The Triumph of Katie Byrne. Barbara Taylor Bradford

chair next to the fire.

      ‘Thank you, darlin’,’ Maureen said and took a sip of the tea. ‘It’s good,’ she murmured, smiling across at her daughter. ‘So, you were at the barn rehearsing, were you?’

      Katie nodded. ‘I think I’ve got my Hamlet right at last. I always thought the soliloquy was easy, but it’s not, Mom. Not if you’re going to do it properly.’ Katie sighed and made a face. ‘I say I’ve got it, but there’s lots of room for improvement.’ She nodded to herself. ‘There’s always room for improvement, and perfection is hard won.’

      Maureen smiled, wondering whom Katie was quoting now. There were times when her girl sounded like a little old woman, especially when she’d been dipping into the classics. She asked, ‘And what about the others? How’re Carly and Denise doing?’

      ‘They’re good, Momma, I know that. The trouble is, they don’t. I think I’m getting them to believe in themselves more. It’s all to do with self-confidence.’

      Which you’ve never lacked, Maureen thought, but said, ‘You should have brought them back to supper, Katie. There’s always enough for everyone, and especially when it’s Irish stew. Your father says I always make enough to feed Cox’s army.’

      ‘I thought about asking them, but I decided it’d be too much for you. You’ve been so sick.’

      ‘I’m much better, darlin’.’

      The door at the other end of the kitchen flew open, and Finian came rumbling in. ‘Hi, there, Katie!’ he cried.

      ‘Hi, Fin.’

      ‘I prefer Finian,’ the twelve-year-old announced.

      ‘Oh, sorry,’ Katie replied, hiding her amusement. This was something new with him.

      ‘That’s okay. But Finian is my name.’ He glanced at his mother. ‘Do you need me to help again, Mom?’

      She shook her head. ‘No, Fin…er, Finian. But thanks for asking. Do you want a mug of tea?’

      ‘No thanks.’ He shook his head and went over to the refrigerator. ‘A Coke’ll be great.’

      ‘What about your homework, Finian?’ his mother asked.

      He swung around and gave her a long look. ‘I’ve done it.’

      Slightly puzzled and frowning at him, Maureen asked, ‘When?’

      ‘Just now. When I was in the back room.’ He shrugged nonchalantly, explained, ‘I didn’t have a lot of it tonight. Just math.’

      Nodding, Maureen gave him the benefit of a pleased smile and drank her tea.

      Katie sat bolt upright in the chair looking at her mother askance. ‘Am I stupid!’ she cried in a shrill tone. ‘I left my school bag at the barn! Oh Mom! My homework! What am I going to do?’ As she spoke she jumped up. ‘I’ll just have to go back.’

      ‘Not now, Katie!’ Maureen exclaimed. ‘It’s far too dark already, and you know very well I won’t let you walk across the fields alone, so you can forget that!’

      ‘But I need my books, Mom,’ Katie wailed, her expression woeful.

      ‘Yes, I know you do. But you’ll just have to wait for Niall to get home. He’ll go with you. Better still, he’ll run you down to the barn in his pickup. That’ll be the quickest. Fin, go and turn off the stew, please, and I’d better take the bread out of the oven.’

      ‘It’s Finian, Mom,’ the boy muttered. ‘My name’s Finian, like in Finian’s Rainbow. That’s a musical.’

      Maureen stared at him, wondering what he would come out with next.

       Chapter Four

      Katie kept herself absolutely still, remained quiet as she sat next to her brother in his pickup truck. She felt certain he was annoyed because he had to drive her to the old barn, so that she could retrieve her school books.

      When he had arrived home from work a short while ago, he hadn’t appeared to be put out by their mother’s request, and had agreed readily enough to run her to the barn. But he had been totally silent as they had driven away from the house and headed in the direction of the highway.

      Several times Katie stole a glance at Niall, wondering whether to start chatting or not. Usually he was talkative, discussed all sorts of things and confided in her, as she did in him. He was only two years older than her and they had always been close when they were growing up, best friends. The two of them had treated Finian as the baby, being either condescending or indifferent. Until he had become too clever by far to ignore. Although they had eventually accepted him, treated Finian amiably enough, they had never really let him in, and he hadn’t seemed to care, much to their surprise.

      Katie and Niall knew each other inside out, and now, as she cast another glance at him, she realized how preoccupied he looked. His normally smiling face was set in serious lines as he drove on at a steady speed, and she wondered what was going on in his head. Perhaps he was having trouble with his girlfriend, Jennifer Wilson. Women were attracted to Niall, usually threw themselves at him, and no wonder. He was as handsome as their father with his black hair, green eyes, and angular, masculine face. Niall’s features were well defined, as were their father’s, and their very macho looks harked back to their Byrne ancestors, who had come over from Ireland in the nineteenth century to settle in Connecticut.

      It was Niall who finally broke the silence and interrupted her thoughts when he said, ‘You’re very quiet tonight, Katie.’

      Startled, she sat up straighter, and exclaimed, with a small laugh, ‘I could say the same about you, Niall! And you’re certainly looking serious. Is there something wrong?’

      ‘No, no, nothing…I was just thinking…about you.’

      ‘What about me?’

      ‘Mostly your plans to go to New York next year. Do you really think Mom and Dad’ll let you?’

      ‘Of course they will.’ She half turned in her seat, stared at her brother in the dim light, and went on swiftly, ‘Have they said something to you? I mean about not letting me go? Come on, tell me, Niall. We’ve never had any secrets before.’

      When he remained silent, she said in a softer, pleading tone, ‘Please tell me.’

      ‘They haven’t said a word, honest,’ Niall responded truthfully. ‘But I know they’re not too happy about the idea.’

      ‘Why not?’

      ‘Come on, Katie, don’t be dumb, that’s not like you. It’s obvious. They think you’re too young to go off by yourself to the big city.’ He sneaked a look at her out of the corner of his eye, then brought his gaze back to the road. ‘I’m sure they want you to put it off for a couple of years.’

      ‘Mom’s never said anything like that to me, and neither has Dad. And why are you suddenly bringing it up tonight?’ she demanded, sounding heated all of a sudden.

      ‘I guess I wouldn’t have said anything if you hadn’t asked me if something was wrong. I was just being honest with you, because that’s what I was thinking about…you going off to New York. And I suppose it came into my mind because we’re on our way to the barn, where you spend most of your time playing actress.’

      ‘I understand. But hey, listen up, Niall…I’ll be with Carly and Denise in New York. And don’t forget that Aunt Bridget’s there, and we’ll be staying with her.’

      Niall exclaimed, ‘And for how long? Aunt Bridget’s got a big job in real estate and a life of her own. She’s not going to want the lot of you under her feet…at least not for very long.’