He found himself holding on to her hand, gazing at her, mesmerized. She was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful young women he had ever seen. Her hair was an almost white blond, her eyes pale grayish blue and translucent, her face exquisite, with delicate features. Why had the Waltons made out she was ugly? He was puzzled.

Finn stepped forward and introduced himself. As she turned to him and took his hand, he felt himself blushing. “I’m Finn, Moira, Tommy’s friend.”

“Oh, it’s lovely to meet you, Finn,” she replied, a wide smile on her face. “He’s said such nice things about you. And thanks for agreeing to take me away from the Bank.”

Finn swallowed, nodded and finally said, “I’m happy to help you.”

Jack Blane, as astonished as the others by the young woman’s extraordinary beauty, came over to join them, followed by Blackie.

“I’m Jack Blane, Moira. Call me Jack, and ask me for anything. I’ll do it if I can.”

Once again, she smiled and then thanked him graciously. A moment later, Blackie was shaking her hand and giving her his name.

“And that’s a nickname, I think,” Moira said, laughter echoing in her voice. “What’s your real name?”

“Shane Patrick Desmond O’Neill, but the whole world does call me Blackie.”

“Because you’re Black Irish, descended from the Spanish sailors, who crawled onto Irish soil to survive at the time the Spanish Armada foundered on the rocks in the Irish Sea.”

Blackie chuckled. “’Tis true, to be sure it is, and I want to welcome ye to Leeds. I am at yer service, Moira.”

“And now we should leave and be on our way to Upper Armley,” Patrick announced. “Do you have your things ready, Moira?”

“I do, yes. I’m packed. My carpetbag is over there by the door. I don’t have much.”

Patrick nodded and walked over to Jane and Harry. “Thank you both for looking after Moira.”

“Tommy is family,” Jane said, really smiling for the first time. “I had ter do my duty, and she’s a lovely person. But whoever sent her ter me had no idea what the Ham Shank is like, or they wouldn’t have.”

“We all realized that, Jane.” Patrick half turned away, then paused and asked in a lower tone, “But why did you suggest she was ugly just now?”

“Oh my God, did ye think that? We was trying ter explain she was so beautiful we daren’t let her go out. These buggers, these rough chaps in the Ham Shank, would’ve grabbed her, mebbe raped her—”

“That’s a certainty,” Harry cut in quietly. “And probably one by one, taking turns. That’s how bad it is here.”

Twenty-Three

Once they left the Bank, they were able to breathe properly and made their way toward the heart of the city and City Square.