Kilpara (29 page)

I watched him walk away and then turned to
Aunt Sadie. “You never mentioned the letter,” I accused.

“
I've had it for several days,” she
said coyly. “Ann has been asking when we might expect a response
from Lord Purcenell to visit Kilpara. I've been evasive so far.”
She smiled broadly. “I can tell her now he’s considering her
request.”

“
Why didn’t you tell
me?”

“
You were already burdened. The
risk you took by entering into this competition—” She shuddered. “I
hate to think of the consequences if things had turned out
differently.”

In that moment of clarity, I remembered
Morrigan. If she heard about the race from her father in his
current state, she would despise me. More than anything I wanted to
explain everything to her myself. I wanted to be the one to tell
her about the contest, about Kilpara, that I didn’t intend to keep
it, that it still belonged to her family. I would never turn her
and her father out of their home. Whatever else she might think
about me, she had to know that.

The fracas between Gully Joyce and Edward had
moved very close to where we stood. Aunt Sadie squeezed my arm and
rejoined the crowd, pushing her way to where the jockeys were going
at it. “Stop this fighting at once,” she demanded, “or your souls
will be damned to Hell!” The jockeys, stunned more by the nun
standing over them than by her words, let go of each other. “Gully
Joyce, don’t you have celebrating to do?” she reminded
him.

“
Yes, Mother Superior,” Gully said
obediently.

I didn't stay to see what happened next. I was
already on my way to find Brazonhead. I had to get to Kilpara. He
was in the middle of being cooled off when I picked up the tackle
and hoisted the saddle onto his back, much to the surprise of the
diligent groom. When the man realized what I was doing, he
immediately protested that Brazonhead wasn't fit to be ridden.
Hadn't he just run a race? The poor animal was tired and should be
allowed to rest. I didn't bother to respond. Instead I pulled
myself into the saddle and rode off leaving the groom scratching
his head.

But Morrigan wasn't at Kilpara like I
anticipated. The house was already subdued, the gates locked. There
was no sign of the celebration that Purcenell had planned. It
appeared that word about the race had already preceded me. I left
dejectedly and rode back along the beach that was also deserted. I
went as close as I dared to her aunt's house, but it was locked up
tight with the blinds drawn. It was as if Morrigan had already been
whisked away.

All throughout the next day, I continued to
scour the beach and neighboring countryside for signs of her. I
became obsessed with the need to explain to her, to tell her that
no matter what people said, Kilpara still belonged to her and her
father. There had to be some way to reach her; to find
her.

The terms of the agreement stated the estate
would be mine in one month. In desperation I rode up to Kilpara
unannounced, ready to beg entrance from the gatekeeper based on
future ownership. To my surprise, he congratulated me and welcomed
me cheerfully. I passed through the gate and rode up to the house.
After tethering Brazonhead, I went up the steps and banged the
large knocker. I received a different reception this time. The
butler opened the heavy door, unsurprised to find me standing
there, and showed instant hostility.

“
Neither Mr. Purcenell nor Miss
Purcenell are in,” was his curt reply in answer to my query. When I
tried to protest, he firmly closed the door. I retreated down the
steps and searched the windows for signs of Morrigan. Did I imagine
it, or did a curtain move slightly in a second story
window?

Upon my return from Kilpara, I entered the
convent grounds and caught sight of Trista walking in the gardens.
I dismounted and joined her, realizing we hadn’t spoken since her
return.

When I fell in step beside her I asked, “How’s
your family?”

“
They’re well. It was good to see
them again after so many months apart.”

“
What did you think of Mother’s
condition upon your return?”

“
It has worsened, but not
dramatically so.”

“
She’s asked Dan and Mark to come
to Ireland,” I said. “What if they get here too late?”

“
Don’t think like that,” Trista
said. “Your mother’s tough. She’ll hang on.” We continued to walk
without speaking. After a pause Trista said, “I heard what you did.
How you won Kilpara back from Purcenell.”

“
You don’t approve?”

She shook her head. “You did this to get your
way, Ellis O’Donovan, but the people of Brandubh see it as a
victory against British tyranny. They’ll be hopeful
now.”

“
I'm not keeping Kilpara.” I
protested. “I just want it long enough to do the right thing by
Mother. After that I'll give it back to Purcenell, with certain
provisions. Then I'm going back to Baltimore.”

She laughed. “He won’t abide by your rules.
Nothing will change.”

“
I’ll make sure he
does.”

“
You won’t be here, so who’s to
stop him from doing what he likes? You may be cunning, Ellis
O’Donovan, but you don’t have feelings for this land. The people
here, it’s all they’ve got.”

She went on, but I wasn’t listening. My
thoughts had shifted to Morrigan. Where was she? Had she left Lough
Corrib? If so where would she go?

I had taken a few steps forward before I
realized Trista had stopped and was looking at me
curiously.

“
What?” I said.

She caught up. “You haven’t heard a word I
said. Who is she?”

“
She?” I was annoyed that I’d been
caught daydreaming.

Trista laughed. “Uh—huh. You’ve got the
feeling.” She stood on tiptoe and kissed my cheek. “If you won't
tell me, then I’ll leave you alone with your thoughts. It’ll be
impossible to reason with you until you’ve settled what’s on your
mind.”

She left the path and walked toward the
hospital.

Purcenell didn’t acknowledge Mother’s request
nor did he answer my letter to discuss our agreement. I rode to
Kilpara every day and the gatekeeper came to expect me. He allowed
me onto the grounds without objection. I decided to keep off the
avenue and out of plain sight, crossing the meadows before anyone
at the house could detect me. I rode to a slight incline
overlooking the house and planted myself there for several hours at
a time hoping to catch a glimpse of Morrigan. From where I sat the
house was in full view, and behind me in the distance, I could see
Lough Corrib. Just when I thought Morrigan and her father had left
Kilpara and gone away, my patience was rewarded.

Almost two weeks after I'd begun my watch, I
saw a carriage slowly wind up the drive. I cursed silently when
Charles Sloane disembarked and went inside the house. He was there
a long time and when he came out, Morrigan was with him. The groom
held the carriage door open and she stepped inside. My heart leaped
at the sight of her. I was too far away to see her face. But as the
carriage moved down the drive, I was tormented with images of her
in Sloane’s arms. I had no doubt he was using the situation to take
advantage of her vulnerability. My blood began to boil. I had to
tell her the truth. I mounted Brazonhead and raced down the hill
halting abruptly in front of the carriage, forcing it to stop.
Horses reared in protest as the groom yanked on the reins bringing
the vehicle to a standstill, just feet away from me. Insanely, I
wanted to reach inside and insist that Morrigan dismount and leave
with me. But as I rode alongside the door, she turned her head
away. Sloane stepped out of the carriage with a conceited grin on
his face.

“
Remove yourself at once, my good
fellow,” he said. “You've already caused this family enough
anguish.”

When I didn't move, he waved his walking cane
at me. “If you don't leave immediately, I shall be forced to report
you to the authorities.”

Something snapped inside me then and I
dismounted. Without hesitation, I walked straight up to him and
locked stares. “You’re the one trespassing,” I said. “I own Kilpara
now.”

“
Now wait just a minute—” he
began.

Unable to contain myself any longer, I punched
him squarely in the jaw, my knuckles stinging from the contact. The
force of the blow knocked him to the ground. I stood immobile as he
rubbed his jaw, disbelief registered on his face. “I would never
intentionally hurt Morrigan,” I said. “You, on the other hand, are
a son-of-a-bitch.”

Morrigan had flung open the carriage door when
she heard us exchange words and looked at me in disgust as she
joined Larcourt’s groom at Sloane’s side. My anger ebbed when our
eyes met briefly. I wanted to plead with her for understanding. But
that seemed hopeless, so I turned and mounted Brazonhead. I could
feel her eyes boring into the back of my head as I rode
away.

By the time I reached the convent stables, I
was regretting my actions and feeling more dejected than ever. I
opened Brazonhead’s stall but didn’t urge him inside. I sat down
close to the gate and let him munch on some loose hay. “I'm never
going to see her again,” I told Brazonhead. “She'll never speak to
me now. If only there was some way I could make her
understand.”

“
Wha—wha—what’s all the commotion?”
a voice said from somewhere inside the stall behind me. Gully Joyce
climbed out from under some hay, rubbing his eyes. “You’re
disturbing me peaceful nap with all this woman talk.”

I wasn’t in the mood for company, but it
looked like I had it anyway. “Wait here a minute,” Gully said. “Ye
look like you’re ailin’ and I have the very thing that’ll cure
ye.”

He came back with a narrow-mouthed stone jug
and two mugs. “A wee drink of this is what ye need.” He poured
odd-colored liquid into the two mugs.

“
Aren't you afraid of Mother
Superior’s wrath?” I asked.

“
No worries there,” he responded.
“There’s nothing wrong with a wee drink. Ye won’t go t’hell for
getting tipsy. That’s only natural ye see.”

I was beginning to think the Irish made up
rules to life and religion according to their needs and desires.
But I wasn’t about to argue the point. I took a gulp of the liquid
and coughed as it burned my throat. “What is this?”

Gully’s face broke into a grin. “Poteen, the
likes you’ll never find anywhere else in Ireland.”

Several drinks later I asked, “Why did you
fight Purcenell’s jockey?”

Gully pulled up the legs of his trousers.
There were large scars on his legs. “Ye know I used to be a jockey
meself,” he said. I nodded. “Not much left in here.” He hit his
legs with his fist. “Thank God, I can still walk. I was winning a
race against Edward Mullins years ago; he’s a sore loser that one
and will try anything to win. He hit my horse with his whip, the
same way he jabbed that spur into Brazonhead. The horse reared up,
but unlike yourself, I wasn’t trained on bucking broncos. I fell
off. My foot caught in the stirrup and the horse dragged me a long
way before he stopped and I was cut lose. They gave me up for
dead—almost. Mullins hasn’t changed one bit. He got what was coming
to him.”

I nodded. We drank to victory. After a short
silence, I said, “I can't get her alone to explain what
happened.”

“
Who?” Gully asked.

“
Morrigan.”

“
Purcenell’s daughter?”

“
Yes.”

“
Kilpara is yours now. Ye can ride
right up there and demand to speak to her.”

Gully poured us another drink. I swallowed the
strange brew and noticed my tongue had gone numb.

“
I've already tried that,” I said.
“But they say that she’s out.”

“
Send her a letter.”

“
I tried that, too. She won’t
respond, and Purcenell won’t receive me.”

“
It’s your house now. He can't
refuse.”

“
Doesn’t matter. Sloane has gotten
to her. He wants to marry her. I saw them together today and it set
my blood to boiling. I hit him.”

Gully tapped his chin with his fingers. “Ye
did, now did ye? Did he fight back then?”

“
No. He looked very much the victim
and got Morrigan's sympathy.”

“
A real coward, but not in Miss
Morrigan's eyes, I reckon. She thinks you're a brute for hitting
him.” He took a gulp of his drink. “All the same, I might know a
way to get a letter to her and convince her to talk to
ye.”

“
How?”

Gully winked. “Can’t reveal me sources. But I
can do it.”

“
Do—don’t move,” I said. “Wait
here. I’m going to get an ink pen and paper.” That was easier said
than done. Whatever this poteen stuff was, it struck every limb in
my body and they wouldn’t respond to my commands. After staggering
to the house and back, I sat down beside Gully with the pen poised
against the paper. The paper swam unevenly before me as I tried to
write.

“
What shall I say?” I
asked.

“
Just that ye must meet with her to
clear up misunderstandings between yez. Apologize for your
inappropriate behavior and explain ye were provoked. Very sorry, ye
say. Ye were blinded by injustice y’see.”