New York Orphan (Tales of Flynn and Reilly Book 1)

by Rosemary J. Kind

  “Well, I never did.” Miss Ellie looked flushed.

  Molly realised she was still holding the cane aloft and, with a shaking hand, gently lowered it. She watched Miss Ellie starting to relax, and then after a few moments the older woman started to laugh.

  “Would you actually have hit him, Molly? It would have been no more than he deserved.” She was still laughing heartily as she spoke and began to wipe a stray tear away.

  “I do believe I would have done,” Molly replied, beginning, out of sheer relief, to join in the laughter.

  “In all my years… Whatever was the fool of a man thinking? I think it probably just goes to show you the ills of strong liquor, and at this hour of the day!” Miss Ellie stood up and brushed herself down to straighten her dress. Dabbing liberally at her eyes to stem the flow of tears, she took a deep breath and deflated onto the seat. She began to look more composed and a little less shaken. “I’ve got a good mind to take that cane off down the train and find that fellow and tan his backside. He’s no better than the boys back home trying to stop me laying claim to my daddy’s farm, reckoning a woman couldn’t do the same work and had no place to be doing it. One day, though I don’t suppose it will be in my lifetime, women will have just the same rights as those there men, you mark my words.” She paused a long pause. “Now, where were we when we were so rudely interrupted?”

  Miss Ellie busied herself opening the window to dispel the last of the cigar smoke, as Molly looked on, in awe of her companion. She wondered whether the fact that Miss Ellie had not married was the reason she had maintained so much spirit throughout her life – or maybe it was the other way about. She wanted to stay as strong and empowered as Miss Ellie seemed to be, and she wondered whether marrying Henry would have made that impossible. She doubted he would have been happy about the journey she was on at present, but he wasn’t there to say anything and wasn’t it a form of equality he’d died fighting for? All the same, she feared married life might have been rather different. She touched the locket which lay at her neck and wondered how Sarah was doing.

  They were now a day away from Iowa City and Molly felt tired and dirty from the travelling. Whilst she longed to reach her journey’s end and hopefully find Daniel, she jumped at the suggestion by Miss Ellie that they stay another day to rest in Davenport before travelling on. The journey from there would not be far and they would arrive early enough the following day.

  They took the day to walk and enjoy the fresh air. Molly could almost feel the colour returning to her cheeks with each step. Travelling was more tiring than she had expected and it brought back very vague memories of the trip from Ireland all those years ago. She’d been barely old enough to remember much of it, but every so often there were glimpses of memories and with them pictures of a family that now seemed unreal.

  Iowa City was much larger than either Pierceton or Dowagiac, and Molly began to worry about their chances of finding Daniel as she realised the scale of the place. It was unlikely she’d simply see him walking along the street as she had with Tom, so with little idea of where to begin they headed for the Capitol building.

  “I’m sorry, Miss. I don’t know of any official records pertaining to the arrival of orphans. I know some came, but I don’t think we were an official staging post. I have a feeling there was some sort of special arrangement, but I know little more than that.” The gentleman directed them to a local orphanage that might have information on what had happened, though with the passage of time he was less than encouraging.

  They walked on through the streets in search of the orphanage. It was a while before they found what they were looking for and were extremely grateful that the principal was both present and willing to the see them. The man had grown plump with time and an apparently good life. He looked to be around sixty.

  “And what can I do for you fine ladies?” His greeting was jovial and Molly hoped that if Daniel had spent time here he would at least have been happy.

  “Sir, I’m looking for a friend who may have stayed here.”

  The smile slipped from the man’s face and his eyes narrowed. “And when would this have been?”

  Molly explained the circumstances and watched as the man fidgeted and looked uncomfortable.

  “It’s a long time ago. I can’t possibly be expected to remember every boy who has passed through the home.”

  “But you were here then.” Molly was keen to pin the man down and she was starting to suspect he remembered rather more than he was saying.

  “Well, yes, I was here then, but we’ve had many boys – many, many boys.”

  “And were some of them from New York?”

  “I really don’t remember. We’ve taken boys from all over the place. I’m sorry, I don’t think I can help you.”

  Molly was starting to feel cross. Why would this man possibly not want to help her? “Sir, this is important to me. Please can you help?”

  “I’m sorry, Miss, I really don’t think there’s anything I can tell you of use.”

  Molly could see him sweating. What did he know about Daniel?

  “I’ll ask Matron to show you out.”

  A stocky lady came rather quickly in response to the principal’s bell. She did not look welcoming and Molly thought if she were going to ask a question she would need to word it carefully. To Molly’s surprise, as they walked away down the corridor, the woman’s demeanour changed and she stopped and turned to them.

  “I’m sorry to be impertinent, but I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation with Mr Knight.”

  Molly almost smiled, guessing that Matron had been listening just outside the door, which is how she came to respond so quickly to the bell.

  “There were boys brought here from New York. I think some of the situations they were placed in were not desirable. Mr Knight prefers not to discuss them. Was there someone in particular you were looking for?”

  “Oh yes.” Molly spoke in a low voice to make sure Mr Knight wouldn’t hear, but it was hard to control the sudden rush of excitement. “I’m looking for Daniel Flynn; he lived with us in New York. He may have been listed as Daniel Reilly.”

  Matron nodded. “I can’t promise that I can find anything out, but I’m sure I’ve heard the name. I’ll take a look when Mr Knight is out. Where can I leave word for you?”

  Molly scribbled down the address of their lodgings on a piece of paper and with shaking hand passed it to Matron. “Anything, please, if you can find out anything…”

  Then, as they heard movement further along the corridor, Matron ushered them out of the front door, her wall of efficiency restored without any evidence of the softness that lay beneath.

  They had an aimless walk around the city during the afternoon. There was nowhere they could think of trying to search for information until they heard something. The schoolhouse might have been a possibility, but they had no idea if Daniel had stayed close enough to the town to attend. They would follow that up later. Molly hesitated outside the Franklin Printing House on Dubuque Street and wondered if the newspapers might have reported anything over the years that could help them. She decided to wait to see if Matron found out anything first.

  When they arrived back at their lodgings, Molly was more than a little impressed to find a note already waiting for them. It was written in a clear hand and the content was perfunctory.

  ‘Daniel Flynn stayed in this home for a short while on arrival. He was placed on a farm outside of the city with Mr Hawksworth as his overseer. He was to stay there until he turned eighteen.’

  There were details of the farm’s address and little more than a sign-off. Molly clutched the note to her. At last she had a link to Daniel, and her heart missed a beat at the prospect that he might not be lost to her altogether. They would make arrangements and travel out to the farm on the following morning.

  Chapter 22

  Molly’s journey out to the farm was a bumpy ride and with every jolt her heart pounded in anticipation of what lay ahead. �
�Do you think finding Daniel might be as easy as simply turning up at the farm?” she asked Miss Ellie, with all the eagerness of a child. In her heart she knew there were many reasons that might be unlikely, the war being the chief of them, but it didn’t stop her from hoping.

  Miss Ellie covered Molly’s hands with her own, but said nothing.

  As Miss Ellie stopped the cart in front of the house, a middle-aged woman came out, wiping her hands on her apron. Molly stepped down in as dignified a manner as she could, then turned to help Miss Ellie. By this time the woman of the farmhouse was close by.

  “Well, hello, and to what do we owe the pleasure of a visit to our farm?” The woman smiled broadly.

  Molly instantly decided this was a woman she could really like. “Ma’am, good day to you. I’m looking for –” Molly got no further with the sentence when a solid man with a ruddy complexion and a large moustache strode across the yard and interrupted.

  “What do you want?”

  Molly recoiled at his brusque approach and thought that when manners had been given out to the pair, all had been given to one and none to the other. Her warmth toward the woman’s greeting was utterly counterpointed by her discomfort with the man. In his company, she saw the woman’s smile fade and her stature markedly diminish.

  Molly gulped and addressed the man. “Sir, good day to you. We are looking for Mr Daniel Flynn. I was led to believe…” She saw the woman flinch.

  “And what is he to you?” The sentence was snarled by the man rather than spoken.

  Molly drew back. “He was a friend of my brother when we lived in New York, sir. I’d like to see him.”

  The man spat on the ground before addressing them again. “He’s not here.”

  “Was he here, sir?”

  The man spat again and turned his back to walk away. He headed toward the house and the woman scurried away faster than the train that had brought Molly to Iowa.

  Molly and Miss Ellie were left standing in the yard.

  “Well, I’ll be,” Miss Ellie said, looking around her. “Happen we might ask someone in the bunkhouse, if there’s anyone to ask.” She had begun to walk across the yard when the man came back out of the farmhouse, a gun in his hands.

  “Miss Ellie,” Molly called with a quiver in her voice, “I think perhaps we ought to leave.”

  As Miss Ellie turned and saw the man, her eyes flared. “Is that the sort of hospitality Iowa has to offer? Where I come from, visitors are treated with a little respect.”

  The man raised the gun. “Then get back to where you come from. No one asked you to come snooping around here. Now I’ll give you five minutes to be off my land before I use you good ladies as target practice.”

  Molly was taking no chances and ushered Miss Ellie back toward the waiting cart. As soon as they had clambered up, Miss Ellie geed up the horse and it was on its way and taking them back to the main road. They were half way down the drive when they heard the man loose off a shot from the gun, Molly presumed as a warning. The horse sped up at the sound, but thankfully didn’t rear and continued in a straight line along the drive.

  Theirs was a glum journey back to town. Molly had never imagined the search would prove as hard as this. She knew she was tantalisingly close to finding Daniel, but was unsure what steps to take next. The man at the farm had not even introduced himself, though she suspected, from what Matron had said, that he was Mr Hawksworth. As they drove the horses, the words of one of the tunes Daniel used to sing echoed back to her over the years. For the first time in a very long while, she began to sing quietly, understanding how Daniel had drawn comfort from the tunes passed down by his pa.

  “And from that time, through wildest woe,

  that hope has shone a far light,

  nor could love's brightest summer glow

  outshine that solemn starlight;

  It seemed to watch above my head

  in forum, field and fane,

  its angel voice sang round my bed,

  A Nation once again!”

  Molly’s spirits soared and her determination was renewed. She would find Daniel, whatever it took, and one day maybe she would be reconciled with her brother too.

  “You sing beautifully.”

  Molly smiled. “If you think that’s beautiful, you wait until you hear Daniel sing it for us, for as sure as I know anything, I’m going to find him.”

  Miss Ellie broke into a broad smile. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.” They were quiet for a while before Miss Ellie said, “What are we going to try next?”

  “I shall write to the lady of the house – Mrs Hawksworth, I presume. She seemed so kind and I’m sure she’d tell us what she knows. Then maybe we should go in search of the school.”

  Miss Ellie nodded her agreement as the horse trotted on.

  Molly set to writing as soon as they got back and found pen and paper. If she could catch the last post of the day, the letter should be delivered by morning.

  They waited in the following day, and at every rap on the lodgings’ door Molly jumped, hoping to be called to take receipt of a letter, but each time she was disappointed. By evening her hope was fading and the energy she’d felt had dwindled.

  The following morning, once breakfast was over and the first post of the day had passed them by, Molly decided to go for a walk alone, to clear her head and try to make sense of the situation. She wandered aimlessly around the town before taking a rest against a wall. She thought back to the New York days, of the times they would find a street corner for Daniel to sing and the way the crowds gathered. Thinking herself alone she began to sing, hoping to recapture the determination she had felt the previous day. As she did so, quiet as she was, a small dog came and sat at her feet, looking up at her. She continued to sing to her canine audience and smiled as he seemed to be listening intently. It was only when she finished and looked up that she became aware of a roughly dressed, older man standing nearby, and she started slightly.

  “Pardon, Miss. I didn’t mean to intrude. I think Duke here recognised the tune and even if he didn’t, I certainly did. He was very fond of our friend who used to sing that song.”

  Molly felt the colour rising to her face and her heart pounding. “Sir, please tell me, who was the friend who sang the song?” She could barely get the words out for the excitement she was feeling.

  “He was a young lad I worked with. Daniel was his name.”

  Molly let out a loud gasp. She took the man’s rough hand in hers. “Daniel Flynn, sir. Please tell me, was it Daniel Flynn?”

  Though he looked a little surprised, the man smiled at her and nodded. “It most certainly was, Miss. You know him?”

  “Know him! He is the very reason I am here. I am searching for him, sir. Where might I find him?”

  The old man sucked at his remaining teeth and shook his head. “I don’t rightly know. You see the thing is, he ran away from the master, and me and Duke had to leave soon after, before we got blamed. I hope he got as far away as could be, but I’ve had no word from him. Not that he could contact me easily, as he didn’t know where I’d be. I’ve been out on a farm just north of here and am only in town until I can get a train to take me south.”

  Molly’s tears came unbidden. For a moment she had thought she was close to finding Daniel and now he was as far away as ever. “Thank you, sir.” She stroked the dog’s head as she spoke. “I’m sorry.”

  “No, Miss. It’s me who should be sorry; I didn’t mean to upset you.” He paused and looked at her quizzically. “Excuse my impertinence for asking, but you wouldn’t be Molly, would you?”

  She looked up from the dog, her mouth open. “He spoke of me?”

  The man gave a rueful smile. “Oh, he spoke of you all right. Sometimes I think it was only the thought of you that kept him going. I sure hope you find him. It would mean the world to him to see you again.”

  “And to me too. Oh, sir, how can I find him? I went to the farm and was threatened with a gun. I don’t know wh
ere else to look.” Her heart was racing at the thought that she had been in Daniel’s mind all these years. It was almost too much to bear, not to be able to find him now.

  “I don’t know what to suggest. He never came into town and he wasn’t likely to stay around here. It wouldn’t have been safe, but there’s no place he spoke of I can imagine him going, unless in search of you.”

  A horrible thought struck Molly. What if, all the time she’d been travelling in search of Tom and Daniel, he had been back at Pierceton looking for her? She didn’t know now if it made sense to stay or to go back. Would anyone send word if Daniel were there? She resolved to write a letter to Sarah just as soon as she could get back to the lodgings, but with Sarah married to Henry’s brother she would need to choose her words carefully. She ached with longing to see Daniel, a feeling she had never held for Henry, and felt deeply sad for the man who had died fighting.

  “Miss?”

  She’d almost forgotten the old man still standing there.

  “I should have introduced myself. I’m Ben. Would you sing that song one last time, to me and Duke before we’re on our way?”

  How could she deny them that? So Molly began once again to sing:

  “A Nation once again,

  a Nation once again,

  and Ireland, long a province, be

  a Nation once again!”

  As she came to the end of the chorus, with Duke looking up at her, his head cocked and ears raised in concentration, the man suddenly started. “I’ve an idea of somewhere we might be able to ask someone.”

  “Oh, sir, tell me.” She took his hands once again and hoped he might be right.

  “There’s a bar where Jed and Rick took drinks with Hawksworth of a Saturday night. I heard ’em talking about it. Happen we could ask in there. They were not ones to keep their mouths shut when they’d been drinking. If anyone’s heard anything I suspect they’ll know.”

  Molly nodded vigorously, struggling to contain her excitement. “We could go now.”