Chapter 3
Siobhan was a tall woman with thick proportions and a huge persona. She had long, thick arms and legs, and a wide belly that shook when she spoke. Her voice was smooth and mesmerizing; she was the epitome of a wet nurse with her full chest. She had long, dark hair that she wore secured at the nape of her neck with a tattered piece of white lace. She had emerald green eyes that watered constantly, making it seem like she was always in tears; which she frequently had to wipe from her rosy cheeks.
She had been accepted into the house gratefully by Mary, who showed her to Marion. Marion brought Siobhan into the study and spoke with the woman for three hours and when the two emerged; they were both laughing and grinning from ear to ear.
Marion told Mary that she hired Siobhan and that she should be sent for her after the birth of the baby. Mary had taken the liberty of sending one of the staff for Siobhan that night Marion died. When she arrived, Mary showed her to the nursery, explained the situation and left her alone with the twins.
Siobhan picked up the twins and settled into the small settee in the nursery. Tandem nursing might not be as easy as she thought but she was just thankful to have a mouth to feed. She had been in pain for days. Not only had her own baby daughter just died on the boat ride here to England, but her breasts were so full of milk that she hadn't been able to express. She positioned herself and the twins so she had a hand under each of their heads at her breasts and their bundled feet pressed snuggly against the sofa's back.
The babes drank their fill and Siobhan relaxed, the pain in her breasts subsided. She placed the babes back in their beds and found herself crying. She looked at the babes and felt sorrow for them. The poor dears had lost their mother, just as she had lost her child. She vowed to herself that she would care for these darling babes as though they were her own.
It was dark outside, but Siobhan could still see the trees swaying with the wind. She let her mind wander as she nursed the twins. When she arrived to the house, Mary had greeted her and took her to the parlor and told her what had happened to Marion. Siobhan was shocked and saddened. She was shown to the nursery and left to attend to the twins.
She and Mary had passed James on their way to the nursery. He informed Mary that he would be sending for the undertaker and that they would have a Christian service for her in a week. Mary bowed her head in acknowledgment and with her eyes lowered, asked Mr. Clifford if he had decided on names for the children. James looked to each woman and his reddened eyes filled with fresh tears. He told them that Mrs. Clifford had already named them; Jane for the girl and Alec for the boy. He then turned on his heel and abruptly left the two women standing there.
Siobhan awoke early the next morning to the twins suckling. She had fallen asleep in the settee with the twins in her arms. Her neck was sore as it seemed she must have laid her head back against the back of the settee and stayed that way all night. After the twins finished, she placed them in their beds and made her way down the stairs, to the kitchen.
She saw Mary bustling her way in the same direction and followed her silently. When Mary stopped at the door to the kitchen she put her ear to the door and closed her eyes as if listening. Siobhan came up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Mary let out a frightened yelp and jumped under her hand. Siobhan apologized for starling her. Mary accepted her apology in hushed tones and opened the door to the kitchen slowly.
They peered around the door and the two women took in Robert and another man sitting at the small table near the door that was opened to the morning air. The light coming in the door was a reddish orange color and played eerily on the men's faces. The women entered the room as the other man rose from his seat, he tipped his hat at the two and exited the kitchen.
Mary asked Robert what all the hushed speech was about. Robert told her that as he was completing his rounds this morning; he had found the man lying unconscious at the front gate. He told the two that the man was from the undertakers and was here to take Mrs. Clifford's body. He also said that the man asked if Mr. Clifford looked kindly on having visitors, as he had never been to a place that incapacitated anyone who approached. The man said that he was in his carriage on his way to get the body and as he approached the front gate, he saw it was shut up. He got out of his carriage to open it and the next thing he remembered was being shaken awake by Robert.
Mary took in a gasp for air. She told Robert to make sure that the man knew that Mr. Clifford is a fine man and is very fond of visitors especially ones he sends for specifically. Robert assured her that he told the man all of that already and that she walked in as the man told Robert he wouldn't stay in this house any longer than he must, since the spirit of Mrs. Clifford must still be lingering.
That story was the topic of conversation all morning. The staff couldn't believe that what the man had said was true because Siobhan had arrived and had not been found incapacitated in the least.
Robert came back to the house shortly before lunch only to have even more interesting news. As he was trimming the hedge on the Northwest corner of the property he kept hearing a thudding sound. It would come and go and then happen a few times in a row and stop and then come and go again. He was distracted from his trimming and began to investigate.
He stopped in his tracks and took a ragged breath as he saw firsthand what was making the sound. It was birds. The birds would fly towards the property and as they reached the border, they dropped from the sky, falling with a thud as they hit the ground. Over the next week as he made his way around the rest of the property he saw many more animals and birds lying along the ground as well seemingly unconscious.
Robert had reported the occurrences to Mr. Clifford a few days after Mrs. Clifford's funeral. James just looked at the man as though he were crazy and told him the undertaker probably had too much to drink the night before and as Robert never actually touched any of the animals to see if they were really unconscious, they were probably just sleeping or getting some sun.
Mr. Clifford then left on business and told Mary he would return in a few weeks. He spoke with Siobhan privately before he left and asked her to care for his children and tell them that he loved them but he couldn't see them until after he returned. His eyes filled with tears as he said the latter part and he fled from her presence and left the estate.
Siobhan did as Mr. Clifford had asked and spent the next few weeks seeing to it that the twins' every need was met. She fed them on demand and lost plenty of sleep to accommodate their schedules. She picked them up if they cried and did whatever it took to keep them happy. The strange happenings seemed to dissipate while Mr. Clifford was away. Most of the staff was beginning to think these 'events' were all a fluke, while some thought that with Mr. Clifford gone, Mrs. Clifford's spirit had followed him.
Siobhan had her own superstitions, which she was disinclined to share with the others. In Ireland, it is believed that Fairies take all women who die in childbirth to the land of fairies so they may nurse the babies that were stolen from humans. So she was certain that Mrs. Clifford's spirit was gone from this place. She was also certain that these 'events' weren't just a fluke, but happened in direct response to Mr. Clifford's apparent lack of interest in his two children. This explained her need to satisfy the children's needs to appease them and show them love.
Siobhan loved those two babes. She loved them hard and fierce. She gave them anything and everything they wanted. She found herself hoping these two precious beings would find their place in the world. She had always wanted to be a mother. She had always wanted a daughter. She felt like these babies could fill that void for her. She would treat them like her own. She would want the absolute best for them and wish them long and healthy lives. She could hope for them. She could hope for herself. She also hoped for Mr. Clifford, that he would realize that he loved his children and that he would find them irresistible and come home. As the staff had told her, the twins were his only living relatives.