New York Bound Read online

  New York Bound

  Clover Springs East

  Rachel Wesson

  To one of the nicest couples I know whom for now wish to remain anonymous. The husband being an ex-New Yorker, read through a romance manuscript just for me. The wife, corrects my mistakes and always holds my hand through the good times and the bad. Having this couple in my life has changed it for the better. Love you both x

  Irish prayer for friendship

  Wishing you a rainbow

  For sunlight after showers—

  Miles and miles of Irish smiles

  For golden happy hours—

  Shamrocks at your doorway

  For luck and laughter too,

  And a host of friends that never ends

  Each day your whole life through!

  Contents

  Character List

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Epilogue

  Afterword

  Acknowledgments

  Also by Rachel Wesson

  Character List

  Doherty family

  Carmel Doherty – family matriarch

  Joe Doherty – her son,

  Ruth Doherty – Joe’s wife

  Charlie Doherty – Carmel’s grandson – working on the railroad

  Nora Doherty – Carmel’s granddaughter – out of work at present

  Katie Doherty

  Stevie Doherty

  Clover Springs

  Doc Erin Quinn

  Mick Quinn

  Michelle Quinn (their adopted daughter)

  Aaron Higgins

  Alicia Higgins

  Their sons

  Lily Green

  Headford family

  Jimmy Headford – milkman

  Nancy Headford – Ruth Doherty’s sister

  Jamie Headford

  Paul Headford

  Michael Byrne – Ruth and Nancy’s brother.

  Hotel

  Robbie Fenton

  Mr. Prentice

  Mr. Floyd

  Ned Duffy – local thug

  Chapter 1

  Hell’s Kitchen, New York, Feb 1888

  Nora Doherty pulled her coat tighter around her, trying to hold in the warmth. It was a man’s coat, too big for her, but it was all she had. Her gran had knit her a matching set of mittens, hat, and scarf, which helped keep the worst of the biting winds away. She should be grateful for the fact it wasn’t snowing. The weathermen were saying it was one of the mildest winters on record.

  She trudged along the street knowing it was useless. There were simply no jobs available for a girl like her. Being Irish was bad enough, but being Irish and female? That was even worse in some people’s eyes. At least if she were a man, she could work on the railroad with her brother Charlie and his friends.

  She walked and walked, not wanting to go home to her mam and admit she had failed. Again. The combination of her da’s accident and her gran’s recent unemployment meant things were tough for the Doherty family. If things kept going the way they were, they would have to take in lodgers to help cover the rent of seven dollars fifty cent a week. The thought of strangers sleeping on their floor made her shudder. She walked faster, trying to stop feeling sorry for herself. She had only to look around her to find plenty who were worse off than the Doherty family.

  She spotted a vegetable trader packing up for the evening. She picked up speed, hoping he may have some damaged fruit or vegetables she could buy cheap to bring home. But others had the same idea and by the time she got to be served, all that was left were a couple of small apples, their skins pockmarked. Still, it was better than nothing. She handed over the precious penny and pocketed her purchase.

  Her gran had lost her job when Mrs. Erin Cooper decided to move west. Doc Erin had been good to Gran, giving her a lump sum of money when she left. The money had provided for them when her da had lost his job. It wasn’t her da’s fault the explosive had gone off early. And he’d been lucky the blast hadn’t killed him, although it had taken his sight. It had taken more than that.

  Nora walked past the gentleman’s club once more. It was one of the few places she’d received a job offer. Ned Duffy senior had come over from Ireland and made a name for himself as a fighter. She couldn’t understand the type of person who would pay to watch two men beat each other until one fell and didn’t get back up. But she was obviously in the minority, as almost everyone in New York was speculating as to whether John Sullivan would beat English bare-knuckle fighter Charlie Mitchell when they fought in France next month.

  Even locally, it was a lucrative career and had taken Ned senior and his family out of the tenements and into their own home—a feat practically unheard of given what he had come from. Ned Junior soon moved up from bare-knuckle fighting into protection, earning a reputation as the man who got things done. According to local gossip, there wasn’t much Ned Duffy wouldn’t do if the price were right. Nora’s stomach squirmed as she saw him coming toward her.

  “You look chilled to the bone.”

  Nora tried to keep walking but he stood in front of her, blocking her way.

  “Did you not hear me talking to you, girl?” Ned’s eyes glittered with barely suppressed temper. “I said you looked cold.”

  “Everyone’s cold. It’s winter.” She could have cut her own tongue out as the look in his eyes turned from anger to admiration. He wanted her to fight back with him so when he won, he could gloat more. Well, he’d have a long time waiting before she’d give him what he wanted.

  Gran said he liked her because she didn’t show any fear of him. Her mam thought Nora was stupid not to be afraid, as the man was powerful. But Nora was tougher than she looked. Ned Duffy was just a typical bully picking on those he believed to be weak. Her gran said it was his attempt to make up for his lack of height.

  “Nora Doherty, when are you going to come to your senses and join me inside?” he asked.

  “When hell freezes over.”

  Ned’s laughter caused passersby to stare at them. She didn’t want anyone to recognize her and report back to her da she’d been seen talking to Duffy. He’d kill her. Her da hated the Duffys with a passion. When he was sober, he called them scum who thrived by cheating their own kind.

  “Now that’s not nice. Didn’t your parents teach you to be nicer to your betters?”

  “You? My better? Don’t make me laugh, Ned Duffy. Now leave me alone.”

  The smile fell from his face. “You think you are better than me, don’t you? Just you wait. One of these days, you’ll
come here begging me to help you. On your knees.” He pushed his face closer to hers, the smell of his rotten teeth making her stomach roil. “Lucky for you, I’m a patient man. I can wait.”

  “Well, you shouldn’t stand here while you’re waiting. Some dog will mistake you for a tree and…”

  “Nora Doherty, what are you standing around chatting for? You have chores to do.” Her gran’s voice boomed across the streets making more than one person turn to stare at her.

  “Afternoon, Mrs. Doherty. A beautiful day isn’t it?” Ned Duffy half bowed in the direction of her gran’s voice.

  “You’re still alive so it isn’t that pleasant,” her gran retorted, while some of the onlookers snickered. Not Nora. She caught the look of hatred on Ned’s face. While her gran was loved in these parts for always sticking by her own and sharing whatever good fortune came her way, the Duffy family hated her—something to do with happenings between the two clans before they left Ireland. Local gossip suggested the Duffys were too afraid of Gran’s popularity to touch her. But judging by Ned’s expression, his anger may have been greater than his fear.

  Nora ducked across the street, avoiding some horse drawn vehicles. She took her gran’s elbow. “Come on, Gran, let’s get home. My chilblains have chilblains.”

  “Why do you have to bait him, lass? You know he’s nasty. He’s as evil as the devil but twice as cunning,” Nan said.

  “I didn’t mean to, honest I didn’t. But when he starts talking as if he owns me and looks at me with those horrid, squinty eyes, I lose all sense. I know I should just ignore him but… I just make things worse.”

  Carmel Doherty looked at her favorite grandchild, not that she would ever admit that fact to anyone. She wished more than anything she could get Nora out of New York. Duffy was becoming a bigger problem. Perhaps she had been stupid to think she could stop his business progressing. It had seemed a good idea at the time to gather the women from the church together. Father Devine was always after them to raise funds for the church so Carmel arranged for them to do a collection outside of the gentlemen’s club. Anytime a man ventured near the place, one of the ladies from the church put a collection bucket under his nose. Carmel didn’t know who was more annoyed, Ned Duffy or the priests.

  Chapter 2

  But it looked like her plan had backfired by putting Nora at risk. The girl was eighteen, yet she could pass for older if she had to. She was skin and bone and her face had the gray pallor associated with bad air, bad food, and poor living conditions. Carmel blamed herself. If she’d been able to secure a good position, her Joe would have received the best medical treatment available. Maybe then he wouldn’t take his frustration out on his beautiful family and drink to excess. She loved her son but he was as far removed from the person who had fathered this child as anyone could be. She let out a loud sigh.

  “Gran, what’s wrong? Are you ailing?” Nora asked.

  “No, love. I’m just cold and hungry. What’s the bet your mam has chicken and dumplings for dinner?” Carmel Doherty played the “what’s for dinner” game she had always played with her grandchildren when times were tough. Not that they had known back then what tough times really were. She had had a good job, and with Joe working on the railroad, Charlie and Nora were able to stay in school a bit longer than most families. They didn’t have much spare money but they’d been happy. Then her employer, Erin Cooper, had left New York after being falsely accused of her husband’s murder. Carmel’s son, Joe, had been blinded in an accident on the railroad, and life as they knew it had changed for the worse.

  “With all the trimmings,” Nora finally responded, her voice dulled with cold.

  “Come on, lass, let’s walk faster. It will warm us up.” Carmel patted her granddaughter’s arm.

  Carmel Doherty thanked God every day for her daughter-in-law. Ruth Doherty was a good woman. She could make a nice meal out of very little. Goodness knows she got plenty of practice these days. Carmel thought of her chat with the priest. He hadn’t been much help. Told her things would get better if she believed in God. She did believe and considered herself a good Catholic, but sometimes you had to do something to help yourself. She’d finally gotten over her pride and posted the letter to Doc Erin hoping her old employer would read between the lines and offer them some form of help. Maybe she would even take Nora to Colorado with her. The doctor’s new town sounded wonderful. There, her granddaughter could have a chance at a life filled with happiness.

  They passed some nice houses, Nora wondering what it would be like to live somewhere the walls weren’t made of timber with big holes exposing the ancient lath and plaster. She smiled, thinking it would be nice to have servants to attend to your every whim.

  But there wasn’t much chance of that happening for a girl like her. She stepped ahead of her gran, pushing her way past other New Yorkers, down the narrow gloomy passageway which led to the back of the building where they lived. The outhouses stank but she was so used to the smell, she barely noticed. Same with the broken windows. Gran was always saying things would get better. Nora tried to adopt the same attitude but some days were harder than others.

  Chapter 3

  By the time they got into their rooms, there was no sign of her da. Her mam had been crying; it was obvious from her reddened eyes. She blamed it on cutting the onions, but both Nora and her Gran knew the real reason.

  They sat down at the table and said grace before they started eating the soup and bread in front of them. It was tasty but watery. Certainly not filling enough for someone who hadn’t eaten all day, but Nora didn’t complain. Her mam was doing her best, although Nora couldn’t help thinking back to a time when her mam had produced meals fit for a king. She was an excellent cook, having trained in one of the big brownstone houses where rich people lived.

  “How did you get on today, Nora love?”

  “Couldn’t find anything, Mam. Everywhere I go, it seems there have been a thousand people in the door before me,” Nora said before catching the look her gran was giving her. “But I’m sure it will be better tomorrow. It’ll be Friday and the hotels will be getting ready for a busy weekend.”

  “That’s the spirit, darlin’. You’ll soon be working full time. Won’t she, Mother?”

  Gran gave Nora a big smile of approval before answering her daughter-in-law.

  “She will indeed, Ruth, and they’ll be lucky to have her.”

  Her mam seemed satisfied. Was Nora the only one able to see the concern and worry etched in Gran’s face?

  After they had finished eating, Nora put her hand in her pocket and gave her little sister and brother, Katie and Stevie, a small apple each. Their faces lit up.

  “Thanks, Nora, you’re the best.” Katie gave her a hug while Stevie bit into his apple, the look of delight on his face making the pain in Nora’s stomach worthwhile.

  She had to get work tomorrow and Saturday. Sunday was a day of rest and most of New York took that literally. Virtually every store, restaurant, and commercial business were shut so the chance of getting even a few hours work was low. Even if she did, Father Devine would lecture her on her morality. As she washed the dishes, she wondered how often the local priest went to bed with hunger pains. Rarely, if his expanding waistline was anything to go by.

  She wondered where her da had gone? Probably to one of the illegal drinking clubs where he could get cheap booze. It amazed her how his family could be starving, yet he always found a few cents for his drink.

  “Mam, why don’t we go and see Aunt Nancy? A visit to her always brightens you up, and I wouldn’t mind a word with Jamie. He said he might be able to get me a job at the factory. He might have heard something.”

  “That’s a great idea, Nora. I’ll mind Stevie with Katie’s help.” Nora’s gran turned to her daughter-in-law. “It will do you good, Ruth. Jimmy Headford usually has a good joke and a bit of craic about him. If you go now, he might not have gone to bed.”

  Being a milkman, Jimmy went to bed early as he
got up in the wee hours of the morning to make his deliveries. Her uncle was a hard worker and provided as best he could for his family. Things were easier now that Jamie was in full-time work too.

  Her mam agreed and they headed off arm in arm to her aunt’s home, not far from their own.

  “Don’t be telling Nancy any tales about your da, do you hear me?” Ruth Doherty rarely spoke so sternly.

  “Yes, Mam. But I don’t understand why you keep covering for him. When Charlie gets back he will have something say.”

  “Charlie will listen to me. He knows his place and won’t be cheeky to his da.” Mam gave her a look warning her not to argue, but she couldn’t stop herself.

  “I don’t mean to be, Mam, but it just makes me mad. You’ve been going hungry, don’t bother to deny it, I know you have. Yet me da always has money to go drinking.”

  “I don’t want to hear another word, Nora. What happens between your da and me is our business. When you have a husband of your own, you’ll understand more.”

  Nora stayed silent. She was never going to get married and tie herself to any man.