when the school breaks up for the holiday in a couple of weeks.’
Amazingly, both the girls smiled. Even Kitty. The excitement of a holiday together had for a few seconds wiped out the shock of Kitty’s pregnancy.
Kitty had never had a holiday. It would be her first.
‘Let’s run upstairs now,’ whispered Nellie to Kitty. Nellie had visited the farm many times. She wanted to share every detail with Kitty, in private.
‘Holy Mother, Kathleen, would ye look at them smiling,’ said Maura. ‘It’s a fairground ride of emotions all right.’
Alice began to pack up the pram. She had her own ideas about what to do.
‘Have ye thought of an abortion?’ she whispered to Maura and Kathleen, so that the girls upstairs didn’t hear. ‘You can get one easily. The chambermaids at the Grand used to go to a woman on Upper Parliament Street.’
No sooner had the words fallen from her lips than Alice felt bad. When first pregnant with Joseph, she had visited the same woman, though she had baulked at the offer of surgery. She had witnessed some of the chambermaids return to work in agony and be laid up for days. One girl had been taken into the Northern hospital after having an abortion and had never been seen again. Alice had no idea what had happened to her, but she knew she had been very ill. That was the old Alice.
The Alice who couldn’t have cared less.
Alice, shamefully, had taken various concoctions and potions. But to no avail. Joseph was determined to make his entrance and look at him now. None of them could remember life before he had arrived.
However, this was different. Kitty was a child, and Kathleen was right. Her growing belly was a danger to them all.
Maura turned pale at the mere mention of the word abortion. Maura, who had wanted her daughter to become a nun, was now having to discuss whether or not Kitty should commit the biggest mortal sin imaginable, that of taking a life.
A second life.
A second murder.
My God, what and who had they become?
‘Do ye think I want two murderers in the family, Alice? Do ye not think one is enough?’ she hissed back coldly. The old animosity between Alice and Maura was never far from the surface.
Neither of them could quite forget the closeness there had been between Maura and Bernadette.
‘I’m sorry,’ whispered Alice. ‘It just seemed like a good idea to me. And a quick solution too.’
‘Aye, well, I think not. It only seems a good idea to you, Alice, because ye don’t have the faith. No abortionist is sticking a dirty coat-hanger up my daughter. That’s the path to three lives lost.’
Maura wanted to stop this loose talk of an abortion as quickly as possible and shouted up the stairs for Kitty to come down.
Alice looked to Kathleen, who put her finger to her lips.
The recovery of Alice had been a welcome one, but Kathleen could see that, with each day, her new boldness brought a fresh challenge.
‘The offer of a holiday for Kitty is a kind one, Kathleen,’ said Maura, walking back to the table, ‘and one I will accept gratefully.’
Maura turned to Alice, guilty for her harsh tone a few seconds ago, when she knew how much Alice had done to help them. Alice had done her bit. She was on their side.
‘Some way, we will sort this out and, Alice, I know ye think I am wrong, but I can tell ye now, there will be no meat for anyone in this house this week. I’m off to buy some Epsom salts and a bottle of gin. I’ll be trying a few methods of me own.’
Alice smiled. She couldn’t work out why that would be acceptable, but her suggestion of an abortionist wouldn’t. She had heard that all the girls in Liverpool were doing it.
Kathleen felt lighter. Despite the reason why, the thought of returning home to Ireland had cheered her. The school holidays couldn’t arrive soon enough, so that she could get on that ferry to Dublin. It wouldn’t have been possible a couple of years ago to leave a baby of Joseph’s age in Alice’s care.
So much
Amazingly, both the girls smiled. Even Kitty. The excitement of a holiday together had for a few seconds wiped out the shock of Kitty’s pregnancy.
Kitty had never had a holiday. It would be her first.
‘Let’s run upstairs now,’ whispered Nellie to Kitty. Nellie had visited the farm many times. She wanted to share every detail with Kitty, in private.
‘Holy Mother, Kathleen, would ye look at them smiling,’ said Maura. ‘It’s a fairground ride of emotions all right.’
Alice began to pack up the pram. She had her own ideas about what to do.
‘Have ye thought of an abortion?’ she whispered to Maura and Kathleen, so that the girls upstairs didn’t hear. ‘You can get one easily. The chambermaids at the Grand used to go to a woman on Upper Parliament Street.’
No sooner had the words fallen from her lips than Alice felt bad. When first pregnant with Joseph, she had visited the same woman, though she had baulked at the offer of surgery. She had witnessed some of the chambermaids return to work in agony and be laid up for days. One girl had been taken into the Northern hospital after having an abortion and had never been seen again. Alice had no idea what had happened to her, but she knew she had been very ill. That was the old Alice.
The Alice who couldn’t have cared less.
Alice, shamefully, had taken various concoctions and potions. But to no avail. Joseph was determined to make his entrance and look at him now. None of them could remember life before he had arrived.
However, this was different. Kitty was a child, and Kathleen was right. Her growing belly was a danger to them all.
Maura turned pale at the mere mention of the word abortion. Maura, who had wanted her daughter to become a nun, was now having to discuss whether or not Kitty should commit the biggest mortal sin imaginable, that of taking a life.
A second life.
A second murder.
My God, what and who had they become?
‘Do ye think I want two murderers in the family, Alice? Do ye not think one is enough?’ she hissed back coldly. The old animosity between Alice and Maura was never far from the surface.
Neither of them could quite forget the closeness there had been between Maura and Bernadette.
‘I’m sorry,’ whispered Alice. ‘It just seemed like a good idea to me. And a quick solution too.’
‘Aye, well, I think not. It only seems a good idea to you, Alice, because ye don’t have the faith. No abortionist is sticking a dirty coat-hanger up my daughter. That’s the path to three lives lost.’
Maura wanted to stop this loose talk of an abortion as quickly as possible and shouted up the stairs for Kitty to come down.
Alice looked to Kathleen, who put her finger to her lips.
The recovery of Alice had been a welcome one, but Kathleen could see that, with each day, her new boldness brought a fresh challenge.
‘The offer of a holiday for Kitty is a kind one, Kathleen,’ said Maura, walking back to the table, ‘and one I will accept gratefully.’
Maura turned to Alice, guilty for her harsh tone a few seconds ago, when she knew how much Alice had done to help them. Alice had done her bit. She was on their side.
‘Some way, we will sort this out and, Alice, I know ye think I am wrong, but I can tell ye now, there will be no meat for anyone in this house this week. I’m off to buy some Epsom salts and a bottle of gin. I’ll be trying a few methods of me own.’
Alice smiled. She couldn’t work out why that would be acceptable, but her suggestion of an abortionist wouldn’t. She had heard that all the girls in Liverpool were doing it.
Kathleen felt lighter. Despite the reason why, the thought of returning home to Ireland had cheered her. The school holidays couldn’t arrive soon enough, so that she could get on that ferry to Dublin. It wouldn’t have been possible a couple of years ago to leave a baby of Joseph’s age in Alice’s care.
So much
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