have this huge monument built.”’
Joe was laughing as he said, ‘Not that either, sir.’
‘Then what, for God’s sake?’ Brian said. ‘What is the point of saving for saving’s sake? As you are not prepared to enter the marriage stakes, there won’t even be a son or daughter to leave it all to after your day.’
Joe said nothing, but he knew there would never be a child for him, because he had given his heart to Gloria Brannigan. That was a great cross for him to bear, especially as he knew that all he could ever be to her was a friend.
Everyone, even the servants, had looked forward to Gloria coming home for good. Joe felt the same, but with some trepidation because he knew what a strain it had been living in the same house as her in the holidays, and yet he couldn’t wait to see her. She had always been like a ray of sunshine in the house and brought the whole place alive, and Joe knew that Brian and Norah looked forward to having their little girl back home again, where they thought she belonged.
But it was soon apparent to Joe that Gloria had changed. She had finally grown up, he supposed, but there was no trace of the fairly compliant child about the girl that faced them across the table on her first night home.
They had almost finished the meal when she said, ‘I am tired of learning now. I want to live a little and have some fun with my friends.’ She turned to her parents. ‘You have to realise that I am an adult now and entitled to more freedom.’
Joe could see her point, though he didn’t say so. He found while he could chat easily to Brian and Norah when Gloria wasn’t around, he was much more reticent with her there
‘I wouldn’t say so,’ Joe said. ‘I mean, not more than most men, but I may be more on the cautious side.’
‘I wouldn’t have said that that was part of your personality at all.’
‘Ah, maybe not generally,’ Joe said, ‘but I think it pays to be a little hesitant when someone is making a lifelong commitment.’
‘And there you have it, my dear,’ Brian said. ‘The man rests his case. Anyway, a wife might bring further problems. It suits me to have Joe as free as a bird just now. Anyway,’ he went on, ‘Gloria will be home in a week and your time will probably not be your own then, for, going by past performances, you will be called on to be a taxi service to Gloria and her entourage of friends.’
‘I shan’t mind that, sir.’
‘That’s what I like, an adaptable man,’ Brian said. ‘And you know I can barely wait to see my little girl again.’
Nor can I, thought Joe, but kept that thought to himself. He had no intention of rocking the boat. Many men had to cope with the fact that they loved a woman who was unattainable and he was just one more. He was sure he would get over the fixation he had for Gloria Brannigan in time. He had to, and that was all there was to it.
FOUR
When Gloria arrived home in the summer of 1925, she had finished school for good. To celebrate, Brian bought her a car.
‘A Model T Ford,’ he told Joe. ‘And a snip at three hundred and fifty dollars. I don’t know why you don’t buy a car of your own. You said to me one time that you had a heap of money stashed away and you have had a rake of rises since then. Why don’t you spend some of it?’
‘I suppose if I am honest, sir, it is because I have been encouraged to be frugal all my life,’ Joe said.
‘What are you saving for?’ Brian asked, adding sarcastically, ‘Your marriage?’
‘Hardly, sir, with no one on the horizon.’
‘Well, your funeral then?’ Brian said. ‘And after your death you can have a great mausoleum built and people will come and look at it. “Joe Sullivan,” one will say to another, “Who was he now?”
‘“Well, now, I am not too sure,” will be the reply, “but he must be someone important to have this huge monument built.”’
Joe was laughing as he said, ‘Not that either, sir.’
‘Then what, for God’s sake?’ Brian said. ‘What is the point of saving for saving’s sake? As you are not prepared to enter the marriage stakes, there won’t even be a son or daughter to leave it all to after your day.’
Joe said nothing, but he knew there would never be a child for him, because he had given his heart to Gloria Brannigan. That was a great cross for him to bear, especially as he knew that all he could ever be to her was a friend.
Everyone, even the servants, had looked forward to Gloria coming home for good. Joe felt the same, but with some trepidation because he knew what a strain it had been living in the same house as her in the holidays, and yet he couldn’t wait to see her. She had always been like a ray of sunshine in the house and brought the whole place alive, and Joe knew that Brian and Norah looked forward to having their little girl back home again, where they thought she belonged.
But it was soon apparent to Joe that Gloria had changed. She had finally grown up, he supposed, but there was no trace of the fairly compliant child about the girl that faced them across the table on her first night home.
They had almost finished the meal when she said, ‘I am tired of learning now. I want to live a little and have some fun with my friends.’ She turned to her parents. ‘You have to realise that I am an adult now and entitled to more freedom.’
Joe could see her point, though he didn’t say so. He found while he could chat easily to Brian and Norah when Gloria wasn’t around, he was much more reticent with her there
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