Kit's father said that in olden days she might have been thought a Wise Woman or even a witch. She certainly knew how to make poultices and use the roots and berries that grew in abundance around her little home. She never spoke about other people so everyone knew that their secrets were safe.
'What will we bring her?' Kit asked. Nobody ever went to Sister Madeline empty-handed.
'She always says not to be bringing her things.' Clio was practical.
'Yes, she says that..' Kit still thought they should bring something.
'if we went to your dads shop he'd give us something.'
'No, he might say we should go straight home.' Kaid said.
That was a possibility they couldnt risk. 'We could pick some flowers.'
Clio was doubtful 'Yeah, but isnt her place full of flowers?'
'I know!' Kit had a sudden inspiration. 'Rita is making jam. We will take a pot of it.'
That would, of course, mean going home; Rita was the maid at the McMahons. But the jam was colling on the back window; they could just lift a pot of it. This seemed by far the safest way of getting a gift for Sister Madeleine the Hermit without having to run the gauntlet of a home interrogation.
The McMahons lived over the chemists shop in the main street of Lough Glass. You could get in up the front stairs beside the shop, or else go around the back. There was nobody about when Kit slipped into the yard and climbed the back steps.
Clothes were hanging on the line, but Rita wasnt in sight. Kit tiptoed to the window where the jams sat in containers of every sort and shape. She took one of the more common jahrs. It would be less likely to be missed. With a shock, she saw a figure trough the window. Her mother was sitting at the table, perfectly still. There was a faraway look on her face. She handt heard Kit, nor did she seem even aware of her surroundings. To Kit's dismay she saw that tears were falling down her mothers face and she wasn't even bothering to wipe them.
She moved quietly away.
Clio was waiting at the back.
'Were you spotted?' she asked. 'No' Kit was short.
'Whats wrong?'
"Nothing is wrong. You always think something's wrong when nothing ever is."
"Do you know, Kit, you are becoming as bad a pain in the bottom as awful Anna is. God, you Are lucky you haven't any sisters." Clio said With feeling.
"I have Emmet."
But they both knew Emmet Was no problem. Emmet was a boy, and boys didnt hang around wanting to be Part of your secrets. Emmet wouldnt be seen dead With girls.
He went his own way, fought his own battles, which were many because He had a speech impediment, and the other boys mimicked his stutter.
"Emm... Emm... Emmemm... Emmet." they called him. Emmet always answered back. "At least I'm not the school dunce." He would say, or "At least I dont have the smell of pigs on my boots." The trouble Was, it took him a long time to say these telling things and his tormentors had often gone away.
"What is annoying you?" Clio persisted, as they walked down the lane towards the lake.
"I suppose someone will marry you eventually, Clio. But it will have to be someone very patient, maybe stone deaf even."
There was no way that Kit McMahon was going to let her best friend Clio worm out of her the fact that it had been very shocking to see her mother sitting crying like that.
Sister Madeline was pleased to see them.
Her face was lined from walking in all weathers; her hair was hidden under a short dark veil. It was a cross between a veil and head scarf really. You could see some grey hair at the front, unlike the nuns at school, who had no hair at all.
Theirs was all cut off and sold for wigs.