He shook his head, as he ate another spoonful of homemade stew that tasted like a mouthful of charcoal in his present state. “I assure you. I’ve been persuaded to see that my … attentions are not desired.” He glared again at Seamus, then rose and nodded in the direction of Mary and Maggie, although he never met Maggie’s gaze. “Thank you for supper.”
He slipped from the kitchen, his boot heels sounding in the silent room as he left by the back door, while the large family stared after him in dumbfounded wonder.
* * *
After only a few moments, an incessant chattering began, as small groups of family members murmured to each other. Maggie sat alone, as though an island amid her beloved family, unwilling to speculate on Dunmore’s erratic behavior.
Her mum, who sat beside her, lowered her hand to grip Maggie’s, giving it a squeeze in silent support. That small show of solidarity was nearly her undoing, as she needed to remain strong during the rest of supper. She hoped to fall to pieces after she was alone in the privacy of her bedroom.
“Someone clearly said something to make him believe he wasn’t welcome,” Declan said, his arm slung over Lorena’s shoulder. He was as tall and as strong as his father, and he looked much like him, with striking blue eyes and black hair. However, he had allowed his hair to grow again, and it was tied back, while his beard was neatly trimmed. He teased his wife that he looked like a scholarly backwoodsman now.
Maggie cast a furtive glance around the table. Before tonight, seeing her siblings with their spouses, glowing with contentment from their happy marriages, had given her hope for her future. For she had believed that, one day soon, she would be married to Dunmore and that they too would be at this table, sharing a meal and laughter with her family. Now she knew that would never be a reality. She would forever sit beside her mum and yearn.
“Men have every right to be fickle,” Maggie said in a low voice.
“Fickle?” Kevin said, as he scratched at his head and shook it. “Nay, Dun’s the least fickle man I’ve ever known. He’s always known what he wanted and is a patient man.” He looked at Maggie, as though she must be the source for the discord.
Another long moment of uncomfortable silence followed, as the family pondered Dunmore’s inconsistent actions, yet Maggie refused to say anything, all while their stew congealed in their bowls.
Lorena cleared her throat. “I saw someone today.” At her sister, Phoebe’s, tense expression, Lorena smiled. “No, not her. Mr. A.J. is back.”
Exclamations of joy erupted, as the captain was a favorite, and they had hoped Captain A. J. Pickens would return this season. He had said he would consider it, when he had departed last August. Now it appeared he had decided to return.
“Wonderful!” Seamus said, with a beaming smile. “I wonder what news he’ll bring us.”
Lorena fidgeted, and everyone focused on her, a fact Maggie was thankful for. It allowed her to attempt to compose herself after the devastation of Dunmore’s presence in her family’s home. Maggie clenched her hands together, as she focused on her sister-in-law.
“I sought him out,” she whispered, as she cast a furtive glance in her husband’s direction. “I … I know that was wrong of me, but I had to speak with him.”
Declan ran a hand over her cheek, soothing the anxiety there. “What is it, love? I would have supported you and gone with you.”
She closed her eyes, speaking in a low voice. “I know I shouldn’t care, but I can’t help it. I had to see, … to know if she was all right. To determine if he had any news.”
Finn—an O’Rourke brother in his early twenties, called one of the twins because he and his older brother Eamon looked and acted so much alike—froze. “Winnifred,” he breathed.
“Yes.” Lorena nodded to emphasize her point, as grumbles and swallowed swears sounded. “I know she’s despised by the O’Rourkes—and with reason. She almost killed me, ruined my business, and would have done any number of horrible things. But she’s still my baby sister. I had to know.”
“Of course you did, lass,” Seamus said. “Family is family, even if we don’t always get along. Don’t feel guilty for bein’ loyal.”
“And?” Finn asked, his blue eyes intense, as he pushed back strands of long black hair, his shoulders bunched with anticipation of what she would say.
Lorena met his gaze with sorrow and embarrassment. “I fear it is as we knew it would be. She’s found a benefactor.”
Finn let out a huge sigh and bent forward, as he stared at the table. “’Tis as she always said. She’d not be alone for long.” He rose, striding from the room, the back door slamming behind him.
When Eamon rose to race after him, Seamus shook his head. “Leave him be. Some wounds we must tend to alone.”
Mary shared a long look with her husband, as she sat beside her miserable daughter. “Aye, an’ some wounds are inflicted due to another’s best intentions.”
* * *
“Seamus, how could you?” Mary hissed, as she slammed shut their bedroom door. “How could you do that to our daughter?”
Seamus sighed, as he sat on their bed, his head in his hands. “You don’t know what it did, Mary, seein’ wee Maggie in his arms.” He jerked as she hit his shoulder, his gaze meeting her irate glower.
“I understand well enough. She’s our babe. The last child we had together, and knowin’ she’s growin’ up, old enough to have babes of her own …” Mary’s lip quivered, as she battled her deep emotions. “We have no right, Shay, to cling to her in an attempt to recover lost time. No right.”
He heaved out a deep breath, his shoulders stooped. “Do you know what I see when I look at her?” He spoke as though in
