Time's Secrets (Taylor's Girls Book 3)

by Sabra Brown Steinsiek

  * * *

  Jamie had been silent when Betta led an obviously shaken Meg back into the glen. He moved to take her in his arms but Betta shook her head furiously. “No, Jamie, just take us home, please.”

  The four-mile ride had seemed endless. Jamie could feel Meg’s tears soaking the back of his shirt as she held on to him on the back of the scooter. What a difference from their ride up earlier. Then she’d been laughing and teasing, holding on to him because she wanted to, not for dear life as she was now.

  Betta sent them away once they were home. Jamie tried to speak to Meg but she’d waved him away, “Not now, Jamie. I can’t…”

  “I’ll be at the pub if you need me, Meg.” His eyes begged her to see how sorry he was at the turn things had taken but she only turned away to be led into the house by her sister.

  * * *

  Jamie slammed into the back door of the pub, dumping off his knapsack and the helmets he and Meg had worn. Maureen was in the kitchen getting things ready for the evening rush and his father was in the front serving the early birds who’d stopped off for a pint on the way home.

  “Trouble in paradise, Jamie?” Maureen asked.

  “Not now, Maureen,” Jamie said, his voice weary.

  “Jamie? Are you all right? You didn’t have an accident—you’re not hurt, not Megan?”

  “Everyone’s fine, Maureen. Just let me be.”

  While it was obvious that everything was far from fine, Maureen did back off. She knew better than to keep at Jamie when he was angry. She’d just never seen him this angry before and she watched as Jamie moved with tight control to put on his apron and get ready for an evening of serving at the bar.

  As Jamie came through the kitchen doors, his father looked up. “Jamie! Did you and your lass have a good afternoon?”

  “Good enough, Da,” he said quietly. “You can go on home now. I’ll take over.”

  The elder Jamie loved his son. He was the only child he and Moira had although they’d tried hard enough to give him a brother or sister. He could see the lad was hurting.

  “Are you all right, Jamie?”

  “I’m fine, Da! Just fine! I wish you’d all quit asking me!”

  “I will then and go on home to your mother. But,” his father rested his hand briefly on Jamie’s shoulders. “I’ll be there if you need me.”

  Jamie sighed. There was no point in lashing out at everyone. “Sorry, Da. Something happened today and I’m not sure what it’s going to mean to Megan. She was pretty upset when I left her and Betta at the professor’s. And I don’t know what to do to make it right.”

  Girl trouble. That he understood. It was something Jamie and his lass would have to work out between them.

  “Call me if you need to leave tonight.”

  “Thanks, Da.” Jamie managed a smile for his father. “I appreciate it.”

  * * *

  Their grandfather hadn’t returned when they got home and Betta was relieved. Sean would be beside himself with worry if he saw Megan in the state she was in. Betta could hear Katyrose bustling about in the kitchen so she hurried Meg up the stairs and into the bathroom.

  “I’m running you a bath, Meg. You need to get warmed up. I want you in it by the time I get back from the kitchen with some tea.” She took Meg’s face between her hands. “Meg? Did you hear me?”

  “Yes…a bath. It won’t help, Betta. I’ll never be warm again.”

  “You will, Meg. You’re just in shock right now. Be a good girl and get into the bath. I’ll be back in a few.”

  Betta ran down the stairs and nearly ran into Katyrose who was gathering her purse and apron to take home.

  “Oh! Child, you scared me to death. Slow down! Where’s your sister? Your grandfather called to say he would be late and that the two of you should go on without him. I’ve left a bit of cold chicken and salad in the fridge for you if you’ve a mind to eat it and aren’t heading straight down to the pub.”

  Betta was impatient at the rush of words from the housekeeper. “Thanks, Katyrose. Meg’s not feeling well so we’ll be staying in tonight.”

  “Is there something I can do? I can stay until your grandfather’s home if you’d like.”

  “Thanks, but no. We’ll be fine. You go on home and have a nice evening.”

  “If you’re sure then. My favorite show is on soon and I’d like to be home in time for it.”

  “Good night, Katyrose. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Betta breathed a sigh of relief once the door closed behind her. Katyrose was a dear woman but her kindness could be trying!

  Quickly she brewed two cups of tea from the kettle that was always on the stove. She laced Meg’s with lots of sugar and took a couple of cookies from the well-stocked jar before she went back up the stairs.

  Meg was in the old-fashioned bathtub deep in bubbles that obscured everything but her face. She opened her eyes as Betta came back into the room. “Think you could have used a little more of the bubble bath?” she asked.

  Her joke and the fact that color was coming back into Meg’s face eased some of Betta’s worries. “I didn’t exactly take time to measure,” she replied as she held out a cup of tea. “Take this and drink it.”

  Meg took a sip of the tea. “My God, Betta, how much sugar did you put into this!”

  “Enough to try to counteract the shock you were going into.”

  “I don’t remember them teaching us to use sugar when we were Girl Scouts.”

  “They didn’t. Abuelita did. She said it’s what her grandmother would do when she was upset.”

  Meg sighed and closed her eyes. “It’s helping. I’m warmer now.” She kept her eyes closed and Betta sat on the stepstool beside the tub. She watched as two tears squeezed out from under Meg’s lashes.

  “Betta? It has to be him, don’t you think?”

  “Has to be.”

  “Why should it matter so much to me? I was never anything to him.”

  “Do you remember what you said while we were out there? About how you’d been relieved he hadn’t just abandoned you?”

  “I was. It was silly. I knew it in my head but my heart wanted to believe that there was still a part of him that had cared for me and my mother.”

  “Letting go of dreams is never easy, Meg.”

  “Even the bad dreams?”

  “Those are probably hardest of all.”

  * * *

  Sean came into the busy pub and looked around for his granddaughters. Jamie was behind the bar and beckoned him over.

  “My girls not here yet, Jamie?”

  Jamie set a pint in front of him. “No, sir. Meg wasn’t feeling well and they decided to spend the evening in. Nothing serious!” he added at Sean’s look of alarm. “I guess I haven’t been letting her get much rest the last few days.”

  Sean laughed. “That’s putting it mildly, Jamie. You two have been together almost constantly. I brought her along so I could spend some time with her. I never figured that I’d lose her to a local lad.”

  “I’m sorry. If you’d like, I’ll…”

  “Wait, Jamie! I was only kidding you. You’re making Meg’s trip truly memorable. She said that you’d arranged some time off and that you’d like to come with us on some of our excursions. I think it’s a fine idea. What did you all do today?”

  “We took a trip out to Cave Hill and explored the ruins. My cousin Diarmid went along to keep Betta company.”

  Sean nodded. “I thought we’d take a trip out to the Giant’s Causeway tomorrow or the day after. Would you be free to join us?”

  “The day after would be better for me. I promised Meg I’d take her somewhere tomorrow—if you’d not be minding?”

  “Either day is fine with me.” Sean stood and reached into his pocket but Jamie interrupted.

  “No,
this one’s on me.”

  “Then I thank you. Anything I should tell my Meg for you?”

  A shadow crept into Jamie’s eyes. “Just tell her I’ll see her tomorrow.” At least I hope I will, he thought as he waved goodbye to Sean and turned to building another pint.

  * * *

  Sean came into the house to find Betta in the sitting room reading.

  “Hello, Betta,” he said as he dropped a kiss on her head before he took the chair opposite her. “I stopped in at the pub expecting to find you there. Jamie said Meg wasn’t feeling well.”

  “She’s okay, Abuelo. Just a little too much going on at once. She’s sleeping now and will probably be fine tomorrow.”

  “That’s good. We’ve only got a few more days here and I would hate to see her sick.”

  Betta longed to throw herself into her grandfather’s arms and tell him all that had happened. But it was Meg’s story to tell and Betta wouldn’t betray her. Still, it would have been nice to have talked it out with someone.

  “I asked Jamie about going with us to the Giant’s Causeway. It will take the whole day and he said the day after tomorrow would be better for him. He said he and Meg had plans for tomorrow. Are you going with them?”

  “I was planning to. It seems like we’re leaving you alone a lot and this trip was supposed to be so we could spend some time together.”

  “I can’t compete with the local lads—and don’t want to try. I wanted to make a trip to Linden Hall Library. They’ve got some manuscripts I’d like to take a look at. I didn’t think you girls would be interested so I’ll do that tomorrow and we’ll have our outing on the day after.”

  Betta came and stood behind his chair. Leaning down, she hugged him, pressing her cheek against his still red hair. “We’re pretty lucky to have you, Abuelo. Don’t think we don’t know that.”

  Sean patted the arms around his neck. “I’m the lucky one, Betta. Go on and get some sleep for your big adventures tomorrow.”

  Chapter 11

  Jamie came home late, still half out of his mind with worry about Meg. He’d been hoping Betta would ring the pub and let him know she was all right but there’d been no word.

  He was surprised to find his mother waiting up for him. “Ma? Is everything all right?”

  “That’s what I was wondering, Jamie. Your father said you were upset when you came to the pub tonight. I wanted to see if I could help.”

  “Thanks but there’s nothing to help with.”

  “Sha’leen called. She told me that you’d brought Megan to see her this morning. Shall I fix a cup of tea and we can talk?”

  Jamie gave a sigh of relief. If his mother knew that much already, it would be okay to talk to her about what had happened on Cave Hill. He leaned down and gave her a hug. “Tea and talk are just what I need, Ma.”

  She was always there, his Ma. He couldn’t remember a time he hadn’t depended on her; even now, when he was a grown man, he still needed his mother. Not an easy thing to admit when you’re over six foot tall and shaving.

  His mother set the mugs of tea on the table along with a plate of cookies. No matter how upset he was, she knew her boy never turned down food.

  “What did Auntie Sha’leen say?”

  “She said that Megan was looking for news about her father. That he’d died here in Belfast a few years ago.”

  “That’s right. She said he abandoned her mother right after she got pregnant with Megan. She never met him. He never inquired after her or sent money to help with her raising. He wasn’t anyone to her, really. This Taylor, her adopted father, was always there for her and more of a father than her own ever was.”

  “And she still cares enough to see his grave?”

  “I think it’s all so unfinished for her, Ma. And she’d like to see if there’s a birth date on his grave marker so she can try to see if she has any family on his side.

  “Tell me what happened after you left the convent.”

  “I asked Diarmid along to keep Betta company and provide the second scooter to get us all up to Cave Hill. We had a wonderful time until we stopped for tea. That idjit Diarmid brought up that body that was found up there when we were kids. He went on about it until he mentioned the guy had been a television reporter and that he’d been beaten. That’s when Megan lost it. Betta took her off into the woods but I knew what was going on. She’d told Auntie Sha’leen he was a reporter. It had to be the same guy. How many American reporters turned up dead in Belfast then?”

  “The poor girl! She must have been devastated.”

  “I’ve never seen anyone so white, Ma. She was moving like a sleepwalker when Betta brought her back to the glen. I dropped them off at the Professor’s house and went on to the pub. No one called me so I guess she’s all right.”

  “She’s a strong one, Jamie. I could see that in her. Give her some time to get used to the idea and take her to the grave to say goodbye. She’ll get through it.”

  “Auntie Sha’leen found him then?”

  “He’s in the Protestant cemetery down the road from the convent. Sha’leen says his grave is in the northeast corner under that crooked old tree.”

  “If she’s still wanting to go, I’ll take her there tomorrow.”

  “Jamie? Have you lost more of your heart to this girl than you should?”

  “If you’re asking if I’m in love with her, Ma, I am. From the moment I saw her across the pub, I knew she was the woman I’d been waiting for…the one I’ll probably always wait for since she’ll go back to America soon. She’s going to be a doctor, Ma, and will start her studies this fall in California. She’s not going to give that up to have anything to do with an Irish barkeep. I’m in love with her, but I’m wise enough to know that nothing’s going to come of it.”

  “She might surprise you.”

  “She might—if I gave her a chance. But I won’t, Ma. I’ll wave goodbye and we’ll write a few letters but then she’ll be gone. Hopefully it will be a pleasant memory for the both of us someday.” Jamie stood up from the table. “Thanks for listening, Ma.”

  “Goodnight, Jamie. Sweet dreams.” She’d said the same thing to him every night for all of his life but there wasn’t a chance it would happen tonight, Jamie thought. He’d be lucky if he slept at all.

  * * *

  Meg slept late the next morning. Her grandfather was gone by the time she came down and Katyrose was off to the market. Betta was sitting in the garden sketching out new designs. It was a soothing activity for her; a place she could be where all the troubles seemed to be less important.

  “It’s beautiful, Betta,” Meg said as she came to sit beside her.

  “Just something I’m playing with,” Betta replied as she closed the sketchbook and set it on the table beside her. “How are you this morning?”

  “I don’t know yet. I feel a little numb.”

  “It was a lot to find out in one day. Are you still going to want to go to find his grave? Jamie called a little while ago. Sister Eileen found the information for you.”

  “I think I have to, Betta. Maybe then I can put this all aside…at least ‘til we go back home. I know that Taylor knew my father and I’m going to ask him to fill in some of the blank spaces.”

  “Are you sure, Meg? Sure that you really want to know any more?”

  “I guess I need to know where I came from before I go on with who I’m going to be.”

  “Jamie said he’d be by about noon. Do you want some breakfast?”

  “I’m sure I can find something to nibble on.” Meg stood, stretched, then turned to go in the house. But she stopped at the doorway, “Betta?” She waited until she had Betta’s attention then blew her a kiss. “Thanks for being there for me.”

  “It’s what sisters do,” Betta said with a smile.

  Chapter 12

  Jamie clattered down
the stairs and into the kitchen where his father was having a cup of tea before heading off to the pub. “Good Lord, Jamie, how do you manage to make so much noise?”

  “Noise? What noise?” Jamie replied with a cheeky grin.

  “You seem to be feeling better this morning. Had a talk with your Ma, did you?”

  “I do and I did. She knows the answer to everything. I can see why you married her.”

  “It wasn’t for her brains alone, boy!”

  “Da! That’s my mother you’re talking about!”

  The elder Jamie laughed, glad to see his son back in fine spirits. “So where are you and your American off to today?”

  Jamie’s smile faded. “Not for anything fun today, Da. I promised to take her to visit her father’s grave.”

  “Here? Her father’s buried here?”

  “Auntie Sha’leen found it for us. Megan’s father was a newsman here about ten years ago. Do you remember when they found his body up on Cave Hill?”

  He heard a gasp and looked up to see his mother in the kitchen doorway, her face white with shock, his father’s almost as pale.

  “What?” he said, looking from one to the other.

  The elder Jamie’s voice was tight as he rumbled, “Tell me again what you just said.”

  “Meg’s father—her birth father—was a television reporter here. I remember the fuss when he disappeared from his hotel. He was already in some sort of trouble—we kids picked that much up. They found his body up on Cave Hill a few days later. Meg didn’t know any of this, except that he died here, until yesterday.”

  “And you made your Auntie find his grave for you?”