“Irean I find ye to be a great example of a fine cook for this crew. I also find you to be a kind and ‘onest woman. Seamus is quite taken aback by you. The lad never closes his beak when we see ‘im. I would be liking ye to stay aboard me crew. Only if ye be wanting to of course,” he finished.

“I would very much like to be apart of your crew,” I answered back very happily.

“That be right fine then. Now we have two weeks leave when we arrive ‘ome tomorrow and I know ye not be ‘avin no one to be staying with, so ye be welcome to be staying with me, or Branson has offered for ye to stay at ‘is estate with ‘im and ‘is family. The way I be seeing it is ye would be better off staying with ‘im so as to not staying with me alone,” he said wiping his mouth with his napkin.

“I will stay with Branson then Captain,” as I stood up I said, “Thank you again.” He gave me a smile then drowned his mouth in his cup of coffee. I walked back to my seat and sat by Seamus.

“I guess he told ye the good news?” Seamus said with a grin.

“Yes,” I said stomping on his foot.

“Ouch what be that for?” he said rubbing his injured foot.

“That is for being courageous,” I said grabbing his cheek and placing a kiss on it. “And that is for being my best friend,” Seamus’s cheeks turned the color of tomatoes and he and I did not talk for the remainder of the meal. When it was time for clean up Seamus began to sing some silly little Irish song:

I marched from Kilkenny, and, as I was thinking
On Shelah, my heart in my bosom was sinking,
But soon I was forced to look fresh as a daisy,
For fear of a drubbing from Corporal Casey.
Och! rub a dub, row de dow, Corporal Casey!
The devil go with him, I ne'er could be lazy,
He struck my shirts so, ould Corporal Casey.

I sat there and listened and humming along to the tune. He and I sat and worked on dishes, until we both were singing the silly little song. He sang quite well and was very good at carrying a tune. Singing at the top of our lungs prevented us from hearing Branson come in.

“What be this that I be walking into?” he asked with a smile on his face.

“That be nothing, Uncle. I just be teaching Irean some tunes to keep our ‘earts light while we be working,” Seamus said trying to catch his breath.

“Is there something you need Branson?” I asked putting down my pot and wiping my hands dry on my apron.

“Nothing to worry yer ‘ead about my dear. I was just coming to tell ye that the Cap’n told me ye would be accompanying Seamus and I to our estate for the two weeks we be having for leave,” Branson said with a small smile.

“Seamus lives with you too?” I asked with a semi excited voice.

“Why course he be living with me,” Branson said.

“I did not know ye would be coming home with us,” Seamus said confused and excited all at the same time.

“Yes she will be. She’s going to be staying in ‘er own room next to yers,” Branson said patting Seamus on the shoulder.

“I don’t want to be a bother. I can sleep in the living room, or something,” I said hastily.

“Now there will be none of that. Me wife would surely skin us alive knowing there be a woman in the house who not be ‘aving ‘er own room. Better for the both of us if ye be sleeping there,” Branson said with a chuckle as he and Seamus laughed.

“I didn’t know you had a wife, Branson,” I said with a smile, knowing I wasn’t going to win the battle.

“Yes I be ‘aving a wife. I ‘ave three boys as well I do,” He answered back as my mouth dropped. I always expected Branson to live in a small house in the city, but he lives on an estate, is married, and has children.

“Wait until ye meant my Aunt Agitha. She will just love having a guest at the ‘ouse, especially a girl,” Seamus explained as Branson started to walk out the door.

“We can talk bout all this later. Now both of ye get back to work,” he ordered and walked out. I could tell Seamus was over joyed that I would be staying with them. Part of me was very glad that I would be. Another part extremely nervous. What if his Aunt didn’t like me? Why do I care? Why am I feeling so nervous about meeting her. Why did I kiss Seamus on the cheek? These thoughts plagued my mind and invaded on my feelings of happiness.

We arrived in the Kinsale Port just before midday. The dock was a flurry of movement, noise, and business. Families came to greet their husbands, Men shouting at one another while unloading the cargo. It was all very interesting to someone who had never been here before. The noise was almost embarrible. I had gotten used to the quiet of the sea. I was told by Seamus to meet him and his uncle beside the unloading dock. I was there early with my new sea bag in hand that held all of my things. As I waited it started to rain, and that made the already cold weather even colder. My hair was getting soaked as was my jacket. Finally I saw Seamus and he waved me over.

“Stay close to me. I don’t want you getting lost here.” he said grabbing my hand. His hand was warm and much bigger than my small hand. He led me off the boat and he navigated his way through the crowd. There on the outside was a very curvy woman with fading red hair and three boys of all different ages. The woman saw him and opened her arms wide to him. He let go of my hand dropped his things, and gave her a big hug. “‘allo Aunt Agitha,” he said as she released him.

“‘allo me lad,” she said with a smile.” Who be that pretty young lass ye brought with ye?” she asked looking at me with a warm smile.