Dark Rosaleen by OBE Michael Nicholson Read Free Book Online Page A

from the rise in wheat prices. Shelley was seen shouting at the dockers loading the sailing ships with Irish wheat and oats, bound for England. The spy reported that the captain had since sold the Commission’s wagons and horses, had bought food with the money and was giving it out free. Hundreds of families were flocking to him.
    Dr Martineau sat reading the report in his dressing room. He was not alarmed by it nor was he surprised. He realised it was too late to have the captain arrested. Shelley had already thrown off his uniform and retreated to the hinterland with men not of his own kind, men jubilant they had recruited such a prize, an English army officer, a young gallant, now a rebel himself. The doctor decided that Shelley must go the way of all desperate men and he must go soon. It would not be enough simply to capture him.
    He gazed into the hand mirror on his dressing table, daubed a touch of powder on his cheeks and a little more rouge to his lips. He caressed the heavy gold crucifix that rested in the cleft of his neck, saw his reflection in the shimmering candlelight and felt a surge of pleasure. He knew now what he must do and the prospect excited him. He snuffed out the candle and left the darkened room smiling.

    ‘She is not sick, Sir William, simply bored, and an empty mind is a dangerous vessel. It has been a long winter and Cork is not a place for young souls denied their hunting and prancing. It is not a doctor she needs but a little employment.’
    Dr Martineau sat with Sir William Macaulay in the room of beechwood, drinking his mid-morning coffee. He continued.
    ‘Your daughter is not herself. She is listless and depressed but I really do not believe she is suffering from anything more serious than boredom. We must find her something to do.’
    ‘Like what?’ asked Sir William. ‘What is there do in this cursed country except what we are doing? I promised her lively company, people of her own sort, parties and the like and she has had none of these things. And she’s changing. She is not the Kathryn I brought with me from England. She says the oddest things in the oddest way. Sometimes I close my eyes when she is speaking and wonder if it is her. Reminds me of someone I knew a long time ago. Indeed she does.’
    For some minutes he said nothing. Martineau waited. Sir William poured himself more coffee. ‘Damn it, Martineau, I’d send her back home if I could but Trevelyan insists that she stay, though for the life of me I can’t understand why. She’s hardly the flower of society and that’s why he wanted her here.’
    Martineau was soothing. ‘You must not blame yourself. Ireland is presently the most upsetting country on God’s earth.’
    ‘It’s cursed!’ Sir William rose from his chair, angry. ‘I tell you, it’s cursed. That’s why God cut it off from the rest of us and dumped it out here in the Atlantic. Ireland is damned.’
    ‘I do not believe in curses.’
    ‘Then maybe you should. Explain it any other way.’
    ‘It’s God’s will.’
    ‘And God’s will be done. Well, he’s certainly doing it here with a vengeance.’
    ‘With respect sir, we must not blaspheme.’
    Sir William settled himself in his chair again, his anger gone. ‘You talked of Kathryn.’
    ‘We must make her busy. Here in the Commission. I think it will lift her spirits and yours too, perhaps.’
    ‘It wasn’t so long ago that you told me she ought not to be privy to our work.’
    ‘I did, and with good reason. But I think her temper has subsided. She has quietened decidedly. Now she needs employment.’
    Sir William nodded. ‘Perhaps you are right, Martineau. As you always are. Maybe she might work for me as my personal assistant, looking after all the trivia that flies back and forth from Trevelyan. He’s a monster for detail and I’m finding it harder and harder to keep up with him. One minute he’s complaining there is not enough activity here and the next he’s protesting we are