A Great Beauty

by A. O'Connor

  Harry had heard a lot about Vaughan’s Hotel when he was in America. It had been one of Michael’s principal hiding places, a place where he was always protected by the staff and management. As Michael led them into a room and locked the door behind him, Harry realised he had the run of the whole building. Michael seemed to have had the run of everything and everyone during his absence, Harry thought, feeling slightly envious that he had been side-lined in America for so long.

  “Sorry to drag you away from the day’s celebrations but we have business to discuss,” said Éamon. “Since we turned down the British proposals after the negotiation I attended, Lloyd George wants us to go to London to try again. Harry, I’ll be sending you over to Lloyd George with our reply to the invitation.”

  “Right,” nodded Harry.

  Michael was a little surprised that Harry was being chosen to go and realised how much Éamon had come to rely on him while in America.

  “In my reply to Lloyd George I will sign myself as the leader of a free and independent Ireland,” declared Éamon.

  “You can’t do that, Dev!” stated Michael. “You will immediately get their backs up if you write that down on paper and they won’t meet you. A free and independent Ireland is what we are fighting for, but it’s not what we have yet and to declare we have is just a farce!”

  “I don’t agree,” said Éamon coldly. “I want to address Lloyd George as leader of one sovereign nation to another.”

  “But isn’t that what the whole war is about?” said Michael, allowing himself a snigger. “Trying to become a sovereign nation and them not allowing us. If you put that in writing to Lloyd George you’re risking the truce collapsing!”

  “We are not going to be cowards at this late stage. I’ve made my mind up and that is what I am going to write in the correspondence to Lloyd George.”

  Michael shrugged, realising the decision rested with De Valera.

  Later, in the function room, Michael watched as Harry continued to be given a hero’s welcome by everyone.

  Gearóid came up to Michael. “That’s a turn-up for the books, Harry being home.”

  “Yes,” Michael grunted.

  “I take it he knows nothing – about you and Kitty?”

  “No.” Michael sighed and shook his head.

  “Well, don’t you think it would be wise to get things sorted with Kitty – before all this blows up in everyone’s face?”

  “Yep.” Michael nodded.

  “Look, I’m going to visit Maud tomorrow for a couple of days. Why don’t you come down as well and you and Kitty can decide what ye’re going to do and what’s best for the both of ye and for Harry?”

  Michael thought for a while and then nodded. “What time are we leaving?”

  CHAPTER 27

  Michael and Gearóid walked through the reception of the Greville Arms and saw the bar was packed with customers. It had been Fair Day and instead of all the farmers heading home straight after the fair as they had been doing during the war, many had headed straight for the bar to celebrate the day’s business.

  Gearóid stood at the doorway of the bar with his hands on his hips, smiling as he looked at them.

  “What are you smiling at?” Michael asked.

  “Normalcy! I’m smiling at the normalcy of it all!”

  Michael hit his arm. “Come on, you big eejit!”

  “Are Miss Kitty and Miss Maud in the house?” Gearóid asked the girl on reception.

  “Miss Maud is out but Miss Kitty is there alright in the parlour,” said the girl.

  “I’m dreading all this,” said Michael to Gearóid. “I don’t know how Kitty will take it that Harry is back – or what she’s going to do about it!”

  “It will be fine,” Gearóid assured him as they walked down the corridor and into the parlour.

  Michael stood stock still. Kitty was seated on the couch and Harry was standing over her.

  “Harry!” said Gearóid, getting just as much a shock as Michael had.

  Harry turned around and looked equally shocked to see them.

  “What are ye doing here?” he asked.

  “Er,” Gearóid thought quickly as Kitty and Michael looked too stunned to come up with an excuse, “I had arranged to come down to see Maud and talked Michael into coming down with me.”

  “Eh, yes, last-minute decision,” said Michael.

  “Well, if I knew you were coming down, we could have all come down together!” said Harry with a big smile as he came and shook both their hands and clapped them on the backs.

  Michael looked at Kitty nervously. She looked as pale as a ghost.

  “I thought you were being sent off to meet Lloyd George by Dev?” said Mick.

  “Well, I’m due to go, but Dev is still deciding what to write in the bloody response. And I just couldn’t wait any longer. I had to get down here to see Kitty.” He swung around to look at her. “The old gang all back together, Kitty – just like the good old days!”

  “I’ll tell you I wasn’t sure who was more glad to see the back of the other most – me or the Yanks!” said Harry.

  He was sitting beside Kitty and across the dining-room table from Michael, Gearóid and Maud. Larry was at the head of the table and Chrys was at the end.

  There was an air of unease which a beaming Harry was oblivious to.

  “God, there’s nothing like good old-fashioned homemade Irish food!” he said as he looked up from his roast chicken dinner and smiled at Michael and Kitty. “Seriously, I’ve had enough of America to last me a lifetime. I mean it’s all very exciting and fast and big at the beginning. But after a while it became wearying. And all those fundraising events! Having to smile all the time – sure Dev couldn’t smile to save his life half the time! Which meant I had to smile enough for the two of us!”

  “It’s no pressure for you to smile, Harry – sure there’s always a smile on your face.” Maud spoke quietly and allowed herself a fleeting look at Michael who was staring at Kitty from across the table.

  “Thanks, Maud! Gee – thanks!” said Harry, mimicking an American accent. “Well, I’m smiling now – now that I’m back. But I feel as if I’ve missed so much while I was away.”

  “Sure mostly it wasn’t good, Harry, with the war. You didn’t miss anything good,” said Gearóid.

  “I know that. But other things – like Helen’s wedding. I really felt it that day, not being able to attend.”

  Kitty and Michael exchanged guilty looks at the memory of their romance starting that day.

  “And just this! Missing all you guys – my friends.” He turned to Kitty and said seriously, “And of course you, Kitty – my Kitty.”

  “But why didn’t you tell us that you were coming home, Harry?” asked Maud.

  “Because I wanted to surprise Kitty!”

  “Well, you certainly did that – you nearly gave me a heart attack!” said Kitty.

  “But, sure, isn’t life full of surprises? Here’s another one with Mick Collins down for the weekend as well! The best greeting party I could have wanted – my two favourite people in the world.” Harry smiled from one to the other.

  “So – you’re finished with America now, Harry?” asked Maud, trying to distract him from that subject.

  “Sure, with the truce now my role in America is over and I can get back to my life and the ones I love,” he said as he clasped Kitty’s hand in both of his and stroked it fondly, “the one I love.”

  Michael bit his lower lip as he looked on, beginning to tremble at the sight of the two of them together.

  Kitty gently released her hand from Harry’s and said, “More wine?”

  “I will surely!” he said, raising his crystal glass, and she refilled it. “That’s another thing I won’t be sorry to see the back of – prohibition!”

  “No fear that will ever be introduced here!” Michael managed to joke.

  Harry raised his glass. “I want to propose a toast.”

  The others raised their glasses a
nd waited.

  “To friends,” said Harry. “To the best kind of friends – old friends!”

  ***

  Molly had led Harry off to show him to his room for the night and Michael watched as Kitty cleared the plates in the dining room.

  “What are you doing?” he hissed as he stood up.

  “Clearing the plates! What does it look like?” she spat back, glaring at him. “Why didn’t you tell me Harry was home?”

  “I only found out yesterday! At the wedding. I came down straight away today to tell you – but he got here first!”

  “You could have sent me a bloody telegram to warn me! You’re supposed to be the head of Irish Intelligence – I’m sure you could have got a message to me if you’d tried hard enough! I nearly dropped dead on the spot when he walked in the door!”

  “And what would I say in the telegram?” He pulled a sarcastic face. “Your lover is back?”

  She slammed the plates down hard on the table and spat, “Damn you, Mick!”

  “You got yourself into this mess! You’ve been leading him on. Why didn’t you tell him about us?”

  “It’s none of your business whether I tell Harry or not!” she hissed. “And what’s this us business? You don’t own me, Mick! Nobody owns me.”

  “But you’re being unfair to him by not telling him about what has been going on between us – and you’re being unfair to me too! For fuck’s sake!” He flicked his hair back off his forehead.

  “My usual room, nothing changed!” said Harry as he happily walked in.

  Kitty turned and smiled falsely at him as she picked up the stack of plates and saucers again.

  “I’ll just drop these down to the kitchen.” She smiled at Harry as she passed him. “You two head down to the parlour and join the others – fix yourselves a drink.”

  “We will surely!” said Harry as he threw an arm around Michael and led him down the corridor.

  In the parlour he went over to the drinks cabinet and began to fix them two whiskies. “How I dreamed of being back here so many times when I was in America,” he said. “Dev had said you were coming over to America to join me – then, when I heard nothing further on it, I thought the plan had been dropped. I didn’t think you could be spared from over here anyway – but I still hoped you would be coming over to me – the old team back together.”

  “It would have been an adventure alright,” said Michael, taking the glass of whiskey from him. “Though maybe we’re getting too old for adventures.”

  “Never too old for adventures!” said Harry, clinking his glass against Michael’s. He beamed a smile over at Gearóid and Maud who were seated on the couch. “As for you two – have you fixed a date yet?”

  “Not yet,” said Maud. “It’s been hard to plan anything with Gearóid’s involvement in the war. But we’re hoping for next year.”

  Harry leaned forward and lowered his voice. “Well, I’m hoping me and Kitty won’t be too far behind you! Who knows – we might end up having a double wedding!”

  Michael swilled the whiskey around his mouth.

  “Wouldn’t that be nice?” whispered Maud, glaring at Michael.

  Michael raised his glass and downed the contents in one go.

  CHAPTER 28

  Kitty hardly said anything for the rest of the evening. She observed Michael didn’t say much either. But that was alright because Harry, brimming over with excitement that he was home, had enough talk for all of them. She carefully observed him and could see he did not suspect anything had been going on. He thought that everything was the exact same as he had left it. Never in his wildest dreams would he have suspected anything had been going on between his girlfriend and his best friend. And now here he was beside her and she was desperately trying to work out how she felt about him. As she listened to him and watched him, she saw how she had fallen for him. But as she watched Michael, she felt her heart was torn in two.

  At last Michael rose to go to bed. She could tell Harry had been giving him signals to leave them alone. Harry must have thought that Michael was short on the uptake, it took him that long to leave.

  “Goodnight, Harry – goodnight, Kitty,” said Michael.

  “Night, Mick,” she said and avoided eye contact with him, as she had countless times that night.

  “Goodnight, Mick,” said Harry.

  “We’ll be off too,” said Maud, standing and gesturing to Gearóid who hastily stood up too.

  “Goodnight, Maud – Gearóid.” Kitty nodded at them.

  “Goodnight,” said Maud, staring meaningfully at Kitty.

  As Michael made his way through the house up to his room, he could hear Harry’s laughter echoing behind him. In his room, he closed the door behind him and sank down to the ground, sinking his face in his hands.

  It was breaking his heart, thinking of them together downstairs. Had she forgotten about him now that Harry was back? Had he just been an amusement to fill in time for her while her true love Harry was away? He felt himself being consumed by jealousy. It was exactly like the feeling he had with Helen before, a feeling he was being rejected, that he was being passed over for somebody else. That Kitty, like Helen before her, did not understand him or could never be his soulmate. But he was also overcome with a dreadful guilt about Harry.

  Maud and Gearóid spoke in whispers as they walked down the corridor.

  “What the fuck is she playing at?” demanded Gearóid.

  “I don’t know – heavens knows!” said Maud, throwing her hands in the air.

  “She has the two of them sleeping under the same roof – with Harry, the poor eejit, having no idea what’s been going on!”

  “I despair of her! It’s like she’s lost her mind!”

  “Well, she’s your sister!”

  “And Mick is your cousin! He’s not an innocent party in all this, you know!” Maud shot back.

  “A simple decision is all she needs to make. Can she not just follow her heart?”

  “I think that’s what she’s so very frightened of doing,” sighed Maud.

  Harry held Kitty’s hand tightly as they sat on the couch, the oil lamp casting shadows around the room.

  “You don’t know how much I dreamed of this in America. Just to be here with you, holding your hand,” said Harry.

  “Did you not hold anyone else’s hand while you were over there?” she asked, already knowing the answer would be a resounding no.

  “Apart from Dev’s – no!”

  She allowed herself to smile at his humour. “Harry – it seems a very long time since you were here … a lot changed during that time … I’ve changed.”

  “You haven’t changed one little bit – you are the exact same,” he said.

  “But I have changed – in here,” she said, placing her hand on her heart. “There’s no easy way to say this so I’ll just come out and say it. I tried to write it to you many times, but every time I did, I received a letter from you saying how much you loved me and I couldn’t bear to say it.”

  “Say what?”

  “I- I -I met somebody else.”

  He blinked a few times in disbelief.

  “I know I should have written to tell you … but I didn’t want to upset you when you were so far from home … besides, I think I was too cowardly to tell you. I tried to put pen to paper many times and the letters always ended up in the fire.”

  “When you say you met somebody … you mean …”

  “Romantically.”

  “But you’re my girl. Everyone knows that,” he said with a half-smile.

  She pulled back her hand and stood up. “For goodness’ sake, Harry, I’m not your girl, or anybody’s girl … I’m a woman and I don’t belong to anybody. I never committed to you – not fully.”

  “But I asked you to come to America with me –”

  “And I didn’t go!”

  “No, but you said you’d wait –”

  “And I waited and I waited and I waited – and I know this isn’
t what you wanted to hear after just arriving back from America – but you don’t know what it has been like here with the war. The attack on the town here and seeing that young policeman killed in front of me … I know I’m making excuses but we’ve all been living on borrowed time here, that’s what it felt like … and we had to live for the moment.”

  “Live for the moment.” He repeated the words as if they were incomprehensible to him.

  “I tried everything to resist the other man but I have to be honest with you, Harry … I can’t lie anymore and I have strong feelings for him.”

  “And who is he – this man?” Harry asked astounded.

  Her mouth opened and then she shut it tightly again.

  “Kitty – who is he?” persisted Harry.

  “It’s – it’s …” As she looked at him, she decided she could not tell him. Not while Michael was under the same roof. There was no accounting how Harry might react and she didn’t want a fight breaking out or worse.

  “It’s of no consequence who it is.”

  “Well, I most certainly think it matters a lot. Tell me who he is, Kitty – I at least deserve to know that.”

  “It’s … Mick,” whispered Kitty as her eyes filled with tears.

  His face dropped in confusion as he stared at her.

  “Mick? You mean our Mick? Mick Collins?”

  She nodded.

  “For fuck’s sake, Kitty, you must be joking! You and Mick! As if that could ever be! Sure you’d kill each other after the first day of courting!”

  “It’s true, Harry, it’s been going on a few months. I told you we have been in constant contact and that he has been down here and I’ve been to Dublin.”

  “But, sure, I asked him to keep an eye on you … you must be misunderstanding the situation … I told him to spend time with you, to take care of you … he was doing that for me, Kitty!”

  “Harry, I know … that’s how it began … but then we discovered we had feelings for each other. There is no misunderstanding. I’m sorry.”