Mam opened her mouth, but her response stalled. She was probably relieved to learn the news. At the very least, she wouldn’t have to try hard to get Alannah to reject him since she already had.
Da watched him a moment longer, then lowered himself to the closest chair. With the rainy afternoon, a cooler breeze wafted through the windows that were open and protected by the covered veranda. Even so, Da took out a handkerchief and dabbed at the perspiration on his forehead.
As he did so, he remained quiet, the sign he was contemplating the new information and trying to make sense of it. Although Da was a driven man, he was fair. He wouldn’t demand that Kiernan marry someone else if he was in love with Alannah.
“Let me see if I have my information correct,” Da finally said. “You’ve been helping to protect Alannah from herbrother’s rival gang. In the process, you’ve fallen in love with her. And now with the rumors, you want to do the honorable thing and make her your wife.”
“That’s it.” Kiernan couldn’t have summed it up more concisely if he tried. “If that isn’t enough, Bellamy chose us for each other.”
“Did he now? Above any of the women you met with over the past two weeks?”
“I didn’t know it until today. And now I understand why. She’s the only one I can truly be myself with, and she’s genuine with me in return.” Among all the other things he liked about her, he appreciated that he didn’t have to strive to be more or do more or be successful. She liked him for who he was.
Or at least, she used to like him before she saw his list.
Da finished wiping his forehead, then tucked away his handkerchief. “Bellamy’s a good matchmaker, so he is.”
Mam snorted softly. “Matchmakers aren’t the Almighty himself.”
“If anyone has the Almighty directing him,” Da countered, “that’s Bellamy McKenna. He worked miracles for both Finola and Enya, so he did. And he’ll work a miracle again for Kiernan.”
“She’s a nobody and not suitable, James.” Mam raised her voice, as though she was hoping Alannah—wherever she was—would hear her. “At least with Finola and Enya, Bellamy found young men who are their equals.”
“She’s my equal.” Kiernan was growing more ashamed of his list the longer he thought about what he’d written. “In fact, she’s better than me.” She wasn’t as selfish and arrogant and shallow as he was.
“Not only is she a nobody,” Mam protested, “but she has nothing—”
“What about you when you disembarked from your ship, and Da walked up to you?” Kiernan had heard the story of how his parents met dozens of times over the years. Da liked to say that he’d been doing business down at the levee and noticed Mam walking off the steamship gangplank and thought she was the prettiest Irish lass he’d ever seen. He hadn’t cared about anything else and had gone right up to her and proposed on the spot. She’d slapped him on his cheek and told him to go away. They were married three months later.
“I wasn’t a poor domestic.” Mam’s da had been a tailor, a respectable trade. He’d had a difficult time garnering business and had decided to emigrate to St. Louis where a brother lived. He’d sent Mam and one of his sons ahead to prepare the way for the rest of the family. But then her da changed his mind and decided to stay in Ireland after all. Although Mam hadn’t been as helpless and destitute as the immigrants fleeing from the Great Hunger, if the times had been different, she very well could have been.
Da was looking at her with a gentle rebuke in his eyes.
Mam lifted her chin.
“We didn’t have much in those early days, Lucinda.” Da crossed to her and reached for her hand. “But we had each other, and that was enough, wasn’t it?”
Her expression softened, and she raised a hand to his clean-shaven cheek. She was quiet for a moment, then sighed. “Fine. I won’t say anything more about the girl.”
“Alannah.” Kiernan could be just as stubborn as Mam when he chose to. And in Alannah’s case, he wanted his familyto respect her as they would any gentlewoman he might have decided to marry.
“Very well.” Mam released a sigh as if it was costing her greatly to acquiesce. “I won’t say anything more aboutAlannah.”
“You’ll be kind to her?” Kiernan persisted.
“Aye, I’m kind already.”
Kiernan narrowed his eyes at Mam, but she didn’t meet his gaze. He’d made strides with her today, but maybe it would take time for her to accept Alannah. It would likely take time for many within his social circles to accept her. But he was a determined man, and he’d make sure it happened eventually.
“So,” Da said. “You’re set on marrying her?”
“I won’t be swayed.” It was the right thing to do. He knew it. Torin knew it. And Bellamy had always known it. Now he just had to convince Alannah.
“But she doesn’t want to marry you?” Da asked, clearly reading the direction of his thoughts.
“I’ve persuaded her to take a week to think about it. I’d like to announce our match at the end of the week.”
“And if she still doesn’t agree at that point?” Da persisted.
