heavy humour. ‘No doubt, Sal, you and Esther will disagree.’
‘Maybe,’ said her mother, unsmiling. ‘Just answer Becky’s questions.’
Slowly he took his pipe from a pocket and placed it between his teeth. ‘When I was seeing to our luggage I literally bumped into the son of the man who bought our old farm.’ He paused to search for matches. ‘The father’s dead and the brother who inherited was killed in the war. The second son now owns the father’s shipping line as well as the estate in Ireland. Joshua remembered me.’ He lit up. The three women waited in silence for him to continue, and once he had his pipe going to his satisfaction he did so. ‘We now have a cabin to ourselves on one of his ships. With a bit of luck we’ll be leaving on Monday.’ There was the slightest hint of defiance in his tones. ‘The ship is still short of crew but they should be signed on over the weekend.’
Rebekah glanced at her mother and on seeing her expression, anger bubbled up inside her. ‘Couldn’tyou have allowed Mama a few more days?’ she hissed. ‘Why the rush to get to America?’
Her father turned on her. ‘You wouldn’t understand! It was bad enough when we left for Ireland twenty years ago. Your mother was homesick for ages. It’s better my way, you’ll see. Now how about a cup of tea?’ His gaze passed over the three of them just as Hannah came into the room.
‘Tea! I know what I’d like to do with you and a cup of tea,’ said Sarah in a seething voice. ‘How could you arrange everything without consulting me? You could have given me more time.’ She swept out of the room. Esther glared at Adam and followed her sister.
There was a silence. ‘Well,’ he snapped, ‘are you going to walk out too, miss, or are you going to show me some respect and gratitude by pouring me a cup of tea?’
Before Rebekah could say or do anything, Hannah chipped in ‘I’ll do thee a cup of tea, sir.’ She picked up a fine bone china cup decorated with red-purple roses and filled it to the brim. There was a wide smile on her bony face. ‘I’m sure thee’s right and are only doing what yer think best for thy family. As yer know, two of me brothers are in America. It’s a fine place. They never want to come home.’
‘Who’d want to come home to you?’ Rebekah could not resist saying, and walked out of the room. Her aunt’s voice could be heard from the direction of the parlour, and although the door was shutRebekah could clearly hear what was being said.
‘There’s no reason why thou hast to go to America, Sarah. I’ve got enough money to keep the three of us.’
‘You’re suggesting I leave Adam!’ Her mother gave a sharp laugh. ‘It’s easy to see that you’ve never married, Esther.’
‘I looked after Papa and that was no piece of cake,’ retorted her aunt, ‘I know what men are like. They like their own way. Only thinking of themselves. Papa treated me like a skivvy, and from the look of thee Adam hasn’t behaved any better in that Godforsaken country.’
‘You know nothing about my life there, only what I’ve told you of in the last year and that’s not Adam’s fault! You don’t know him.’ Her mother’s voice had altered, and sounded weary.
‘A handsome face and a beguiling way with him.’ Her aunt sniffed.
‘There’s more to Adam than that but you never wanted to see it.’
‘I’d brought thee up. I didn’t want to lose thee.’
‘I can understand that.’ There was a pause. ‘Don’t let’s quarrel. We have to make the most of the time we have.’
‘Then thou art going to America?’ The words were uttered in a disgruntled voice.
‘I can’t leave my husband just because you want me to stay here!’ There was silence and her auntmurmured something Rebekah could not catch. Then her mother said, ‘I’ll try and make him change his mind but I think it’ll be a waste of time.’
There was movement towards the door and Rebekah backed away and sat on
‘Maybe,’ said her mother, unsmiling. ‘Just answer Becky’s questions.’
Slowly he took his pipe from a pocket and placed it between his teeth. ‘When I was seeing to our luggage I literally bumped into the son of the man who bought our old farm.’ He paused to search for matches. ‘The father’s dead and the brother who inherited was killed in the war. The second son now owns the father’s shipping line as well as the estate in Ireland. Joshua remembered me.’ He lit up. The three women waited in silence for him to continue, and once he had his pipe going to his satisfaction he did so. ‘We now have a cabin to ourselves on one of his ships. With a bit of luck we’ll be leaving on Monday.’ There was the slightest hint of defiance in his tones. ‘The ship is still short of crew but they should be signed on over the weekend.’
Rebekah glanced at her mother and on seeing her expression, anger bubbled up inside her. ‘Couldn’tyou have allowed Mama a few more days?’ she hissed. ‘Why the rush to get to America?’
Her father turned on her. ‘You wouldn’t understand! It was bad enough when we left for Ireland twenty years ago. Your mother was homesick for ages. It’s better my way, you’ll see. Now how about a cup of tea?’ His gaze passed over the three of them just as Hannah came into the room.
‘Tea! I know what I’d like to do with you and a cup of tea,’ said Sarah in a seething voice. ‘How could you arrange everything without consulting me? You could have given me more time.’ She swept out of the room. Esther glared at Adam and followed her sister.
There was a silence. ‘Well,’ he snapped, ‘are you going to walk out too, miss, or are you going to show me some respect and gratitude by pouring me a cup of tea?’
Before Rebekah could say or do anything, Hannah chipped in ‘I’ll do thee a cup of tea, sir.’ She picked up a fine bone china cup decorated with red-purple roses and filled it to the brim. There was a wide smile on her bony face. ‘I’m sure thee’s right and are only doing what yer think best for thy family. As yer know, two of me brothers are in America. It’s a fine place. They never want to come home.’
‘Who’d want to come home to you?’ Rebekah could not resist saying, and walked out of the room. Her aunt’s voice could be heard from the direction of the parlour, and although the door was shutRebekah could clearly hear what was being said.
‘There’s no reason why thou hast to go to America, Sarah. I’ve got enough money to keep the three of us.’
‘You’re suggesting I leave Adam!’ Her mother gave a sharp laugh. ‘It’s easy to see that you’ve never married, Esther.’
‘I looked after Papa and that was no piece of cake,’ retorted her aunt, ‘I know what men are like. They like their own way. Only thinking of themselves. Papa treated me like a skivvy, and from the look of thee Adam hasn’t behaved any better in that Godforsaken country.’
‘You know nothing about my life there, only what I’ve told you of in the last year and that’s not Adam’s fault! You don’t know him.’ Her mother’s voice had altered, and sounded weary.
‘A handsome face and a beguiling way with him.’ Her aunt sniffed.
‘There’s more to Adam than that but you never wanted to see it.’
‘I’d brought thee up. I didn’t want to lose thee.’
‘I can understand that.’ There was a pause. ‘Don’t let’s quarrel. We have to make the most of the time we have.’
‘Then thou art going to America?’ The words were uttered in a disgruntled voice.
‘I can’t leave my husband just because you want me to stay here!’ There was silence and her auntmurmured something Rebekah could not catch. Then her mother said, ‘I’ll try and make him change his mind but I think it’ll be a waste of time.’
There was movement towards the door and Rebekah backed away and sat on
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