Chapter 13: Autumn of Hatred 31st August 1939
Making impressions on people was a way of life, one which James Maguire knew very well. His strive to make the best impression of himself to the people in his life was a continuous quest that could never truly be conquered until death. A death of embarrassment lay in wait though… he was running late.
Late to dinner with Erin and her parents at the Quinn residence, an impression of him being a poor timekeeper he wished to avoid, looked unavoidable. Following a meeting at the bank that went on for far too long, he'd then be held up by a customer just as they were about to close the bank, staying late to be of assistance to them. He'd given himself hardly any time at all to get home and smarten himself up for dinner at the Quinn's. Few seconds were spared choosing the suit he'd be wearing that night, almost throwing it onto himself as if he were a shop mannequin. Slapping on his best Eau de Cologne, he raced out of the Cottage to the Morgan, its wheels spinning furiously on the gravel as he sped off.
The roads were deserted as normal, and it was a good job too, as his driving would have been a danger to other cars and pedestrians alike. Slamming the brakes on outside the Quinn's, he took a look at his watch, relived to find out that he'd made it on time, but with less than a minute to spare. Grabbing the roses, which had somehow stayed intact despite the hell for leather driving on the journey there, he took a few deep breaths to calm down. A brief smirk ran across his face as a thought came to mind. He wished Michelle could have been there to see his mad dash from the countryside to the city, knowing it would stop her from doubting his love for Erin ever again. He was still carrying the bruises from the week before…
When Michelle launched herself at him at the Quinn household the prior Sunday, nobody could stop her getting the first few strikes in with the wooden spoon. She'd gone for the face and missed on five occasions, with each strike hitting him in either the shoulder or the chest. Erin had frozen for a few seconds whilst the savagery began but quickly dived at Michelle to get her off James, with Deirdre intervening to pull the two away from each other before the blonde could go any further. Everyone was eventually involved in the fracas except David, Gerry and Orla, mostly due to Clare tripping over Michelle and causing a melee when her father thought the dark-haired girl had pulled her over. A friendly late morning drink nearly became a brawl until Joe's voice boomed across the room to stop it.
Michelle's standing with her parents slipped further afterwards, with consequences that spread to the workplace too. Meyler the shift supervisor was made aware of the incident and didn't hesitate in moving Michelle to a different section away from any of her family and friends. The reasons for her assault on him remained the same ones that they'd been since the moment he arrived; he was English, and she didn't want him there with them. However, when James spoke with his Aunt and Uncle privately the following day, they both thought there was something more to it than that, something he had to agree with them on. Whilst her foul tongue was well known to the wider community, it was rare that she ever turned to physical violence with anyone. She might have threatened it, mostly to him on a few occasions, but it was always in jest.
What had changed?
His Aunt and Uncle held differing opinions as to the reason. Deirdre believed it stemmed back to the trouble of weeks before with Johnny Kells and the incident at the school dance. A festering rage that refused to retreat from within her daughter's feelings was the rational explanation in her mind, though she'd made it very clear that taking that rage out on James was very much unwarranted. Even if he did have the accent. Martin on the other hand concluded that James did have his part to play in Michelle's sudden turn towards violent confrontation. Jealousy was his hypothesis. Michelle found herself on such a tight leash when it came to fellas since Johnny, and now that Erin was finding happiness with James, her pent-up frustration was coming out. Deep down, he believed she wanted a fella of her own who would treat her well like her cousin treated her friend.
The reason evaded James though and in his head, he had to switch off the curious thoughts so that he wouldn't sit in the Morgan all night. Flowers in hand, the Englishman strolled up the path to the Quinn house, spotting Anna's little head poking through the curtains. She beamed with happiness when she saw him and in return, he pulled a funny face that set her off in a fit of giggles that he could hear from the pathway. As much as Erin was his beloved, having the friendship of her adorable little sister was just as precious to him too.
The door opened before he could knock it, Erin waiting for him. He closed the final steps with the roses out in front of him, which she took straight into her hands and up to her nose.
"Oh James…". She spoke to him in a dreamy, harmonic tone. "… yer so good to me".
"I try my dear, I try".
Taking the roses in one hand, she held out her other hand for him to have, which he did so a second later. They walked through the house hand in hand, to where her parents and Anna waited for them. Mary and Gerry looked on at the young couple with fondness. It hadn't quite been the same for them years before, but if they could have had it the way their daughter and the Englishman did then they knew it would be the way they'd have gone about it.
"James!" Anna shouted out, running towards him.
"Hello Anna…". He knelt down and picked her up. "… you are getting stronger".
"Aye, Mammy says if I eat my vegetables then I'll be strong like ye are".
Chuckling to himself, he glanced to his right to see Mary's cheeks burning from a comment she could have done without her youngest airing, especially when Gerry was in the room. He rolled his eyes comically but was not angry with her for it. He was getting used to the women in his life fawning over the young Englishman.
"You will be". He ruffled her hair before placing her back down on the ground.
They were soon seated at the table, enjoying the delicious meal that Mary had prepared. General conversation passed between them throughout, Anna leading for the most part as she had lots of questions she wanted to ask about James and Erin being together. Some of the caused Erin's cheeks to burn, but whenever they did so, he squeezed her hand where they held them on the table, to bring the colour in her face back under control. None of them embarrassed him. It was only natural for a little girl like Anna to be curious about her sister's relationship with him. Some of the questions they couldn't answer truthfully anyway as Anna was too young. The answers she was looking for there were ten years away.
"Has Michelle apologised to ye yet son?"
Mary brought up the matter which her Erin desperately wanted her not to. She had forgiven Michelle that Monday morning when they'd met on the way to the factory and apologised for jumping on her too. Whilst the young Mallon did apologise for anything that was said in the heat of the moment, she refused to be happy for Erin in having a relationship with James, though Erin didn't request or wish for her to be. Their friendship was on rocky ground but with the enforced break from each other after Michelle's move to another section and Clare and Orla's help, it survived.
"No, I doubt I will receive such a gesture from my dear cousin".
"Ach it was disgraceful, so it was…". Mary continued on. "… startin' attackin' ye like that. AND WITH MY WOODEN SPOON!"
Gerry placed a hand on his wife's shoulder to calm her down, the recipient of a dip of the head from James a few seconds later. The two were both on the same wavelength when it came to the topic they'd found themselves discussing; steer away.
"Come on love, I'm sure Michelle will come around". He spoke softly to her.
"Well she better! Carryin' on like that…". Mary continued to protest.
"If I may…". James interrupted. "… I do not hold anything against her for how she acted. She has made it quite clear that she does not approve of me before and I did expect that she would not take the news well. I think we both did…".
He gestured to Erin, who nodded.
"One day when the time is right, I will talk to her with my Aunt and Uncle to sort this all out. I am just sorry you all had to see it".
"I was scared…". Anna mumbled fearfully. "Why is Michelle always mean!?"
All four went to answer at the same time, but the Englishman was the fastest, taking it upon himself to explain his cousin's attitude to the little girl.
"Michelle… Michelle has her own ideas, and we have to respect her. Sometimes she can come across as being mean, but she's a big softy really".
Erin's heart melted for different reasons than the typical ones. The way that her fella softly and eloquently narrated his statement on his cousin to her sister was truly special. It was fatherly. Very fatherly.
Conversation between them moved on, as did they, transitioning through to the living room. James took up a spot on the floor with the sisters coming to join him, each having their own side to snuggle into him with. A tear came to Mary's eye on coming across the scene. James was a good lad, a handsome devil as well, but his main attribute was his gentlemanly nature. To her, the city lacked men of his ilk and as a family, they were lucky to count both he and David as members, being two of those rarer breed of men in Derry.
"It was good of work to let the two of you's finish early…". Gerry addressed his wife and eldest daughter. "… old Meyler seems to be pretty lenient these days".
"Catch yourself on, he's still critical as ever!" Mary rebuked him.
"Aye Mammy's right, he was on at me all mornin' about one order. And this girl Michelle swapped with, she's not at our standard". Erin added.
The two men exchanged the quickest looks of exasperation at the two women moaning about work, with Anna yawning from her equal boredom.
"Anyway, yer boss let ye go early as well. I bet he isn't goin' soft!?"
"No he's not love. Not at all". Gerry confirmed.
"Well there ye have it". Mary abruptly cut him off. "So the two of you's are both off work tomorrow then?"
The question was put to Erin and James, who looked at each other warmly before turning their heads back to her parents for him to answer.
"Yes. I hoped we'd enjoy one last day in the summer sun".
"Ye've made plans have ye?" Mary raised an eyebrow in suspicion of them.
The raised eyebrow raised Erin's heartrate. She knew exactly what she wanted to do with him on their day together, details of which could not pass over to her Mammy if they wanted to still be breathing come the following morning. She'd spoken to James briefly about it when he'd came to the house at Mary's request late on the Tuesday evening. In the couple of minutes outside before he left that night, another one of their plans was concocted. The time had come for it to be enacted.
"I… Mammy…". Erin stuttered until she felt his hand rest on top of hers. "… can I stay at James' tonight?"
Desperately searching her mother's face for a reaction, it remained frozen in stasis at the request. Gerry didn't prove to be much help either, already having his hand pointing to Mary to tell his daughter that it was her permission that she needed. She would have that regardless. Mary shook her head, as if to shake herself out of a trance that she'd been in.
"Of course love".
The young couple, Gerry and even little Anna, were all shocked by the response. Expecting fire and brimstone of biblical proportions to be rained down from Mary's mouth, the complete opposite happened. Erin's mouth even hung up open a wee bit.
"Gerry ye best take Anna to bed, she's gettin' tired". Mary continued on as if nothing had happened.
"Right…". A bewildered Gerry answered. "Come on Anna love".
Saying her goodbyes to James first, and then Erin, Anna walked over to grasp Gerry by the hand. He led her off upstairs to get her tucked in, leaving Mary with the equally confused teenagers staring at her.
"What?"
Neither could muster up the courage to respond to her, still shocked by her tame reaction.
"When we said we all knew you's were together, I think we all had a good idea of what you's were getting' up to".
Enflamed cheeks became a feature on the faces of both Erin and James, the pair finding it mortifying that their sexual escapades were also not the well hidden secret they hoped them to be.
"Christ yer lucky son…". She turned to James. "… me and Gerry are quite open minded. If this was Clare, Sean and Geraldine would have drowned ye in the Foyle!"
"I appreciate the understanding…".
"I bet ye do!" She interrupted. "But listen the pair of ye and listen well. I don't want any pregnancy occurin' from this ye hear… not yet. We've got enough to think about with Orla's wain on the way, we can't be havin ye with one to come as well Erin".
"Mammy!" She protested.
"I mean it. Have yer fun… just do it carefully".
No further words were needed, or in Erin's case could be uttered, with James nodding sincerely to give her his word. They had been careful over the summer, having discussed very early on of the importance of remaining careful to avoid a pregnancy that neither wanted for the time being. Erin went to her room to get a few things whilst James waited with Mary, Gerry joining them a minute later with Anna having gone straight to sleep the moment her head hit the pillow. Once Erin was ready, they walked out to the car hand in hand, waving back to her parents before he started the engine up in the car.
The dark skies began to set over the city as the car wound its way around the bends on the last mile or so of the journey to his cottage. Every so often he'd catch a glimpse of her staring at him, making her intentions clear for what was going to take place the moment they were back inside the cottage. Intentions that became actions the moment the roses were on the side table to the side of the hallway. Gathering her up in his arms, James had taken her to the bedroom with hesitation. When the bedroom door shut behind them, with Mary's instruction to take care still in their minds, they once again gave their bodies up to each other. There were giggles throughout as the two fumbled around mostly in the dark, one making fun of the other at the slightest movement that was out of place or funny look on the other's face. It was just how they liked it.
Erin was asleep soundly, snoring her head off quite unflatteringly. Next to her though, James had woken with a start and couldn't get back to sleep. There was something niggling away at him deep down that he couldn't put his finger on. The feeling didn't make him unwell, and it certainly wasn't anything to do with Erin either. Whatever it was, it just made him feel… uncomfortable. Almost like he was sat in the calm before an oncoming storm, the peace radiating whilst terror danced around the edges waiting to pounce. He propped himself up so that he was sat up straight, looking out of the window in front of him. An empty void through the panes of glass where the night trundled along in silence, only the odd pounding from the feet of foxes that darted across the back garden being audible.
Picking up his watch from the bedside table, he took a note of the time. It was just his luck that he'd woken up in the middle of the night. It was a relief that he wouldn't have to go to work first thing the next morning, as a poor night's sleep had made an effect on it before. He was suddenly thinking about his mother a second later, assaulted by images in his mind that showed the two living happily in London. Eating together in their old house and laughing away as they did… marvelling as she took him out to receive lessons in flying, where the skies opened themselves up to him. There still hadn't been a second letter from her which was no doubt the source of his early hours' trauma, he thought to himself. He could only pray that she was alive and well in the little town of Martigny in Switzerland that Kathy Maguire now called home.
Looking down to his left, he was reminded of the other significant woman in his life, and she wasn't thousands of miles away in Switzerland. She was right there in front of him, waiting to be snuggled up to. A task that wouldn't wait a moment longer. Thoughts of his mother soon drifted to the back of his mind when his arms came around Erin, nuzzling into her neck to place a kiss. Joining her in slumber a few minutes later, James found sleep easy to come by when he could hold her that way. Hold her in a way where he would never have to let go.
But fate's hand was cruel and unrepenting.
The threat may not have been direct to them, nor a lot of people at that time in the morning. Yet that very second was the final one that the world would get to spend at peace, even if the majority of people on the planet did not realise it.
The time was three forty-eight in the morning.
One thousand miles and a time zone away, a very different direction for the world was about to begin.
Having been sat menacingly but harmlessly in the Bay of Danzig for a few days, the SMS Schleswig-Holstein fired a broadside at the Polish transit depot on the Westerplatte peninsula.
The first shots of the war rang out.
Morning dawned on the first day of September 1939, the sun creeping into the room to illuminate the occupants within. Despite his middle of the night disturbance, it was James who woke first, eyes flickering open to admire that crisp early morning sun. Erin's back was pressed into his side, her earlier snores turning to lighter, sleepy breaths. This was how he wished every morning could be, waking up next to her in the beautiful sunshine without any solid plans for their day. The world would be at their feet ready for them to walk across for however long they wished. He couldn't help but move closer to her at the thought, placing a kiss on the top of her head. He drank in the sight of her beauty whilst she remained asleep. To have such a wonderful young woman that he could call his was all he could ever ask for and to have Erin all to himself was a blessing he thanked the Lord for every single day.
He continued to press kisses to her sleeping form, continuing onto the curve of her spine where his lips slowly connected with her skin all the way down her back. The attention soon roused her, a beaming smile on her sleepy face when she realised what he was doing… and what it was doing to her.
"Morning". She hummed, voice still thick from sleeping.
"Good morning my lady". He purred at her in return, lifting his head back from where it placed the final kiss. "Did you sleep well?"
She shifted over to face him, giggling all the while as he beamed a loving smile back at her from his slightly elevated position. His hand was on the side of his head, elbow digging in deeply to the pillow as he lay side on to talk to her once more.
"I slept perfectly… I was very tired ye know". She replied, far from innocently.
"What made you get so tired my dear?"
"Well…". She placed her hands onto his chest. "… don't ye act like ye don't know my handsome English knight!"
Taking her hands away from his chest, he brought them up to his lips to kiss. Erin could feel herself getting worked up further by the minute as the giggles subsided to be replaced by an impassioned stare.
"We can't stay rollin' around in bed all day ye know James". She sighed to him. "We have to get up and do somethin' together".
"I know…". He sighed too. "… perhaps breakfast would be a start?"
"Aye it would".
She smiled so adoringly that he couldn't help but kiss her on the lips. With his lips covering hers, Erin couldn't complain, instead wrapping her arms around her muscular fella to pull him a little closer to her. They might not have been dead, but she knew that being able to share these moments with James meant she'd found heaven ahead of the afterlife.
"Am I alright to take a bath… freshen up?" She asked.
"Of course you can". He responded, stroking her cheek. "What would you like for breakfast? Eggs… Bacon?"
"I'll have whatever yer havin".
They kissed again after she replied, before separating to go about their business. Picking up some of her clothes, a towel and her bathrobe, Erin departed the bedroom first whilst he kept his eyes on her. She was dazzlingly beautiful to him, and once the eyes were locked on, it was very difficult for him to pull them away. He was not far behind, putting on some underwear and a robe of his own. Upon reaching the kitchen, the Englishman began to work away in preparing them a hearty breakfast that he would often have on Saturdays and Sundays when he had the time to prepare it. In the week, his breakfast would be very light, a couple of rashers of bacon and a cup of tea usually having to suffice. With more time though, he allowed his culinary skill to rise to the fore, enjoying the chance to demonstrate it to himself a couple of times a week. For the first time since his move to Derry, he would be looking to impress someone else with his cooking.
Erin returned from the bathroom a short while later and when she did, she'd dressed fully for the day. Her hair remained wet and frizzy, his lips curving up from enjoying the sight of it not being quite perfect, exactly how he preferred it. She was taken aback when he brought her plate over with his. No expense was spared when it came to breakfast that morning. There was a cup of tea ready for her and to go with it, near enough everything she could have thought of was on her plate. There were three fried eggs, two rashers of bacon, three sausages, black pudding, mushrooms, tomatoes and baked beans along with two slices of toasted bread.
"James, I…".
"Is it too much?" He nervously enquired. "I can alw-".
She shut him up by kissing him, feeling him ease underneath her touch. Settling down to eat it, the two chatted away about their jobs and their friends as if they were a married couple. Considering it was the first time they were having breakfast together after spending the night with each other, it felt oddly natural. Like they'd done it one hundred times before. Though he was going to have to cut down on the portion sizes for another ninety-nine times to reach that magic number, as it proved too much for her to consume fully. Some of the mushrooms and baked beans were left behind, Erin simply not having the room to force them down. She'd apologised to him immediately, but he waved away her apology with an insistence that it did not offend him in the slightest.
"Erin…". He addressed her, his thoughts airing aloud. "… I was wondering…".
"Wondering? Aye now ye have got me hooked". She grinned.
He rolled his eyes at her interruption, though there was an impish grin on his face too.
"I was wondering whether you would like to come here and live with me permanently?".
His question changed the mood in the room. Erin's smile dropped as he uttered it. Whilst it was done pleasantly and in good faith, her mind immediately thought about what her mother would say about it. Having been surprisingly reasonable in letting her stay the one night at his cottage, risking testing Mary's patience was not an ideal situation to create.
"I'd love to…". She answered honestly. "… but there's Mammy…".
"I understand". He reached over to squeeze her hand. "It can wait until whenever you are ready. I just want you to know that I would be delighted to have you, that's all".
"Ach come here".
Getting up from his seat and going to her, they embraced warmly, James planting a kiss on her cheek as he pulled out of the hug. If every morning could be like that then they knew it would be all they'd want from life.
"I'll wash this up". She declared.
"Nonsense, you are my guest…".
"James…". She cut off him off in the same vein he had with her months earlier when he'd made them tea at the Quinn house. "… allow me, please. Get yerself washed and dressed".
"How can I argue?"
"I think my Ma would agree that it's best ye don't".
Snorting his amusement, she remained stone-faced and serious until he appeared to become unnerved by it, bursting out into laughter at his cutely crestfallen face. Another kiss was shared ahead of parting again, full of love and understanding from either side.
Twenty minutes or so later, Erin was still in the kitchen, coming towards the end of drying their plates up and placing them back into the cupboard. She didn't mind doing a little bit of washing up due to it being a task she would often complete at home upon request. A trait she'd noted about the cottage was how well organised everything was; a place for everything and everything in its place.
All of a sudden, there was a knock on the front door.
Instinctively going to answer it as she would at home, Erin froze halfway across the living room when she remembered that it wasn't home. She was at his cottage and being seen there in the early morning on a weekday would attract unnecessary attention to them.
"Erin, can you get that?" James called out. "I am getting changed at the moment".
"Y-Yeah aye… I … I will!". She called back.
Her stomach flipped over, bubbling with nerves and uncertainty as she walked over to the front door to open it. Luck was on her side though, as thankfully it was people that she knew at the door. Yet within a second she'd turned her nerves into worry as to why they were suddenly on the driveway of his cottage at that time.
"Mornin' Granda". She addressed Joe first. "And mornin' to ye too Anna".
"ERIN!" Her little sister shouted, before throwing herself at her.
Stumbling back for a second from the weight of her sister, Erin regained a footing to hug her properly. Anna liked attention and hugs, and when they were as warm as the one she was giving at that moment, Erin had no problem in receiving them. Looking behind her sister, she came to note that Napoleon the dog was also with her Granda, glancing up to him to silently ask what the dog was doing with him.
"I… I need ye to do somethin' for me love".
"Aye right…". She eyed him suspiciously, releasing her hold on Anna.
"I've got somewhere I need to be, and I can't take Anna with me. Do the two of you's mind lookin' after her and Napoleon for the day?"
Inconvenience wasn't even the half of it. Finally having the day to themselves, of course she would suddenly have her Granda wanting her to look after Anna and the dog. It would have been too easy for them to enjoy a day together; there always had to be a twist in the tale.
"Business up Pump Street is it Granda?" She sneered at him.
Understanding the insinuation, Joe bristled.
"I haven't got time to explain Erin, now will ye take Anna and Napoleon or not?"
Saying no would have been the easy and perhaps correct way from her initial thoughts. Granda's secretive business shouldn't have impacted upon her at all. But there were many times down the years that he'd given up his time for either her or Orla to help them. There was plenty of credit on his account with her, credit which was long overdue being used.
"Yes. But Napoleon can't come in, he'll have to go round the back".
Nodding, Joe led the dog around to the back of the house, tying him up to a post outside the kitchen window at the back. Erin and Anna waited for him at the front door, waving him off as he rushed off down the driveway to wherever he needed to be. If it was Pump Street, then Erin would have plenty to talk to her Ma about that evening. The last time he'd conducted that business on Pump Street it nearly sent the family into war, with Mary and Sarah's hostility towards him lasting for some time. Stirring the pot again would not be wise, but if he was up to his old tricks then they had the right to know about it.
Leading her sister inside, Erin noticed the wonderous look on her face on viewing the plush interior of James's cottage. The eyes grew more wonderous when Anna's favourite Englishman strode out of the bedroom in a simple light blue shirt and grey shorts. The older sister couldn't help but admire the way it showed off his luscious legs too. A bite of the lip was conducted before she'd realised she'd done it.
"James!" A delighted Anna called out to him.
"Do I hear Anna Quinn?" He pretended not to see her, looking all around him.
"Here! Here!" She cried.
"I can't see her…".
His comical performance reduced Erin to a fit of laughter. It was most unusual of James to act so stupidly, yet it seemed so gentlemanly when he did so.
"HERE!"
Anna chose to run to him, diving into him like she'd done to Erin earlier.
"There she is". He declared, picking her up. "Would you like something to drink?"
"Tea please!"
"Tea it will be. Why don't you take a seat in front of the fire whilst I get you the tea? Do we have a deal?"
"Aye!"
The overjoyed Anna soon took up her spot in front of the fire, prompting Erin to follow him into the kitchen once she'd made sure her sister was happy. A shy embarrassment upon her, she stood in the doorway watching him get the tea ready, fighting herself to get the words out.
"I'm… I'm sorry about this James". She apologised, gesturing her head towards where Anna sat.
"There is no need to be sorry Erin…". He chirped merrily. "… to spend time with you and spend that time with Anna too is a privilege to me, not a hindrance".
"And Napoleon…". She pointed to the window, where the dog sat calmly outside underneath.
"It would not be right if the British were not keeping Napoleon in check".
She could only roll her eyes and shake her head at one of the war jokes that he found hilarious, but everyone else thought tedious. It wasn't the first comment about the dog, and it wouldn't be the last.
"We could go for a picnic if the weather stays as it is". He suggested.
"Anna would love that". She beamed back. "And so would I".
The two leaned in for a kiss, grins meeting as their lips did too. The day may have taken an unexpected turn, but it was a turn for the better. Neither dared voice it to the other, though they'd both come to the same realisation very quickly.
It was going to be a good test of their parental skills.
Luck was on their side when it came to the weather.
The first day of September was marked with beautiful sunshine. Though lacking the true warmth of some of the days during the prior couple of months, the temperature was reasonable. It allowed them to have the picnic as James planned, walking out to the bottom of the garden with their lunch in a basket. The resourceful James even had some food for Napoleon, who drifted off to sleep soon after finishing his lunch.
Breakfast paled in comparison with what he could offer for lunch. Copious offerings of fruit and vegetables were available for them all to share, Anna enjoying tucking into food that was often in limited supply at home. It made both of the teenagers happy to see her so contented. All morning they'd sat in his living room talking to her, James telling stories about some of his time back in London, which Erin took an interest in too. He was a great storyteller, always adding some humour to his story which the younger Quinn sister giggled at and the older one appreciated. She'd briefly entertained a thought of the future, where she would write a masterpiece that he could read out to mass crowds who would gather to hear his dulcet tones. Work that could be shared as a couple, hopefully as husband and wife. That thought quickly vanished though; there was a long way to go in their relationship before a union could be on the cards.
The one treat which Anna didn't get to have with the picnic was the wine that he'd brought along. That was reserved for him and Erin only, with Anna relegated to lemonade, though happily so as she loved the taste of it. The wine was a fancy one, which when he was asked, James admitted to having imported in especially if ever an occasion such as the one that lunchtime arose. Through his mother, he knew a few well connected people who dealt with the purchasing of good wine and making contact with them, he was able to get them to ship it to him in Derry at a good price. The wine was that good, that after one glass and a good lunch to accompany it, Erin fell asleep on the blanket she was lying on. Anna and James shared the other, with the little girl having a sleep of her own in between the young couple. Whilst the girls slept, he took the time to read a book that he'd started a few days before.
"Mhmm… James".
Anna's voice was the next he heard around twenty minutes later, the little girl shuffling against his side as she woke from her sleep. Placing a bookmark on the page he was on, he put it to down to one side and turned his head down to her.
"Hello there sleepy".
She sat up fully, placing her arms around his body to give him a big hug. He ran a hand through her hair as she did, enjoying the quiet embrace of the little girl. The only noises were the snores of Erin and Napoleon, the tweets of the birds and the buzz of the insects that roamed freely around them.
"Ye have a nice house". She commented to him a few seconds later.
"Thank you Anna. Your house is lovely too". He complimented in return.
The compliment was received well by Anna who'd released her grasp on him to sit up so that they were side by side, looking down towards the small stream at the bottom of the garden.
"Mammy was sayin' this mornin' that she thinks yer a cracker fella".
"Does she?" He laughed. "Erin thinks so too… do you?"
"Aye you know I do!" She chuckled playfully to him, James sharing in with the chuckling too.
"I think I am a very lucky man to have all of you in my life".
Such profound words should have theoretically been lost on a three year old, but Anna was a very bright young girl who understood them clearly.
"I think yer nice and funny. You and Erin are my best friends".
"Best friends?" He asked, eyebrow raised.
"Oh… well ye know, Erin's my sister so I guess that makes ye my best fr-".
"To even be considered your friend is an honour". He interrupted. "Erin is your best friend. She's your big sister who will always be there for you".
In unison they turned to look at Erin's sleeping form, snores still pouring out of her at an incredible rate. A tiredness upon her that he'd played a part in alongside the wine, albeit from actions that could not be described to Anna.
"Will ye be there for me too?"
A face that radiated hope and affection, James couldn't help but reach down to hug Anna. There was no doubt in his mind to the answer.
"I will. If you ever want to talk to me about anything, I will always be there for you".
"Thank ye James, my favourite English fella".
He pulled away from her again, taking another look over to where Erin slept soundly. A devilish plan began to form in his head to provide some further entertainment for Anna, entertainment which she could even help with. Unfortunately for the sleeping Erin, it would be totally at her expense. Though depending on the outcome, the cost to him could be far greater. Fun was fun though; he would see that Anna had it.
"Do you want to play a little trick on your sister?" He whispered, his voice thick with mischief.
"Aye…". She whispered back just as mischievously. "… what do we do?"
"Over behind that tree, you see it?"
He pointed to the largest tree over to their right-hand side, Anna nodding fiercely as she focused upon it.
"There's a well a little way behind it with a bucket ready beside it… how about we fetch some water and wake Erin up?"
The drawbacks of the plan vastly outweighed the positives, but it would make Anna happy to watch her sister get drenched in a rude awakening and if he was honest, it would amuse him too. The little girl passionately nodded her approval of the plan. Carefully raising themselves up from the blanket, he led her over to the spot behind the tree where she passed him the bucket to fetch up some water from the well. The bucket would be too heavy for Anna to carry alone, so they shared the weight of it once he'd brought it back up from the well. The water sloshed over the sides, dropping onto their hands whilst they crept back across towards the blankets. Napoleon had woken since they'd left, but the dog behaved perfectly in the situation, not barking to alert Erin or rushing across to them whilst they carried the heavy bucket. It was almost as if he'd heard the plan and was waiting to be amused by its outcome.
"Ready?" James whispered to Anna once they were in position.
"Yes!" Her whisper in return could only just be considered one, excitement taking over.
Together they quickly tipped the bucket over, its contents barrelling down onto Erin's head and upper body. Her body practically vaulted up in shock from the cold water on her exposed skin, a reaction which ripped howls of laughter from the perpetrators.
"UGHHHHHHHHHHHH! J-… J-J… JAMES!"
"OH MY… WHAT HAVE YOU'S DONE!"
They could barely hear Erin shouting over their laughter. She cleared water from out of her eyes, along with strands of hair that fell down onto her face once the aerial monsoon hit her. Having the bucket still in his hand, her ire was drawn to her fella to start with.
"James Maguire, what on earth do ye think yer doin!?" She snarled at him. "This is one my best dresses and now it's all wet!"
Despite her apparent seriousness, it did little to stop the merriment of James nor Anna, who she turned on next.
"And Anna ye should be ashamed, I thought better of ye than to do that to me".
"It was all James!"
Snapping his head to look at her incredulously, James suddenly found himself cornered. He could hardly start an argument with a child over her lying about it. But a half second later he saw the brief smile Erin flickered to him to indicate that her anger was not truthful, merely a show for Anna. Knowing how the script went, he knew to throw the bucket away and run.
And run he did.
"Right I'm comin' to get ye!"
He didn't run away at the speed he could actually run at, otherwise they'd never have caught him, but at a moderate pace, Erin, Anna and the revitalised Napoleon would catch up before long. Running in the direction of the stream rather than the well, it was soon upon the horizon as the sound of rushing feet filled his ears. At the banks of the stream, he stopped running, turning with his arms out slightly, only to be completed tackled down into it by Erin. His arms weren't up to catch her in time and at the speed she was travelling, momentum was in her favour. His back crashed into the water first, ensuring that he got a worse soaking than she'd done, though Erin added to her own level of soaking when she landed slightly on top of him in the stream.
Like the water rushing around them, the giggles refused to subside.
"Can I jump in?" Anna enquired.
"NO!" Erin very quickly retorted. "Mammy will kill me if ye get all wet!"
Seeing the disappointment on her face did stop the giggles for a moment, Erin feeling terrible for letting her down. However, knowing that a date with the legendary wooden spoon that her ma would wield like a medieval swordsman awaited her if she let Anna jump in, it was ultimately a justifiable one.
It soon went away though at the sight of James giving Erin a kiss and as they lay back in the stream, it brought the smile back to Anna's face and added a wag to Napoleon's tail.
The child and the dog stood at the bank watching over the two drenched teenage eejits, with a fleet of birds staring at the scene from above.
It was supposed to have been James and Erin's job to babysit Anna and Napoleon.
To a passer-by, they would have been understandably mistaken into thinking that the roles were very much reversed…
Mary was less than pleased when her father arrived at the factory that morning. Immediately concerned that something had happened to Anna, she ran over to him and disregarded what she was doing, only to find he'd only come to tell her that he'd left Anna and the dog with James and Erin. Like her older daughter, her thoughts were first drawn to business up Pump Street, but she was rebuked in the same vein too. Knowing her father, it would be something ridiculous when the story was eventually told, most likely a trip to an old friend as it usually was. The only positive was it gave the young couple the responsibility of a young child for a day, the results eagerly awaited to see whether they were ready for the permanent role in years to come.
That was until the news came.
It was Michelle who broke it first, having heard it outside from some blokes passing by. With her reputation, no one believed her, but the factory boss soon told them all to stop what they were doing to announce it in person.
It was bleak… dour… news from the continent.
The boss was honest in telling them how unsure he was of the direct effect on the business, but the evident effect would be on the men that the women were with. There might not have been enforced conscription for them unlike the rest of Britain, but the prior war showed how keen some were to answer the call to arms. The call would no doubt be received by brave young men again. A declaration hadn't been issued, although it didn't need to be.
There was going to be another war.
"Mary, stop pacing".
Gerry reprimanded her lightly that Friday evening from his seat at the dining table. He'd watched her two activities, the pacing and making dinner, unfold around him since he'd got in from his day down at the docks railway. Hating to see her the way she was, it was a harder task than usual to calm her down. He too was nervous about the implications of the news he'd heard during his lunch break. He was too old to throw himself into the conflict, escaping any military action having also not chosen to fight during the previous one. On a personal note, he could be relieved, but when thinking about the families who would in time be shattered by loss when fighting began, there was little in the way of comfort that could be offered.
"Mary… love".
"I can't stop Gerry… I just…".
"I know love". He got up to wrap his arms around her. "The last thing we need is a war but ye know how life is. We just have to carry on doing our best".
"Carry on doing our best!?" She retorted to him immediately. "What happens if everything goes wrong and we get invaded… those Kraut fellas might be over here, pissin in the Foyle at any minute!"
"They're invading Poland, Mary, not Coleraine".
A murderous look flashed across her face, silencing Gerry from making any further obvious, but foolhardy points. Having failed to stop her from pacing then annoying her with his comments, and upon noticing the wooden spoon's sudden appearance on the side, he soon reverted to taking little interest in what she was up to at all. He'd expected to have finished punishment from the wooden beast after he left home years before, yet marrying a McCool meant being open to its wrath for the rest of his life. A most unexpected and certainly unwelcome surprise when their marriage was cemented.
After another five minutes of wearing the floorboards out, having gone upstairs where she continued to pace, the sound of an engine outside finally calmed her. The only time a car ever featured on their street was when James was around. If it had been anyone else, then it would have been most shocking.
Shock did still remain though.
The shock of the sounds of laughter that emanated from him and the two sisters as they walked up to the front door, Napoleon already scarpering off next door to the awaiting Joe. Mary's face turned a bright colour of red from anger at hearing it.
How could they be laughing with everything going on?
Where was amusement to be found after the news of the day?
The front door was opened with force, Mary standing with her arms folded and a stern expression on her face. All three caught the looks and halted their chuckles, displaying cack attacks that even Clare would struggle to match.
"Go to yer room Anna". Mary told her youngest first.
"I… I'm not in trouble, am I?"
There were tears already beginning to form in the corners of her eyes from her how her mother had looked at her. Seeing the distress that she was causing her youngest daughter, there was a brief second of softening on Mary's part.
"No love, yer not".
"Okay Mammy… bye James!"
Hugging the Englishman for the last time that day, he held her in his arms for a second though no more than that, with Mary's mood having reverted to how it had been as they walked up the path. Anna scampered off to leave the two of them stood hand in hand in front of her. Defiantly going against all sense and judgement, Erin decided to speak up so that her mother wouldn't have the one-way sparring match which she anticipated.
"Mammy, I want to ask ye somet-".
"Stall the ball on yer questions Erin!". She snarled, speaking over her daughter.
"Is there a problem Mary?" James asked. "I apologise if I have offended you in some way…".
"PROBLEM!?"
Her shout attracted the attention of one of the nosy old ladies from across the road, prompting her to stop speaking in order to regain her composure. The old lady went away as soon as it became clear that there would not be a family shouting contest in the front garden of the Quinn house.
"Mammy, we were careful like ye asked…". Erin went to explain what she assumed the problem was.
"I'm not talkin' about that!" She seethed in reply. "Have you's not heard the news today?"
Having spent most of the day outside in his garden in the countryside, there hadn't been a need to listen to any radio broadcasts or visit the city to buy a newspaper. Nobody other than Joe when he'd brought Anna and Napoleon to them, disturbed them during the day. There was no way that any news could have reached them. Together, they shook their heads.
"The Germans have invaded Poland".
Whilst the latter country was having the literal ones dropped on them, James and Erin received a verbal bomb that fell onto them. Talk of conflict was worrying, but at such a distance away, not that frightening. When there was actual fighting, the thousand or so miles between them and the battlefront appeared much shorter. James didn't need more than a split second to realise what it meant not only for them but for everyone. Having sworn an alliance to Poland, the eyes of not only the victim, but the aggressor and even the world, turned to Britain.
Leaving the couple to deal with the impact of the news, Mary went inside in order to join Gerry in explaining the news more delicately to Anna. The worst part of all was that she would understand it, a testament to how smart she was but at the detriment of her own head in knowing what was going on when most her age would not.
"Oh god James…". Erin put a hand over her mouth. "… what… what's goin' to happen".
An upset Erin Quinn was not the Erin Quinn he wanted to see, rapidly taking her into his arms to sooth her. He knew the real answer to her question, the answer which she would be unable to deal with at that very moment. Sadly though, it was an answer that would have to be given one way or the other eventually.
"Shushhhh. Everything will be fine". He told her, masking the lie with his gentlemanly nature. "There is nothing to worry about it, it will all sort itself out".
Hearing her cry into his chest was heart-breaking. Even if there weren't too many tears, every single one that he felt dropping onto the fabric of his shirt was another scratch on his bombarded emotions.
Glancing over to the house next door, he locked eyes with David. Stood in their living room, David held the now heavily pregnant Orla in his arms where she cried in the exact same way as her cousin. The two men's knowing looks were ones that told of truths they both knew the other feared would come but dared to dream would not. There could be no such dream with the Nazi's ready to run riot across Europe. Dreams would have to be sacrificed by better men to remove the threat of the evil agents that were waging war with their neighbours and anyone else who defied them.
Better men who would have to leave behind their loved ones in order to fight the tyranny of Hitler's Germany.
Better men who were enjoying the embraces of the women they loved as if it were the final time that they would get to do so.
The strings of hope that the path of peace lay on were all quickly breaking as the autumn of hatred reared its ugly head on its very first day.
For many men, a new journey lay in wait.