The Upstairs Room

The Upstairs Room

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Father O Neill raised his hat and climbed into his horse and trap rubbing him palms together in anticipation of Ellen’s scone bread and a warm mug of tea after the 10 o clock funeral.

As the clip clop sound of the priest’s pony faded silence fell over the breakfast table. “I’m away too,” Eliza said giving her sister a hug.”

Lifting the remainder of the fruit cake to return it to the pantry, the housekeeper glanced at Thomas. “You should get away into the far field.”

Relieved to be set free from the strained atmosphere, Cassie rose and began to gather up the dirty plates and mugs. Without comment Ellen took them from her.”Ah’ll do the dishes. That’ll only be another black mark against you and me.” She gave a sardonic smile as she stacked the dishes. “Landing the priest in when she wasn’t expectin’ him, that’s fault enough to keep her blood boilin’ for the rest of the day,” she chuckled. “Go up to the room wi’ yer husband ‘til she cools down.”

Cassie stood uncertainly in the middle of the kitchen floor. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. Father O Neill often calls into Gormleys. The mistress always makes him welcome. I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong?”

Ellen gave a sardonic smile. “You got a good weddin’ breakfast for yer cheek. Away ye go. She’ll cool in the water she het in,” the housekeeper snorted.

Thomas looked at her.” Mrs Cannon,” he smiled, putting his arm around her waist and walking her towards the upstairs.

Thomas changed out of his suit he had bought in Glasgow for his wedding. The old-fashioned wooden clothes hanger rattled against the pitted wood as he hung the suit coat behind the door. He glanced at the worried frown on his bride’s face. “She begrudged us the breakfast. She doesn’t want us here and now bringing the priest…” Cassie stopped, near to tears’

Lifting her drooping head Thomas looked at her sternly. “It doesn’t matter.” Removing her hat with the duck’s feathers her bridesmaid Eliza had stuck in the hatband for ‘a bit of style’, he tossed it on the bedpost and loosening the hair clips from the bun on the back of her head, he drew her into his arms.” We’re man and wife now. That’s all that matters. It’s no odds what John James’ widow think of you or what your mother thinks of me. We’re married now,” he said kissing her.

Cassie felt the cold iron of the bed frame against the back of her legs. She tensed. Her heart began to thud. All the things her married sister Annie had warned her about flooded into her mind.

“On the weddin’ night, just you lie there. Let him do all the kissin’ and…courtin’,” she advised.

This had completely confused Cassie. “You mean I shouldn’t kiss him back? But he likes me kissing him back. I always kiss him back when we’re sitting on our spot on the ditch just after the lane to Blair’s farm on our way up the Tober road.”

Annie had rolled her eyes.” Don’t act stupid Cassie. When he puts that ring on your finger you’re his… Aye, he likes the kissin’. And sure, like the rest of them, he wasn’t short of that in Scotland. But when that ring goes on he wants to be sure no other boy got more than a quick grab at you comin’ back from the October devotions in the winter nights

. Men like Thomas don’t marry the kind of girls that lie down with men,” she said dryly. “Aye let him do all the kissin’ and courtin’ and remember the priest says it’s a sin to refuse your husband. You’ll have to tell it in Confession.”

Cassie had looked at her in bewilderment.” Thomas knows I’m not man mad like Mary Margaret and Eliza.” She looked shyly at her big sister. “He knows I’ve never kissed any boy but him.”

As Thomas’s kisses grew stronger. Cassie’s every instinct was to kiss him back but Annie’s warning rang in her ears.

“What’s wrong, “Thomas mumbled as he fumbled clumsily at the small pearl buttons on the ruffled blouse. Unable to get the buttons open she felt his hand move under the heavy calf length skirt. His hand found her knee and then the clips of the suspenders that held up her nylon stockings.

They jerked apart as an urgent knocking came on the door. “Get out to the yard. She’s on her way up to see ye,” the housekeepers voiced said through the planks of the door.

Carrying his work boots in his hand, Thomas edged out past the rotund figure of Ellen like a schoolboy, as if he had been caught doing what he shouldn’t.

Straightening her clothes Cassie looked around the room. The mattress of the bed she was sitting on  was covered in a faded green striped material that had seen better days. She knew without looking that it would have a hollow in the middle and when her and Thomas slept in it they’d roll together.

She cast her eyes around the rest of the room. A pile of bits of broken horse harnesses and a wheel of an old Daisy Bell bicycle had been swept into the far corner. A hooded baby crib half covered with a frayed grey blanket stood against the other wall. The only other piece of furniture in the room was a sturdy chair with broad plank arms.

Over its tall straight back the trousers of Thomas’s wedding suit hung; the creased folds precisely aligned. Over the suit trousers hung his new white shirt the unknotted tie carefully slotted around its collar. Beneath the front legs of the chair sat his new leather boots gleaming with a high polish.

For some reason the concise way her new husband had carefully hung up his clothes and the high shine on his boots made Cassie feel uneasy. As she was trying to figure out why there came a rustling sound outside. The bedroom door swung inwards and Ellen pushed in backwards carrying a tray.

She cast a contemptuous look around the room. Seeing it through her eyes Cassie wished she was back in the bedroom she had shared with her sisters; listening to their giggles as they talked about the funny gawky way that Bertie from Creigan’s farm smiled at them.

Mary Margaret always flirted with him. Liza always pretended to disapprove. “You know he’s a protestant. Da will take you to see the priest again,” she’d warn. “Ask him to the dance in the old school. “Could you just see the priest’s face when he sees you and Bertie dancin’cheek to cheek? “

Then the two of them would roll on the bed helpless with laughter. They’d carry on until her father shouted up the room to them to get in their bed — the morning and work came early. Drawing her thought to the present Cassie rose as the housekeeper came in.

Ellen’s eyes rested on the slip of a girl with the body of a woman but the bewildered eyes of a frightened child. She passed the tray into Cassie’s shaking hands.

“It’s not my place to say, but who wants to start married life in a hole like this,” she sniffed scanning the room again. She turned to go and stopped. She swung back to face Cassie. “Jimmy, the bestman, is goin’ to Ballindrait Station to lift day old chicks off the train comin’ from Strabane. Finish that soup up while its hot then think about … goin’ home to yer own bed ‘til Thomas gets you a decent place to start off yer life together. There goin’ to be no peace…” She heard a loose floorboard creak and turned to the stairs. “God forgive me,” she whispered crossing herself, “but this is no place for that poor wee critter.”

She came face to face with her mistress on the bend of the stairs.” What did you just say to her,” Mary Bridget said incredulously.

“I told her she’ll get nothing but poison tongue if she lived in this house. I told her to go home to her own bed ‘til that man o’ hers has a decent room to house her.”

Mary Bridget gasped. Then a sly look crossed her features. “What God has put together let no man – or woman – put asunder,” she said clasping her hands piously on her breast. “I wonder will Father O Neill be as glowing in his praise of you when he hears what you have done,” she said triumphantly.

Jimmy’s eyes widened when he saw Cassie standing by the tailgate of the cart. “Will you give me a lift to Ballindrait. I can walk the rest of the way home,” she said her voice quivering.

“Will a get Thomas,” he finally got out past his shock.

Cassie shook her head. Gathering up her skirt she clambered up the tailboard. “I left a message for him with Ellen,” she mumbled her head down to hide the tears pouring down her cheeks.

“Man above,” Andy muttered as he climbed onto the tractor. “She’s leaving him and them only married!”

Gemma Hill 2021©

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