BooksBarbecue
Back A Man of Honour
Chapters (73)
  1. Cover
  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. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  70. Keep Reading …
  71. About the Author
  72. Also by Barbara Taylor Bradford
  73. About the Publisher

Adopting an unconcerned tone, he said with a show of gaiety, ‘And what an elegant name it is for wee Tinker Bell. I like it, sure and I do.’

Emma walked over to him, not trusting herself to speak. Blackie fussed with the towel, draping it over his arm, giving her time to regain her composure, feeling sorry for her.

‘I’m ready,’ he said with a very bright smile. ‘Hold the baby forward, Emma. Yes, that’s good, mavourneen.’

Emma, always swift to recover, said, ‘Her full name is Ed … Edwina.’ She almost faltered, then went on with more steadiness, ‘Laura Shane—’

‘Shane!’ Blackie exclaimed, his surprise obvious.

‘After you, my dearest friend. I can’t call her Patrick or Desmond, now can I? And Blackie would be odd, most certainly.’ She managed to force a smile onto her face.

Blackie had to laugh, and he was relieved she was more like herself. ‘That’s true, very true. And I am flattered, Emma, but let us now commence.’

He dipped his fingers in the bowl of water and, with a bit of a flourish, he made the sign of the cross on the baby’s forehead.

‘Please, Blackie, stop!’ Emma exclaimed, her eyes wide and staring. ‘I’m not a Roman Catholic, and neither is the baby. In the Church of England, the vicar just sprinkles water on in little drips. He doesn’t make a cross on the baby’s forehead. We must do it properly. We must start again, please.’

Blackie did his best to stifle the laughter bubbling up in him. For a so-called atheist, she was being mighty particular. ‘Sure and I will, Emma, I understand.’

He wiped the water off the baby’s brow, dipped his large fingers in the bowl, and sprinkled a few drops on the baby’s brow. The baby stared up at him unblinkingly.

‘I christen thee Edwina Laura Shane Harte. In the name of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.’ Blackie crossed himself and then bent over the baby and kissed her.

‘There you are, it’s all done. But I have a question for ye, Emma. Whose name will be on the birth certificate?’

Emma’s expression of happiness evaporated at once. ‘I haven’t quite worked that out yet,’ she admitted a little dolefully.

‘Then I shall do that for ye. It can’t be left blank. That would be terrible. So ye will put my name on it. I want that … I would be more than proud to be listed as Edwina’s father.’

‘Oh Blackie, I can’t! I mustn’t saddle you with that … it’s a responsibility,’ Emma cried, shaking her head with some vehemence.

‘Yes, ye will do it! I want it, and I just christened her. I will always be there for her, and I will protect her as if she were mine. We will go and see the registrar in Leeds next week. And that’s that.’