Chapter Two
"Och, that was a sad service." Elizabeth Brady commented somberly. She slowly took off her heavy wool coat and carefully hung it on the old, knobby oak coat rack. She pulled her long, curly blond hair back and gently secured it with a blue silk ribbon, (one of her few luxury items.) She then rolled up the sleeves of her simple cotton dress and tackled the dirty dishes in the washbasin.
"Aye, well, most funerals are." Sheamus Brady replied dryly. He took off his dark gray suit jacket and shrugged out of his suspenders. "That's why it's a funeral and not, say, St. Patty's Day celebration."
Elizabeth rolled her large blue eyes at her brother's sarcasm and continued washing the iron pots from that morning's breakfast. "I feel really bad for them." She remarked with a sigh.
Sheamus grabbed a worn cotton dishrag and began to dry the clean dishes. "Who?"
"Sean and Rhianna."
He snorted contemptuously. "Why?"
Elizabeth stared at her brother open mouthed. "Och, I don't know." She shot back sarcastically. "Perhaps because their da just died?"
"Aye well, don't feel too badly. What with their servants and family fortune and that great big castle of theirs, I've a feelin' they're gonna be just fine."
"Money doesn't buy happiness." She lectured.
"Aye, but I'd still like t' give it a try." He grinned widely causing his sister to chuckle softly.
Elizabeth paused and bit her lip anxiously. She wondered how he would take the news she had to give him. "Sheamus? I need t' tell ye something." she began. He just looked at her and waited for her to continue.
"I've decided to take over for Mum, at the Cassidys', just until she gets t' feelin better." She added hastily.
He frowned darkly. "What about your schoolin?" Their mother had saved for many years so that Elizabeth could take classes at a local school for young ladies. The school was designed to teach young girls everything they would need to manage a house, thereby increasing their chances for a good marriage match. Sheamus didn't like the idea of Elizabeth quitting school - it was her best means for a good life.
"Well, I'll have to quit. For now. But I can start up again once Mum's better. Besides, those classes cost a great deal of money. Money that's better spent on doctors and medicines."
Sheamus sighed. She was right, of course. Well, hopefully it wouldn't be too long. He couldn't stomach the idea of all of his family working for the Cassidys. And as for Elizabeth, he wanted a better life for her than servitude. He again felt the familiar suffocating weight of his responsibilities. He needed air. Now. "Well, if we're done here, I'm going out for a bit."
Elizabeth sadly watched him leave; his shoulders slumped as if they held the weight of the world.
Sheamus sat in the worn wooden booth at the old neighborhood pub and stared into his mug of ale. {So Lord Cassidy is dead.} he thought unemotionally. {Hmm, awfully sudden} he mused wryly. {Maybe he drank himself t' death.} he chuckled coldly, remembering his former employer. The late president of Cassidy Industries had spent most of every day locked in his office getting drunk and sleeping it off. It was no secret in the factory that he had long ago ceased to run the business. The real leadership came from the foreman and a few others, old timers who had worked there since the beginning.
Sheamus swallowed a deep draught of ale. He had always wondered why the workers worked so hard to keep the business running. It was more than just their jobs - it was like they were protecting Lord Cassidy. He thought it was foolish - they were the ones who did the work, yet Cassidy got the profits. He just couldn't understand their blind, loyal devotion to the weak old drunk. His mother had once explained that Lord Cassidy hadn't always been that way, that once he had been a great man and that he was still a very good man. But Sheamus had yet to see proof of that. In his mind Cassidy was simply a lazy old drunk who got rich off of others' hard labor.
{Maybe now things will change.} he thought with a hopeful smile. {Cassidy's heirs are mere children) he shook away the sudden image of a very unchildlike Rhianna. {Orphans, to boot} he buried the sudden twinge of pity he felt for the twins. {They know nothing of the factory. They'll probably turn it over to the employees to manage. Or better yet, sell it to a new owner. Someone who actually knows what he's doing. Someone who will recognize talent when he sees it.}
He smiled as he took another swig of the dark red brew. This could be the chance he had been waiting for. Despite his hard work and keen business sense, after seven years he was still doing the menial tasks that an idiot could do. Sure, he'd been promoted a few times, but each promotion was really a pacifier to keep him from walking out the factory doors.
His face settled into a hard grimace as he once again thought about his life. It wasn't fair, he was smart and hard working, and knew the business inside and out. He yearned to run the entire factory. He had inherited his father's love for that business, and it killed him to see the downward spiral it was in. He knew he could make it succeed if given the chance. His face broke into a cold smile. Maybe if he played his cards right, he would get that chance.
"Och, that was a sad service." Elizabeth Brady commented somberly. She slowly took off her heavy wool coat and carefully hung it on the old, knobby oak coat rack. She pulled her long, curly blond hair back and gently secured it with a blue silk ribbon, (one of her few luxury items.) She then rolled up the sleeves of her simple cotton dress and tackled the dirty dishes in the washbasin.
"Aye, well, most funerals are." Sheamus Brady replied dryly. He took off his dark gray suit jacket and shrugged out of his suspenders. "That's why it's a funeral and not, say, St. Patty's Day celebration."
Elizabeth rolled her large blue eyes at her brother's sarcasm and continued washing the iron pots from that morning's breakfast. "I feel really bad for them." She remarked with a sigh.
Sheamus grabbed a worn cotton dishrag and began to dry the clean dishes. "Who?"
"Sean and Rhianna."
He snorted contemptuously. "Why?"
Elizabeth stared at her brother open mouthed. "Och, I don't know." She shot back sarcastically. "Perhaps because their da just died?"
"Aye well, don't feel too badly. What with their servants and family fortune and that great big castle of theirs, I've a feelin' they're gonna be just fine."
"Money doesn't buy happiness." She lectured.
"Aye, but I'd still like t' give it a try." He grinned widely causing his sister to chuckle softly.
Elizabeth paused and bit her lip anxiously. She wondered how he would take the news she had to give him. "Sheamus? I need t' tell ye something." she began. He just looked at her and waited for her to continue.
"I've decided to take over for Mum, at the Cassidys', just until she gets t' feelin better." She added hastily.
He frowned darkly. "What about your schoolin?" Their mother had saved for many years so that Elizabeth could take classes at a local school for young ladies. The school was designed to teach young girls everything they would need to manage a house, thereby increasing their chances for a good marriage match. Sheamus didn't like the idea of Elizabeth quitting school - it was her best means for a good life.
"Well, I'll have to quit. For now. But I can start up again once Mum's better. Besides, those classes cost a great deal of money. Money that's better spent on doctors and medicines."
Sheamus sighed. She was right, of course. Well, hopefully it wouldn't be too long. He couldn't stomach the idea of all of his family working for the Cassidys. And as for Elizabeth, he wanted a better life for her than servitude. He again felt the familiar suffocating weight of his responsibilities. He needed air. Now. "Well, if we're done here, I'm going out for a bit."
Elizabeth sadly watched him leave; his shoulders slumped as if they held the weight of the world.
Sheamus sat in the worn wooden booth at the old neighborhood pub and stared into his mug of ale. {So Lord Cassidy is dead.} he thought unemotionally. {Hmm, awfully sudden} he mused wryly. {Maybe he drank himself t' death.} he chuckled coldly, remembering his former employer. The late president of Cassidy Industries had spent most of every day locked in his office getting drunk and sleeping it off. It was no secret in the factory that he had long ago ceased to run the business. The real leadership came from the foreman and a few others, old timers who had worked there since the beginning.
Sheamus swallowed a deep draught of ale. He had always wondered why the workers worked so hard to keep the business running. It was more than just their jobs - it was like they were protecting Lord Cassidy. He thought it was foolish - they were the ones who did the work, yet Cassidy got the profits. He just couldn't understand their blind, loyal devotion to the weak old drunk. His mother had once explained that Lord Cassidy hadn't always been that way, that once he had been a great man and that he was still a very good man. But Sheamus had yet to see proof of that. In his mind Cassidy was simply a lazy old drunk who got rich off of others' hard labor.
{Maybe now things will change.} he thought with a hopeful smile. {Cassidy's heirs are mere children) he shook away the sudden image of a very unchildlike Rhianna. {Orphans, to boot} he buried the sudden twinge of pity he felt for the twins. {They know nothing of the factory. They'll probably turn it over to the employees to manage. Or better yet, sell it to a new owner. Someone who actually knows what he's doing. Someone who will recognize talent when he sees it.}
He smiled as he took another swig of the dark red brew. This could be the chance he had been waiting for. Despite his hard work and keen business sense, after seven years he was still doing the menial tasks that an idiot could do. Sure, he'd been promoted a few times, but each promotion was really a pacifier to keep him from walking out the factory doors.
His face settled into a hard grimace as he once again thought about his life. It wasn't fair, he was smart and hard working, and knew the business inside and out. He yearned to run the entire factory. He had inherited his father's love for that business, and it killed him to see the downward spiral it was in. He knew he could make it succeed if given the chance. His face broke into a cold smile. Maybe if he played his cards right, he would get that chance.
