Wishes on the Wind by Elaine Barbieri

"Meghan's father and brothers are the O'Connors who were killed in the mine fire a few months ago. It was a terrible accident, and no one's fault, but Mrs. O'Connor, Meg, and her brother, Sean, are all that's left of the family. And Mrs. O'Connor isn't well, you see."
        The priest continued speaking, but David heard only the echo of his own angry remarks that day on the hillside when the girl attacked him so unexpectedly. His face flushed.
        A glance at Aunt Letty revealed she was still unconvinced, and David slipped his arm around her shoulders, surprised to hear himself say, "Why don't you give the girl a chance, Aunt Letty?" At her doubtful look, he continued with a careless shrug, "She's probably stronger than she looks."
        "She's so young, David."
        "Father Mulligan seems to think she's the right girl, and he know her best." David squeezed her arm reassuringly. "You can snap her into shape if anyone can, Aunt Letty. Just look what you did with me."
        "Oh, David!" Her smile growing, Aunt Letty shook her head. "You're such a dear. I can't imagine why you'd concern yourself with a matter as trivial as the hiring of a servant, but I do know your interest pleases me as does most everything else you do."
        Aunt Letty turned to the waiting priest. "All right. We'll take the girl for a trial period, Father Mulligan, and if she proves herself, we'll keep her on." And then to David. "Will that suit you, dear?"
        "It's your decision, Aunt Letty."
        "It's settled then. She may start tomorrow. She may speak to Cook about the time to report."
        Unexpectedly relieved, David looked at the girl as the maid led    her out of the room. Startled at the unexpected look of hot resentment she flashed back at him, he felt anger rise.
        Damn it all! It served him right for speaking up for the unappreciative little snip! What had gotten into him, anyway?
        "Letty, what have you done!"
        Her pale eyes filling with tears as she stood opposite her husband in the study later that day, Letty faced Martin Lang's anger with acute surprise. He had arrived home from the mine a few minutes earlier. She had immediately followed him into the study, proud of herself and anxious for her husband's praise. She cast her nephew a helpless glance where he stood a few feet away.
        "I thought you'd be pleased that I hired someone from the valley, Martin."
        "Pleased! Letty, whatever made you think it would please me to entertain a papist in the bosom of my home?"
        Letty hesitated. "We're not entertaining the girl, dear. We're merely employing her. She's little more than a child, and I thought it would be a healing step for us to take showing the people below that we're not prejudiced against them, or afraid to have them in our house."
        "It's not a matter of prejudice, Letty!" Shaking his head, Martin Lang closed his eyes briefly in an effort to contain his impatience. "But I don't want one of them spying in my home. They're not to be trusted, any of them!"
        David interrupted, his expression wry. "Uncle Martin, this Meghan O'Connor is only a girl. I don't think she's been inducted into the Mollies yet."
        Martin turned toward his nephew with a warning glance.
        "I'll thank you to keep your sarcasm to yourself, David. The girl may seem harmless enough, but her father, most probably, is not."
        "Her father was the O'Connor who was killed in the mine fire, along with her five brothers."
        At David's response, Martin Lang's face went momentarily still. "I see. I didn't know."
        "The girl needs the work, dear." Letty's expression was ardent. "Father Mulligan confided in me that the girl's mother is ill dying. She only has one brother left, and he works in the mine. They've been forced to live with relatives, and the girl needs money to"
        "Enough! Enough, Letty." Martin shook his head, remorse apparent on his