Prelude…
Mary Carson: My husband, Michael, built Drogheda out of love for me. It was to be our paradise, our utopia to raise our family on and to watch our legacy grow. Michael’s dreams never materialized, for he died three months following the completion of our grand city. The land has since sat empty, because I could not bear to set foot upon it.
Now, I am approaching the time of my death and I must decide who shall inherit all my worldly possessions, that includes Drogheda. I have no children and only one nephew; he is nothing but a poor farmer in the Australian outback. Leaving Drogheda to him is my only option, but I fear that he will be unable to build it into the magnificent village Michael and I dreamed it would be.
Giving my nephew, Paddy Cleary, the means to build himself an empire will be a sight to behold and one that I shall not miss. Even in death, I will be watching to see that he holds the spirit of my dear Drogheda alive.
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The spirit of Mary Carson:
Yes, that is right; I am still here, protecting Drogheda from those who wish to destroy it. I’ve been waiting many weeks for the arrival of my nephew, but it has taken long for word to reach him. I’m sure he was shocked when the news of his good fortune was whispered into his ears. I haven’t given him everything, though; he has no claim to my millions of dollars for that went to another love of mine. (a love that I cannot speak of…)
I want to see if dear ‘ole Paddy can make his way in Drogheda using his own two hands. Hmmm…I bet you are all wondering what my little nephew is like. Surprisingly, he is a rather dashing young man (he must have gotten his looks from his mother and not my drunken, oaf of a brother).
Paddy has not had an easy life, but then who among us have. We all have our tragic stories to tell, so I will not bore you with all the gory details. Suffice it to say, that my brother drank himself to an early death and Paddy had to find ways to support his mother and her “habits”. He has done well in his life, but now he will have to start over with very little. Unfortunately, farming here brings in minuet amounts of money, in fact, I was surprised at how little the boy had. He came to “paradise” (the largest piece of land in Drogheda) with a few possessions and the clothes on his back.
I must admit that I figured the boy would see the empty, barren land and run screaming with fear. I was wrong; he actually smiled and seemed happy at the possibilities that Drogheda held for him. Maybe I’ve been wrong about this boy; maybe he does possess some of my ambitious spirit. I guess only time will tell what will become of Paddy and paradise.
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The characters of this legacy story are loosely based on the novel, “The Thorn Birds”. I hope everyone enjoys it.
