"No of course not… I'm not going to be driven away from my own son… because of her…" Lady Byrne said her last words, giving Jac a look.

"Linda dear," Anne Marie Byrne stopped the maid, passing by, "may you take up their two bags to their rooms please?"

"Yes, madam," the maid obeyed her orders as she carried both bags upstairs.

"Ah why 'rooms' not 'room'?" Joseph asked confused.

"Well you are certainly not going to sleep in the same room…" Lady Byrne replied.

"For God's sake mother, we are engaged to be married, we already live together you know…" Joseph said back.

"You are in my house, so you go by my rules!" she said as she gave them both a look, "now take off your coats, dinner will be served soon," she said before she knelt down to pick up Harry, "come on Harry, let's put you in the Moses' basket nana bought you…" she said as she walked into the other room with him.

"I feel like I'm at school… ordering me around…" Jac whispered to Joseph as they took off their coats.

"Jac, she is trying to accept you in our family, just please try and get along, it's only for two days…" Joseph whispered as he put their coats on the hanger.

"Oh and two separate rooms seriously? She is treating us like two kids…" Jac whispered back.

"Don't you worry…I've got a plan…" Joseph whispered and grinned at Jac, before they both walked into the dining room.

"Oh and Joseph don't you worry about Harry, he will sleep in the nursery Sophia used to use for her children, we left it set up… that way you will sleep through the night…" Lady Byrne said sat at the table holding Harry, as Jac and Joseph sat around the table, joining Sophia and her children.

"But what if-" Joseph was going to ask before his mother cut him off.

"Don't worry, if he wakes up, we have a live-in nanny to take care of him," Lady Byrne added.

"live-in nanny?" Joseph asked confused.

"Yes the one who takes care of my children… I moved back in after the divorce…" Sophia added.

"Right…" Joseph uttered. Jac wasn't joining in the conversation; she couldn't help observing the photographs hanging on the wall; family photos with Lord Byrne being in several of them. Jac looked away, uncomfortably.

"Lady Byrne, dinner is ready to be served," Linda walked into the dining room.

"Thank you Linda, and may we have more wine please?" Lady Byrne replied, before she stood up and put Harry in his Moses' basket.

"Yes madam," Linda replied, before walking out of the room.

"So engaged huh? Come on… let's see the ring…" Sophia said, looking at both Jac and Joseph.

Jac was busy playing away with her phone under the table, when Joseph nudged her, causing Jac to look up, "sorry?" she had no idea what was being said.

"the ring?" Sophia asked again.

"oh…" Jac uttered, as she took out her left hand towards Sophia.

"Ah… nice stone!" Sophia exclaimed, with a gasp. Lady Byrne inched a bit forward to observe the detail.

Linda the maid, had walked in with bowls of soup in a tray, walking around the table stopping by each and every one of them, serving them.

"Ah that's exquisite darling… so… when is the big day?" Lady Byrne asked.

Jac and Joseph looked at each other, "Ah we haven't set a date yet…" Joseph said.

"But it's not that big of a deal, not a big classy wedding… just us…" Jac added.

Joseph gave her a look, "and close family and friends of course…" Joe added.

"Right… well if you need any help… you know… catering… a venue… I can help you…" Lady Byrne suggested.

"Ah no thanks, we can manage," Jac replied bluntly.

"So Jac… I know Joseph had to leave his job because of Harry and move to Penrith, but how do you fit in the picture?" Lady Byrne asked, before a sip of wine.

"He asked me to move away with him, and I said yes…" Jac replied, without hesitation.

"Right… and what about your job? I remember how greedy you were when it came to position and power, it was the main reason why you slept with my husband wasn't it?" Lady Byrne said, coldly.

Jac froze.

"Mother, please…" Joseph stepped in.

"I love your son, it was a sacrifice I was willing to make…" Jac pretended to ignore her comment and responded convincingly.

"It's funny how you changed your opinion, you didn't seem to care about him, seven years ago…" Lady Byrne added.

Before Jac could reply, Linda walked in with the main course, "For the main course we have fillet of beef served with mushroom sauce…" she said, as she started serving the plates.

"Ah this was your father's favourite sauce remember?" Lady Byrne addressed her children, observing her plate.

"No, mother it was mushroom and cream," Sophia replied.

"No it wasn't, it was definitely the regular mushroom sauce, the browner the better…" Lady Byrne added.

"No, I think Sophia is right…" Joseph stepped in.

"Joseph, no one knows my husband as much as I do… or better yet… why don't we ask Jac what she thinks? She was upclose and personal with my husband as much as I was, if not more…" Lady Byrne said with a smirk, looking up at Jac.

"Mother, for God's sake that's enough!" Joseph had to raise his voice.

"You know, Mrs Byrne, there is not one day that goes by, that I don't regret what I did, but you want to know something? Your husband was the one who chased after me and practically begged me to get into bed with him… I wonder why? He wasn't satisfied much, was he?" Jac said, rudely. But she couldn't let Lady Byrne carry on with the comments.

"Excuse me?!" Lady Byrne snapped. Jac stood up from the table and headed to the stairs.

"Mother, will you just stop?!" Joseph yelled.

"Did you hear what she just said to me?!" Lady Byrne, said looking at Joseph as he stood up from the table.

"As much as I love you mother, you started it, she was felt awkward to come in the first place, and you kept making her feel uncomfortable with your words. Mother I have forgiven her and moved on, and we are getting married, whether you like it or not!" Joseph yelled.

Lady Byrne paused, "Fine, but when she puts her job first and hurts you again, don't you come crawling back to me!"

Joseph without saying another word, walked out of the dining room and headed upstairs. He knocked on Jac's door.

The door opened to reveal Jac. She made way for him to come inside. She wiped away tears from her cheek as she stood in the middle of the room.

"Hey come here," Joseph said as he held out his hands open for a hug. Jac couldn't help moving towards him.

"Joseph I know she's your mum and everything…" Jac sobbed.

"Shhh…" Joe said as he stroked her hair, "Don't worry… I love you, and I'm not going to let her come between us,"

"and I'm sorry about what I said… about your dad… I didn't mean to…" Jac said, as she faced him.

"I know… I know… but I said I have forgiven you, didn't I? then there's nothing to worry about… I wouldn't have asked you to marry me, if I didn't… I know that there are no secrets between us now…" Joseph said, as he wiped her tears off her face.

Jac suddenly remembered of her endometriosis, "yeah… I guess you're right…" she paused, "I love you…"

Joseph smiled, "You know what my answer is…" before he leaned in and kissed her.

"It's a shame we have to sleep alone tonight…" Jac uttered, as they broke it off.

"We don't have to… come knocking on my door… 11pm, when everyone is asleep… that is… if you're up for it…" Joseph said with a grin, lowering his hands from her back onto her behind.

"Ahh… I see what you have in mind… we have a deal…" Jac smiled, before kissing him again.

At 11pm sharp, Jac only wrapped in her dressing gown, walked out of her room, and locked it. She moved a few feet down the hall quietly, in order not to wake anyone, and made a soft knock on Joseph's bedroom door.

As soon as Joe opened the door, she pushed him in and locked lips with him. Together they moved onto the bed.

"Damn, this is sexy… sneaking around…" Jac said, breaking off the kiss.

"Yeah, but we keep noises to a minimum… don't forget my mother is down the hall-" Joseph told her.

"Yeah I got that…" Jac cut him off and kissed him again.

Both of them managed to wake up early, despite the action they had during the night. Jac lay in Joseph's arms, watching the sun rise.

"I can't believe I'm going to say this but… last night was one of the best I've ever had, even though it felt a bit awkward," Joseph said, stroking her hair.

"Why awkward?" Jac asked, as she sat up, wrapped in the bed sheet and looked at him.

"I never did this in my mother's house…" Joseph replied. Jac smiled and leaned in for a kiss. But they were soon interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Joseph! Time for breakfast!" they could hear Lady Byrne from outside the room.

"Hide!" Joseph told Jac, as he got out of bed and put on his robe. Jac, wrapped in the bed sheet, had nowhere to go. The only solution was to roll over to the side of the bed and fall to the floor. Jac laid with her head bent down, when she noticed something on the floor, in the middle of the room.

"Shit!" she mouthed.

Joseph unlocked and opened the door, "Morning… mother…" he uttered, trying not to let her see much.

"Joseph are you alright? You seem… startled…" his mother asked.

"Yes… yes I'm fine…" Joseph replied. Lady Byrne tried to eye the room, and noticed the ruffled blankets on the bed and women's underwear lying about.

"Right… I'll see you on the table then…" she said before she turned to leave.

Joseph hurriedly shut the door behind her, "That was close," Joseph told Jac, as she stood up from behind the bed.

"Not quite…" Jac said, "she definitely saw these…" she said as she picked up her underwear from the floor.

"Sod it… I don't care what she thinks anymore…" Joseph said as he pulled her in for another kiss.

Jac and Joe walked into the dining room, to see breakfast was served on the table.

"Had a good night sleep, did we?" Lady Byrne asked them both as they sat down on the table.

"Yes… we … did…" Joseph uttered, his hand on Jac's thigh. Jac smiled at Joe.

"That's good then… oh and Jac, about yesterday…" Lady Byrne added. Jac faced her, "what I said was out of line… and I apologise…"

"apology accepted," Jac said with a grin on her face, as she took a sip of orange juice.

"If this is what Joseph wants then… I have to accept it…" Lady Byrne added.

"Thank you mother…." Joseph said as he placed his hand over his mum's.

"Oh and remember… this is my house and not a cheap hotel… act a bit more responsible next time!" Lady Byrne told them both, before she left the room.

Jac and Joe smiled at each other.