The Secret of Eveline House

by Sheila Forsey

  ‘The other day I was down at the post office collecting my pension when up comes Lily Boland’s brother, the priest home from Africa. As bold as you like with a bike and dressed in a pair of those terrible tight shorts that they insist on wearing. I had to look away. It was enough to put me into hospital. Our Lord never meant his followers to wear those things. Disgraceful.’

  Emily tried to hide a giggle. She would have loved to see her mother’s reaction to the priest in his tight cycling shorts.

  ‘How’s Jack?’ she enquired as she made the two mugs of tea. ‘Is he here?’

  ‘Up at least. He is looking at some film in the sitting room. He is forever looking at films of course, it drives me mad. He pulls over the curtains and makes it look like no one has got up out of the bed. I have no idea what anyone must think when they see the sitting-room blinds shut in the middle of the day. Especially when it is a Sunday. Not that that matters to him or you.’

  ‘Look, why don’t we get out for lunch later? My treat. Hopefully we can get Jack to agree.’

  ‘Highly unlikely. He doesn’t go anywhere anymore. Sleeps, eats a little and collects his dole.’ Her mother shrugged her shoulders in defeat. In fairness she had tried everything with Jack, but his life was merely an existence.

  Emily felt a stab of guilt. She had done little to help him.

  ‘I’ll make a coffee and take it in to him.’ She knew how he liked it. Strong and sweet. ‘Well, you and I can go anyway. Maybe into The Granville in town. You never know who you might meet in there.’

  She placed the mugs of tea and the plate of coffee cake on the table.

  ‘I don’t want you spending your good money when I could put on some potatoes here,’ said Peggy, ‘and I have some gammon steaks.’

  ‘I insist and we will bring Jack back something if he’s not up to it.’

  Her mother signed. ‘Jack is not up to anything, Emily. Nothing.’

  Emily felt another stab of guilt. Her brother’s life had really crumbled. Jack had been clean for years, but it was as if his binge of drugs had stolen his life anyway. He had never really recovered mentally.

  ‘I’ll see if he wants to come. By the way, you’ll never guess where I have just been?’ Emily busied herself making the coffee for Jack.

  ‘Where?’

  ‘I have just come from Draheen. In Wicklow. The town you worked in for that Miss Doheny in 1950. Well, can you remember that house we saw when we visited years ago? The one on the edge of the town? It’s called Eveline House. Maybe you can’t remember it. Gosh, it must be ten years since we were there.’ She hesitated. She knew her mother did not like anyone doing anything impulsive. ‘Well, it’s up for auction and don’t be shocked but I am thinking of selling up and buying it. It’s going for quite a steal and my house is in quite a good catchment area so should be worth quite a bit –’

  At that moment her mother’s mug of tea fell from her hands, crashed to the floor and broke into smithereens.

  Emily swung around. Her mother’s body was slumped on the floor.

  CHAPTER 23

  ‘Mam! Mam!’

  Peggy’s eyes flickered open.

  ‘Mam, are you okay?’

  ‘It’s alright. I just got a weakness.’

  Emily helped her up to sit back in the chair.

  Emily had no idea what had just happened. She was forever worried that something could happen to her mother when she wasn’t around. She was on medication, but her last check-up had been fine.

  Her mother slowly seemed to come back to reality. But she was clearly shaken.

  ‘Just sit, Mam, and try to relax. I think we need to get you to a doctor.’

  ‘No!’

  ‘But, Mam –’

  ‘It’s just a bit of weakness. Stop fussing.’

  ‘I am hardly fussing – a minute ago you were in a heap on the floor.’

  ‘Emily, I’m fine. I just have a touch of vertigo. I have my tablets upstairs. I’ll take some in a few minutes. There’s no need to go to the doctor.’

  ‘I’m not so sure, Mam. I would prefer if you got checked out.’

  ‘No, Emily, I’m fine. It’s just vertigo. A bit of a dizzy spell.’

  But her mother was staring ahead as if she had seen a ghost.

  ‘You should be taking it easier, Mam. I wish you would come up to me in Dublin for a few days. Have a proper break. You have not had a break in so long. Or I could take you away for a few days, even to the sun. It would help your bones.’

  But her mother wasn’t listening.

  ‘What were you saying about Draheen and that … that house?’ she asked.

  ‘Oh, nothing, Mam – never mind.’

  ‘No, tell me, what were you saying about it?’

  ‘I was telling you about the house I saw – it’s called Eveline.’

  ‘I know what it’s called,’ her mother said quietly.

  ‘Well, I’m thinking of selling and moving to somewhere outside of Dublin. Somewhere I could work and show off my designs and live. So that house in Draheen is up for auction. It’s a bit strange, to be honest, as whoever lived there left the same year you were there – 1950 – and never returned. It was as if they had just walked out. Are you okay, Mam?’

  ‘Yes, go on,’ her mother whispered.

  ‘It’s as if time has stood still all these years, Mam.’ She took out a brush and pan and began to sweep up the broken mug. ‘So weird. There was this bed with all these dolls lying on it. As if the child playing with them had just stepped out of the room. There are portraits of the family that lived there. She was really beautiful and he was really handsome. They had a little girl. A very pretty little thing. But you must have known them – at least to see?’

  ‘No. Never. They had left by then.’

  ‘If I sold my house, with the money I have saved I could possibly buy it. Well, that is if it goes for the reserve. I know it seems very grand. But if I were to rent a shop and workspace it would be huge money, so this way I can do everything under the one roof and it’s not far from Dublin so it’s quite central. It needs work but they want a quick sale which might work in my favour. It’s just gorgeous and perfect for what I want. What do you think? I spoke to Sebastian before he left last night. I wanted him to have a say in it. I never expected to see a house so soon. It was just pure luck that I was looking this morning and saw it was being viewed today. Anyway, Seb is cool with it all and he has given me his blessing to sell.’

  ‘Why Draheen? Why go to Draheen?’ Peggy said accusingly.

  ‘Well, it just came up to be honest. I had never thought of it. You say that as if I looked there on purpose. Is everything alright, Mam? You seem upset. Mam, you’re trembling!’

  ‘After all these years! Why now? Why go to that town?’ Peggy cried.

  Emily was taken aback. ‘Why not? Why does it upset you so much? I know you worked in the town but I never knew you had much feelings about the place. It’s very trendy now, not like it was when you were there all those years ago.’

  But her mother was not listening. She closed her eyes.

  ‘Mam are you alright? Would you like to lie down?’

  ‘Yes, I will lie down. I’m not feeling that good after all.’

  Emily helped her up. ‘Come on, a lie-down will do you a world of good. I’ll go in to chat to Jack. Drag him away from whatever movie he is stuck into.’

  She helped her mother into the hall. She really was quite shaken. They slowly mounted the stairs.

  At the door of her bedroom Peggy stopped and turned to Emily.

  ‘Emily, you shouldn’t buy that house,’ she said. Her face serious and full of concern.

  ‘Why would you say that?’

  Her mother looked distant. ‘Draheen is a strange town. The people of it might not welcome a stranger.’

  Emily shrugged. ‘But times are different today, Mam. People move around all the time. It’s not far from Dublin so I would think there are loads of people living there that are not or
iginally from there. Don’t be worrying. I am only looking. It would be good to get out of the city.’

  ‘Yes, but Draheen is not an ordinary town. It is not like any other town.’ With that she opened the door and walked slowly to her bed.

  The bedroom was papered in tiny pink flowers and her dresser held more holy pictures and statues, a bible, prayer books and a blue rosary beads. A picture of Emily’s father.

  Her father had been a kind man, a quiet man who had worked hard for his family. Emily had many happy memories of fishing and swimming in Dunmore with him. They never had much money, but they never noticed. When he died his loss was great. With no proper insurance or pension, times had been very tough for Peggy. Emily knew she had worked so hard for them.

  Her mother took off her cardigan and slipped out of her shoes. Emily turned down the blue bedspread and helped her mother to lie down.

  ‘Can you pull the curtains, Emily, please?’

  ‘Mam, maybe I should call a doctor – you really look terribly pale and you’re trembling.’

  ‘No, I just need to lie down. Turn on the electric blanket. I do feel cold.’

  ‘Yes, that will soon have you warm,’ she said soothingly. ‘I will just pop down and bring you up some tea.’

  She was just going out the door when her mother spoke again.

  ‘Remember what I said, Emily. Draheen is no ordinary town. I really think you should forget about that house. There will be other houses but not Eveline. Not Draheen.’

  Emily went out and down the stairs. What was that all about? She knew her mother worried constantly about everything. She didn’t like any change. She was sorry for mentioning Draheen. She was dying to know what she was talking about though. Why was she being so mysterious and tight-lipped about the place? If anything, it made her even more intrigued about Eveline House and Draheen.

  CHAPTER 24

  The next day Emily had a busy morning. She had a commission for a silk wedding dress, and she had literally spent months getting it perfect. Her client Rosa was a tall thin Swedish blonde who had fallen in love with Ireland and an Irishman. She was coming for her final fitting today and Emily was praying that it would be perfect. It was a bias-cut silk sheath that was minimalistic, understated and incredibly elegant. It was timeless and possibly Emily’s favourite creation to date. But she was nervous. The fitting had to be perfect.

  Rosa arrived on time and Emily barely breathed until the dress was on. Then she allowed herself to breathe again. It moulded her body perfectly.

  After she left, Emily put the dress away. She would deliver it later to Rosa’s apartment as she wanted to make sure absolutely nothing happened to it on the way.

  Around midday she made some calls. First to the auctioneer she knew who lived in Stoneybatter and then to the bank. The auctioneer was very confident that her house would raise enough funds and he already knew of people who would be interested. Next, she made an appointment with the bank in Harold’s Cross. They would see her in the afternoon. She had held an account there since she first moved to Dublin. She had managed to build up some funds that would be enough for a sizeable deposit if she was to secure the house. Also, she would need to borrow some money to renovate it. Her meeting went well. Her accounts looked healthy, so she was assured that all looked good for her to go ahead. The auctioneer had given her a name of a surveyor to check out the house. She rang the surveyor and he said he would contact the auctioneer and see the house as soon as possible.

  She knew it must all sound a little ludicrous. It was the first house that she had really visited but it had absolutely stolen her heart. She held a belief that things were just meant to be and for some reason she knew she was meant to find Eveline. It was a beautiful house, but it needed rescuing.

  So, if the reserve did not go too much higher, she felt she would be able to put an offer in that just might be acceptable. She would possibly have to borrow more than she had anticipated to make it habitable, but it could all be managed.

  She tried not to get too excited because she knew she would be deeply disappointed if she didn’t get it. But the more she thought about it, the more perfect it seemed to be.

  Emily had worked hard on her designs, developing a website and a social-media platform. She was showcasing two of her dresses at a very prestigious charity-ball fashion show in Dublin and she knew that if it was a success it could be huge for her. There would be lots of what she now knew as ‘influencers’ there.

  She had a beautiful lace creation that she was going to showcase at the ball and a pink chiffon dress that looked so delicate and ethereal it was fairylike. The ball was in a few weeks’ time and she was finishing off the two dresses every hour that she could.

  But through word of mouth the commissions were coming in too and her head was buzzing with designs. Bespoke wedding gowns were big business and she had found a niche that suited her. Her designs reflected the glamour of old Hollywood.

  Her mother had recovered later yesterday evening and had got back up out of bed. Neither of them mentioned the house again. Jack had broken his film binge to eat some dinner. Her mother was not up to going out. Emily had cooked mashed potatoes, cabbage and gammon steaks. She made a bread sauce with some cloves to go with it.

  She had noticed how incredibly pale her brother had become and his teeth had deteriorated terribly from his endless cups of coffee and the cigarettes. But it was the melancholy that emanated from him that concerned her most. He was so handsome when he was younger with a thick head of black curls. But the drugs had stolen so much from him.

  She had mentioned her mother’s strange reaction to Draheen and Eveline House.

  Jack had just shrugged. ‘You know Mam. It’s all Angela’s Ashes when she talks about her young days. Having no money and having to go out to work when she was only fourteen. A kind of Dickens novel. Sure, she was only a youngster when she went to work in that shop. She worked long hours I am sure for little money. She probably resents it all now. Seeing the youth of today, it was so different in her day.’

  ‘She does seem to have a bit of ill feeling about the town. I won’t mention it anymore.’

  ‘Well, good luck with the house, sis. Don’t worry too much about Mam’s reaction. No matter what you would have suggested it might not be right. Imagine being able to even think about doing that. I’m proud of you, sis.’

  Emily had given him a hug. She knew he was genuinely glad she had done so well.

  Their mother arrived in then and insisted they all say grace.

  ‘Jesus, Mam, no one says grace anymore for feck’s sake,’ Jack said.

  ‘Well, while you are under my roof you will.’

  Her mother knew where to strike to hurt Jack. Jack was thirty-five, yet she spoke to him as she would to a child.

  Emily knew there was no point in antagonising her. They said grace and had their meal. Then they ate more of the coffee cake which proved to be even more gorgeous than it looked.

  ‘You should watch what you’re eating, Emily. The older you get the harder it is to lose it.’

  Jack flew to her defence. ‘Emily looks just fine, Mam.’

  ‘I am just saying you don’t want to let the weight get out of hand.’

  Emily could not answer her as she was munching on her second slice of coffee cake. But at least her mother was back to herself. Giving both of them grief. The house in Draheen was forgotten. For now, anyway.

  Thinking back now, she should have looked in her mother’s house while her mother was asleep. Maybe there was something there from her time in Draheen. She would have a snoop the next time she was down. Mentioning the town had possibly triggered some difficult memories. But one thing for sure was that Draheen of 2019 was far removed from the town her mother worked in.

  She rang the auctioneer to see if she could have another viewing the next morning. He agreed.

  CHAPTER 25

  In the early morning the house looked even more beautiful. She noted that inside the entrance you
could easily get about three parking spaces. In her mind’s eye, she could imagine a sign in gold lettering: Eveline House of Bridal Designs. She laughed. She was not used to getting so carried away.

  The auctioneer arrived right on time but, just as he let her in his phone rang. He apologised and went back outside to talk to someone.

  Emily walked in alone. There seemed to be so much she had not seen before. The dusty Waterford crystal chandelier in the hall, the rose-pink ceramic doorknobs, the ornate cornices and architrave and the dark bog-oak stand with a black gentleman’s umbrella hanging from it. The scent of the past like a forgotten story lingering in the air.

  She took the door that led into the kitchen. On the dresser she picked up two frayed and dusty cookbooks and a little box with handwritten recipes. How precious, she thought. Even though no one had lived in the house in so long, she could imagine how homely it would look. The range was a cream Aga and she had googled them and was amazed to realise that it could still possibly work.

  There was even a calendar with a photo of a fox from 1950.

  Next, she went outside into the rear garden. Even in the early morning it was so sheltered by the stone walls it looked beautiful. She spotted some yellow roses the colour of crushed lemons peeping out amongst the weeds and briars at the bottom of the garden. There were red and pink roses too. A real rose garden. And, of course, the wild violets that seemed to scent the air like perfume. With some work it would be a wonderful haven.

  The auctioneer was still on the phone outside when she came back into the hall.

  She went into the large drawing room. She gently took down the portrait photo of the man and woman with the young girl. What was their story? Where were they now? Why had they left their photos behind and everything else?

  The auctioneer startled her when he arrived back in and she jumped.

  ‘Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.’

  Emily put the photo back on the mantelpiece, her eyes lingering on it.