Redemption - Leon Uris [161]
Liam liked the lady’s toughness. The army had made her solid, like his own Mildred. She was damned well good-looking enough to stand alongside Rory. Hell of a lot more stature than the flippies he had waltzed around with. Did Rory see her as more than anything but an occasional romp between the sheets? To what avail, Liam caught himself. She was a married woman, married to a doctor and screwing around no sooner than he caught the boat to go to war.
Liam decided not to leave an adversary. The woman had character, some good, some bad, but on a level that you could talk pretty straight to. He stood to leave.
“I’m glad we had a few minutes, Sister. When you hear from him, you might mention that I was inquiring after him. His mother and sisters and brother would like to know how he’s getting on.”
“I’ll do that. Anything else you want me to convey?”
“Oh, I don’t know. The farm will still be here if he ever decides to come back to New Zealand. No, that’s family business. Besides, he’s not coming back. We both know that, don’t we?” Liam muttered.
“When I get his address, why don’t I give it to you so you can write and ask him if he wants to come back?”
“All right, Sister, stop jerking my line.”
“About what?”
“Write to him about what? The way he hurt his mom? His drinking and hell-raising? Sleeping around like a bull in heat?”
“With half the married women in Christchurch,” she said.
“You said that, I didn’t, Mrs. Norman.”
“He just figured that married women were safer after what you put him through with June MacPherson’s pregnancy. But Rory’s not to blame because all of us whores wanted him.”
Liam slammed his hat on as only a squire can do when a deal has soured and made for the door.
“I’ll tell you what you can write him,” Georgia said, her eyes now bubbling with anger. “You can tell him how grieved you are for the pain and anguish you’ve laid on him because you’ve looked down on him all your life as your bastard son.”
“Who told him about that!”
“Certainly not his father and mother, the two people who should have.”
“You are deliberately angering me to cover up your own filthy behavior, Mrs. Norman!”
“Dr. Norman and I were finished long before the war started. I filed for divorce over a year ago. I decided to keep it quiet so as not to hurt him professionally but with the understanding that our marriage was over. I was already divorced when Rory came into my life.”
“Rory knew about this?”
“No, no one knows, not even Wally, just you and me. Rory has a bad view of things about women, starting with the way his mother hurt him by her silence. He liked getting women in bed because it helped him get even with you and his ma.”
“You’re lying! Why didn’t you tell him you were divorced!”
“Because I love him. If he knew I was free I was afraid he’d flee from me.”
Liam shook his head. Christ, the woman was a virtue. What unclean thoughts he’d held for months and months. Aye, there was a girl and a half, all right. She’d go right alongside any man, wouldn’t she?
“Does he love you?” Liam asked at last.
“What does it matter? We had what we had and that is fine with me. I’m not making any more out of it than it is. It’s a long way home for him, if he ever does come back, and I’ll be just a featureless, brown, rumpled photo.”
Liam wandered back to his chair and slumped into it. “Can I call you Georgia?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Liam.”
“Squire suits you,” she said, almost friendly.
“How long has Rory known about me and Mildred’s problems when he was born?”
“Since he was a kid. Since he was taunted in a schoolyard. Gave him a bit of an attitude growing up, you know.”
Liam was bewildered and ashamed. His being felt soggy. “Oh Jesus,” he wept.
“Want to hear about me and my family?” she said with irony.
“Why do we make the same fucking mistakes our da’s made with us! Why the fuck don’t we learn anything!”
“I think it’s called life,” she said.
“Is there anything I can do?” he cried.
“I’m not a Catholic,” she answered quickly.
“Is