The Linen Queen by Patricia Falvey

Author:Patricia Falvey [FALVEY, PATRICIA]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781599953892
Publisher: Center Street
Published: 2011-03-02T05:00:00+00:00

I ran down the hill to the tram station, my mind in turmoil. I didn’t know what to think about first. I could make things all right for Ma and myself by apologizing to the dirty bastard, Kevin, and having done with it. And what I told Father Flynn in confession was none of their fecking business. Things would go on as before. It wouldn’t be that hard. Kevin knew I despised him, and words were not going to change that. And Kate knew he was lying, and my words were not going to change that either. No, it was not just the apology that was eating at me. It was Grainne. Whether I apologized or not, Grainne would not be let stay. Where would she go? I doubted that anyone else in the village would take her in—she had a reputation as trouble at school, and her bad attitude had pushed people away from her. At fourteen, she hardly even qualified as an evacuee anymore. She was no longer a child to be protected. She would be sent back to Belfast and that would be the end of it. And the end of her.

I was deep in thought as I pushed in through the door of the Ceili House pub. It was still early on Saturday evening, and there were few people in the place. I was glad. I was in no mood to be talking to anybody. I ordered a shandy and sat down at a table in a dark corner.

“I was hoping to find you here.”

My head shot up at the sound of the familiar voice. Joel’s smiling face hovered above me. I broke into a smile.

“You’re back?”

“In the flesh. I haven’t even been to the base yet. I almost went up to your house but I thought I’d stop here first just in case.” He grinned. “You see, I’m getting to know all your habits, young lady.”

“Not all of them, I hope,” I said.

He kissed me lightly on the cheek and sat down opposite me, stretching his long legs out towards the fireplace. He looked well, but tired. He called the barman over and ordered a beer.

“How was England?”

His grin faded. “All right, I suppose.”

“What are youse doing over there? Planning an invasion?”

I didn’t know what made me say it. I suppose I must have heard some talk somewhere about how the Allies would have to plan something big soon to get a grip on the war.

Joel’s face turned pale. “It’s top secret, Sheila. You know I can’t tell you anything. And you shouldn’t be listening to rumors. People don’t know what they’re talking about.”

The barman served his drink and he took a long gulp. “I’m sorry,” he said more quietly. “It’s just that… well I’m… we all are under a lot of strain. The war is not going as well as we’d hoped. And at this point, I don’t even know if there is any good solution. But we have to do something. We can’t let that bastard win.

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