The Secret of Eveline House

by Sheila Forsey

  The woods had a mist this morning that reminded her of home before her mother went mad. Although she hardly knew what home was now. At least here she was away from the watchful eye of Miss Doheny. She liked to lie down under the big tree and just think and dream about what it might be like when she would go to America. She would go as soon as she had the passage. She had heard of New York and all the bright lights. Her aunt would not stop her. Miss Doheny would go mad if she thought she was wasting her time training her. Using her as a skivvy more like and making her look a fool and her all superior.

  Not allowing her to take any money in case she made a mistake. Standing over her when she was measuring flour or sugar, just waiting for her to give an ounce too much. She had seen her watching her, correcting her at every turn. She never allowed her out. She might as well be living in a prison. Her aunt could say what she liked. But she was saving the fare to America and that was that. She didn’t want to end up like some old dried-up prune like Miss Doheny. She would run to Dublin and get a passage to New York. She was not afraid. She was alone here anyway. It could not be any lonelier than here. She would feel bad to leave her mother, but there was no way she could save her now. The madness had got hold of her.

  She was tired of Miss Doheny making her look a fool. She watched the birds grabbing their breakfast. How free and easy their life was here in Blythe Wood.

  Then she got a fright. There was someone there. She crept behind the tree.

  She spotted Mrs Ward walking along. It was very early for anyone to be in the woods. She admired her beautiful coat all snug and warm-looking and a beautiful soft shade of green with a fur trim in a rusty-red colour. How beautiful she looked with her fashionable clothes and hair like a movie star! She had seen some magazines and she looked like she could be in them. The doctor’s wife was glamorous too and wore pretty clothes, but Mrs Ward was like a movie star. She had gone to the pictures once and saw for herself how beautiful they looked. Yes, she looked like she could be in the movies. Peggy wondered how someone was so lucky to be born with such beauty. Miss Doheny did not approve of her. Yet she seemed to never stop talking about her. ‘Did you see what she had on today?’ one of the customers would say and her clothes were discussed at length.

  Peggy wished she could see the letter-writing that they were all talking about. It was meant to be shocking. Some said she was cursed and that’s why her little girl was sick. Miss Doheny had said that she wrote filth for the stages in London. Peggy thought she looked like something exotic with her dark hair and her pale complexion and her daring red lips.

  She followed her on as quietly as she could.

  She had heard the women talk about her. Now they were saying that she was having something to do with the priest and that she was being punished and that was the reason her child was so ill. God was angry with her. They were all angry with her. They said how scandalous she was. Nellie Cooke whispered that she might be having relations with him and that it would have to be stopped. Agnes the Cat called her a harlot.

  Mrs Ward’s husband was the most handsome man that Peggy had ever seen. Well, except for Father Quill but she thought it might be a mortal sin to think he was handsome. Or perhaps a venial sin? Although she was not sure what that was. But she had heard of it. Then they were saying that Mrs Ward was much more than friends with Father Quill. ‘’Tis more than sherry he is having in Eveline,’ she had overheard Agnes the Cat say. When Agnes came into the shop she would have to get the Jeyes Fluid out afterwards and wash the part of the shop that she stood in because of the stench of cat off her.

  Peggy was thrilled to hear that Mr Ward gave Miss Doheny a good dressing-down. He put her in her place. The poor daughter though sounded dreadfully sick. They were saying terrible things about the girl – that she was cursed and that she could die. There was talk of the bishop coming to Draheen to pray over her.

  She knew she should go back but curiosity got the better of her. She wanted to see where Mrs Ward was walking to so early in the morning and to look at her lovely clothes for a little longer. When she got to New York she would look for a coat just like hers. She would get her hair changed to a different colour and she would buy a scarlet lipstick just like Mrs Ward’s.

  That was when she heard them. The group of women that went to Mass every chance they got and cleaned the church every morning except Sunday. Mass was not for another two hours. Peggy watched as she saw them walk into the woods as if creeping after Mrs Ward. But not letting her know that they were there. It looked like they were following her. There were five of them. All with headscarves, except for Agnes who wore a knitted brown cap that looked like an old tea cosy. She knew all of them. Nellie Cooke had a dour look on her face and thick glasses that made her eyes look three times bigger than they were. Molly Walsh with her bottle-green coat that she wore no matter the weather and the two Grey sisters Kitty and Nora looking all pious with their pinched faces. The two sisters looked a little simple and younger than the others.

  Then at the back was Agnes the Cat. Peggy was afraid of Agnes and she was afraid of her brother Mike Dillinger. She had heard from Miss Doheny that he could kill a hen and eat her raw.

  She stayed a safe distance from them to see what they were up to. They kept creeping ever so gently. She thought she better go back, Miss Doheny would wonder where she was, but she knew something was up. It was the way they were creeping softly so as not to let Mrs Ward know they were following her.

  They came to the clearing near the graveyard. Mrs Ward was calling out she knew someone was following her. But they were saying nothing. They were trying to frighten the living daylights out of her, Peggy reckoned. Peggy was unsure what to do. She wanted to warn her but in truth she was afraid of Agnes the Cat and she would tell Miss Doheny that she was in the woods and goodness knows what she would say.

  Then they came out from behind the trees. They were circling her. Peggy gasped. They looked odd as if they had some evil in them.

  Then Agnes spoke.

  ‘You did not listen to us, Violet Ward. We told you to get out and leave our town,’ she hissed.

  The others nodded but the two Grey sisters looked away.

  Mrs Ward turned on them, her eyes bright as shillings.

  ‘You horrible women! How could you? It was you all along. Writing those letters. How could you be so cruel to a child?’

  ‘You have only yourself to blame. You brought this darkness with you and we want you out of our town,’ Agnes the Cat spat at her.

  ‘Don’t worry, I am leaving this place and I will never look back here again. You have your wish. Get out of my way. Let God be your judge, you evil women!’

  But Peggy could see she was terrified too. She was so afraid for her.

  ‘You must look for absolution first,’ Molly Walsh said.

  ‘You are a sinner, Violet Ward. This is what happens to sinners. We have our own way to deal with them,’ Agnes snarled.

  ‘What are you doing following me?’

  ‘What are you doing with Father Quill?’ Agnes spat again.

  ‘What are you talking about?’

  ‘We know he visits Eveline. You are an evil dirty woman, Violet Ward, and Draheen has no place for the likes of you? God has sent this terrible thing to your daughter to punish you. Repent and leave here and don’t come back.’

  ‘I told you I am leaving. Stay away from me!’ Violet screamed.

  Peggy looked around to see if there was anyone she could run to for help, but they had timed it well. There was no one about.

  Then Agnes took a bottle out of her bag.

  ‘Witches burn unless they repent.’ She was foaming at the mouth.

  The Grey sisters held each other’s hands in fear. Nellie and Molly Walsh gaped at the scene in front of them, their eyes almost coming out of their sockets.

  ‘That’s right, Mrs Violet Ward!’ Agnes was roaring now. ‘Witches are burned. Beg for forgiveness from the Almighty. Stay away from Father Quill or you will be burn!’<
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  ‘Agnes! Enough!’ Molly Walsh shouted.

  Peggy could hear her own breathing. She wanted to grab a piece of a stick and run at the women. They were terrifying her. She was caught between fear and anger at what they were doing.’

  ‘Leave me alone. Do you hear me?’ Violet Ward screamed at them.

  Agnes the Cat ordered them to circle her. She held up the bottle.

  Peggy didn’t know what it contained but it looked a murky green colour.

  Agnes threw the liquid into Violet’s face. Violet screamed and tried to rub it from her face. Peggy could now smell it on the still air. The smell of lamp oil.

  ‘Repent! Repent! Repent! Repent! Repent! Repent! Repent! Repent! Repent! Repent!’ Agnes chanted.

  Peggy could hear her own heart beating.

  The two Grey sisters began to tremble and Molly Walsh and Nellie Cooke continued to gape at Agnes, their hands over their mouths.

  ‘Repent! Repent!’ Agnes hissed and she spat at Violet.

  ‘Stay away from me!’ Violet screamed.

  ‘Repent, you whore!’ Agnes spat again.

  Peggy could take no more. She was about to scream at them when Mrs Ward took to run and break away from them. But Agnes caught her, pulling her by her hair and pushing her to the ground.

  ‘Repent, you evil woman! Beg for forgiveness or you will burn!’ Agnes hissed.

  Peggy had never seen evil before but looking at Agnes she could feel it.

  Agnes let go of her hair and kicked her, then threw more liquid.

  ‘Alright, whore! It’s your choice! Now you must burn!’

  ‘Noooo!’ screeched Molly Walsh.

  Agnes had pulled a box of matches from her pocket.

  The Grey sisters were frozen to the spot, their mouths gaping, as Agnes lit the match.

  Nellie Cooke grabbed Agnes’s arm and tried to blow out the match.

  Violet Ward got back up, made a run for it, stumbled and fell.

  Peggy heard the crack. Like when a brick hits a cold pavement. One clear crack. She knew it was her head. Bright blood oozed onto the stone where she lay. The women gasped and stared at Violet. Peggy could see that her eyes were open. Peggy had seen dead people before but only at wakes when they had been laid out, never like this but she knew in that instant that Violet Ward was dead.

  CHAPTER 35

  Peggy watched, barely able to believe her eyes. She was terrified to move in case anyone knew she was there. A twig broke under her foot and her heart leapt to her throat.

  Molly Walsh screamed. The two Grey sisters began to wail. Nellie Cooke had her hand on her mouth.

  Agnes the Cat looked around as if she was checking if anyone was watching them.

  Violet Ward lay still, blood now coming out of her mouth and nose.

  Molly Walsh began to scream louder.

  ‘Shut up!’ Agnes the Cat shouted.

  ‘We have to get the doctor!’ one of the Grey sisters cried.

  ‘For what?’ Agnes the Cat whispered. ‘She is dead, you fool!’

  ‘Oh my God, look at her eyes! She is dead! We have killed her!’ Nellie screamed.

  ‘Keep your voices down. We must act quickly,’ Agnes ordered.

  ‘Will I run for the doctor and Father Quill?’ Kitty Grey asked, her voice quaking.

  ‘Are you mad?’ Agnes hissed.

  ‘But she needs a doctor or a priest!’ Nora Grey cried.

  ‘It’s too late!’ Agnes spat at Nora.

  ‘No, no, no, no, no! We killed her!’ Nora cried and the two sisters began to howl.

  Agnes slapped each of them across the face.

  ‘Never let me hear you utter those words again! We need to act quickly. Come on, grab her legs and arms. We’ll hide her, cover her up with leaves and branches until I get help.’

  ‘Are you getting the doctor?’ said Molly Walsh

  ‘You stupid woman! Do you want to be thrown in jail or worse the madhouse? Or hang? Are you all mad? Well, I am not hanging for her. It was an accident. We only meant to frighten her. But there is nothing we can do now the woman is dead.’

  Nora Grey was a slight woman so thin that you could almost see through her, her lined face almost identical to her sister’s. She knelt and began to say the Act of Contrition into Violet Ward’s ear.

  ‘Oh my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee and I repent my sins –‘

  ‘Get up, Nora Grey!’ Agnes the Cat roared. ‘It’s too late for her to look for forgiveness. She made her own bed, the whore. Right, come on, grab her.’

  Peggy was still in the same spot. Tears flowed down her face as she watched, trembling, while the women dragged poor Mrs Ward’s body into the bushes and covered her with branches and leaves.

  ‘We’ll need help to get rid of her,’ said Agnes.

  Then she left, warning the others to hide if they heard anyone coming.

  They barely moved and time passed.

  Agnes arrived back with her brother Mike Dillinger. She pulled the branches back.

  ‘What the fuck have you done?’ Mike roared.

  ‘I’m telling you it was an accident – but no one will believe us,’ Agnes said.

  ‘You fuckin’ mad bitches!’ he shouted at them and raised his fists threateningly.

  The women cowered away, terrified. Only Agnes stood her ground.

  Mike lowered his fists and spat. He looked at Violet Ward.

  ‘We have to leave her here for now. I’d better cover our tracks.’

  He got to work to cover the place where she was hidden even more thickly with leaves and branches. The sweat rolled off him. Big beads of sweat that even reached his nostrils. Then he began to sweep the area around with a big branch to cover any tracks.

  ‘Gather around, ladies!’ Agnes ordered in a tone not to be messed with.

  They obeyed.

  ‘I warn each of you – what happened here this morning will never be spoken of again,’ she said.

  ‘You can sing that,’ Mike Dillinger growled. ‘You have me implicated now, you stupid bloody women! Speak of this and I will kill each one of you with my bare hands! Are you listening?’

  They all nodded, trembling and white-faced.

  ‘What will you do with her?’ Nellie asked.

  ‘The Bullock will have to be told – he can help,’ Mike said, referring to Molly Walsh’s husband. ‘We will come back tonight and deal with her. I warn you, if I hear a whimper out of any one of you, you will all end up where she is going!’

  ‘We won’t say a word,’ said Nellie Cooke, her voice shaking.

  Mike glared at Molly Walsh. ‘You tell the Bullock. Tell him to meet me here at dusk. It won’t take long with the two of us. I’ll bring some tools.’

  He stood and glared at each of the women in turn.

  ‘Remember, not a word or I’ll come for you.’

  With that he walked away.

  The Grey sisters were weeping.

  ‘Stop it!’ Agnes ordered. ‘Stop right now and forget this ever happened. There will be a right fuss over her when the alarm is raised. Not a word, any of you. We must go now before anyone sees us. We must go to Mass like we always do. So stop that snivelling right now.’

  They left, Agnes leading the way.

  It was raining now, and the woods had become darker. Peggy listened to the sound of the raindrops on the leaves. Her clothes were soaking. She tried to move her legs, but it was as if the use had left them. She wondered was she mad like her mother? Could she have imagined what she had just witnessed? It had been too horrible and evil to be real. She began to sob and heave, terrified that Mike Dillinger would come back and find her and put her with that poor woman. That poor woman who only an hour earlier she thought was the most beautiful creature she had ever seen. Now lying with her head cracked and rivers of blood oozing out of it. Her eyes staring. Dead. Like the dead mice and rats in the woods. She had to get out of there.

  She tried to move but her stomach heaved. She retched up bile and
began to weep. The rain was pouring down now, covering all tracks.

  There was no sign of the horrific scene and blood of earlier.

  She crept out of her hiding place. She wanted to go over and at least pray over poor Mrs Ward, but she was too afraid.

  As quietly as she could she crept out of the woods and went back to Miss Doheny’s. She changed her clothes, but she could not stop shaking. She was terrified to tell Miss Doheny. That man could kill her.

  Miss Doheny was about to open the shop.

  ‘Where were you?’

  Peggy did not answer.

  ‘Why are your hair and shoes wet?’

  Peggy looked at the eggs she had collected earlier before going to the woods.

  ‘What? You went out in that rain to collect eggs? Oh, for goodness sake! You look sick. Go on, get a cup of tea and get yourself together. I cannot have customers looking at you like that. Hurry now!’

  She stayed awake all that night. Trying not to think about what those two men were doing with poor Mrs Ward.

  The next day she heard about the searches and watched poor Betsy look for her. Her poor husband going out of his mind. Her heart was broken for the little girl too.

  Two days later she was in the shop measuring flour into bags. Agnes the Cat arrived in for some bacon. She looked at Peggy and said hello. Peggy could not reply. She knew she was staring at her, but she could not help herself.

  ‘Peggy is not herself,’ Agnes remarked.

  Peggy spilled some flour.

  ‘You can sing that, Agnes,’ Miss Doheny retorted. ‘She’s not been herself for the last few days and if she does not improve she will find herself back where she came from!’