Dreams Can Come True Read Free Page A

years after she had said goodbye to Johnny, the sea-going son of her friend from Killala, who had marriage to her on his mind. He hadn’t known that her husband, Jack was still alive and living in America, so had set his sights on Maggie. The house, the businesses and easy living were what attracted him. Neither of them were sure that it was love they felt for each other.
    Johnny only really loved his mother and when she had died, he had looked for a comfortable berth. Maggie was drawn to his handsome looks and became confused with his attention, thinking that perhaps one day she may fall in love. Throughout it all was Betty, the voice of Maggie’s conscience.
    “You must tell him that you’re not free to marry. It isn’t fair for you to lead him on.”
    So, the next time Johnny came back to Neston, Maggie had told him her story. How Jack had got a young woman into trouble and the pair had gone to America to start a new life. To save a scandal, she’d had to keep a secret – that his disappearance had been because of his untimely death.
    Talk about a woman scorned! Johnny had exploded, angry that he had discharged himself from the shipping company, just to be with her! The next thing she knew, the tale was all round the village, spread by Johnny’s sister in law, Madeline. Of course that was the end of the relationship with Maddy, as Betty sacked her from her job as a designer at the dressmaker’s shop.
    Sadly things started going down hill at “Anne Rosemary’s”. Nobody in the village wanted to associate with the two women, who they had been told were a pair of liars. The older woman must have become inveigled; look how she had taken the Irish one to live in that grand house of hers. But though it was heartbreaking for Betty to close her business down, they had the loan company to give them an income and no one knew that Maggie had a share.
    Then one day Alice, Jack’s mother, received a letter. Since the story of Jack’s disappearance had got around the village, things hadn’t gone well between her and her daughter-in-law. Though Alice still went to St. Winefred’s Church on a Sunday and was involved in some of the activities there, she had quickly let it be known that they had been told Jack was dead by his landlady and they had only just found out that he was still alive! He had sent her a letter to say that all was well and he was living in America. That story seemed to satisfy her friends amongst the congregation, but Alice let rip at Maggie, saying that it was all her fault that this uproar had occurred. The relationship cooled, not that it bothered either of them as they didn’t have a lot of love for one another, until the day that the letter came to Seagull Cottage and everything began to change.
    “I’ve had enough of the fighting game,” the scribe had written on Jack’s behalf. “I’ve made enough money to live comfortably, so I’ll be settling my affairs and be coming home.”
    That had put the cat amongst the pigeons. Alice was overjoyed at her son’s homecoming, but Maggie was dreading her husband’s return.
    “He’ll be able to move in with you all at the big house,” Alice had said. “Mikey will get his father back and you your husband as well. He’ll be able to take over that company you make such a fuss about. Change its name ter Haines!”
    No mention of Hannah; surely Jack would be a father to her as well. And the thought of Jack interfering with the business gave Maggie palpitations. It was Betty’s company too! She walked round in dread for days on end, though Betty said there was nothing that Jack could do. The business had been started with Maggie’s own money. He had gone away hadn’t he, leaving her and Mikey to fend for themselves?
    Maggie smiled to herself as she wrapped a towel around her body and then walked into the bedroom that the pair of them shared. Jack had been delighted with her good fortune, pleased as punch that she accepted him back again and spent