by Charles Egan
‘Interesting.’
‘Yes,’ Murtybeg said. ‘Brady knows of this letter. He knows too that there is a witnessed copy, filed away in the Manchester Law Library. So I told him there was no question of protection, and assured him that he would hang if anything happened to me.’
Irene stared at him.
‘And you really believe he won’t do anything?’
‘Not now. He’s a man of the world, is Gene Brady. He’s not going to risk his life for a little protection money. He said as much to me. He wanted to forget the whole matter of protection.’
‘And…and what of Inspector Crawford?’
‘Odd you should mention that. He came around to see me, weeks after the Brady meeting. I told him that I had committed no offence. I agreed that I had met with Brady, but had not agreed to carry out any criminal act. There was nothing he could do.’
*
It was time to meet with Sternberg. Murtybeg wrote to him, but did not mention Irene. A meeting was arranged at the Law Library.
When Murtybeg introduced Irene, he saw that Sternberg was taken aback.
‘I must say, I had not been expecting to meet you here today,’ he said to Irene.
‘Of course, not,’ Irene said. ‘Inside a courtroom would have been more appropriate.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Murtybeg said. ‘I should have warned you of what was happening. You see, Curzon & Clegg have been talking with Rothwells, and have come up with something, which might solve all our problems and leave us with no need for further court cases.’
‘No need…?’
‘Don’t worry, Louis,’ he said, ‘there will be plenty of work for you yet. You see, Curzon & Clegg have suggested that, if Irene and I were to marry, there would be no further…’
‘Marry!’
‘Well, why not?’
‘Yes, Mr. Sternberg,’ Irene said, ‘and why not? As Curzon & Clegg have said, it would protect the assets of both parties. So before you think it, the next question has become a personal one between the two of us.’
‘Yes,’ Sternberg said, ‘I can understand that.’
And more than that, Murtybeg was thinking. Sternberg could understand Irene’s other attractions too, but he’s too much of a professional to say anything about that.
‘So the question is,’ Irene said, ‘where do we go from here?’
‘I wouldn’t like to be too precipitate,’ Sternberg said. ‘It will, of course, be a complex situation, for various reasons. The first thing you should be aware of, though you doubtless know already, is that on marriage, a wife’s property passes to her husband. But right at the moment, we still have a case reserved in the High Court, and no judgement has been made as regards ownership yet. Also, I presume you do not, as yet, have a date for your wedding?’
‘Not yet,’ Murtybeg said. ‘It is something we need to discuss very soon though.’
‘Indeed,’ Sternberg said. ‘And it’s probably as well it hasn’t been arranged yet. We would have to consider the legal implications very closely. It is all a matter of timing.’
‘Can you explain to us why timing is so important,’ Irene asked.
‘First,’ Sternberg said, ‘we must consider a pre-marriage settlement. There must be no question of intestacy this time. I don’t have to tell you the complications that arose from your partner’s intestacy the last time.’
‘Indeed not,’ Irene said. ‘But the question arises now, how could intestacy come about on this occasion?’
‘I doubt it could,’ Sternberg said, ‘particularly since, as I say, in the event of the husband’s demise, his property automatically passes to his wife. It is as well to have this in writing though, stating specifically the principle of ‘each to each’, in other words that on the demise of either party the property passes to the other, unless of course, there are children.’
‘Of course, there will be children,’ Irene said. ‘We must take that into account.’
Murtybeg looked at her in surprise. This was a matter they had not yet discussed.
‘In due course, we shall,’ Sternberg said. ‘It should unquestionably form part of the pre-marriage agreement.’
He turned to Murtybeg.
‘There’s one most important question I must ask you,’ he said. ‘Since you are not as yet married, Miss Miller, legally speaking, is still our opponent in a court case. Do you wish to drop this case?’
‘Yes,’ Murtybeg said, ‘very definitely.’
‘There are other matters we have discussed in the past, which were confidential between us at the time.’
‘There is no need for silence, Louis,’ Murtybeg said. ‘Irene is my intended. That will not change under any circumstances.’
Sternberg was scratching on a paper pad.
‘Very well,’ he said. ‘When we spoke before, I did point out to you that your own parents, Murty and Aileen Ryan, could have had prior claim to Edwardes & Ryan. They would certainly have ranked above you personally, whatever about Miss Miller’s claims regarding common-law marriage and such factors.’
‘I can see that that would be an important point,’ Murtybeg said. ‘Certainly, they could make a claim on the business.
‘Yes,’ Irene said. ‘But the question arises then, what is the business?’
‘It has assets, surely,’ Sternberg said.
‘Indeed, it has,’ Irene replied. ‘Horses, carts, timber and suchlike, but that is not where the real value of Edwardes & Ryan exists.’
Sternberg arched his fingers, as though thinking. At last, he looked Irene straight in the eyes.
‘I know,’ he said. ‘The intellectual property of the business is vastly more valuable.’
‘Indeed,’ Irene said, ‘and you’re one of the few men who can see that.’
‘So if we were to allow Mr. and Mrs. Ryan senior to take over the business without any involvement from either of you, it would effectively be worthless?’
‘Precisely, Mr. Sternberg,’ Irene said.
Sternberg looked to Murtybeg again.
‘But I must now ask you specifically, as my client, is this satisfactory to you?’
‘Perfectly satisfactory,’ Murtybeg said.
He could see a growing respect between Irene and Sternberg. He knew that she was assessing Louis closely, testing his toughness as well as his skills. It was clear that Curzon & Clegg had no future with Edwardes & Ryan. Irene had decided, and Murtybeg knew that. Louis was already thinking of a future relationship with Edwardes & Ryan, and anticipating the many bitter court battles that would be fought with suppliers, competitors and anyone else who got in the way in the years ahead. Had Curzon & Clegg foreseen all this when they had recommended Irene to a marriage settlement? Why worry? There was little need for him to talk now. Listening to Irene and Louis was far more satisfying.
Sternberg was speaking to him though.
‘Would you perhaps like to make some sort of settlement with your father, once your ownership of the business is legally valid,’ he asked Murtybeg.
Irene interrupted.
‘That would be a decision for my future husband to make,’ she said. ‘For myself though, I do not feel we owe them anything, but there might be other problems. For example, would an offer of a settlement imply that there was a liability in the first place?’
‘Not necessarily,’ Sternberg said. ‘But to avoid any such development, it would be essential to have the ownership legally established before any such settlement.’
‘And how would we do that?’ Irene asked.
Sternberg looked to Murtybeg again, raising his eyebrows in a questioning way.
‘No problem, Louis. Go ahead.’
‘Very well,’ Sternberg said. ‘The way to solve this predicament is very simple. We should go to the High Court, and indicate that we are withdrawing any objection to Miss Miller’s claim. Then, when she wins the case, and it is so declared, she will legally own the business without any doubt, and ahead of any other claimants, such as Murty and Ai
leen Ryan.’
He paused.
‘Or yourself,’ he added.
‘And then?’ Murtybeg asked.
Again, Sternberg looked to him questioning, then he went on.
‘It’s not a matter of ‘then’, it’s more a matter of ‘before’. There is another fact I must point out to you, Murtybeg. I am still retained on your behalf, and in spite of what you say about your forthcoming marriage, I must act in your interests. I would insist therefore, before the court case goes ahead, that you and Miss Miller are married.’
There was a silence, as his words sank in. Murtybeg was the first to break it.
‘I understand,’ he said. ‘It is clearly the sensible way to proceed.’
‘I understand too, Mr. Sternberg,’ Irene said. ‘In fact, I would be disappointed with you if you did not give such advice to your client. I would like to declare therefore that I have no objection. I expect Murtybeg and I will be married in the next few weeks. I will make sure to have a fair copy made of the appropriate documents and have them despatched to you.’
‘Excellent,’ Sternberg said. ‘Now, with your joint agreement, I will write to Curzon & Clegg and suggest that the court case be deferred for a few weeks. You might notify Rothwells that you have no objection to this.’
‘Certainly, Louis,’ Irene said.
*
Before their intended wedding, Murtybeg wrote to Murty, inviting him and Aileen to attend. A few days later he received a curt response from Murty, saying that Aileen would not be well enough to travel. Murtybeg thought there might have been other reasons. Could they afford the travel? Perhaps he should offer to pay for the tickets? Or was that the problem at all? Was it simply that Murty no longer wished to have any association with him? He decided to dismiss it from his mind. He had invited them. If his father did not wish to attend, that was his concern.
Murtybeg Ryan and Irene Miller were married in the Registry Office in Stockport. It was a quiet affair. Irene’s mother and father attended, though. He was a quiet, inoffensive man, she a quiet, dumpy woman. Murtybeg wondered how they had raised a firebrand like Irene.
Roughneen, Gilligan and Lavan were there too. The only other one to attend was Louis Sternberg.
Afterwards they signed the registry, Lavan and Sternberg acting as witnesses. Two fair copies were made, one for the Ryans and one for Sternberg.
A wedding breakfast was held in the Wellington Hotel. Baked lamb tongues were served with tea and toast; followed by lobster sausages, pork chops and almond pudding. At first, Murtybeg was concerned that they were being so spendthrift. But what of it? He ordered a keg of ale and a dozen Turkish cigars. Danny would have understood.
*
The following week, Murtybeg and Irene travelled into Manchester, and walked to the Court. Sternberg was waiting outside.
‘We must hurry,’ he told them. ‘Mr. Gilbert doesn’t like anyone being late.’
They entered the Courtroom, and sat waiting until their case was called. Both Curzon and Rothwell were there, representing Irene. They both nodded to Sternberg, saying nothing.
Their case was called.
‘I have reviewed all these documents,’ the judge told them, ‘and my understanding is that Mr. Ryan is withdrawing his case, and conceding to Miss Miller.’
Curzon raised his hand. ‘If I may, m’lud?’
The judge nodded.
‘Miss Miller, as you call her, has changed her name this morning. She is now to be known as Irene Ryan.’
‘Irene Ryan? In God’s name, why?’
Sternberg approached the bench and placed a copy of the marriage certificate before the judge. The judge ran his eyes down it, frowning.
‘Mr. Curzon? You have seen this; I take it?’
‘Yes, m’lud,’ Curzon replied. ‘In fact, it was we who suggested this course of action to Mrs. Ryan. We are proceeding with Mr. Sternberg’s consent.’
‘So, if I follow this correctly, Edwardes & Ryan is to be conceded to Irene Ryan.’
‘Indeed.’
‘And through her, it would then pass to her husband, Murtybeg Ryan. Is that your understanding, Mr. Sternberg?’
‘It is, m’lud,’ Sternberg said.
He shook his head, half in admiration.
‘Nice one, gentlemen. Very nice. And my congratulations to both of you, Mr. and Mrs. Ryan.’
*
It was late when they returned to Stockport. The maid had already gone to bed. Carefully, Murtybeg lit the candle at the door, and led the way upstairs. He lit two more candles in the bedroom.
Then she embraced him tightly. He pushed her back and threw her on the bed, pulling her dress high. Afterwards they lay on the bed gasping.
‘My God,’ he said, ‘you could kill any man.’
She laughed. ‘I doubt that. You’re a tough fellow, Murteen Ryan, I’ll grant you that. Tougher than your brother ever was.’
‘I’m sure he was well able,’ Murtybeg said.
‘He was, right enough, but still, I frightened him, and a woman has to know who’s in control. It’s the same with every breed of animal.’
‘You’re not saying…?’
‘Not in everything, I’m not. In business, we’re equals, and always will be. Already we’re working for the top contractors in England. Soon we’ll be railway contractors ourselves, no matter what Brassey or Mackenzie might think. And by the time we’re finished, we’ll be the top railway contractors in the north of England. You see if we don’t.’
Chapter 29
The Mountain Sentinel, Pennsylvania. June 1849:
We learn, although unable to get the entire particulars, that the Irish engaged on the Pennsylvania Railroad from below Union Furnace in Huntingdon County, to Antis Township in this county under the several contractors have been engaged in the most serious riots during the past week. A large body of Irishmen met in mortal combat, armed with rifles, muskets, pistols and bludgeons of every description as their weapons, creating terror to the peaceable inhabitants, and wounding, and we believe, taking the life in some instances, of the different combatants. They also destroyed by burning and tearing down several shanties, and assaulted Mr. Gillespie, a contractor, so severely, that his life has been despaired of for several days.
As Luke soon discovered, he no longer had a position in the weigh station. Since he had never been paid by the Union for that work, it made no difference.
During his weeks there, he had developed a working relationship with Cantwell, which was courteous, if not friendly. He suggested Luke return to work down the mine with the other men.
The mood at the drift was one of sullenness. Farrelly tried to put a good face on it, but in the end, the Union had achieved nothing. Wages dropped again. They were still slightly higher than before the Bates Union was created, but it was hardly worthwhile, after the losses they had all taken during the strike, without any strike pay.
Luke felt that McGlinn might have been happy to see him back inside the mine, not necessarily because he wished to work with Luke, but more because he had resented that Luke was in a superior position, and now had been brought back to earth. He said little though, and his silence told much.
Life in the coal patches was returning to normal. And the coal dust was back.
‘I never thought I’d miss it,’ Winnie said. ‘What with all the scrubbing and all? I’ll say one thing though, when there’s dust, there’s food.’
‘There is,’ Luke said.
Slowly, very slowly, they began to put on weight. Luke was still concerned about his debt in the truck store. Could he ever send money to Mayo again? What was happening in Mayo?
Winnie was still concerned about cholera.
‘Well, let’s not worry about it,’ Luke said. ‘It hasn’t crossed the mountains yet, and from what all they’re saying in the mine, it’s not going to either.’
‘Why not?’
‘There’s a cholera line. Cholera doesn’t cross mountains. As long as it’s on the other si
de, we’re safe.’
The next day, news came through of cholera in Wilkes Barre.
‘You said it was impossible,’ Winnie said.
‘Sometimes, the impossible happens,’ Luke said.
But by that time, they had other matters to consider.
*
The Operators closed the mines again.
As before, the same excuse was given. The prices in New York and Philadelphia were too low, and a stoppage would force the prices up. This time it was stated that the stoppage would be for two weeks only.
Winnie was shattered.
‘How could they do this again?’ she asked. ‘Do they want to starve us all?’
‘Looks like they do,’ Luke said. ‘Still, since you ask, the reason they’re giving is that the prices in the market are too low.’
‘Too low?’
‘That’s what they’re saying. And it’s said that the stoppage will only be for two weeks.’
‘And should we believe that?’ Winnie asked.
‘If it’s true,’ Luke said, ‘we might just be able to make it. At least we’re all better fed, after four weeks of working.’
‘But what on earth are they looking for?’ Ned asked. ‘Is it just to drive us back to the truck shop again? Push our debt up, interest on top, and make sure we can never get out of it?’
‘I think that might have something to do with it too,’ Luke said. ‘And at least the weather is warm. We won’t have to go around scrabbling for coal in the culm bank. That’s for sure.
They waited. There was no suggestion of an extension this time.
‘The seventh of July, that’s what it’s looking like,’ Ned said.
Then came an announcement of a picnic.
‘A picnic!’ Winnie exclaimed, when Luke told her. ‘What? Where?’
‘Down in Pottsville again. Fourth of July. Independence Day. A miners’ jamboree, that’s what the Union is calling it.’
‘Damn the bloody Union,’ Ned said, ‘there’s no way any of us are going for picnics with the Union. We can’t eat, and they’re having bloody picnics.’
This time, no one from Farrelly’s gang went to Pottsville. On the following day, the news of the picnic came through.
The Union had declared a strike. Again.
