Read Online Call Home the Heart by Shannon Farrell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Shannon Farrell
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Dublin.
"Mr. Roche once lived in Australia, so I'm sure lions are nothing
compared to all the wonderful things he saw there," Muireann said.
The other elderly gentlemen, Mr. Stubbs, who made up the rest of the
party, began to press him for specific details of koalas and
kangaroos, which Lochlainn did his best to answer.
"And there is Kilmainham Gaol, and the Royal Hospital," Mrs. Butler
said, pointing, as the sky began to darken with clouds and a few
swirling flakes began to fall.
"Now we're passing the Royal Canal, and this is Blanchardstown,"
Lochlainn chipped in, trying to impress Muireann. "The castle is
Norman, but was destroyed in a great siege during the Civil War by
General Monk in 1642."
"And this is the village of Dunboyne, where Colonel Blood was born.
He nearly succeeded in stealing all the Crown Jewels of England for
the Tower of London in 1671. And the next village will be Laracor,
where Jonathan Swift was incumbent from 1699."
"Oh really?" Muireann asked excitedly. "I love Swift's writings,
don't you?"
Lochlainn nodded, and noticed Mr. and Mrs. Butler giving them
speculative looks.
"Newlyweds, are you?" she asked sharply.
"That's right," Muireann answered easily, squeezing Lochlainn's hand
to silence him. The last thing they needed was any gossip about
their circumstances.
"There, Mr. Butler, you see, I told you!" Mrs. Butler exclaimed in
delight. "They can't keep their eyes off each other."
Muireann blushed to the roots of her hair.
Lochlainn looked out the window in an effort to conceal his
discomfiture.
Fortunately Mr. and Mrs. Butler were pretty much oblivious to the
feelings of others, and continued on with their travelogue through
Trim and past the Hill of Tara, droning on and on, until at last
Lochlainn, exhausted, rested his head on the top of Muireann's
unconsciously and began to doze.
CHAPTER SIX
It seemed as though Lochlainn had only been asleep for a few minutes
when he noticed the coach had halted. It was pitch dark outside the
window, and Muireann was standing over him with all of their
traveling rugs draped over one arm.
"Where are we?"
"At Virginia, sleepy head. Come on, it's very late. They're getting
our room ready for us, and some supper."
"Our room?"
He had no time to press the matter further, for several porters came
to help Muireann get their luggage down. She skipped out of the
coach, and lifting her skirts high, entered the lobby of the inn,
where she ran over to the huge blazing fire. Lochlainn was left
alone to follow along behind.
When he came inside, the servant boy said, "This way, please," and
led them up to a pleasantly decorated, wood-paneled room with a huge
oaken four-poster bed. Other servants began to parade up and down
the stairs with cans of hot water. Another maid took Muireann's food
order for their evening meal, which she requested should be served
in their room.
Only when the tub was full and the servants had disappeared did
Lochlainn have the opportunity to ask with a disconcerted frown,
"Our room? And a bath?"
"Well, what do you want to do, spend money we really don't have on
another chamber? And if the estate is as bad as you say it is, this
might be the last decent bath and meal I'll get for a while. So I'm
going to enjoy it," Muireann said a trifle impatiently as she
stripped off her cloak and shawl, and then began to unbutton the top
of her gown. "What did you want me to do, tell the manager that we
weren't married, and cause a scandal?"
"No, of course not, I just thought that-"
"I've told you before, we're in this together. We share everything,
unless of course you object with regard to the bath water. We did it
all the time at Fintry to save the servants trouble. You can go
first if you like. And as for false modesty, you've
"Mr. Roche once lived in Australia, so I'm sure lions are nothing
compared to all the wonderful things he saw there," Muireann said.
The other elderly gentlemen, Mr. Stubbs, who made up the rest of the
party, began to press him for specific details of koalas and
kangaroos, which Lochlainn did his best to answer.
"And there is Kilmainham Gaol, and the Royal Hospital," Mrs. Butler
said, pointing, as the sky began to darken with clouds and a few
swirling flakes began to fall.
"Now we're passing the Royal Canal, and this is Blanchardstown,"
Lochlainn chipped in, trying to impress Muireann. "The castle is
Norman, but was destroyed in a great siege during the Civil War by
General Monk in 1642."
"And this is the village of Dunboyne, where Colonel Blood was born.
He nearly succeeded in stealing all the Crown Jewels of England for
the Tower of London in 1671. And the next village will be Laracor,
where Jonathan Swift was incumbent from 1699."
"Oh really?" Muireann asked excitedly. "I love Swift's writings,
don't you?"
Lochlainn nodded, and noticed Mr. and Mrs. Butler giving them
speculative looks.
"Newlyweds, are you?" she asked sharply.
"That's right," Muireann answered easily, squeezing Lochlainn's hand
to silence him. The last thing they needed was any gossip about
their circumstances.
"There, Mr. Butler, you see, I told you!" Mrs. Butler exclaimed in
delight. "They can't keep their eyes off each other."
Muireann blushed to the roots of her hair.
Lochlainn looked out the window in an effort to conceal his
discomfiture.
Fortunately Mr. and Mrs. Butler were pretty much oblivious to the
feelings of others, and continued on with their travelogue through
Trim and past the Hill of Tara, droning on and on, until at last
Lochlainn, exhausted, rested his head on the top of Muireann's
unconsciously and began to doze.
CHAPTER SIX
It seemed as though Lochlainn had only been asleep for a few minutes
when he noticed the coach had halted. It was pitch dark outside the
window, and Muireann was standing over him with all of their
traveling rugs draped over one arm.
"Where are we?"
"At Virginia, sleepy head. Come on, it's very late. They're getting
our room ready for us, and some supper."
"Our room?"
He had no time to press the matter further, for several porters came
to help Muireann get their luggage down. She skipped out of the
coach, and lifting her skirts high, entered the lobby of the inn,
where she ran over to the huge blazing fire. Lochlainn was left
alone to follow along behind.
When he came inside, the servant boy said, "This way, please," and
led them up to a pleasantly decorated, wood-paneled room with a huge
oaken four-poster bed. Other servants began to parade up and down
the stairs with cans of hot water. Another maid took Muireann's food
order for their evening meal, which she requested should be served
in their room.
Only when the tub was full and the servants had disappeared did
Lochlainn have the opportunity to ask with a disconcerted frown,
"Our room? And a bath?"
"Well, what do you want to do, spend money we really don't have on
another chamber? And if the estate is as bad as you say it is, this
might be the last decent bath and meal I'll get for a while. So I'm
going to enjoy it," Muireann said a trifle impatiently as she
stripped off her cloak and shawl, and then began to unbutton the top
of her gown. "What did you want me to do, tell the manager that we
weren't married, and cause a scandal?"
"No, of course not, I just thought that-"
"I've told you before, we're in this together. We share everything,
unless of course you object with regard to the bath water. We did it
all the time at Fintry to save the servants trouble. You can go
first if you like. And as for false modesty, you've
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