“Well, now you know that won’t happen. I intend for us to leave New York in early spring. There is much I must attend to first; then we’ll be on our way. Spring is a lovely time of year there.” He paused, and a faraway look came into his eyes. Then he turned back to me and took my hands in his. “Oh, Nora, you are going to love Texas.”

* * *

That night, visions of Texas, or at least the Texas of my imagination, marched through my mind in an unending stream. I was so excited. I was setting out on another great adventure. I recalled how Aidan looked when he told me the news. His face was shining with pleasure, and when he gazed at me his eyes were gentle. I admitted to myself now that I had been attracted to him for a long time, but never did I think he might return those feelings.

In the morning I woke in a cold sweat. Instead of the happy dreams I had expected, my night had been filled with nightmares. Nora’s ghost had risen from the dark sea, her eyes hollow, a grotesque grin on her face. She gripped my arm.

“You’re a selfish bitch!” she croaked. “You stole everything from me: my life, my future, everything! How can you live with yourself ? Wait ’til Ma and Da find out what you did.”

No sooner had Nora gone than Father McGinty appeared. His face was florid with righteousness, and he poked his finger at me.

“You lied about who you are,” he shouted, “and you’ve taken no action to renounce it.”

“But I confessed it,” I cried. “The priest absolved me.”

Father McGinty shook his head. “You’ve told the same lie over and over. You’ve committed a mortal sin. And if you die in a state of mortal sin, you’ll go straight to Hell!”

Dom’s face appeared over Father McGinty’s shoulder. “He’s right, Delia,” he said. “You’ve told a string of lies to cover up the first one.”

I realized then that, regardless of the absolution I had received, my guilt for my actions had never left me—and never would—for as long as I continued this deception. It would follow me to Texas and cast a long shadow over my happiness. I had to admit to myself that all the adventures in the world would not cure what really ailed me. I still felt unworthy and unlovable. Aidan was getting too close to me and me to him, and that frightened me. I had to push him away before one of us got hurt. There was nothing left for me to do but confess to Aidan what I had done and then leave his house.

* * *