the old man would tell her she was asking too much, and to go
elsewhere.
But at last Mr. Murphy gave in, and began to pay the whole sum out
in crisp bank notes and gold.
"Do you have anything smaller?" she asked sweetly.
The shop owner gave her smaller denominations, almost emptying his
cash box in his haste to help the lovely young woman. Her purse
fairly bulged as she left the shop. Far from being despondent, she
felt a curious sense of freedom.
"There, that wasn't so difficult," she said with a satisfied smile,
glancing up at Lochlainn's forbidding expression. "Now I need Paddy
to take these things to the coach depot, while we go see that livery
stable you were telling me about."
"What on earth for?"
"To sell the carriage, of course!" Muireann replied in exasperation
as she crossed the street and made a beeline for their conveyance.
"But Muireann, how will you manage without one?" he shouted to her
as she trotted ahead.
She reached the other side of the street safely, and turned to face
him. "By walking, like everyone else."
"And the team?
"We'll have to sell the horses as well. You know we have no choice.
We can get on the coach to Virginia tonight if we hurry."
Lochlainn stared at her in astonishment as she practically skipped
up the stairs of the carriage and called out to Paddy to hurry.
Once they arrived at the depot, Paddy took their bags and traveling
rugs, and agreed to wait for them there. They quickly checked the
coach times, and saw that one was supposed to be leaving at quarter
past two despite the harsh weather.
"Come on, Lochlainn, we'll need to hurry!" she urged as she climbed
up onto the box and took the reins.
Lochlainn gaped as she whipped the horses up into a trot, and with
his instructions, expertly negotiated the narrow cobblestones
streets of Dublin.
"How on earth did you ever learn to drive a coach, Muireann?"
"A sign of my wayward youth. I used to sneak off all the time, and I
was friendly with the servants. That was an unpardonable offense in
my sister's and mother's eyes. But I've always felt that servants
and workers can never really look up to you if they don't see you
prepared to get your hands dirty yourself. Besides, it's far more
fun than embroidery or tatting," she added as she clicked to the
horses.
"I'm beginning to wonder just what sort of other hidden talents you
possess, Muireann Graham Caldwell."
"Well, I shan't tell you any more of them for now. It's always nice
to be able to surprise people."
"You certainly astonished me," Lochlainn said truthfully, trying to
reconcile this Muireann, with her long plait of ebony hair bouncing
down her back, her cheeks glowing with the cold, laughing and
smiling, with the delicate-looking society dame he had first met
only two short days before.
She never failed to amaze him utterly. He had to admit his
fascination for her increased with every passing moment. It was as
if she had taken control of his every waking thought. She was
completely mesmerizing, like no woman he had ever met. Certainly a
far cry from his fiancée Tara.
Lochlainn clung on to the carriage by bracing himself with one hand
against the side of the box, and curling the other around Muireann's
waist as they careened up Abbey Street, and at last reached their
destination.
Once at the stables, she told Mr. Bradley such a convincing story
about breaking up her establishment to go to warmer climes for her
health, that the owner of the livery stables bought the carriage and
team for an excellent price.
Muireann put the large wad of notes in her purse, and staggered out
of the shop leaning heavily on Lochlainn's arm as though needing his
support.
Once outside in the street, however, she grabbed his hand tightly
and broke into a trot.
"We'd better
elsewhere.
But at last Mr. Murphy gave in, and began to pay the whole sum out
in crisp bank notes and gold.
"Do you have anything smaller?" she asked sweetly.
The shop owner gave her smaller denominations, almost emptying his
cash box in his haste to help the lovely young woman. Her purse
fairly bulged as she left the shop. Far from being despondent, she
felt a curious sense of freedom.
"There, that wasn't so difficult," she said with a satisfied smile,
glancing up at Lochlainn's forbidding expression. "Now I need Paddy
to take these things to the coach depot, while we go see that livery
stable you were telling me about."
"What on earth for?"
"To sell the carriage, of course!" Muireann replied in exasperation
as she crossed the street and made a beeline for their conveyance.
"But Muireann, how will you manage without one?" he shouted to her
as she trotted ahead.
She reached the other side of the street safely, and turned to face
him. "By walking, like everyone else."
"And the team?
"We'll have to sell the horses as well. You know we have no choice.
We can get on the coach to Virginia tonight if we hurry."
Lochlainn stared at her in astonishment as she practically skipped
up the stairs of the carriage and called out to Paddy to hurry.
Once they arrived at the depot, Paddy took their bags and traveling
rugs, and agreed to wait for them there. They quickly checked the
coach times, and saw that one was supposed to be leaving at quarter
past two despite the harsh weather.
"Come on, Lochlainn, we'll need to hurry!" she urged as she climbed
up onto the box and took the reins.
Lochlainn gaped as she whipped the horses up into a trot, and with
his instructions, expertly negotiated the narrow cobblestones
streets of Dublin.
"How on earth did you ever learn to drive a coach, Muireann?"
"A sign of my wayward youth. I used to sneak off all the time, and I
was friendly with the servants. That was an unpardonable offense in
my sister's and mother's eyes. But I've always felt that servants
and workers can never really look up to you if they don't see you
prepared to get your hands dirty yourself. Besides, it's far more
fun than embroidery or tatting," she added as she clicked to the
horses.
"I'm beginning to wonder just what sort of other hidden talents you
possess, Muireann Graham Caldwell."
"Well, I shan't tell you any more of them for now. It's always nice
to be able to surprise people."
"You certainly astonished me," Lochlainn said truthfully, trying to
reconcile this Muireann, with her long plait of ebony hair bouncing
down her back, her cheeks glowing with the cold, laughing and
smiling, with the delicate-looking society dame he had first met
only two short days before.
She never failed to amaze him utterly. He had to admit his
fascination for her increased with every passing moment. It was as
if she had taken control of his every waking thought. She was
completely mesmerizing, like no woman he had ever met. Certainly a
far cry from his fiancée Tara.
Lochlainn clung on to the carriage by bracing himself with one hand
against the side of the box, and curling the other around Muireann's
waist as they careened up Abbey Street, and at last reached their
destination.
Once at the stables, she told Mr. Bradley such a convincing story
about breaking up her establishment to go to warmer climes for her
health, that the owner of the livery stables bought the carriage and
team for an excellent price.
Muireann put the large wad of notes in her purse, and staggered out
of the shop leaning heavily on Lochlainn's arm as though needing his
support.
Once outside in the street, however, she grabbed his hand tightly
and broke into a trot.
"We'd better
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