During the Scottish autumn of 1891, Irishman, Lucan Hayes, a coal miner, loses his wife to childbirth. In his darkest hour, he meets prostitute Meg-Anne Dunn. This brief encounter would alter their lives forevermore.
Lucan must find a way to rais...
On the 11th of November Jacky Norman was sentenced to imprisonment for life on a charge of manslaughter in connection with the shooting of Constable Edward Lanigan. The trial had drawn a large crowd and the bar was abuzz with men discussing the case.
"They shoulda hung the bastard."
"Hold on mate it weren't like he meant to kill him."
"What are you, a white hater?"
"Don't matter the colour he is. Chink or white, yellow or red, he didn't aim to shoot."
"Yeah, that's right. Gun went off by accident. Could have been the other fella's fault. That McLaughlin."
"It came about because Norman was on a rampage."
"Still a man's dead. Lanigan was a good bloke!"
Meggy squeezed between two men who were seated with the group. "Just want to wipe your table gents." She lifted each glass, one at a time and ran her damp cloth quickly around.
"You can wipe something else for us if you like, love. To cool us off."
"Maybe later." Meggy smirked and moved on to the next table, the next group of men and what she knew would be more of the same. She was so sick of the lurid remarks, the bum slaps and the drunks. She yearned for love, for someone to care for her, to look after her. Meggy wanted it so much her heart ached.
She continued from table to table, not really hearing what was being said to her, but knowing and reacting as they wanted her to react. She reflected on her life, the sordid years in Scotland and now here in Cairns. She thought of the men, the filth and the stench that was part of it and she wondered how it had got to this. Her mother's death. Yes... how old had she been when her mother had become ill? Seventeen. Meggy had been working as a scullery maid. She had to leave her employment to look after her. They needed food in their mouths. Tears formed in her eyes. Three years it had been. Yes. She was now twenty but felt so much older. Meggy wiped angrily at her eyes, to clear her vision. She headed to the corner table where Beatrice was giggling and flirting with one of the many punters. "Bee!" she beckoned.
Beatrice turned to face her. "What's up, Megs?"
Meggy shrugged as she fought to hold back tears.
Beatrice whispered in the man's ear, giggled and patted his arm, assuring him she would return. She took Meggy by the hand and led her to the quietest end of the bar. "What's up, sweetie?" Beatrice dabbed the tears, which spilled down Meg-Anne's cheeks, with her thumbs.
Meggy shuddered. "I don't know. I just feel like crying."
"I know." Beatrice drew Meggy to her. "It's a brutal life, hun but cryin' ain't gonna fix it." She pushed Meggy away from her and once again wiped the tears from her face with her fingers. "You need yourself a nice punter tonight. One that's not too drunk, good lookin' and who's gonna treat you right." She beamed, encouraging Meggy to smile. "The trick is to find one, hey?" She chuckled as Meggy rolled her eyes.
"Are you going ta work some magic for me, Bee, and find me one of them nice punters?" She grinned and added, "I don't like your chances somehow. Not with this lot."
Beatrice squeezed Meggy's cheeks. "Are you sayin' you've lost faith in old Bee?"
Meggy laughed louder. Beatrice took her by the shoulders and turned her to face the crowded bar. "Let's see what we have on the menu." She pointed at a group of men playing poker. "The red head, what ya think?"
Meggy shook her head. "Too mean looking."
Beatrice rubbed her chin. "Mm... what about Larry? He's always good for a quiet night."
Again, Meggy shook her head. "He has really bad breath."
Beatrice gave Meggy a shocked look. "No...!" She grinned and they both burst into laughter.
Beatrice stopped laughing and thrust her hand through the air. "There! Just the one!"
Meggy contained herself and screwed up her nose. "What?"
Beatrice turned Meggy to face the direction she was pointing. "By the Fan Tan table, looking this way. I've never seen him before. Purr...fect!"
Scanning the crowd, Meggy's eyes met his and from the distance she knew they were blue.
The deepest kind.
She knew also, that she had looked into those eyes before.
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