Fire ahead, then.’
‘She says I must promise her faithfully that I’ll get the baby adopted and come back to Liverpool just as soon as I can. She says if I went off and never came back it would put her and Bertie in a horrible position. But there’s no fear of that – they know I’d never desert Becky.’
‘Fair enough. What reason are you going to give for leaving the Ferryman?’ Brendan asked. ‘Did your mam help with that, too?’
‘Oh yes, that’s the best of all,’ Sylvie said, dimpling at him. ‘I would never have thought of it, but she says we must say that some relatives of ours who went to America years and years ago have come to England to meet various members of our family. She means to pretend to entertain them, and to discover that they need someone to look after their small child when they go over to Ireland to visit the rest of the family. Mam’s pa, my grandfather, came from Donegal, you know. She’ll say they’re rich and will pay well, and Len’s ma and pa will agree to my going because I’ll be earning money so’s Len an’ me can have our own place when he comes out of clink. Me mam’s worked for Mrs Dugdale for years and years, and though the old girl might not believe me, she trusts my mam. We won’t tell Bertie, or anyone else, that there are really no American relatives and I do think it’s a brilliant idea, don’t you? And of course we’ll say that the Americans won’t employ someone with a kid of their own, because they want me to concentrate on their little one and not worry about mine.’
‘Right,’ Brendan said, digesting this. Like Mrs Davies, he could see no alternative to Sylvie’s leaving Becky behind, especially since she had made it plain that her in-laws would accept the loss of herself for six months or so with equanimity, but would never consent to losing their granddaughter for so much as six days, let alone longer. So now he smiled encouragingly into the small face opposite his own. ‘’Tis hard on you to be without your little girl for so long, but ’tis for the best, I’m sure of it,’ he said consolingly. ‘Besides, you’ll have Caitlin’s kids, and the new baby, until you can find a grand new home for it. Then you can come back to Liverpool wit’out a stain on your character. Why, once Len is away from his parents’ place, he may become easier to live with; it does happen, I’m told.’
‘I don’t know about that,’ Sylvie said doubtfully. ‘But Brendan, I probably won’t be earning a good wage, unless your cousin can find me a job.’
Brendan did not tell her that he intended to send Caitlin money each month, but he had already told his cousin that he would do so. Instead he said that when Sylvie got back to Liverpool she should pretend that she had been robbed, though he personally was sure that she would get work in Dublin.
‘An’ me cousin won’t be after you for money ’cos she and Pat are pretty comfortable,’ he said, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks. He had told Caitlin that the money was to be a secret between them. ‘An’ now, alanna, I think you must write to Robbie again, explain the situation and say you’ll be in desperate need of money for the next six months. Once he knows there’s to be no scandal, I’m sure he’ll help. After all, it is in his interest to do so.’
‘Yes, that’s true,’ Sylvie said thoughtfully. ‘The Wentworths live next door to me mam and if it were common knowledge what Robbie had done he’d be afraid to show his face at home, and I don’t think he’d like to be thought badly of. What’s more, he an’ Len were thick as thieves – good pals, I mean – when they were in school, before Robbie went to sea and Len married me, and I guess Robbie wouldn’t want his old pal to know how he had behaved.’ She turned glowing eyes to Brendan. ‘I’m sure he will help,’ she said breathlessly. ‘And I think you’re the cleverest man, as well as the kindest, that I’ve ever
‘She says I must promise her faithfully that I’ll get the baby adopted and come back to Liverpool just as soon as I can. She says if I went off and never came back it would put her and Bertie in a horrible position. But there’s no fear of that – they know I’d never desert Becky.’
‘Fair enough. What reason are you going to give for leaving the Ferryman?’ Brendan asked. ‘Did your mam help with that, too?’
‘Oh yes, that’s the best of all,’ Sylvie said, dimpling at him. ‘I would never have thought of it, but she says we must say that some relatives of ours who went to America years and years ago have come to England to meet various members of our family. She means to pretend to entertain them, and to discover that they need someone to look after their small child when they go over to Ireland to visit the rest of the family. Mam’s pa, my grandfather, came from Donegal, you know. She’ll say they’re rich and will pay well, and Len’s ma and pa will agree to my going because I’ll be earning money so’s Len an’ me can have our own place when he comes out of clink. Me mam’s worked for Mrs Dugdale for years and years, and though the old girl might not believe me, she trusts my mam. We won’t tell Bertie, or anyone else, that there are really no American relatives and I do think it’s a brilliant idea, don’t you? And of course we’ll say that the Americans won’t employ someone with a kid of their own, because they want me to concentrate on their little one and not worry about mine.’
‘Right,’ Brendan said, digesting this. Like Mrs Davies, he could see no alternative to Sylvie’s leaving Becky behind, especially since she had made it plain that her in-laws would accept the loss of herself for six months or so with equanimity, but would never consent to losing their granddaughter for so much as six days, let alone longer. So now he smiled encouragingly into the small face opposite his own. ‘’Tis hard on you to be without your little girl for so long, but ’tis for the best, I’m sure of it,’ he said consolingly. ‘Besides, you’ll have Caitlin’s kids, and the new baby, until you can find a grand new home for it. Then you can come back to Liverpool wit’out a stain on your character. Why, once Len is away from his parents’ place, he may become easier to live with; it does happen, I’m told.’
‘I don’t know about that,’ Sylvie said doubtfully. ‘But Brendan, I probably won’t be earning a good wage, unless your cousin can find me a job.’
Brendan did not tell her that he intended to send Caitlin money each month, but he had already told his cousin that he would do so. Instead he said that when Sylvie got back to Liverpool she should pretend that she had been robbed, though he personally was sure that she would get work in Dublin.
‘An’ me cousin won’t be after you for money ’cos she and Pat are pretty comfortable,’ he said, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks. He had told Caitlin that the money was to be a secret between them. ‘An’ now, alanna, I think you must write to Robbie again, explain the situation and say you’ll be in desperate need of money for the next six months. Once he knows there’s to be no scandal, I’m sure he’ll help. After all, it is in his interest to do so.’
‘Yes, that’s true,’ Sylvie said thoughtfully. ‘The Wentworths live next door to me mam and if it were common knowledge what Robbie had done he’d be afraid to show his face at home, and I don’t think he’d like to be thought badly of. What’s more, he an’ Len were thick as thieves – good pals, I mean – when they were in school, before Robbie went to sea and Len married me, and I guess Robbie wouldn’t want his old pal to know how he had behaved.’ She turned glowing eyes to Brendan. ‘I’m sure he will help,’ she said breathlessly. ‘And I think you’re the cleverest man, as well as the kindest, that I’ve ever
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