Page 4 of A New World for the Irish Daughter

Then, in Chicago, amazingly, all her hopes had to come pass, more or less. She may not have lived in a mansion, but her boutique had been in the best neighborhood of the city. She may not have been a person oftrueconsequence, but she’d designed the hats that had rested on the heads of those who were. She’d believed herself to be important, only to be brought unbearably low when she’d realized just how utterly unimportant she’d been—both to the women who had bought her designs, and to the man who had funded the whole enterprise and stolen her heart, almost without her realizing.Theo Stein. Just the thought of him brought a flush of shame to Maggie’s cheeks.

It had been both humbling and humiliating, to have absolutely everything taken away from her—not just her shop or her livelihood, or even the love of the man she’dthoughtshe’d loved, although all those had hurt, terribly. The deepest loss, however, had been that of her dreams, for now Maggie harbored no more ambition—not for the grandiose imaginings with which she’d come to this country, or even for the far humbler aspirations she’d tried to nurture since.

Despite the cheerful enthusiasm she’d done her best to show to Brendan, she felt flat and empty inside, and as she looked down at the hatbox that held the last of those dreams, she knew she had no plans for this city, no hopes or ambitions for herself here or anywhere. She wanted nothing but a roof over her head and a way to keep her body and soul together. Survival, that was all.

“I suppose we will have to discuss our plans with our father,” she answered at last. She glanced at Danny, who kept turning to the door eagerly, clearly longing for their father’s arrival. “My brother has had notions of panning for gold, haven’t you, Danny? But I suppose that has come and gone in these parts some time ago.”

Danny jerked his head from the door to scowl briefly at her. “I was just joking,” he grumbled, clearly embarrassed to be seen as so childish, and Jessamine laughed lightly.

“Indeed it has gone, many years ago now, although there is always talk of finding gold or silver further north. Men have been traveling through here on their way to British Columbia, or more recently, Colorado.” She turned to Danny with a gently teasing smile. “If you are looking for gold, or just for adventure, there are certainly many places where you can still find it.”

Danny seemed momentarily dazzled by having Jessamine’s smiling attentions solely focused on him, and he stammered out something unintelligible while Maggie cast her own anxious glance toward the door. Wherewastheir father? And what would they even say to him when he arrived?

And then, amazingly, he was there, striding into the room with all his old, easy charm, his ready smile in place, his arms stretched out, his manner entirely as if he hadn’t crossed an entire country without telling them—or abandoning them alone to face their fate in this strange new country.

“Mo stoiri!” he cried as he came toward them. My treasures. “We’re together at last!”

CHAPTER 3

Maggie rose from her seat on unsteady legs while Danny froze for one stunned second, and then rushed joyfully to their father, who laughed and nearly stumbled back as his son threw his arms around him.

“Da!”

“Now, now, my boy, and isn’t that a fine welcome!” Their father chuckled as he clumsily returned Danny’s hug, stroking his hair briefly before he put his hands on his shoulders and set him apart from him. “Let me have a look at you,” he said. “And sure, if you aren’t a man now! When did that happen?”

“I’m sixteen, Da,” Danny said, ducking his head as he wiped his eyes. He seemed embarrassed by his emotional display, but he was grinning as he turned back to gaze at their father in joyful wonder.

Maggie was more circumspect in her study of the man they hadn’t seen inover nine years. When he’d first come in, all she’d seen was that same dimpled smile, the twinkle in his dark eyes, the way he so carelessly strolled into any room and occupied it entirely, just as he always had, just as she’d remembered.

Now she noticed other things—the silver streaks in his rumpled hair, the deep grooves from his nose to his mouth,the patch of graying stubble he’d missed on his jaw. He wore a raggedy, stained long john shirt underneath a pair of suspenders, with a pair of wool trousers that had been patched more than once. He smelled of whisky and sweat and he’d lost weight, seeming scrawny rather than bursting with vitality and vigor as Maggie had remembered.

Or were her memories, the rose-tinted reminiscences of a doting child, faulty? Had her father always been this shabby, this…pathetic? The thought felt mean-spirited, yet Maggie could not keep herself from it. He was a shadow of the man she’d once known.

Declan turned from Danny to smile at her. “Maggie,a chroi, come give your da a hug.”

Maggie glanced at Jessamine, who was eyeing this reunion thoughtfully, a faint smile on her face, although her eyes were narrowed in speculation. Maggie doubted the madam missed much.

“Hello, Father,” she said quietly, and walked forward to briefly press her cheek against his grizzled one before stepping back.

“And haven’t you turned into a beautiful young lady!” Declan exclaimed. “Miss Jessie, have you ever seen such a lovely lady? And there are certainly plenty to choose from, around here, aren’t there now!”

He chuckled, while Maggie flushed at the comparison. “Da,” she protested in quiet reproof.

“Your children are the spitting image of you, Declan,” Jessamine remarked, smoothing over the awkward moment with natural ease. “Danny has your eyes, and Maggie your chin.” She turned to Maggie, and she thought she saw a flicker of compassion in the older woman’s eyes. “I approve of a strong chin,” she told her kindly, and Maggie instinctively pressed a finger to the cleft in her chin that she’d always struggled tolike, worried it was too mannish. “But you must all wish to get reacquainted,” Jessamine continued as the maid, Evie, came in with a tray bearing a pitcher of lemonade, some glasses, and a plate of scones. “Let me leave you to yourselves for a few moments.” She gave Declan a humorous look. “You know we shall need the room back at noon!”

“To be sure, to be sure,” Declan replied, smiling. He seemed utterly unfazed by having his children visiting him in a brothel, of all places.

Maggie had a sudden urge to cry, which she didn’t understand. This should be a joyous occasion, but somehow it only felt sad, and worse, pointless. Looking at her father now, she wondered how on earth he would be able to help them, never mindprovidefor them, as she’d once hoped he might. They’d come to San Francisco with nearly nothing; she’d lost most of her savings along with her millinery shop in Chicago, and the rest had been spent on their train fare. She had nothing but a few crumpled dollars to her name and, while she knew Brendan had some money saved, Maggie was reluctant to be dependent on him yet again. He had already given them so much, and it had clearly cost him dearly. She did not want to presume on him any further, especially considering the confused state of their relationship. They were no longer estranged, but were they even friends, never mind something more? Once Brendan had wanted that, and then he hadn’t, and Maggie had never let herself follow the persistent longings of her heart. It would be easier all around, Maggie knew, if she and Danny did not have to depend on him anymore.

But where then did that leave them with their father?

“Maggie, come pour us some lemonade, darlin’,” Declan entreated. “Although I wouldn’t mind something a wee bit stronger to go with it!” Chuckling only a little shamefacedly, heslipped a flask from his hip pocket while Maggie’s heart sank further.

If her brother thought anything was amiss with their father, he didn’t note it. He was grinning as Maggie poured the lemonade, while their father splashed a generous measure of whatever spirit was in his flask into his own glass.

“Sláinte!” he toasted them both and then downed his drink in one go. “Now that goes down nice and smooth,” he remarked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, before setting his glass down on the tray with a clatter. “But come and tell me what you’ve been up to, my darlin’s. You don’t know how glad I am that you finally found me.”

“Areyou?” Maggie asked rather tartly before she could think better of it. “When you didn’t leave us any forwarding address, back in New York? I’m amazed we found you at all.”