Page 65 of The Irish Gypsy
"Forget it. It was only curiosity anyway.What I really came to say was I'm thinking of going to Patrick inAmerica. I'm free now, so why should we wait to get married?"
His eyes narrowed. "I thought you said hehadn't gotten you in trouble."
She stamped her foot and blurted out, "ForGod's sake, it's Julia who's with child. Oh, I shouldn't have toldyou! Now you'll tell Jeffrey and there will be hell to pay."
"Jeffrey's been generous to me, Kitty. He'soffered me a job. However, if you really want to go to America,that's what we will do," he offered.
"No, no, love. I want to go alone. Stay andwork with Jeffrey and by the time I return as Mrs. O'Reilly you'llbe on your way to making your fortune."
"I can rave and curse and forbid you, andafter it all you'd have your own way no matter what. You're awillful little bitch, Kitty. I pity the man who marries you." Helaughed and held out his arms to her.
"I must visit Grandada before I go, and byGod, when Patrick comes back I'm going to get Swaddy out of thatslum, if it's the last thing I do."
The next day Sir Charles had arranged for apicnic in the countryside. After they had eaten, Charles said, "Doyou mind if I smoke, my dear?"
"Oh, please do. Do you grow tobacco on yourisland?"
"Yes, but its main crops are sugar, bananas,coffee and spices. These cigars come from Cuba."
She watched him light up and saidmischievously, "Would you be shocked if I asked you for one?"
He laughed indulgently. "I've seen many womenin the islands smoke, so I wouldn't be shocked. I wouldn't adviseyou to smoke though. Not because it's unladylike, but because yourbreath would no longer be sweet, and it would spoil your prettyteeth."
"Oh! Then I shan't smoke," she promised. "Doyou own any ships?" she asked innocently.
"Well, now, not officially. However, at therisk of shocking you, I will admit I've financed a few pirate shipsin my time."
"How exciting! I thought piracy had beenoutlawed."
"It has," he said dryly. "So has slavery, butsometimes I have to turn a blind eye to that also."
"Oh, no! I cannot approve of slavery. Howcould you?" she asked reproachfully.
He sighed. "Well, morally I'm opposed to ittoo, lass, but the whole economy of the islands is based on it. Youcan't run a plantation without slaves. If I enforced the letter ofthe law, the economic structure would collapse and thousands wouldstarve. So I'm left to choose between two evils, as is so often thecase in life."
"I see," she said sadly. "Patrick is inpartnership with a ship owner in Liverpool. I just forget his name,but I think he makes quite a good profit off them."
"Aye, that would be Isaac Bolt. Patrick has abusiness head on his shoulders. Profit is his middle name," he saidand laughed.
She had gotten the answer to one of herquestions easily enough, so she decided to ask him the otherquestions that were puzzling her. She put her head on one side andregarded him archly. "Sir Charles, you're a man of the world andI'm woefully ignorant of some things. Would you tell me honestlythe answers to some rather intimate questions?"
"Well, we've made a habit of being truthfulwith each other. What do you want to know?"
"Is there a substance you can buy that willrid a woman of a child she is carrying?"
He looked at her for a penetrating moment andasked quietly, "Is it for you, Kathleen?"
She took both his hands into hers in a sortof pledge and looked straight into his eyes. "No, it isn't for me,Charles."
His features relaxed. "Yes, there is then.It's called Penny Royal. You have to buy it from an apothecaryshop."
She took a deep breath and said, "And theother thing I want to know is: How can you prevent conceiving achild in the first place?"
"Well for a woman there is a little spongewith a ribbon attached that you put inside before you make love,and for the man there is a linen sheath that he can wear."
"I see! Thank you for being so frank with me,Charles."
His eyes twinkled. "And I suppose that isn'tfor you either?"
