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Back A Man of Honour Save as PDF
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

‘Ye always can and ye always do,’ Martha retorted, a grin replacing the smile.

‘I know.’ He grinned back. It was a ritual.

She nodded and swung back to the bowl on the table next to the sink. She began to knead the dough, pushing her hands into it determinedly.

He watched her for a while, then asked with a puzzled frown, ‘What are ye making all that dough for?’

Without turning her head, she replied, ‘Rabbit pies. Two rabbit pies.’

‘Are ye really?’ He couldn’t help wondering where the rabbits had come from. He said, ‘Who caught the rabbits for ye, Mrs Martha?’

He often called her that, because her first name on his lips made him feel she was family, which she was in his opinion. For all his life, in fact.

‘Joe O’Donnell did me the big favour. See, he tries to help me when he can. He found ’em in a warren near the edge of yon woods. Trapped ’em and carried them over.’

Blackie nodded, then exclaimed, ‘I hope ye didn’t have to skin ’em!’ He pulled a face.

She shook her head and smiled. ‘I know ye’re a bit … squeamish, lad. Though you won’t be when it’s your next meal. But Joe saved me the job. He brought ’em last night, skinned ’em right here at this sink and wrapped the skins in an old piece of sacking, sure and he did. Then I washed ’em with salt and put ’em away in yon cold room.’ As she spoke, she indicated the larder across the room.

‘When will they be cooked? Are the pies for tonight?’ He knew he sounded eager, but he was hungry again.

‘Aye, they are that! When Siobhan and Michael come to get ye, I shall invite your cousins to stay to tea. And ye are very welcome too, I swear on the heads of the Blessed Saints ye are.’

Blackie wasn’t surprised about the invitation, because Siobhan and Michael often stayed when they came back from work at the Lassiters. What intrigued him was Joe O’Donnell bringing her the rabbits. Was Joe after Mrs O’Malley? Why not? Joe’s wife had been dead a few years. And how did Mrs Martha feel? Put that thought away, he instructed himself, alarmed by the idea of Joe and his dearest friend together.

Mrs O’Malley said, ‘Come to think of it, I’d better get ’em out, start to cook ’em on the hob.’ She pushed the odd pieces of dough off her hands, and washed them at the sink. She then turned to Blackie and said, ‘I’ll need your help, me lad. Come on over to the cold room. Get me the pot, will ye, please? It’s heavy, so it is.’