Chapter 1 A Welsh/Greek Lass In Ireland
A Welsh/Greek Lass in Ireland
(Siofra)
Siofra Ithel went skipping down the wood-panelled hallway at her home in the south of Ireland, her wild blonde curls bouncing as she went. She had known that Britain was at war, because they had been sending girls to stay with them in the safety of their estate for almost a year. Many had gone home at that point, but new ones arrived every so often.
Three new girls had just arrived the day before and one was ten-years-old. Siofra really wanted to meet the new girl, as she hoped for a playmate.
Siofra had been given Gilroy as her own to play with, and they were quite close, but he was a boy and was often busy with chores. He was only a year younger than her and the son of one of her father’s indentured servants named Rosalind. She really wanted another girl to play with and hoped maybe her father wouldn’t give the new girl as many chores. Maybe the three of them could play together.
Daisy, the servant who had been assigned to watch Siofra, had told her that she would not be able to meet the new girl until the next day, or maybe later. But since her mother had died when she was too little to remember her, Siofra was the “Lady of the house”. All of the servants were supposed to submit to her, not the other way around. She was not allowed to play with the older children, and the younger ones had all been sent home. She was too excited to meet the new girl who was only a year older than her to wait any longer, so she lied and told Daisy that she was going to take a nap. Once Daisy had left, she slipped out in search of her father.
Siofra slid down the bannister landing deftly on her feet at the bottom, looking forward to making a new friend. As she approached her father’s office, though, she saw a large man with a gun on his hip standing in the doorway. She didn’t recognise the man with the gun. She hoped that her father was alright, so she stopped short and peeked into the office.
Jupiter sat leaned back in his wingback chair with his long legs on his desk, his fingertips pressed together and a sly smile on his face. His long wild dark curls were loose and he looked relaxed, but his dark eyes were sharp and his booming bass sounded harsh. He had two of their large guards on either side of his desk, and they were all armed. The man sitting in the chair in front of his desk looked far less relaxed and a little impatient.
As she stood watching her father, Gilroy’s mother, Rosalind scooped her up.
“Come with me, Sprite,” she quietly cooed. “Yer father’s in a meetin.”
Siofra nodded and Rosalind put her down, taking her into the kitchen. Rosalind was always pretty, but today her long red hair was beautifully styled and she wore a sapphire blue dress that showed off her curves and emphasised her bright blue eyes.
“Wow! You look pretty,” Siofra smiled.
“Thank ye,” Rosalind smiled back. “No’ I need ta get, as I’m spose to be in the meetin too. You ken stay here or you n Gilroy ken goo upstairs, but you can’ play dewnstairs right no.”
Siofra looked over at Gilroy as he came in the door, his red hair blindingly bright in the late summer sun.
“Let’s grab a snack and go upstairs,” Siofra suggested.
Gilroy looked over at Rosalind. “May I, Mum?” His face lit up with a smile as she nodded at him, and he and Siofra ran to the pantry.
“Make sure she gets safely upstairs,” Rosalind called after them.
“I will, Mum,” Gilroy called back as he opened the pantry door.
Siofra couldn’t understand why Rodalind was always saying that. She was inside her own house. What harm could come to her? But she was only nine, and quite small for her age… Gilroy was already bigger than her and always looked out for her. She was glad her father had given him to her. She liked playing with him and he obviously looked forward to playing with her.
As they packed things to snack on in a basket, they could hear Rosalind scolding, “Who’s spose ta be looken after ’er? Whoever it is, is gonna get it from Jupiter. N ’es not as kind as I m.”
“Yes Miss,” they heard the kitchen maid answer. “I’ll make sure they make it safely upstairs.”
“Thank ye,” Rosalind softened. “I best be getten in thar.”
The kitchen maid was only a few years older than Siofra, and had been born to one of Jupiter’s girls who worked in the business building, but she was kind and a hard worker. She came over and helped Siofra and Gilroy pack the food, joking with them as she did, then took them up a narrow set of stairs that Siofra had never used before. They came out of a secret door in the wall, at the end of the hallway, that Siofra didn’t know existed. The whole thing was so fascinating that Siofra did her best to take in every detail. The servants had so many nooks and crannies, and secret passageways.
~♦~
Once they were settled in Siofra’s room, the food set out on her small table between them, The kitchen maid left them to play and Siofra asked Gilroy. “Have the new girls arrived yet?”
“Oh, yes, Miss,” he answered. “The oldest is tall and very pretty, with hair so blonde it’s almost white, and she has a jewellery name and I think she’s fifteen. She has a soft, quiet voice and is very kind, but she cried for hours when Jupiter suggested that she work the business. The next is cally-something, she’s fourteen, I think, and she’s a dark ginger with the brightest green eyes you ever seen,” he marvelled. “She’s really pretty but not nice at all, and I think Jupiter regrets bringing her here. He got really angry and told her that her only worth is what she can do for men. I’ve never heard him say that to anyone before. Then there’s Abby. She’s just a year older than you but bigger than me, and she’s really shy. She hasn’t spoken a word since she arrived, but she’s a really hard worker. She happily started helping with the laundry and cleaning within an hour of arriving. I think Jupiter likes her. He’s really nice to her, and the oldest girl. Abby has long straight dark hair and big brown eyes. Her eyes are almost as big as yours,” he laughed.
It was true that Siofra’s eyes were rather large for her tiny face, but her’s were blue, and everyone always commented on how pretty they were.
“I had hoped to meet Abby today,” Siofra admitted.
“You’ll prolly get to play with her after Jupiter’s meeting,” Gilroy reassured her. “And I know you’re going to like her. But right now, I can play. What do you want to do?”
“Wanna play a board game? Or build something with blocks?” Siofra asked.
“Hmm, that’s a tough one,” Gilroy thought. “Let’s play a boardgame while we eat, then build something when we’re done.”
Siofra giggled and jumped up, grabbing two games. “Sorry? Or Chutes and Ladders?”
“Chutes and Ladders!” Gilroy smiled. “But aren’t I supposed to be the one asking you?”
“Oh, hush,” she giggled, and set the game down. She could play dolls or dress-up when she and Abby played, and playing house was too much like doing chores for Gilroy. She knew he enjoyed board games and building things, and she enjoyed it too. But more than that, she enjoyed seeing him smile and laugh.
