A Great Beauty

by A. O'Connor

  BOOK 2

  1921

  CHAPTER 18

  Michael and Gearóid walked briskly down the steps from a clandestine meeting of the members of the outlawed Irish parliament, the Dáil, in the Mansion House on a grey January day. Michael felt elated. The scheduled meeting had been cancelled once because of fear of a security breach. That would have been a treat for the British government, he thought – for the Auxiliaries to arrive in during a secret parliament meeting and in one swoop arrest every member of the illegal Irish government. What a field day Lloyd George and Winston Churchill would have had with that.

  To Michael’s delight, there had been much opposition to De Valera’s plan to send him to America. He was very touched to hear deputy after deputy stand and announce that it was a ridiculous idea and the country and indeed the war could not do without Michael Collins. De Valera had accepted the decision and quietly dropped the proposal, although Michael suspected it would have angered him to be opposed and not to have conveniently got rid of him.

  As he walked down the street with Gearóid, he felt he was walking on air after the show of support from his friends and colleagues.

  “That showed him I couldn’t be so easily disposed of!”

  “Dev surely got a shock to see the level of support you have.”

  “Will we head to Vaughan’s and have a few pints to celebrate?”

  “I can’t. I’m meeting Maud now – she’s up from Longford with Kitty.”

  Michael stopped in his tracks. “Well, why didn’t you say earlier?”

  “I thought you had more important things on your mind with the prospect of being shipped off to New York by Dev by the end of the week!”

  “Is Helen up as well?” asked Michael, excited at the thought of seeing her.

  “No.”

  Michael’s heart sank. He had written to Helen numerous times but had heard nothing back. He didn’t know if she was ignoring him or just not receiving the letters.

  “Well, come on! Let’s go meet the girls!” he said as he hurried down the street.

  Kitty and Maud were waiting outside Clery’s department store on Sackville Street. Kitty was hoping that Michael would come with Gearóíd to meet them.

  Suddenly, to her delight, she saw Michael’s large frame beside Gearóid, coming down the street.

  Maud went hurrying towards Gearóid and hugged him while Kitty followed behind.

  “Well, you’re a sight for sore eyes,” said Michael as he kissed Maud’s cheek and then added “Both of ye!” before he kissed Kitty’s cheek as well.

  “You too, Mick,” Kitty said.

  “No Lionel?” asked Michael, looking around in an exaggerated fashion.

  “No – no Lionel,” said Kitty, before adding coolly, “We have ended our engagement.”

  “Oh – I see! What a shame!” he said, trying to stop himself from laughing. “Ye made a handsome pair!”

  She saw red. “If you are going to take the piss out of me like you did the last time I was unfortunate enough to meet you, then I’ll get the next train back to Longford now!” And she began to march down the street.

  “Don’t upset her, Mick!” said Maud. “She’s very sensitive about it all! She feels she made a bit of a fool of herself getting engaged to poor Lionel!”

  “Well, she’s right – she did!” said Michael with a laugh.

  “Mick!” Maud pleaded.

  Michael bounded down the street after Kitty and caught up with her.

  “Will you wait up, woman!”

  “I think you are one of the rudest men I’ve ever met!” she said as she continued walking quickly along. “I don’t know what has you thinking you’re so great that you can mock me!”

  “I’m only joking. Can you not take a joke?”

  “No! You are being highly insensitive.”

  “I’m sorry – I truly am!” he said and grabbed her shoulder, halting her. “It’s just that I couldn’t take you and Lionel seriously when you said you were engaged.”

  “I can’t see why not! He’s a lovely fellow!”

  “I’m sure he is! But he was not in your league, Kitty… I knew, he knew, everyone knew it – except you! I was just looking at the two of you and thinking ‘What she is doing with him?’”

  Despite his attitude, she was delighted to hear him say those words.

  “Any woman would be lucky to have Lionel,” she said in an injured tone. “He’s the cream –”

  “Yes – and like cream, rich and thick!” said Michael as he burst out laughing.

  Her face went red from anger again and she was about to explode but then she started to laugh as well.

  “What is the matter with you two?” asked Maud as she and Gearóid caught up with them and saw the two of them in convulsions of laughter.

  That evening Michael and Kitty sat at a table in a restaurant off Wicklow Street. Gearóid and Maud had taken the opportunity to spend time together. Instead of Kitty going back to the hotel, she had accepted Michael’s offer to go to dinner.

  “So, you’re not going to America?”

  “No, thank God.”

  “You must be flattered that the delegates wouldn’t hear of it.”

  “Much to Dev’s irritation!” Michael chuckled.

  “You must be relieved.”

  “Of course I am. Could you really see me going to posh functions in Manhattan?”

  “No!” She laughed. “Although at least you’d have had your partner in crime there – Harry.”

  “True. Have you heard from him?”

  “Yes, he writes to me all the time.”

  “He’s mad about you.”

  “So he says,” she said and changed the subject, deciding to keep her cards close to her chest. “And what is all this I hear – that you very nearly got yourself arrested on Christmas Eve? What kind of an eejit are you at all – that went out into the restaurant in the Gresham in full public view on such a night?”

  “We asked for a private room, but there was none left, it being the night that was in it.”

  “So – you decided to throw caution to the wind and show off to your friends in the middle of the busiest restaurant on the busiest night of the year!” she mocked angrily. “You sure are the Big Fella!”

  “Will you cut me some slack, woman! I just wanted one night out with my friends like any other man.”

  “But, Mick, you’re not like other men. And you could have got yourself shot – not just arrested! It was careless and stupid.”

  “I’d nearly swear you cared!”

  “I do care, you fool – would I be sitting here listening to your rubbish if I didn’t?”

  Michael looked at Kitty across the table with a curious look on his face.

  “What’s the matter with you?” she asked.

  “I’m just trying to figure you out … whatever possessed you to get engaged to a man like Lionel who it was plain to see you had no feelings for?”

  She looked out the window. “Oh, I long for things to be normal. I think that’s why I got engaged to Lionel … to try and make life feel normal again … after the killing and riots at home.”

  “But they will be normal again soon, Kitty.”

  “How can they be, Mick? The war is just getting worse and worse and both sides are more entrenched in their fighting. The British are not going to give up, Mick. They are not just going to walk away and leave us in peace to run our own affairs.”

  “There’s a few things coming that are going to really shake things up,” he said with a gleam in his eye.

  “Is there anything left to shake, Mick?” she asked incredulously.

  “Is the hotel back up and running yet?” he asked.

  “No, construction is still being done – and on the stores as well. I’m going on a holiday for a few weeks.”

  “Really, where?”

  “Up to Donegal for a while and then to the Continent … I just need a bit of time to think after everything that has happened these p
ast few months. But I’ll be back for Helen’s wedding, of course.”

  “Yes. She’s been very quiet – I haven’t heard a word from her,” said Michael, probing.

  “Sure, she’s up to her eyes arranging the wedding, Mick. You would swear it was going to be the wedding of the year!”

  She saw the flash of despair in his eyes and turned her head away to look out the window onto the street again.

  Three British Tans were passing. One stopped abruptly and stared in at Michael.

  “There’s –” began Kitty, as her heart began to beat quickly.

  “I know,” said Michael. “Just act normally. Laugh and joke and flirt with me.”

  Kitty did what she was told and threw her head back, laughing. Then she reached out and took Michael’s hand and began to stroke it. He began to rub her hand as well as he pretended to flirt with her. The Tan stopped looking and he and his colleagues walked on.

  “Thank goodness!” said Kitty.

  “You can say that again,” he said, letting go of her hand. “We better get out of here. I’ll pay the bill and get you back to your hotel.”

  Michael stood up from the table and walked across the restaurant to reception while Kitty stroked the hand he had been holding as her eyes followed him.

  CHAPTER 19

  The first months of 1921 were the bloodiest yet of the war as the British government continued to pour troops into Ireland to try to restore their law and order and stamp their authority on a country that increasingly saw itself as an independent sovereign nation. The harder they tried, the harder the Irish fought back, with Michael continuing to orchestrate the military campaign. The British government and forces in Ireland still relentlessly searched for him and it had become a cause of international embarrassment for them that he continually evaded capture.

  As Michael lived life on the run, his thoughts never strayed too far from Helen. She still hadn’t responded to his letters and he was giving up ever hearing from her again.

  Then Gearóid handed him an envelope one day.

  “What’s this?” asked Michael, looking down at the white embossed envelope.

  “Sure, open it and find out!” said Gearóid with a laugh.

  Michael tore open the envelope and saw it was an invitation to Helen’s wedding at the University Chapel in Dublin, followed by a reception at Vaughan’s Hotel.

  His heart sank when he saw it.

  “Will you be able to go?” asked Gearóid. “It could be a bit risky. They decided to have the wedding in Dublin and not at home because the hotel isn’t up and running yet.”

  “I’ll see,” said Michael, tucking the envelope into his pocket.

  ***

  “Well, the Kiernan family must still have plenty of money left, even after paying for all the repairs on the damage that those Black and Tans caused, to have a swanky wedding up in Dublin,” said Molly as she dusted around the parlour.

  Kitty was at the writing desk, writing to Harry in America.

  “All you should be concerned about is whether there is enough money to pay your wages!” she retorted.

  “It must be a cause of concern for you, all the same,” said Molly.

  “What is?”

  “Miss Helen’s wedding being nearly upon us. And with Miss Chrys’s and Miss Maud’s engagements, sure it won’t be long until they traipse up the aisle as well. That will leave only you!”

  Kitty pretended not to hear Molly as she continued to write her letter.

  “I don’t understand the young women – and the not so young women – anymore. There you were, engaged to the lovely Mr. Lionel, and you threw him out with the rubbish and now here you are – always the bridesmaid and never the bride!”

  Kitty raised her eyes to heaven as she tried to block out Molly’s talk.

  “Did you never hear the saying ‘Marry in haste, repent at leisure’?” she asked.

  “And did you never hear of the saying ‘A rolling stone gathers no moss’?” retorted Molly, picking up some of Kitty’s books that were on the mantelpiece she was dusting, and examining them. “Of course I blame all these romantic novels – filling people’s heads with rubbish. Tall, dark and handsome! Tall, dark and handsome never put bread on the table!”

  “Indeed!” sighed Kitty.

  “I hate that word spinster – but sure if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be!”

  “Molly!” snapped Kitty loudly. “Can’t you see I am trying to write a blasted letter? How can I write it with you twittering on, talking absolute nonsense!”

  “I’m sorry, I’m sure! I’ll go lay the table for dinner!” Molly departed in a huff.

  “Do that!” said Kitty after her. She shook her head and looked down at the letter she was writing.

  Molly’s words of warning echoed through her head – a rolling stone gathers no moss.

  As she looked at the flirty, non-committal lines she had just penned to Harry, she realised she was acting more like a young girl with years to spare before having to settle down instead of a woman knocking on the door of thirty. What Molly was saying was true – people would be talking about her at Helen’s wedding. The only sister not settled down – they might even describe her as a spinster! She shuddered at the thought. Maybe she was being too choosy. Maybe she would never find what she was looking for. As she picked up Harry’s last letter to her, where he was declaring undying love to her, she thought she should just realise she had already found it with Harry. But then why was she still so hesitant to put anything committal in writing to him?

  CHAPTER 20

  The automobile was parked discreetly across the road from the Shelbourne Hotel on St Stephen’s Green in Dublin. It looked just like a normal automobile with nothing different from the others that were parked along the green. Nobody passing it would suspect that the most wanted man in the British Empire sat in the back.

  Michael’s eyes were trained on the entrance of the hotel. He was wearing a hat and kept the collar of his coat turned up. As he looked around the area, he could see British troops at the top of Grafton Street and more at the top of Dawson Street. His driver was one of Michael’s infamous Squad.

  The rest of the Squad were dotted around St Stephen’s Green that afternoon, fitting in with the people going about their daily business. The Squad’s daily business was keeping a watchful eye on Michael, making sure he was safe. Michael smiled to himself as he watched one of his men go up to a British soldier and ask for a light for his cigarette. The soldier obliged and the Squad member thanked him before continuing down the street. And the British army thought they were in control, Michael chuckled to himself.

  Michael suddenly sat up as he saw the party he had been waiting for walk down the street towards the Shelbourne Hotel. The whole Kiernan family up from Longford for the wedding of Helen the next day. They made a rowdy and glamorous party walking down the street. He spotted Gearóid holding hands with Maud amongst them. He saw Kitty laughing as she walked along, wearing a big hat.

  And then he saw Helen. He stared across at her as she glided along the street, as elegant and serene as ever.

  He watched them make their way up the steps to the Shelbourne Hotel, laughing and joking.

  They disappeared into the hotel and Michael sat back and waited for darkness to fall. He knew what he had to do that night. It wasn’t an honourable thing he planned to do, but like many things he had come to realise about the world – the end justified the means.

  Darkness had fallen when a porter came to the door of the hotel and waved across at Michael who walked briskly across the road and followed him down a laneway to the back of the hotel where another porter was waiting.

  “Good evening, Mr. Collins, follow me,” whispered the second porter.

  “Good man,” said Michael, clapping him on the back, and he quickly followed him through the kitchens and along some corridors then up a back staircase until they reached the top floor. There, a chambermaid was waiting.

  “She’ll ta
ke you the rest of the way, Mr. Collins,” said the porter.

  Michael winked at him in appreciation and continued on his journey, following the young girl until they reached the door of a hotel room.

  “This is it, Mr. Collins, this is the room she’s staying the night in,” whispered the chambermaid.

  “Good girl,” said Michael.

  “I’ll be waiting at the top of the stairs at the bottom of the corridor polishing the banisters – so when you’re finished, I’ll take you back down and out the way you came.”

  He nodded, winked at her and watched her go down to the staircase and start polishing. He smiled to himself as he thought she could be polishing there all night waiting for him as far as she knew. That was the level of dedication in the people, and that was why they were winning this war.

  He steadied himself and put an ear to the door to see if he could hear anything, but it was all quiet on the other side. He steadied himself and then he knocked on the door. There was no answer and so he knocked again, louder this time. A few moments later he heard the door unlock and there she stood, looking shocked to see him there.

  “Michael!” Helen exclaimed.

  “Shhh!” he said, walking quickly into the room and closing the door behind him. He listened at the door for a moment and then quickly locked it.