Cailín (Lass) (Anam Céile Chronicles) (13 page)

All in
good time . . .

Just to
be with him as that, ‘twas the best day of me life hitherto!

F
rom
that day forth, I be absolutely the most delighted lass in all of Éire!  And
yet, alas, the profound bliss I felt then would be deplorably evanescent.  Considering
all, Donovan and I spent a great deal of time together. 

Since Donovan
lived in Ballyvaughan and ‘twas a bit of a jaunt to our place, and he typically
be heavily occupied with his apprenticeship duties, he made it out to call on
me as frequently as he was able.  Which, in truth, be never enough fer me!  On
the other hand, I imagine a limitless amount of time I could have spent with
him and still not been satisfied!

Me mama
she always be pleasant and welcoming to Donovan when he came to call on me and
encouraged any interactions between us, even though typically that meant
allowing me to shirk me many domestic duties in order to wander off with him. 
She be most jubilant fer me and told me that she always did recognise we were
meant fer each other. 

Me
father on the other hand, reacted quite differently than I would have
expected.  What I found difficult to understand be that if he had wished me
gone so, why be he not more pleased with me having actually captured a lad?  At
one day’s end, after bidding farewell to Donovan, I entered the house to the accustomed
sounds of me parents quarrelling.  Though, on this particular occasion, a far
greater significance it held.

“. . . that
bastard is not to set foot on me land again, Meara!” he roared.

“Quinlan,
now do try to understand.” Me Mama attempted to reason with him.  “Have a
heart, ‘tis genuinely besotted they be with each other.  And such a good lad he
truly be,” she reminded him tenderly, futilely trying to engage something
sentimental in him.

“’Twas
a proper lad she were supposed to snag at that festival, one ripe fer matrimony! 
One who hails from a decent family, not a bastard child!  And certainly not one
to merely keep amused!”  Clearly, he was not to be convinced.  ‘Twas then he
detected me standing there and turned his admonitions to me.

“That
lad, he only be amusing himself with you, Cailín, taking as much as you be
offerin’!” he bellowed.  “And yet has he to come to me declarin’ his intentions
with you.  Not concerned he be with marrying you, as nothing has he to offer
fer dowry and cannot possibly take on a wife fer some time, as still he be a
paltry apprentice!  Not that I’d be consentin’ fer some bastard to marry a
daughter o’mine, besides!”

The
bruised look I wore upon me face did nothing to enthuse him to speak less
harshly. 
Why does he keep referring to him as a bastard?

To me
dismay, he continued on, always having a bottomless quantity of twaddle to spew
forth in me direction.

“And
when he be in the situation to marry, not to you shall he proposition.  Realise
his mistake he will in wasting his time courtin’ a lass such as you, and he’ll
venture on to acquire a more suitable female.” 

To his rant,
I responded not at all, fer I distinguished irrelevant it surely would be.
Furthermore, I knew it be wholly erroneous.

He not
be makin’ any sense whatsoever!

Merely
a few days thereafter, to me utter distress, me father returned home one
evening and smugly announced that he had favourably come to terms with Aengus
Gallagher on the arrangement of his marriage to me. 

I
refused to accept it! 
How can me own father do this to me?  Particularly
when he knows how I be smitten with Donovan!  And to Aengus, that oily,
baldheaded, gluttonous goat!  Furthermore, he exceeds me by no less than twenty
years! 

With
horror I gasped and threw me hands over me mouth, me stomach distorting into
aching knots.  Aggravated, me father glanced over at me, obviously unaffected
by the look of betrayal and anguish plastered across me face.  ‘Twas then that
it became utterly clear to me that no amount of reasoning or pleading would
influence him, as only his own interests did he bear in mind. 

All of
a sudden ‘twas as though forcefully he compressed a wide girdle about me. 
Breathing eluded me, me throat narrowing, me chest rapidly constricting, me
back tight not able to expand to supply me lungs with the required air I would
need now more than ever.  Reaching fer me fiddle, I darted from the cottage
howling hysterically, falling repeatedly. 

Into
the twilight I ran interminably, the tears streaming down me face as I
attempted to grasp the painful reality of this and the difficult choices with
which I now faced.  I only knew I could not turn me back on Donovan. 

That
not be a fragment of likelihood!  Not when he had come to me, at last!

And
then, I understood all too well that there not be a chance in hell me father
would rescind his decision.  Me time be up and he wanted me out of his house,
lured by the promise of a handsome dowry as compensation fer his troubles in
coping with me these sixteen years. 

I kept
running ‘til ‘twas so dark I could scarcely see ahead of me.  At first, to
where I be going I did not know.  But when I stopped to rest later that night,
I had time to ponder.  Hid away I did in the cattle barn of our neighbours
several kilometres west of me father’s land.  And do let me be the one to
inform you, bovine smell far worse than do sheep!

During
the course of that lengthy, foul-smelling and uncomfortable night, I resolved that
which never any true deliberation there need be in the first place. 

To
Donovan I now belong, as truly I have just as precisely fer the past several
years, and there be nothing that will keep me from him.  Only it has become
much more complex than ever I had intended! 

I snuck
out early enough in the morning to avoid confrontation and headed out on the
road continuing west.  An old man in a cart, whom I be most fortunate did not recognise
me as the MacAuliffe lass, stopped and extended to me the invitation of a ride
into the town of Ballyvaughan.  Quite relieved I be, as me energy rapidly be diminishing,
from the lack of sleep and the empty belly I towed. 

I
determined to find Donovan and tell him of that which had occurred. 

Surely,
he’ll whisk me away, understanding there be no choice but to flee with each
other if we’re to be together.  But then, what if there be a chance me father
was precise in his uncouth presumptions of him?  No, I must not allow meself to
consider such thoughts.  I know that not be the truth of the matter.

I
thanked the old man kindly as I hopped out of the cart upon arriving in
Ballyvaughan.  I hoped it still be early enough that Donovan and the
tréidlia
would still be in town.  I headed in the direction I thought I recollected
Riordan once pointing out to me as Dr. O’Connor’s home.  Relieved I be to reach
it just as Donovan be climbing into the cart to depart with Dr. O’Connor and set
out on their calls of the day. 

So
‘twas disillusioned I be when Donovan did not react precisely as I had predicted. 

“Donovan!” 
I called weakly, scurrying over to him.

“Aislinn?”
he asked, justifiably stunned to see me there.  His face baffled as his eyes
quickly scanned me.  Immediately I realised what a fright I must appear!

With
nary a second thought of Dr. O’Connor’s presence, I poured forth the story of that
which had transpired the preceding night since last he had seen me.

“Just what
precisely is it you be contemplating, Aislinn?” his voice solemn as he
attempted reasoning with me.

I
nearly feared he was about to suggest that I return and marry Aengus!  But,
gratefully he did not. 

“I
refuse to become the mate of that appalling man, solely to serve as a
replacement mum!  Already ruined his first wife he did, that poor woman forced
to birth his eight children!  I not be willing to let him do the same to me!” 

Out of
me mind with angst, I ranted on, growing increasingly more desperate.  “Donovan,
I beg you, take me away from this place, we can wed presently and worry not!”

“Aislinn,”
he spoke gently, fer fear of distressing me further.  “Granting, I may hope fer
that; though at present, ’tis not in the proper situation I be to marry.”

I just
stood there and stared at him, uttering not a word as the hot tears welled up
in me eyes, burning me cheeks as they spilled down me face. 

Donovan’s
body stooped over with his remorse.  He stroked the tears from me cheek.  “I
have not a home of me own, Aislinn, fer until done with me apprenticeship I be,
I’ll have not practical wages of me own.  I have not any means to support a
wife.”

‘Twas
obvious he felt dreadful having to pronounce this to me. 

I
understood and knew I should not make him feel any worse than already he did. 
Regardless, unless I conceded to marry that debauched old man, I knew never could
I return home! 

I spoke
resolutely to him, “To home I’ll not return, Donovan!”  He clearly perceived
the finality in me voice.

“Then,
where is it you’ll stay, Aislinn?” he questioned shakily.

Truthfully,
not an idea did I possess.  I stared at Donovan, me thoughts rushing in me head.

Then,
it occurred to me! 

Me
cousin, Deirdre now be a married woman with a home of her own and has recently
returned from her summer honeymoon with Fergus.  How surprised she’ll be were I
to suddenly appear at her threshold!

Donovan
gazed upon me inquisitively as he observed the way which me face lit up with
the realization.

“A
cousin I have, Deirdre, she be recently wed.  She and her husband, they reside
in Galway.”  I stated breathlessly. “’Tis most confident I be she’d be thrilled
to have me there.”

Concern
still shrouding his face, Donovan spoke.  “Very well, then.  I shall drive you
there meself, if that be what you wish,” he offered most generously.  Still, I
had to wonder how ‘twas he really felt about the whole situation.

Since
he could not shun his duties of the day, I had to wait out the day in town fer
his return that evening.  Dr. O’Connor graciously escorted me upstairs and
introduced me to his wife who received me kindly and told me welcome I be to
pass the day there. 

That
day, I chatted pleasantly with Misses O’Connor, spilling forth the whole tale,
rather guardedly at first, then ever more impetuously as more at ease in her
presence I did grow.  Though why I could not be certain, I did not feel need to
worry that the
tréidlia
or his wife would betray me confidence and
inform me father of me whereabouts and intentions. 

After I
had decanted every fragment of me anguish, whilst she listened on patiently, Misses
O’Connor revealed to me the tale of their daughter— who be about me same age—
that they had lost some time ago, along with a most vital piece of information
which somehow had eluded me to this point.  

“’Twas
a great many years ago now,” she started thoughtfully, her face far off as she
dredged up the still visibly raw memories from so long ago.  “Our daughter,
Siobhán, the sweet and lovely lass she was . . .” she trailed off and swallowed,
I recognised, to gain the courage to tell her story.

After
an extended pause, she explained, her voice ridden with guilt, “Siobhán was
utterly smitten with Kieran, a young lad who hailed from here in the village. 
His kin, they were not as well off as ours, and he was so young.  We knew it
would be some time afore he was ready to take on a wife properly.  But she
insisted they were meant to be together.” she sighed heavily. 

“Do
understand, Mister O’Connor and I believed we were doing the right thing.  We
secured a gentleman we deemed would be a suitable husband for our only daughter.
 A well-established older gentleman he was, a highly respected man in the town. 
We reasoned Siobhán would get over her lad in good time, with a fine life laid
before her.”

She
looked up and noted the connection upon me face as I listened.

“As we
predicted, she wanted naught to do with him, claiming she would never concede
to marrying that old man, she would only marry her love.  We attempted to
smooth things over with Siobhán.  I assured her that she would soon be happy
and would grow to love her husband, or at least would grow fond of him, and in
time she would forget Kieran.  Moreover, she and her children would be
comfortably provided for.