Page 64 of The Irish Gypsy
"Can a woman book a passage on her own? Imean, would a ship take her without a man?"
"Some would," he conceded.
Kitty decided to change the subject before hebecame suspicious. "Has anyone ever told you that you resemble KingCharles II?"
He threw back his head and laughed. "Manytimes! Me and my father before me," he said and winked. "I think itlikely there's Stuart blood in us--wrong side of the blanket, ofcourse." Kitty laughed at his aside and he said, "That's the sortof remark I shouldn't be able to make if you were one of theseVictorian females who shock easily."
She tossed her head and said, "'Tis allhypocrisy, anyway. At every social function in London the womencompete with each other to see how much of their breasts they canreveal, yet a glimpse of ankle and their reputations would be gone;they'd be fallen women!"
"To show your ankles is to invite seduction."His eyes twinkled.
She sighed. "If you hadn't said that, I wouldhave taken off my shoes and stockings and gone wading."
He felt a pang of regret at her words, yet hedidn't even know if she was being serious or just teasing. Theycame to a fallen log and Kitty sat down on it and patted the placebeside her. He was sitting so close to her, he could smell thesubtle fragrance of her skin. Once again he felt a tightness in hisloins that he knew was more than mere imagination. He looked downat her and said, "You haven't the faintest idea how exciting youare to a man."
"What do you mean?" Her eyes widened.
"I can't tell you without using blunt,explicit language," he smiled.
"Tell me," she urged.
"You are so young, almost still a child, yetyou have had experience in the marriage bed. That's a very excitingcombination."
Immediately, she wished she hadn't pressedhim to tell her. "Well, I asked for that one, but now I shallreturn to conventional behavior. It's time I returned home, yourGrace."
"I've offended you, Kathleen, and I'm sorry.I'll take you home immediately, but you will come driving with meagain, won't you?"
She hesitated.
"I've only got a week, Kathleen. Say you willcome?"
She relented. "I've enjoyed it as much asyou; perhaps more," she said and laughed.
"I doubt that, lass," he said.
When Kitty returned to the house, Juliaalmost dragged Kitty up to the privacy of her bedroom and beganasking questions as soon as the door was closed. "Kitty, you musthelp me! Who else can I turn to? How can I get rid of this childI'm carrying?"
Kitty was confused. If Patrick had knownJulia was thinking of such a course, he would have slapped hersilly. If her husband, Jeffrey, knew, he would be incensed.However, Kitty felt it was wrong for a man to impregnate a womanwhen she didn't want a child. "Julia, I don't know very much aboutit. I do know that in Bolton the mill women jump off the kitchentable or even deliberately fall down the stairs, but in spite ofit, most babies stick, no matter how they try to shake them loose.I knew of an old woman who used to perform some obscene operationwith a crochet hook, but a lot of girls died from it," Kitty saidsadly.
"I know there is something you can buy. It'svery expensive, but I have lots of money. Kitty, I need to know thename of it and where it's available. Help me, Kitty!"
"I promise I'll try to find out for you."
She watched all evening for her brother."Terry, I have some questions, and I'm wondering if you know theanswers."
"I'll try my best, sweet," he answeredaffably.
"I want to know what that stuff is a woman can take to get rid of ababy, and I want to know if there is any way of protecting yourselffrom conceiving a child," she plunged in.
"Christ Almighty! That bastard Patrick hasgot you in the family way." He was livid and snarling withanger.
"He has not!" she denied hotly, knowingfull-well she may be telling a lie. "Terrance Rooney, if I werehaving a child, I wouldn't be after destroying it. To me it wouldbe a sweet burden."
He sagged to the bed in relief, but then hislips tightened and he said almost primly, "Such subjects aren't foryoung ladies. I won't speak of them with you."
"Terry, your narrow-mindedness shows up yourworking-class background!"
"Indeed?" he asked calmly. "Well, a gentlemanmight discuss things of that nature with you, but only if you werehis whore!"
