Chapter Two #5
“Sir Shane’s two daughters were easily cajoled into following their father’s lead.
Moire was eight, and had been her papa’s darling.
She wanted to please him, and not lose him to her stepmother, although to be fair to Lady Jane, she has been good to her predecessor’s children.
Little Colleen was but two when her father wed, and knew no better.
Lady Jane is the only mother she ever knew.
But Master Kieran was six, and as stubborn as his da’s prize bull.
He had adored his mother. Now he had but two things remaining to remind him of her.
A wee miniature he always keeps on his person, and her faith.
While his father and stepmother forced him to attend church with them each Sunday, he would sneak away afterwards to attend the mass being held in secret somewhere in Lisnaskea.
It was years before his father and Lady Jane discovered it.
By then he was a young man, and when they confronted him he did not deny it.
From that time on he would not attend church with them in their Protestant church.
“Lady Jane gave her husband two children. The girl was born first when Master Kieran was seven. She is called Elizabeth. Then came Master William the following year. There were no more children after that. The rumor is that Sir Shane has a mistress outside of Lisnaskea, one Molly Fitzgerald, who has two daughters by him, but it isn’t discussed aloud because she’s a Catholic.
Finally, when Master Kieran was twenty-one his father gave him an ultimatum.
Give up his Catholicism, or give up his birthright to his younger brother, William.
‘Tis said that the father and son had such a terrible fight over it ‘twas heard all the way to Ballyshannon, but Kieran Devers refused to give up his faith for a piece of land. So, the father disinherited him, and made young Master William his heir.”
“Yet Kieran Devers still lives in his father’s house?” Jasmine was curious about such a thing.
“His stepmother would not allow the father to dispossess the son for fear of what would be said. She wanted it to appear all her stepson’s fault.
She wanted to be the good and gentle lady.
So Master Kieran lives in his own rooms in a separate wing of the house.
While there are those who are saddened by the loss of his inheritance, none can say with certainty that Lady Jane is responsible.
It is very important to the lady how she appears before others,” Rois explained.
“Poor Master Kieran has nowhere else to go. His mother’s family are all gone, and the rest of his father’s family are over in Donegal.
They are hardly known to him, if they know him at all.
While Kieran Devers is proud, he’s no fool.
Me grandmam says she thinks he enjoys remaining just to annoy Lady Jane, who would appear charitable towards him but is really not.
‘Tis said she attempted to stop her husband from settling a sum on his son so that his wicked conscience might be salved, but Sir Shane would not listen to her then for he, too, cares what people think. The eldest son is in his will, and is given an allowance each year into the bargain. That generous allowance, I am told, comes from the inheritance the lady was bequeathed from her late father. I have heard it delights Master Kieran to donate a goodly portion of that allowance to the church just to annoy his stepmother.” Rois giggled.
“I have never seen him myself, but they say Kieran Devers is as handsome as sin, and as wicked as the devil himself to boot. Yet he is kind, and always ready to help those who need it. Mostly our kind who have been driven off our lands for our faith,” she said.
“I have never heard you speak so eloquently before,” Fortune teased her maidservant.
“There was nothing to say until yer mam asked me,” Rois replied.
Jasmine smiled. “You’re a practical puss like my daughter, Rois. Bride did well to choose you for Fortune.”
The door to the chamber opened again, and the duke popped his head into the room. “The Deverses’ coach is just coming through the village,” he told his wife. “Come along, or we shall be late, and appear rude. We want to make a good first impression now, don’t we?”
“Do we?” Fortune asked mischievously.
“I obviously didn’t beat ye enough when ye were a wee lassie,” James Leslie responded.
“You didn’t beat me at all, Papa,” Fortune said, linking her arm through his, and smiling up into his craggy face.
“Well, I probably should have,” the duke teased her. He turned to his wife. “Where shall we greet them, madame?”
“In the hall,” Jasmine responded. “Adali will escort them in to us. It sets the proper tone, for our rank is far greater than theirs. They should be honored to even be considered as a possible match for our daughter. The more I learn about the Deverses of Lisnaskea, the less certain I am that they are the right family with which to be allied. Perhaps we did not look closely enough back home.”
If James Leslie was surprised by his wife’s words he gave no sign of it.
The duke knew Jasmine would have her way no matter what he said, and much of the time she was absolutely correct.
“Nothing is signed, or even agreed to yet,” he told her.
“We can change our minds if Fortune does not like this young fellow, or we decide he is not at all suitable for her, darling Jasmine.”
“I am glad you see it my way, Jemmie,” came the reply.
They descended down into the Great Hall even as they heard the wheels of the coach rumbling into the courtyard through the open front door.
Adali, garbed in his usual white trousers, tunic, and turban, was awaiting the visitors.
Stepping out onto the portico, he waited until the Deverses had descended from their carriage and were halfway up the steps to the house.
It was then he bowed deferentially to them.
“Sir Shane. Lady Jane. Master William. I am Adali, the duchess’s majordomo. You are welcome to Erne Rock Castle.” He turned. “If you will please to follow me. I shall bring you to the duke and the duchess who are awaiting you in the Great Hall with Lady Fortune.”