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Chapters (71)
  1. Copyright Notice
  2. Dedication
  3. Part One
  4. One
  5. Two
  6. Three
  7. Four
  8. Five
  9. Six
  10. Seven
  11. Eight
  12. Nine
  13. Ten
  14. Eleven
  15. Part Two
  16. Twelve
  17. Thirteen
  18. Fourteen
  19. Fifteen
  20. Sixteen
  21. Seventeen
  22. Eighteen
  23. Nineteen
  24. Twenty
  25. Twenty-One
  26. Twenty-Two
  27. Twenty-Three
  28. Twenty-Four
  29. Twenty-Five
  30. Twenty-Six
  31. Twenty-Seven
  32. Twenty-Eight
  33. Twenty-Nine
  34. Thirty
  35. Thirty-One
  36. Thirty-Two
  37. Part Three
  38. Thirty-Three
  39. Thirty-Four
  40. Thirty-Five
  41. Thirty-Six
  42. Thirty-Seven
  43. Thirty-Eight
  44. Thirty-Nine
  45. Forty
  46. Forty-One
  47. Forty-Two
  48. Forty-Three
  49. Forty-Four
  50. Part Four
  51. Forty-Five
  52. Forty-Six
  53. Forty-Seven
  54. Forty-Eight
  55. Forty-Nine
  56. Fifty
  57. Fifty-One
  58. Fifty-Two
  59. Fifty-Three
  60. Part Five
  61. Fifty-Four
  62. Fifty-Five
  63. Fifty-Six
  64. Fifty-Seven
  65. Fifty-Eight
  66. Fifty-Nine
  67. Sixty
  68. Sixty-One
  69. Books by Barbara Taylor Bradford
  70. About the Author
  71. Newsletter Sign-up

This job at the Wilson house was Blackie’s first proper test. It was carpentry for a new kitchen that Blackie was completing. Although Patrick had popped in from time to time to view Blackie’s work, he had decided at one moment to stop doing this. He had a strong feeling that Blackie resented these intrusions. And he understood why. His nephew was ready to be his own man now.

Not long ago, Patrick had taken on a new apprentice: Finn Ryan, an acquaintance of Blackie’s, who had arrived from Ireland unannounced one day.

Blackie had been as surprised as his uncle by Finn’s arrival, but according to Blackie, Finn’s father had dropped dead unexpectedly, leaving Finn entirely alone. There were no other Ryans left. “It was awful,” Finn had told Blackie, and then not long after his father’s passing Finn’s horse had collapsed. And died. It was the end of the cart service that had taken Blackie to Queenstown. Kerry held nothing for Finn.

“It was as if God was telling me something,” he had confided to Blackie. “I believe he was telling me to leave, to go to England. So I remembered what you had done, and came. And you’re the only person I know here. Can you help me, please?”

Blackie had asked his uncle, and Patrick, out of the goodness of his heart and his innate kindness, had given the young Irishman a job … an apprenticeship. In fact, Patrick was a good judge of character, and he had liked the look of Finn, sensed his sincerity.

Over the past months, Finn had proved himself, and Blackie had taken him under his wing. They had become good friends.

Within a day, Patrick had found a place for Finn to stay for a few nights. And within a fortnight, he had a permanent room at Mrs. Andrews’s boardinghouse, two minutes away from Town Street. Finn often worked with Blackie now and the business was growing.

Opening his desk drawer, Patrick put his schedule away, and stood up when he heard the noise of the front door banging. Looking down the workshop, he saw Tom coming in followed by Alfie and Benny.

“Morning,” they all said in unison, and Patrick greeted his workmen with his usual cordiality.

The men automatically hung up their jackets and went to their workbenches. Patrick knew Finn would not be here this morning. He was going directly to Mrs. Wilson’s house in the Towers, helping with the final touches to his work on her kitchen. It would be finished today.

Patrick went and fetched his coat, and focused on Blackie for a moment. He was full of anticipation, could hardly wait to see what his nephew had accomplished. After all, it was his first big job.

Thirteen