A LADY NAMED ROSE
Chapter Thirteen
"The Scotts are sendin' ya to college?
That's wonderful!"
Meg was nearly as excited as Rose was upon
hearing the news. But Rose cautioned her friend not to breathe a word of it to
Bridie, in whom Meg confided nearly everything, or to her Papa. She had said
nothing to anyone else herself in the two days since her conversation with
Victoria.
"But why? 'Tis good news, ain't it? Lord
knows we could use a little bit 'round here, with Bridie so gloomy all the time
over that baby."
Bridie did indeed seem obsessed over
Cecilia's medical condition, the apparent malaise that had settled over her
mother, and her growing conflict with Belinda the nurse, who barked orders at
every member of the household. Bridie grumbled that she needed to be "put
in her place," but William liked her efficient manner and so she stayed.
"Meg, I need to ask a favor of
you," Rose said, lowering her voice although they were alone in Meg's
apartment.
"Sure, anythin'."
"Do you know anyone who can create a
transcript for me?" Rose blurted out.
"A what?"
"I need documentation from my high
school," Rose explained, her eyes averted so that Meg couldn't read them.
"But I-I never graduated."
She expected shock and indignation from Meg,
a virtuous Catholic who never as much as used foul language in the presence of
others. But she was in for another surprise. Meg frowned, deep in thought, then
said, "My cousin Tommy may know someone. I'm sure one of that gang he
travels with..."
Her voice trailed off as she realized that
Rose was staring at her in utter confusion, and she giggled. "Don't look
at me like that. I'm not as innocent as I let on, y'know. One of those lads
actually tried to call on me. Boy, when Tommy caught on!"
Meg was starting to wander. Rose steered her
carefully back on subject. "Meg, would it be possible for me to meet your
cousin?"
"You already did. At Papa's birthday
celebration, dontcha remember?"
She didn't. For Patrick's 50th, so many
Quinns and other well-wishers had crowded the little courtyard behind his
building that the festivities had spilled out into the street. Rose was certain
she had never been formally introduced to most of them, and--embarrassingly
enough, she drank too much beer to remember them anyway.
"That was two months ago, Meg."
"Well, you sure spent a lot of time
chatting up his brother," Meg giggled. "He keeps asking me about
you."
Rose frowned. A murky image of fiery red hair
sitting atop a boyish face came to mind. His name started with a T also...
"Teddy," Meg refreshed her memory.
"He really fancies you, but I told him yer too much of a lady."
"Is he part of the same--element as his
brother?"
"No, no, Teddy's just the opposite.
Wants to join the police force like half the men in the neighborhood." Meg
suddenly smiled as inspiration struck her. "How would ya like to pay him a
visit today? He knows you always come to the city on Sundays."
"Wouldn't that be improper?"
"Of course not, silly. He's my
cousin."
Rose hesitated. She barely remembered Teddy
Quinn, much less wanted to give him the impression that his feelings were being
reciprocated. But Meg was ready with a solution to her dilemma.
"Tommy should be home today. Maybe you
can talk to 'im about them documents you need."
That settled that. Meg left a note for her
father and they walked the four blocks to her Uncle Timothy's building. Rose
marveled at how much disparity could exist in one community in Manhattan. Meg's
apartment was tiny, but the building was clean, a flower garden grew in the
courtyard, and the tenants were all polite and showed concern for one another.
Timothy Quinn and his family, however, lived
in a shabby row house on a crime-infested street where rats ate from
overflowing garbage cans and windows overlooked alleys and brick walls instead
of a courtyard. Meg whispered to Rose that she never ventured into this area at
night; one of the gaslights was always bound to be non-functioning and it would
be taking her life into her hands.
They climbed the stoop and found the front
door lock was broken. Meg, accustomed to this, beckoned for Rose to follow her
inside. In the darkness, Rose felt something furry rub against her leg; she
kicked at it and it hissed before slinking away. Just a stray cat.
The apartment was on the third floor, and the
women could hear the racket all the way downstairs. Meg had to pound on the
door repeatedly before anyone heard her. The burly, red-faced man in an
undershirt who answered wasn't one of Meg's cousins. She introduced herself and
asked for Tommy, but instead of waiting for him to come to the door, she took
Rose's hand and pulled her in.
Waiting to greet them was a horrible mess:
dirty clothing strewn about the living room furnishings and floor, dirty dishes
ruining the finish on the end tables, overflowing ashtrays leaving a cloying
stench of cigar smoke that made Rose, a smoker, want to gag. The windows were
wide open, but there was no breeze and the heat was unbearable. Thus, the four
men playing a rowdy game of poker around the kitchen table were all stripped to
their skivvies.
Meg marched right over to a red-haired man
who looked about her age and planted a kiss on top of his head. He was so
engrossed in the game that he didn't look up.
"Mum's asleep in the back room," he
growled. "Gone 'round the bend, as usual. Her 'n Pop had another row last
night and I dunno where he's disappeared to. But the girls got scared and ran
off to Aunt Maggie's to wait for things to cool down, I do know that."
"We're not looking for them," Meg
told him. For the first time Tommy noticed Rose's presence. A long, lazy grin
spread across his features and his eyes dropped to the area below her neck. The
other men had begun to stare as well. Rose felt a flush creeping into her skin.
"Here to see Teddy, are ya? He's in his
room, but you better catch 'im first. He's going over to that gym where they
train boxers."
"Is he? He still thinks that's going to
get 'im in shape for the physical?"
"I happen to know it will," came a
cheery voice from behind them. Teddy and Meg shared a warm hug and then he
turned to Rose. "So good to see you again."
"Likewise," Rose responded, and
smiled, but her insides were churning. This place was filthy and she
wanted--needed--to get some fresh air.
"We just stopped in for a minute,"
Meg said. "I need to ask a favor of you, Tommy."
He glared at her. "Can't you see I'm
winning 'ere?"
Meg pouted and folded her arms; and he
groaned and lay his cards facedown on the table. "Ach, you know I hate
when you pull that 'un on me," he grumbled. Before following her out into
the hallway, he threatened the others, "Sneak a peek and I'll kill
ya."
"Would you like a sandwich?" Teddy
offered, indicating the bread, sliced meats and a block of cheddar cheese that
sat upon the kitchen counter. The card players had already raided the food and
not much was left. Out of politeness, Rose accepted a piece of cheese, but she
wasn't hungry. Arnolde had returned from New Orleans the day before and
prepared a luncheon this morning for her to take to Meg.
While Teddy described the rigorous regimen he
was undertaking to prepare for the police department physical, Rose's eyes kept
straying to the door. What was taking them so long?
At last, Meg reentered the apartment and
Tommy signaled for Rose to step into the hallway. Rose excused herself and
Teddy nodded, confused.
"Meg tells me yer going to
college," Tommy said nonchalantly, lighting a cigarette.
"Congratulations."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet. I can get some
papers made up fer ya, but I gotta tell ya, I don't see why you need 'em.
Bridie's told me about them rich folk you work fer. Seems to me like they can
get you into that school without you going to all this trouble."
"I won't tell anyone," Rose said
quickly. "And if it's the money you're worried about--"
"Oh, I know ya got the money. And I know
you won't tell, ya don't want nobody to find out." Tommy leered at her and
Rose looked away. She was furious with herself for having to grovel with this
cretin. "Like I said, I dunno why you wanna do this, but Meg's like a
sister to me and any friend of hers is a friend of mine. So where is Chippewa
Falls, anyway?"
That nasty bit of business completed, Rose
and Meg left, with Teddy trailing along on his way to the gymnasium. As they
passed the skinny cat downstairs, Rose tossed it the piece of cheese she took
from the kitchen. The cat sniffed at it suspiciously, but before Rose stepped
outside she glanced over her shoulder and saw the hungry stray wolfing it down.