A Keeper(64)

Still slightly indignant, Elizabeth could nevertheless see her point.

‘It wasn’t as if it mattered really. Not to you. It was just more tragedy to be heaped upon the Foleys.’

Elizabeth thought about poor Edward left all alone at Castle House.

‘When did it happen?’

‘Oh, God. That was a long time ago. I remember it was around the time the second wife went off with you.’

Elizabeth wondered how this news played a part in her story. ‘Did it happen before my mother left? Was it the reason she went away?’

Mrs Lynch shook her head sadly. ‘I’m sorry. I really don’t know. What you have to remember is that I never set eyes on that woman. There were no announcements. I didn’t know she was here. I didn’t know she was gone. Word got around, that’s how things worked. With poor old Mrs Foley, God rest her, it was very different. The guards were here, asking questions around the place, sure everyone knew.’

‘And …’ Elizabeth hesitated, ‘she was found in the orchard?’

Mrs Lynch sucked her teeth. Clearly the details were too much for her. ‘As far as I know, yes. And,’ she continued as if reading Elizabeth’s mind, ‘it was Teddy that found her.’

‘I see.’

‘Have you been in to see him?’

‘I have.’

‘And how is he?’

Elizabeth wasn’t sure what to say. ‘Fine. I mean, he doesn’t seem very …’ Her voice trailed away.

‘I know. Sure, if those were your memories wouldn’t you want to lose them too?’

The cat beside Elizabeth gave an extravagant stretch and began to lick its back paw.





THEN


Two whole days had passed since Patricia had seen Edward. Was he avoiding her? Had the argument she had overheard been the end of his fight to release her? Was his mother making him believe she had decided to stay? Certainly, since she had asked to keep the baby Mrs Foley was treating her differently. She was no longer watching Patricia’s every move; even her bedroom door was sometimes left unlocked. She had come and watched Patricia while she tried to feed Elizabeth a jar of baby food, and helped her wipe up the orange carrot goo as it was unceremoniously spat out. Patricia wanted to escape, she had to, but she also understood that it was now more complicated than that. She couldn’t just wander away barefoot into the night, she had no idea how far her weakened body could manage, and why should she when she was still hoping that Edward was going to help? Then there was the baby. Could she really leave this place, abandoning Elizabeth? She wasn’t her baby, she kept reminding herself of that, but she didn’t belong to anyone else. Who else could care for her and, yes, love her? Patricia could hardly articulate the feelings, but it was good to be needed. She loved the weight of the hot little bundle in her arms as she paced the bedroom. The little girl was even more vulnerable than she was and that gave her a patience and a strength she hadn’t had before. She couldn’t act rashly, not now she had to think about someone else.

Mrs Foley called from downstairs. She needed help. Patricia rolled her eyes and imagined that soon she’d be on her hands and knees cleaning out the grate of a fire she had never seen burning. She checked Elizabeth in her crib. Fed and changed, she was sleeping, her fists balled up over the blankets, tiny spit bubbles in the corners of her mouth. Patricia smiled and went to get her housecoat. It wasn’t on the hook by the door, Mrs Foley must have put it in the wash. She remembered there was another one in the wardrobe. She was putting it on when she felt something in the pocket. Rosemary’s letter! She had forgotten all about it after hearing the fight. She sat on the bed and took it out, smoothing the crumpled paper on her lap. She found where she had stopped reading.

… Kojak might be more her style … ha, ha!

The big scandal is that Fiona Dunn is after leaving Tony! His mother was in the salon and told us the whole story. Apparently they went to Lanzarote for their holidays and they met this couple from Dublin. Anyway she is after running away with your man and he has left the wife. Tony’s mother was calling her every name under the sun. I suppose everyone has forgotten how Fiona got with Tony. She just dumped poor John Hickey from a great height and apparently he was after buying a ring and everything. At least there are no kids. The scandal!

I don’t know if you have been in touch with your brother at all, but in case he didn’t tell you, Mrs Cronin died a couple of weeks ago. I know she was a friend of your mother’s. She had a stroke and then I think it was her heart. Probably for the best.

I was sad to see the For Sale sign outside your house …

Patricia stopped. She read the sentence again. ‘For Sale sign outside your house.’ What was she talking about?

I know you have made your life down in Cork now but it made it seem so final.

No. This must be some sort of mistake.

I hope you don’t mind me saying, but I really miss you. I’d love to see you. Maybe in the summer I could take a couple of days off and come down to visit you and meet the famous Edward!

The words on the page were dancing in front of her eyes. This couldn’t be true! That house was hers. It was her reward, for nursing their mother, for the sacrifices she had made. It must be Jerry, and that Gillian dripping poison in his ear. She knew she shouldn’t have trusted that slimeball Murphy the solicitor. He’d do anything Jerry said because he had the business. This wasn’t right. She had to stop him.