off.
‘I heard about that,’ he said gently.
‘Who told you?’
‘My da.’
‘I suppose the whole bloody place knows by now what Daddy did!’
‘Aye.’
A heavy silence fell between them.
‘Listen Ella, I’m sorry about the farm. I know how much this place means to you.’
Ella looked across at the outhouses. She wasn’t going to break down and cry in front of Sean, no matter how she felt. She longed for him to put his arms round her and say it didn’t matter at all, that nothing mattered except the two of them, but he didn’t. She could see the unease in his face, and almost recoiled when he took her hand, dropping the yard brush to the ground.
‘We’ve got to talk, Ella, you and I.’ His voice was serious and she wondered what he wanted to talk to her about.
‘Come into the house then,’ she suggested, walking ahead of him. ‘Liam and Carmel won’t be back for ages.’
She pushed open the back door and led him into the warm kitchen, washing her hands at the sink. He came up behind her and embraced her, pulling her close to him. She could feel his hot breath on her neck, and out of instinct let herself lean against him. He turned her round swiftly and catching her chin in his hands bent down and began to kiss her. She responded eagerly, relieved that at least the attraction between them had not changed. She returned his kiss, breathless and excited. They kissed and kissed for what seemed like an hour, neither of them wanting to talk, only interested in being as physically close as they could. He pulled her onto his lap as he sat in the fireside chair, his fingers pulling at the buttons of her cardigan and underblouse. She could barely wait for his mouth to touch her breasts as she stroked his chest and ribs.
Ella wrapped herself in his embrace, not caring that his hand had slipped under her ruched-up skirt and was stroking the inside of her thighs; she longed to rub herself against the base of his thumb. She began to tug at the belt of his trousers, loosening them. For a second he held her hand, then pushed it away, reclosing his belt, pushing the metal prong back into its hole. Stunned and confused she stopped, looking up at him.
‘I’m sorry, Ella. I shouldn’t have let things go so far,’ he breathed out heavily.
Embarrassed and rejected, she tried to straighten herself up on his lap. She tried to pull away and stand up, but he had a firm grip on her wrists.
‘Don’t!’
She blazed red. She didn’t understand him at all.
‘Ella, this isn’t the right time or place for this to happen between us … honest it’s not!’
‘Why? What are you talking about, Sean? Don’t you want me as much as I want you?’
‘You know that I do.’
‘Then what the hell is it, Sean?’
He stared down at the ground.
‘Is this about the farm, Sean, is that what this is all about?’
His eyes immediately flew to hers and she could see truth there.
‘Well that’s bloody it!’ she said, furious, jumping away from him. ‘I’m not quite the catch that you thought now that I’ve no farm or land of my own!’
‘No, Ella,’ he said, trying to grab hold of her. ‘It’s not that. Don’t say such things!’
‘Let go of me, you bastard! Let go!’
‘Not till you calm down and listen to me, Ella.’
He was too strong for her to fight against and seemed impervious to the kick she gave him in the heel.
‘Listen Ella, how could I ever ask you to marry me, when I have no place or land of my own? Jim is getting the farm, I’ve always known that. I’ve no money , no savings, no land, I couldn’t afford to marry you at the moment no matter how much I want to.’
‘Ask me anyway,’ she whispered, so soft she wondered if he’d heard.
‘How can I?’ he said slowly. ‘Where would we live? What could I offer you?’
‘Offer me! I wasn’t expecting you to offer me anything but yourself, Sean Flanagan! Obviously you were the one expecting more. Well, I’m sorry for your bloody
‘I heard about that,’ he said gently.
‘Who told you?’
‘My da.’
‘I suppose the whole bloody place knows by now what Daddy did!’
‘Aye.’
A heavy silence fell between them.
‘Listen Ella, I’m sorry about the farm. I know how much this place means to you.’
Ella looked across at the outhouses. She wasn’t going to break down and cry in front of Sean, no matter how she felt. She longed for him to put his arms round her and say it didn’t matter at all, that nothing mattered except the two of them, but he didn’t. She could see the unease in his face, and almost recoiled when he took her hand, dropping the yard brush to the ground.
‘We’ve got to talk, Ella, you and I.’ His voice was serious and she wondered what he wanted to talk to her about.
‘Come into the house then,’ she suggested, walking ahead of him. ‘Liam and Carmel won’t be back for ages.’
She pushed open the back door and led him into the warm kitchen, washing her hands at the sink. He came up behind her and embraced her, pulling her close to him. She could feel his hot breath on her neck, and out of instinct let herself lean against him. He turned her round swiftly and catching her chin in his hands bent down and began to kiss her. She responded eagerly, relieved that at least the attraction between them had not changed. She returned his kiss, breathless and excited. They kissed and kissed for what seemed like an hour, neither of them wanting to talk, only interested in being as physically close as they could. He pulled her onto his lap as he sat in the fireside chair, his fingers pulling at the buttons of her cardigan and underblouse. She could barely wait for his mouth to touch her breasts as she stroked his chest and ribs.
Ella wrapped herself in his embrace, not caring that his hand had slipped under her ruched-up skirt and was stroking the inside of her thighs; she longed to rub herself against the base of his thumb. She began to tug at the belt of his trousers, loosening them. For a second he held her hand, then pushed it away, reclosing his belt, pushing the metal prong back into its hole. Stunned and confused she stopped, looking up at him.
‘I’m sorry, Ella. I shouldn’t have let things go so far,’ he breathed out heavily.
Embarrassed and rejected, she tried to straighten herself up on his lap. She tried to pull away and stand up, but he had a firm grip on her wrists.
‘Don’t!’
She blazed red. She didn’t understand him at all.
‘Ella, this isn’t the right time or place for this to happen between us … honest it’s not!’
‘Why? What are you talking about, Sean? Don’t you want me as much as I want you?’
‘You know that I do.’
‘Then what the hell is it, Sean?’
He stared down at the ground.
‘Is this about the farm, Sean, is that what this is all about?’
His eyes immediately flew to hers and she could see truth there.
‘Well that’s bloody it!’ she said, furious, jumping away from him. ‘I’m not quite the catch that you thought now that I’ve no farm or land of my own!’
‘No, Ella,’ he said, trying to grab hold of her. ‘It’s not that. Don’t say such things!’
‘Let go of me, you bastard! Let go!’
‘Not till you calm down and listen to me, Ella.’
He was too strong for her to fight against and seemed impervious to the kick she gave him in the heel.
‘Listen Ella, how could I ever ask you to marry me, when I have no place or land of my own? Jim is getting the farm, I’ve always known that. I’ve no money , no savings, no land, I couldn’t afford to marry you at the moment no matter how much I want to.’
‘Ask me anyway,’ she whispered, so soft she wondered if he’d heard.
‘How can I?’ he said slowly. ‘Where would we live? What could I offer you?’
‘Offer me! I wasn’t expecting you to offer me anything but yourself, Sean Flanagan! Obviously you were the one expecting more. Well, I’m sorry for your bloody
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