The Lady of Galway Manor by Jennifer Deibel

Author:Jennifer Deibel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical Romance;Historical fiction;Ireland—History—War of Independence (1919–1921)—Fiction;Romance fiction;FIC042110;FIC042030;FIC027050
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2021-11-29T00:00:00+00:00

Anna stood in the shadow of the Spanish Arch and gazed at the water of the River Corrib. It swirled and spun this way and that, matching her thoughts. The salty air refreshed her lungs, but her heart felt as heavy as the fortress looming over her. Lowering herself down, she settled on the grass lining the wall that kept the river at bay, the damp coolness seeping through her new trousers. Still shaken by what Stephen had said, Anna combed her memories, dismayed to discover he had been right. Memories of conversations she’d overheard back in England, as well as several less-than-savory nicknames for the Irish, floated to the top of her memory like dross from silver.

She turned her thoughts inward to her own behavior and ideas. Surely she carried no such discrimination within her. However, her heart sank when she thought of her attitude upon first arriving. How she’d viewed her family’s mission as one of saving the Irish—if not from themselves, then from not knowing any better. The Irish had room to grow and learn, to be sure. Just as any person, or people, did. Anna certainly did. It had never occurred to her that the people in her new community didn’t really need her here . . . nor did many of them—or perhaps most—even want her here. And knowing what she did now, she could understand why.

And now that she saw, now that she knew, she simply could not carry on business as usual. She knew better, so now she must do better. She might have to marry Lord Corning and leave this land and the people she was growing to love, but so long as Anna was here and it was in her power to do so, she would treat every person the way they deserved—as one made in the image of God. She committed there, also, to carry that way of life, no matter where she lived. And if she must be tethered to a man such as Corning, she would use the influence afforded such a station to change the world around her—to help them see others the way God saw them.

The magnitude of such a commitment, such a responsibility, was daunting. Oh Lord, bridge the divide. The prayer whispered from her heart and took flight on the wings of the magpie that lifted off from the arch above her.

Anna shivered from the chill coming up through the grass and decided it best to head for home. McGinnty’s Fish and Chips came into view just as a rumbling sound vibrated the stones beneath her feet.

Turning, she saw a regiment of the Royal Irish Constabulary marching in formation through the Spanish Arch. Understanding bloomed as to why some referred to them as Black and Tans. Their black military jackets hung low over their hips, covering the tops of their tan trousers bloused into tan socks. She’d forgotten their barracks were behind the arch. The unit pivoted in the direction of Shop Street. Stepping back to make sure she was fully out of their way, she eased into the shadow of McGinnty’s.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.