It took almost two hours for Nora to pin the needed alterations into the dress and to make adjustments for the damage that happened while the dress had been in storage. “Okay, Nora, enough. Get me out of this thin’. If I stick myself one more time, I’m goin’ ta need a blood transfusion,” Cara accused.

Emilia stood, arms crossed leaned back against the door, “Good thing I’m a doctor then. Suck it up Cara. Yer goin’ ta be beautiful.” Cara laughed, “I know.” Nora shook her head, pins in her mouth and moved around the bottom of the dress, pinning the last of the hem. She took the pins out and set them aside. “It’s a shame the lace was damaged, but with the pieces ya brought, Emilia, I will make it good as new. Just don’a brin’ me anythin’ else ta alter today. This is delicate and needs all my attention. Okay Cara, let’s get you out of this dress, and outta my hair for awhile.” It took Nora and Emilia both to slide the delicate lace and satin dress off of Cara without stabbing her, losing a pin, or ripping the dress by getting a pin caught.

Cara hurried to get dressed, “Shouldn’t Dadai have dropped Ava off by now?”

“He probably stopped to get her ice cream or something. Ava might have refused ta leave until the rest of the girls did,” Emilia said as she helped Nora put the dress on a sewing dummy.

“He was the one dumb enough ta try and drug those girls. What are ya raisin’ him ta do, Donovan? This ain’t Dublin or Belfast! People know each other here, or have ya forgotten?” Liam staggered back, hard enough to move the massive oak table his grandfather had built by hand. It jarred against the wall hard enough to bruise Liam’s rib.

“YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO KEEP AN EYE ON HIM!” Donovan was red faced and flinging spittle. “Who was it? Who ratted on my boy?”

Liam set a hand to his side. “He was with Ava O’Farrel and her friends. The whole family was in the pub last night.” Donovan turned absolutely puce in color. His ham sized hands fisted and he turned to look out the window towards town. Donovan twirled a knife over and over in his hand. Liam swallowed a shiver. He knew that look. Their mam had it a lot and Donovan was just like her. The state of his life suddenly came into clear focus. He needed to get out of here and start over. That Mardusk fellow was going to help him do it. He had to get Donovan to agree before he left. “Look it’s a first offense, he’ll get off. Say Reggie didn’a know what it would really do. We got somethin’ else ta discuss. I’ve had an offer for the land and house. I wanna sell, Donovan. I want ta get out of here like you did.”

“Then leave, I’m not sellin’ ta any of those $*!ts. Forget it. I’m not givin’ them nothin’.” Donovan walked toward the door. He was going to teach those O’Farrell girls who was in charge once and for all.

“It’s not anyone from town! It’s some outsider, an alien. Name of Mardusk - Gravel Mardusk.”

Donovan paused at the door. “Mardusk?” He turned and stalked back toward his brother, “You mean the Fleeter that filed the original complaint against Reggie? Ya want me ta sell the land ta him?” Donovan’s hand flashed out and grabbed his brother by the shirt collar, the knife catching the dim light in the room. “Donovan, he’s offerin’ double the value of the place. Full payment for us both!” Liam couldn’t say anything else, he was out cold, with a broken nose and a black eye, and probably worse, seein’ as how Donovan lifted him by his belt took and threw him head first into the wall. Donovan didn’t bother to check on Liam. He would deal with him later. He left the broken down worthless hole that Liam scurried around in and headed toward town.

Donovan