登陆注册
15468300000088

第88章 THREE 1929-1932 Paddy(20)

It would be a strange funeral, thought Father Ralph as he looked around; the only women would be Drogheda women, for all the visiting mourners were men. He had taken a huge dose of laudanum to Fee after Mrs. Smith had stripped her, dried her and put her into the big bed she had shared with Paddy, and when she refused to drink it, weeping hysterically, he had held her nose and tipped it ruthlessly down her throat. Funny, he hadn't thought of Fee breaking down. It had worked quickly, for she hadn't eaten in twenty-four hours. Knowing she was sound asleep, he rested easier. Meggie he kept tabs on; she was out in the cookhouse at the moment helping Mrs. Smith prepare food. The boys were all in bed, so exhausted they could hardly manage to peel off their wet things before collapsing. When Minnie and Cat concluded their stint of the vigil custom demanded because the bodies lay in a deserted, unblessed place, Gareth Davies and his son Enoch were taking over; the others allotted hour-long spans among themselves as they talked and ate.

None of the young men had joined their elders in the dining room. They were all in the cookhouse ostensibly helping Mrs. Smith, but in reality so they could look at Meggie. When he realized this fact Father Ralph was both annoyed and relieved. Well, it was out of their ranks she must choose her husband, as she inevitably would. Enoch Davies was twenty-nine, a "black Welshman," which meant he was black-haired and very dark-eyed, a handsome man; Liam O'Rourke was twenty-six, sandy-haired and blue-eyed, like his twenty-five-year-old brother Rory; Connor Carmichael was the spit of his sister, older at thirty-two, and very good-looking indeed, if a little arrogant; the pick of the bunch in Father Ralph's estimation was old Angus's grandson Alastair, the closest to Meggie in age at twenty-four and a sweet young man, with his grandfather's beautiful blue. Scots eyes and hair already gray, a family trait. Let her fall in love with one of them, marry him, have the children she wanted so badly. Oh, God, my God, if You will do that for me, I'll gladly bear the pain of loving her, gladly . . . .

No flowers smothered these coffins, and the vases all around the chapel were empty. What blossoms had survived the terrible heat of the fiery air two nights ago had succumbed to the rain, and laid themselves down against the mud like ruined butterflies. Not even a stalk of bottle brush, or an early rose. And everyone was tired, so tired. Those who had ridden the long miles in the mud to show their liking for Paddy were tired, those who had brought the bodies in were tired, those who had slaved to cook and clean were tired, Father Ralph was so tired he felt as if he moved in a dream, eyes sliding away from Fee's pinched, hopeless face, Meggie's expression of mingled sorrow and anger, the collective grief of that collective cluster Bob, Jack and Hughie . . . . He gave no eulogy; Martin King spoke briefly and movingly on behalf of those assembled, and the priest went on into the Requiem immediately. He had as a matter of course brought his chalice, his sacraments and a stole, for no priest stirred without them when he went offering comfort or aid, but he had no vestments with him, and the house possessed none. But old Angus had called in at the presbytery in Gilly on his way, and carried the black mourning garb of a Requiem Mass wrapped in an oilskin across his saddle. So he stood properly attired with the rain hissing against the windows, drumming on the iron roof two stories up.

Then out into it, the grieving rain, across the lawn all browned and scorched by heat, to the little white-railinged cemetery. This time there were pallbearers willing to shoulder the plain rectangular boxes, slipping and sliding in the mud, trying to see where they were going through the rain beating in their eyes. And the little bells on the Chinese cook's grave tinkled drably: Hee Sing, Hee Sing, Hee Sing.

It got itself over and done with. The mourners departed on their horses, backs hunched inside their oilskins, some of them staring miserably at the prospect of ruin; others thanking God they had escaped deathand the fire. And Father Ralph got his few things together, knowing he must go before he couldn't go.

He went to see Fee, where she sat at the escritoire staring mutely down at her hands.

"Fee, will you be all right?" he asked, sitting where he could see her. She turned toward him, so still and quenched within her soul that he was afraid, and closed his eyes.

"Yes, Father, I'll be all right. I have the books to keep, and five sons left-six if you count Frank, only I don't suppose we can count Frank, can we? Thank you for that, more than I can ever say. It's such a comfort to me knowing your people are watching out for him, making his life a little easier. Oh, if I could see him, just once!"

She was like a lighthouse, he thought; flashes of grief every time her mind came round to that pitch of emotion which was too great to be contained. A huge flare, and then a long period of nothing.

"Fee, I want you to think about something."

"Yes, what?" She was dark again.

"Are you listening to me?" he asked sharply, worried and suddenly more frightened than before.

For a long moment he thought she had retreated so far into herself even the harshness of his voice hadn't penetrated, but up blazed the beacon again, and her lips parted. "My poor Paddy! My poor Stuart! My poor Frank!" she mourned, then got herself under that iron control once more, as if she was determined to elongate her periods of darkness until the light shone no more in her lifetime.

Her eyes roamed the room without seeming to recognize it. "Yes, Father, I'm listening," she said.

"Fee, what about your daughter? Do you ever remember that you have a daughter?"

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 生父养父

    生父养父

    他,因为患有先天心脏病,被自己的亲生父母抛弃。二十年后,他的亲生父母再次寻找到他,他是否还愿意回到自己父母的身边?
  • 每天懂一点保肝护肝知识

    每天懂一点保肝护肝知识

    目前,肝病已经成为危害人们健康的一种常见疾病。在每年的传染病报告中,病毒性肝炎的发病率和死亡率都占据首位。因此,保肝护肝的行动势在必行。养护肝脏就等于守护健康美好的生活。肝病三分在治。七分在养。保肝护肝。应当从细节着手,不论是在饮食、娱乐方面,还是在运动、用药方面,都有需要注意却被人们忽略的防治细节。
  • 血染大宋

    血染大宋

    现实中一事无成的宅男杨贲重生在小商桥古战场,成为杨再兴的亲兵;三百勇士随杨再兴出巡,独一人生还,且看杨贲如何搅动天下风云,用铁血洗去懦弱、恢复民族血性!
  • 绝色嫡女凰傲苍穹

    绝色嫡女凰傲苍穹

    前世的我是杀手界令人闻风丧胆的存在,却丧命在唯一的朋友手中。重生异世,尽管被称是废材,但灵珠在手,加上前世的经验,绝对能傲视苍狼大陆。可是已经决定今生绝不再相信任何人的时候,这个不断的出现在我的眼前的腹黑傲娇男,却一直宠我溺爱我,又怎么都甩不掉,而我竟然慢慢的开始相信他,为他心动,真的是够了。
  • 西燕慕容冲

    西燕慕容冲

    太和五年(370年),前燕被前秦所灭亡后,包括慕容冲及其兄慕容泓在内的众多鲜卑慕容部人被迁往关中。太元九年(384年),慕容冲之叔慕容垂叛秦建立后燕,慕容泓亦于关中举兵自称济北王。时任平阳太守的慕容冲在河东起兵,拥有二万兵众,进军攻打蒲坂,苻坚令窦冲征讨他。窦冲在河东攻击慕容冲,大败慕容冲,慕容冲率骑兵八千投奔其兄慕容泓军中。[3]
  • 恋爱的约定.

    恋爱的约定.

    内容简介,我写在小说里面好啦!这里写不下。
  • 巨星导演

    巨星导演

    混了娱乐圈十多年,却因暴脾气一直是边缘人物,好不容易否极泰来却穿越了……在新的世界,重新来过的他自然朝着世界级大导演而努力!他的爆脾气让他成为巨星,也让他被人非议不止!《世界娱乐周刊》:独一无二的巨星导演脾气太坏,他应该被关进监狱拍100部电影来赎罪!
  • 逆转裁判同人

    逆转裁判同人

    《逆转裁判》本来是一个GBA游戏,可能大部分朋友都没有玩过。本人非常喜欢这个游戏。所以把游戏的内容改编成小说与大家分享。其中大部分都是从汉化过的游戏里抄录下来的,我写这本小说的目的只是要更多人去了解和喜欢《逆转裁判》这个游戏,希望大家不要说我不劳而获。然后取名苦手最后有异议的请凌空指,大喝一声“异呀异(日语不懂所以这是音意,意思是我有异议)”
  • 冰山的紫色之恋

    冰山的紫色之恋

    他叫石子宸,是天宇集团总裁的独子,帅气,却又冰冷无情。她叫苏沫沫,是今年考入天资学院的大一女生,她也是少数凭借骄人的成绩进入天资学院的女生。开学的第一天,因为帮助一个女生,她惹上了他……一场意外的车祸,使得天之骄女的苏沫沫失去了幸福的家庭,父母双双被送进医院,高额的医药费,使她陷入绝望……做我的女仆!一个冰冷的声音在她头顶响起,我说做我的女仆,我保证送你父母住进最好的医院,给他们最好的治疗!走投无路的苏沫沫住进了他在学校不远的一栋公寓,做起了石子宸的贴身女仆,在同学们异样加鄙视的目光中,苏沫沫觉得自己卑微地活着……
  • 女巫

    女巫

    1480年延续到1780年迫害女巫的恶潮,席卷了欧洲三百多年。这是欧洲史上最黑暗的时代之一,无数良家妇女遭到斩首示众,焚烧尸体的酷刑。而玛格蕾塔,卡塔琳娜和安娜便是处在最疯狂的时期,同时她们也是无数冤魂的代表。但是,怨念最强的玛格蕾塔在受到火刑后却神秘的复活了,救活她的神秘巫师给予了她新的躯体,但玛格蕾塔不知道的是,神秘巫师并没有把这幅躯体的原有主人的灵魂从这幅躯体中剥离。玛格蕾塔复活后,知道了她生前的儿子还没有死去,而是落在了教会的手中。玛格雷蕾塔毅然踏上了拯救儿子菲利普的道路,但是,等待她的是却是一个未知的骗局以及隐藏在暗处的无数危险……