While it steeped, she put two of the traditional currant scones she’d baked earlier onto plates and set one in front of Moira, along with a pot of jam and some Devonshire cream that Jess ordered for her from one of the suppliers for her inn.
“I love this room,” Moira said quietly as Nell finally joined her. “There’s so much light in here, and the view is spectacular. It soothes me just to sit here and look out the window.”
Nell nodded. “It does the same for me. Add in a cup of tea, and there’s virtually no problem that I can’t tackle right here at this table if I put my mind to it.”
“I wish I had a place like that,” Moira blurted, then looked embarrassed at having revealed so much about her state of mind.
Nell took the comment in stride. “We all need a place like that. Why are you troubled today? Are you feeling homesick?”
Moira shook her head. “In an odd way, it’s because I don’t feel homesick that I’m in this mood.” She regarded Nell earnestly. “I don’t have a life there—not really. I’ve worked jobs, if you know what I mean. I don’t have a career or a calling, at least not in the way that Mum and Grandfather would want for me to have. And the promise of a career in photography, despite the potential of it, doesn’t excite me the way I know it should.”
“But your future is your choice, not theirs,” Nell said, beginning to detect the problem. Moira, for all her rebellious ways, wanted to please her family, just as most young people did, whether they admitted it or not.
Moira seemed surprised by her comment. “Do you truly believe that?”
“Of course. Look at the paths my grandchildren have chosen. Abby seemed to know straightaway what she wanted. She has a gift for the financial world and has made her mark there almost from her first job on Wall Street. Bree had great ambitions about becoming a playwright, but her heart was here with Jake. She’s found a way to balance both, and added a wonderful flower shop as well. And Jess…” Her voice trailed off as she thought about Mick’s youngest.
“She has a successful inn,” Moira filled in for her. “She found her passion.”
“That she did,” Nell agreed, “but she tried any number of jobs before that. Not a one of them suited her, and not a one of them lasted.”
“She has attention deficit disorder, though,” Moira said. “Isn’t that why it was hard for her to find her way?”
“That was one of the reasons, certainly,” Nell agreed. “But the real key was for her to find the one thing she was passionate about, just as you said. You need to do the same thing. Some people gravitate directly to it. Others have to try a variety of things until they find the one that fits. Maybe photography is it, maybe not. You’ve won some accolades from Megan, who knows the field, so it’s surely worth considering.”
Moira nodded, her expression intrigued. “If I confide something to you, can you keep it to yourself?”
Nell smiled. “With all these grandchildren, I’ve learned to keep a secret or two.”
“I’ve never said all this to another soul, aside from hinting at it to Laila and Jess, who looked horrified, but what I want more than anything is to have a family—the kind I didn’t have when I was growing up. I want to be the mum who bakes cookies and walks my children to school, who volunteers for classroom outings and has dinner on the table when everyone gets home at the end of the day.”
Nell regarded her with amusement. “Why would you need to keep such a goal to yourself? It’s a good path. It’s the one I chose.”
Moira shrugged. “When there’s not a man in the immediate future, it’s a hard thing to admit.”
“I thought there was a man in your future—my grandson.”
Moira sighed. “He made it quite clear to me today that he’s a long way from wanting a future with me. His entire focus is on his new pub.” She met Nell’s gaze. “Which is as it should be. I understand how important this is to him, how badly he wants to make a success of it.” She shrugged. “I suppose I was just hoping I could be by his side to help.”
Nell frowned. “Did he turn away your offer of help?”
“Oh, no,” Moira said, a trace of bitterness in her voice. “He told me if I wanted a job, I could have one.” Her expression turned indignant. “Which wasn’t the point at all.”
Nell laughed. “Perhaps you were too subtle,” she said, though she couldn’t imagine such a thing. Moira struck her as pretty forthright.
Moira gave her a wry look. “Have you ever once known me to be subtle?”
Nell chuckled. “But it’s much harder to say what’s really in your heart when you’re not sure of the reception it will get.”
“That’s exactly it,” Moira said, looking surprised. “I got all bumbly and far too careful with my words, especially when I sensed that Luke was on an entirely different wavelength.” She regarded Nell hesitantly. “Is he the kind of man who will only appreciate me if I have some high-powered career?”
“Why would you ask that?”
“It’s just that it’s sometimes seen as politically incorrect for women today to choose family over work. When I talk about this with some of my girlfriends, they tend to think I’m daft. Laila and Jess certainly did.”
“Raising a family is never a bad choice, in my opinion,” Nell said. “There’s nothing more important that a woman can do. That said, I completely support any woman who is excited about her career and wants that balance in her life. How could I
