Murphy's Law (Molly Murphy Mysteries, #1)

"But we want to be with you, Mama," Bridie said. "We'll come on the next boat with you."

"Indeed you won't," Kathleen said. "Not when your poor daddy's waiting for you, longing to put his arms around his little ones again. We'll not be unkind enough to make him wait any longer, will we now? And who knows--there might not be room for all three of us on the next boat, and we've a beautiful cabin ready and waiting on this fine ship. Miss Molly will take good care of you, won't you?"

"Of course I will," I said, playing along with her, although I wasn't very happy about the devious way she was doing it. Maybe she hadn't endured childhood beatings for not telling the truth as often as I had. "We'll have a grand time on the ship. Plenty of good food and games to play--and it's only a few days till we'll be in New York."

"There's only one thing," Kathleen said, beckoning the children close to her. "We have to play a little secret game."

The children were looking up with excited faces. "Miss Molly's cabin is away at the other end of the ship," Kathleen said. "She wouldn't be able to take care of you, being so far away. So I've suggested that she move in with you two and take my place instead. Only one thing--they have the name Kathleen O'Connor down for that cabin, so they wouldn't let Miss Molly in, would they now?"

The two little ones were looking confused now. "So what do you think we should do?" Kathleen asked.

"Ask them to change it?" Seamus asked. Kathleen shook her head. "Too late for that. I think we should pretend that Miss Molly is me. That would be a fine game, wouldn't it? A secret for just the three of you. No need to tell another soul--right?"

The little ones giggled and glanced up at me. I forced a grin too. "Our little secret," I whispered, and touched my finger to my lips.

"Time to go on board now," Kathleen said. "Seamus, my love, are you big enough to carry the bundle?"

"I can do it." He took the bundle from her. It was half as big as he was, but he staggered along manfully with it.

Kathleen handed me the tickets. "How are you with the readin' and writin'?" she asked.

"I do both just fine."

They'll ask you questions when you get to America," Kathleen said. "All the questions are on that sheet there--my maiden name and the village I came from and the date of my wedding. They might ask you any of those things, so make sure you learn them before you get there."

"Don't worry," I said. "Don't worry about a thing. Everything's going to be fine."

Bridie seemed to realize for the first time what was

happening. She clung to her mother's legs. "I don't want to go without you," she wailed. "I want to stay here with you, Mammy."

"Hush now," Kathleen said, stroking the child's head. "You can't stay with me, little one. You have to go with Miss Molly. It won't be for long. I'll be with you very soon, I promise."

"You hurry up and catch the next boat, Ma," Seamus said. "Daddy will be wanting to know what has happened to you."

"I'll come as quickly as I can." There was a catch in her voice and I watched her press her lips together for a moment. "The days will just fly by and you'll have such fun." She put her arms around the children and buried her face in Bridie's scarf. "Be good children," she said. "Remember what I've told you. Remember to say your prayers and make sure you mind what Miss Molly tells you."

They nodded, looking at her solemnly as if they sensed what was going on.

"Go on then. Get going," she said. "I won't come any farther. I'll watch you from here."

"We'll wave to you when we get up on deck, Ma," Seamus said. "I've got my handkerchief. You watch and you'll see something white waving and it will be me."

"And I'll wave my handkerchief back." Kathleen tried to smile. "Go on. Away with you or you'll miss the boat!"

She gave Seamus, then Bridie, a quick kiss, then put her hands on my shoulders. "God go with you," she said. "May the Blessed Mother watch over the three of you."

"And you, too."

We looked at each other for a moment and then she turned and ran away. I took Bridie by the hand. "Come on, then. Let's go and find our cabin."

The dock was now bustling with activity. Carriages were arriving and disgorging passengers. Luggage was being put on a belt to be taken up into the boat. As we passed onto the water front a woman ran up and grabbed my arm. "You look like a kind person. My boy Sean. I haven't heard from him in three years. If you come across him, ask him to write his old mother, dying of a broken heart until she hears from him." She shoved a piece of paper into my hand. It had Sean O'ationeil, formerly of Balymore, county

Antrim, written on it in childish printing. I didn't like to tell her that my chances of meeting her Sean were very small. I nodded solemnly. "I'll do what I can."