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.Catherine decided not to bite."Peg, why did that woman attack me? I've done nothing to aggravate her."Peg began to thread the loom."Watch as I talk, lass.I've yet some dinner duties." Her fingers worked deftly as she spoke."Maude's family was killed by colonial Protestants, Orangemen, last year in Armagh.To her, colonials is English.She had naught but a broom to fight them off.They bayoneted her, and when she came about, her four-year-old twin boys and twelve-year-old daughter were dead; boys had been bashed against the walls, the girl raped and strangled.The house was burnin' about her ears.She crawled out into the yard and found her husband dead in his own water trough.She an't been right since."Catherine had gone pale."Oh, Peg, the poor woman.If I had known.""What would ye have done? Given her a light tap? She'd have slit yer gizzard." Peg patted Catherine's hand."Now watch."That night Catherine dreamed of being chained with dead children in a burning ruin.High above the flames pealed Sean Culhane's laughter and, strangely, her mother's.Peg shook her awake in the late, morning.Catherine blinked at the light, shielded her eyes, then panicked."I overslept! I'm supposed to be in the laundry."Peg gave her shoulder a reassuring pat."Not today, ye an't.This mernin' ye've an appointment with Flannery." At the girl's bleak look, she hastened to add gently, "No, lews, not for another iron frippery." She stood back to watch Catherine dress, admiring her slim grace."When ye've done with him, ye'll work at yer shawl.Maude's takin' yer duties today."Catherine lit up like a spring morning and Peg's mouth puckered at the corners."Ye've a glory of a smile, girl.I'm glad ye haven't forgot how to use it." When her charge was done dressing, Peg led the way past the stableyard to the foundry, where Flannery, bare-chested in a leather apron, streamed with sweat as he pounded on a glowing horseshoe."Good mornin' to ye, Mr.Flannery," Peg said cheerfully."I've brought the lass for her lesson."Flannery nodded at Catherine, then glowered playfully at the housekeeper."What's this Mr.Flannery, me girl? I was pinchin' yer bottom before Rafferty wed ye, devil take his oily tongue."Peg patted Catherine's arm."Don't mind him.The old goat's more bleat than butt these days." She headed back to the kitchen, her skirts lifted to avoid the stableyard mire.Flannery stuck his head out of the door and yelled, "Ye'd better lift those fine legs and run, wench! I'm about to chase ye to Tipperary!""Pooh, ye old fart!" was the fading reply.Catherine giggled, then hastily put a hand over her mouth to feign a cough.Flannery turned with a smile."Now, don't be doin' that, lass.Laughter's the sweetest song in the ears of God."The remark was so unexpected she was unprepared to respond.Faintly embarrassed, she lowered her hands."I fear I've laughed little of late.""Aye, 'tis sorry I am about my part in yer troubles.I've never put me hand to anythin' that shamed the makin' til those irons.The leg-iron is comin' off for a bit." He picked up the hammer, knelt, and knocked the bolt loose.Ignoring her astonishment, he rose and tapped the collar padding with a forefinger."Sean's?" She nodded and his eyebrows rose slightly."That's a rare concession.I wouldn't depend on another."Her smile reappeared faintly."I gather Mr.Culhane is unaware my punishment has eased in his absence.""Oh, he'll know soon enough.There'll be waggin' tongues aplenty to disabuse him on his return.""Isn't your place ordinarily with him?"Flannery returned her intent look without a blink."Ordinarily.I had other things to do." He whisked off his apron, then pulled on a shirt from a nearby peg."Like givin' ye a bit of schoolin' on how to deal with the likes of Maude Corrigan." He picked up a wide-bladed knife with a cupped rapier guard."Mind, I'll not be givin' ye this, if for no other reason than stickin' it in Sean might prove too great a temptation.Which brings us to another point.Don't go callin' a man's hand unless ye've got a good idea of what he's got to show.In fifty years of soldierin', I've only seen two men who could match Sean with knife, rapier, or pistol; both were cold-blooded killers for hire.Culhane only hires out to his personal devil, but he's a true killer.Don't go rattlin' his civilized cage, lass; it an't never locked." With that bit of advice, the Irishman took her into the foundry's rear courtyard and began a blunt, brutal lesson in wielding a knife.Liam was in the stableyard loading sketch pads into saddlebags when he noticed Catherine skirting the paddock wall after her lesson."Good day, Lady Catherine!"She waved gaily."Good day to yourself, Liam Culhane! Are you going to paint along the cliffs this afternoon?""No, I was thinking of going down to the bay.I've been working on the terns that gather near Quoin Rock." His voice dwindled as he was seized by an'Urge to sketch her.Flushed from the bout with Flannery, her skin had a rosy glow even to the swell of her breasts where the neckline had slipped low.Abruptly aware of where his eyes had fallen, he hastily looked up to find Catherine openly amused.''La, sir," she teased, "have you never seen a fishermaid before?"Liam flamed.He occasionally eased his celibacy in the surrounding, villages, and the earthy memory of what lay beneath the garments of the local girls did his composure no good turn."I.was startled to see you alone and unguarded.Have you just come from the foundry?"Imagining his shock if he knew the real reason for her visit to his blacksmith, Catherine lifted her skirts and gave her foot a shake to rattle the chain."Mr.Flannery had adjustments to make in my costume [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]