dress to the end, when she’d brought Caroline down for her first brief audience with her grandparents.
Patrick had been vaguely complimentary, had given the baby a distant smile, then had looked at his watch as if he had a pressing business engagement. Harriet had started in immediately. “See how pathetically thin the poor creature is, Kate? This is what I was telling you earlier. She needs to be fed in a civilized manner.”
Kate had been close to tears by the time she’d fled to the comfort of the nursery. She’d sat in the big rocker and defiantly fed Caroline in the same manner she’d been feeding her since she was born, but she found herself looking down at the child’s tiny arms and wondering if Harriet’s words held some truth. Perhapstomorrow she should ask Nonny where she could get some bindings to start the weaning process.
But by morning, she had other things on her mind. She’d slept fitfully but hadn’t heard Sean come in. She’d awakened frantic, ready to believe that he must have been waylaid somewhere in the wicked city. Then the serving girl who brought her a basin of warm water had assured her that Master Sean was safe asleep in his room. Kate had thanked the girl, feeling embarrassed to have had to ask the question about her newlywed husband, and also abashed that she’d forgotten the girl’s name, which seemed to her incredibly rude. She still wasn’t able to keep straight the endless procession of servants who seemed to be required to run the Flaherty household.
Relieved of the worry that Sean might be lying somewhere with his head cracked open, she’d taken her time getting dressed, hoping that he would awaken and burst through the connecting door with desperate apologies and explanations about why he hadn’t come home. But when she’d finished her toilet and there was still no sound from the adjoining room, she’d decided to knock.
Now, sitting on the thick rug of the nursery playing with Caroline, she tried to decide how she should react to the fact that his only excuse for not coming home had been that he’d been drinking and gaming. She’d heard of men who had problems with liquor. Even Vermillion had a couple of town drunks, pitiful specimens. Surely her charming, laughing, flamboyant Sean was not one of these?
In the short time she’d seen them together, she’dalready sensed the tension that existed between Sean and his parents. Perhaps he hadn’t appeared last night because he was still ashamed about Caroline being born so long before their marriage. She knew something about shame herself. She’d endured it for months before the baby’s birth and some time after. For Sean, it was still new.
This explanation made more sense than the drinking. He just had to work through his shame, the way she had, then he’d be normal once again. In the meantime, she’d try to be understanding, try to help him through it. It might not be easy. She sensed that Harriet was the kind of mother who could make a son feel ashamed for a very long time, if she was of a mind.
Sean appeared in the doorway looking much better than he had a few minutes earlier. He’d shaved and had on a freshly pressed blue suit and snowy-white shirt. His black hair was slicked back. Her breath caught at how handsome he looked, framed by the doorway. She smiled up at him and Caroline waved her arms in recognition.
Sean returned her smile with an expression of relief and gratitude, then came over to drop down onto the rug beside them. “How’s my girl today?” he asked Caroline, planting a kiss on her cheek. His daughter crowed in acknowledgment.
“And how’s her mother?” he asked more softly, his eyes seeking Kate’s with a special glow.
“Her mother’s fine,” Kate answered, also softly. “But she missed you last night.”
Sean reached out and stroked a finger along her cheek. “Today I’m not going to leave your side. We’lltake Caroline for a drive through the city. How would that
Patrick had been vaguely complimentary, had given the baby a distant smile, then had looked at his watch as if he had a pressing business engagement. Harriet had started in immediately. “See how pathetically thin the poor creature is, Kate? This is what I was telling you earlier. She needs to be fed in a civilized manner.”
Kate had been close to tears by the time she’d fled to the comfort of the nursery. She’d sat in the big rocker and defiantly fed Caroline in the same manner she’d been feeding her since she was born, but she found herself looking down at the child’s tiny arms and wondering if Harriet’s words held some truth. Perhapstomorrow she should ask Nonny where she could get some bindings to start the weaning process.
But by morning, she had other things on her mind. She’d slept fitfully but hadn’t heard Sean come in. She’d awakened frantic, ready to believe that he must have been waylaid somewhere in the wicked city. Then the serving girl who brought her a basin of warm water had assured her that Master Sean was safe asleep in his room. Kate had thanked the girl, feeling embarrassed to have had to ask the question about her newlywed husband, and also abashed that she’d forgotten the girl’s name, which seemed to her incredibly rude. She still wasn’t able to keep straight the endless procession of servants who seemed to be required to run the Flaherty household.
Relieved of the worry that Sean might be lying somewhere with his head cracked open, she’d taken her time getting dressed, hoping that he would awaken and burst through the connecting door with desperate apologies and explanations about why he hadn’t come home. But when she’d finished her toilet and there was still no sound from the adjoining room, she’d decided to knock.
Now, sitting on the thick rug of the nursery playing with Caroline, she tried to decide how she should react to the fact that his only excuse for not coming home had been that he’d been drinking and gaming. She’d heard of men who had problems with liquor. Even Vermillion had a couple of town drunks, pitiful specimens. Surely her charming, laughing, flamboyant Sean was not one of these?
In the short time she’d seen them together, she’dalready sensed the tension that existed between Sean and his parents. Perhaps he hadn’t appeared last night because he was still ashamed about Caroline being born so long before their marriage. She knew something about shame herself. She’d endured it for months before the baby’s birth and some time after. For Sean, it was still new.
This explanation made more sense than the drinking. He just had to work through his shame, the way she had, then he’d be normal once again. In the meantime, she’d try to be understanding, try to help him through it. It might not be easy. She sensed that Harriet was the kind of mother who could make a son feel ashamed for a very long time, if she was of a mind.
Sean appeared in the doorway looking much better than he had a few minutes earlier. He’d shaved and had on a freshly pressed blue suit and snowy-white shirt. His black hair was slicked back. Her breath caught at how handsome he looked, framed by the doorway. She smiled up at him and Caroline waved her arms in recognition.
Sean returned her smile with an expression of relief and gratitude, then came over to drop down onto the rug beside them. “How’s my girl today?” he asked Caroline, planting a kiss on her cheek. His daughter crowed in acknowledgment.
“And how’s her mother?” he asked more softly, his eyes seeking Kate’s with a special glow.
“Her mother’s fine,” Kate answered, also softly. “But she missed you last night.”
Sean reached out and stroked a finger along her cheek. “Today I’m not going to leave your side. We’lltake Caroline for a drive through the city. How would that
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