All the Sweet Tomorrows

Bertrice Small All the Sweet Tomorrows

The second book in the Skye O'Malley series, 1984

This book is dedicated with much love and great respect to the first hero I ever had, my father, David Roger Williams. You're still my hero, Daddy!

The world has laid low,
and the wind
blows away like ashes
Alexander, Caesar, and all who were
in their trust;

Grass-grown is Tara,
and see Troy now how it is-
And the English themselves,
perhaps they too
will pass!

– Anonymous Irish poem, 17th or 18th century

THE PLAYERS

THE O'MALLETS OF INNISFANA ISLAND, IRELAND

SKYE O'MALLEY known as the O'Malley, chief of her clan

SEAMUS O'MALLEY her elderly uncle, Bishop of Mid-Connaught

ANNE O'MALLEY Skye's widowed stepmother

EIBHLLN O'MALLEY Skye's elder sister, a nun and a doctor

MOIRE, PEIGI, BRIDE, AND SINE Skye's other sisters, all older

MICHAEL O'MALLEY Skye's full brother, a priest

BRIAN, SHANE, SHAMUS, AND CONN Anne's sons, Skye's half-brothers

THE HUSBANDS OF SKYE O'MALLEY

DOM O'FLAHERTY her first, the Master of Ballyhennessey

KHALLD EL BEY (Diego India Goya de Fuentes) her second, known as 'the Great Whoremaster of Algiers,' a Spaniard turned Moslem

LORD GEOFFREY SOUTHWOOD her third, the Earl of Lynmouth, known as the 'Angel Earl'

LORD NIALL BURKE her fourth, and Skye's first love

THE CHILDREN OF SKYE O'MALLEY

EWAN O'FLAHERTY born March 28th, 1556

MURROUGH O'FLAHERTY born January 15th, 1557

WILLOW MARY SMALL born April 5th, 1560

ROBERT SOUTHWOOD born September 18th, 1563

JOHN SOUTHWOOD born December 15th, 1564, died April 15, 1566

DELRDRE BURKE born December 12th, 1567

PADRAIC BURKE born January 30th, 1569

THE STEPCHILDREN OF SKYE O'MALLEY

SUSANNE SOUTHWOOD betrothed to Lord Trevenyan

GWYNETH AND JOAN SOUTHWOOD twin sisters, betrothed to Skye's sons, Ewan and Murrough O'Flaherty

SKYE'S FRIENDS

SIR ROBERT SMALL Skye's business partner

DAME CECILY SMALL his elder sister, a widow

ADAM DE MARISCO the Lord of Lundy Island

DAISY Skye's tiring woman and faithful confidante

SIR RICHARD DE GRENVILLE Skye's old friend, a sea captain

THE IRISH

THE MACWILILAM Niall Burke's father

CAPTAIN SEAN MACGULRE the senior captain of the O'Malley fleet

CAPTAIN BRAN KELLY an O'Malley captain

CLAIRE O'FLAHERTY Dom O'Flaherty's sister

SISTER MARY PENITENT the former Darragh O'NeiL Niall's first wife, marriage annulled

THE ENGLISH

ELIZABETH TUDOR the Queen of England, 1558 to 1603

WILLIAM CECIL, LORD BURGHLEY the English Secretary of State, and the Queen's greatest confidant

ROBERT DUDLEY, THE EARL OF LEICESTER the Queen's oldest friend, and favorite

SIR CHRISTOPHER HATTON another of the Queen's favorites, and Captain of the Gentlemen Pensioners

LETTICE KNOLLYS, COUNTESS OF ESSEX the Queen's cousin

THE ALGERIANS

OSMAN a famous astrologer and Skye's old friend

ALLMA his French wife

PROLOGUE

“This is all your fault, you meddling old man!' Skye O'Malley Burke shouted at her father-in-law, the MacWilliam of Mid-Connaught. Her blue-green eyes flashed fire, and her marvelous long, black hair, unbound and unruly, swirled