Daughters

"What is going on with our mother and Rory?" Merilee demanded on Christmas Eve when she got her brother's alone in the kitchen. Riordan and Janine had arrived on a late train from London. Riordan had to be back for the afternoon of Boxing Day for a duty watch. Merilee had managed to get a pass for four days and would be leaving on Boxing Day as well. Jay had arrived earlier in the day and was off for a week.

"Why don't you ask her that," Jay replied. He knew his sister well enough not to get involved. He had advised his mother to think things over. If things with Rory were progressing, Jay had no issue with it as long as his mother was treated with respect and well taken care of.

"You two don't even seem to care," Merilee retorted. Her and Jay had always rubbed each other the wrong way. She had teased him mercilessly and played endless practical jokes on him when she was younger. At twenty-one he had about enough of her nonsense and couldn't see why she couldn't grow up and stop trying to interfere in everyone else's lives.

Merilee found Jay rather annoying as well. When they were young he had always been front and center for every new gadget in the house to the point where she couldn't get near it. He had usually managed to disassemble things and put them back together in a different way before she had even a chance to get near it. At one point he had made a listening device out of an old telephone and put it under her bed. She had caught him and his friends snickering over a conversation she and a friend were having about one of the boys. She had been mortified and hadn't spoken to him for weeks.

Riordan frowned at Merilee in his overly serious way.

"They're obviously interested in each other. He's a good choice. I have no issue with it," Riordan said. He had enough on his plate at the moment not to be worrying about his mother's personal life. Foreign Secretary Eden had announced the mass executions of Jews by the Nazis in parliament a week before. His office now had the task of preparing charges against any prisoners of war believed to be involved. It was a massive legal headache that was going to take years to straighten out.

"They're disrespecting our father's memory and flaunting it in our faces. How can you two sit there and not say anything?" Merilee complained.

"They're not flaunting anything," Jay said calmly. "If you weren't so narrow minded you might realize holding hands isn't a crime." He was busy pouring drinks to take back into the other room.

"Merilee, if you want to know something talk to her in private. If you can't be civil keep your mouth shut," Riordan said. "She's not disrespecting our father. She's getting on with things."

Merilee snapped her mouth shut and followed her brothers back into the other room. Rory's daughter was there as was Cousin Isobel, her Aunt Mary and Uncle Matthew with their son and daughter. Aunt Edith and her husband had gone to visit his sister for the week. There was a board game going on a table at one side of the room and the rest of the family were visiting and catching up on news.

Merilee retook her seat beside her fiancée, John Andrews. She had brought him with her to meet the family and get away from the air base where he was stationed. She kept glancing at her mother. The small smiles her mother and Rory were exchanging were more than enough to tell her something was going on. Her mother was acting like a girl of half her age and Merilee didn't approve one bit.

"How long are you staying Rory?" Merilee asked him.

"We have to leave on Boxing Day in the evening."

"Isn't it rather unusual for you to come and visit the family at Christmas. You've never come twice in one year before?"

"Your mother invited me and I decided to accept her invitation," he replied calmly. He had a feeling Merilee was up to no good. Tom had a blind spot when it came to his daughter. Rory had caught her more than once when she was young pulling tricks on her brothers. Tom had brushed it off but Rory hadn't been impressed.

"Don't you usually spend the holidays with family in Ireland?" Merilee asked. She wasn't about to let up.

"I don't have any family in Ireland other than Kathy," Rory replied.

Merilee arched an eyebrow at him.

"If you're our father's cousin how can you not have family in Ireland? We have scads of relations on our Da's side over there?" she asked.

Kathy had been listening to the conversation and was waiting for her father's answer. Sybil's smile had faded from her face as had Lady Cora's. Rory's face had gone as white as a sheet. He glanced at Sybil and held her gaze for a minute before he turned back to Merilee. None of Sybil's children knew about his back story and neither did his daughter. It was something he wasn't planning on telling her until she was old enough to understand.

"Why don't we have any relations in Ireland Da? I only remember Gran and she lived with us."

Rory opened his mouth to respond and nothing came out. He looked at his glass and back up. Mary and Matthew knew the truth as well as Lady Cora. He felt like a caged animal with nowhere left to turn.

"Kathy," Sybil began. Her voice was very quiet. "Your father is adopted."

"But…how can that be," Kathy said. She was almost in tears. "You're my aunty and I had a Gran."

The tears were starting to form in the corner of Rory's eyes. He couldn't look at Sybil's children. He didn't know how to answer his daughter. He got up quickly and headed out the back door.

Sybil went and took Kathy by the hand and took her into the kitchen.

"I hope you're proud of yourself," Riordan said to Merilee.

"I was just asking a simple question," Merilee defended. She had always known there was something odd about Rory's family connection. She didn't like the idea of her mother with another man and she was going to do everything in her power to put a stop to it.

"We all know you were trying to cause trouble," Jay said.

"That's enough," Lady Cora spoke up sharply. "The topic is no longer open for discussion."

Riordan got up and went to find Rory and their mother, Jay was right behind him. He shot his sister a parting glare.

Sybil was in the kitchen trying to console Kathy.

"We don't love you or your Da any less," Sybil said. "We love him more because we chose to love him. Uncle Tom was his Da because he wanted to be. We just told everyone he was Uncle Tom's cousin. Gran loved you and your Da too."

"Why didn't Da tell me?"

"It's hard for him to talk about. He'll be back in a minute."

"Am I adopted too?"

"No of course not," Sybil said brushing the hair back from Kathy's face. "I remember when your mother was pregnant with you. She was so excited. You can ask Riordan and Jay they remember too."

Jay knelt down beside his mother and Kathy. Riordan had gone outside to look for Rory.

"I remember just after you were born," he said. "Your mom had blonde hair and blue eyes like you. Your Da took us fishing and we drank fresh milk every day when we came to your house."

Kathy was still looking sad but her tears had stopped.

"I remember when I was really little and your Da lived with us in London," Jay continued. "He took care of me when I had chicken pox. He would carry me down the street piggyback in the summers. I thought he was the best big cousin in the world. I didn't know he was adopted either. It doesn't make any difference to me."

Kathy put her arms around Jay's neck. He hugged her back.

"Let's go back and do a skit for the others. We'll have to think of something good," Jay said. He nodded to his mother.

Sybil went to the door, grabbed a coat off the peg and stepped out into the garden. She could just make out the two men standing by the carriage house. She went to Rory and put her arms around him. He put an arm around her and hugged her.

"Jay's taking care of Kathy," Sybil said. "I think she'll be ok, but I believe you will have more explaining to do."

"I'm glad she's alright. It's pushed a difficult conversation earlier than I would have liked it," Rory said giving Sybil another hug.

"Mum, you can't let Merilee get away with this, neither of you can. She did it deliberately. She was pestering me and Jay with questions about your two's relationship earlier."

"I don't intend to let her get away with it," Sybil replied. "I'd like to wring her neck."

"Well, I for one couldn't care less whether you're adopted or not," Riordan said. "It doesn't make any difference to me."

"Let's go back in where it's warm," Sybil said.

"Your mother and I need to have a word," Rory said when they got back in the house. "We'll be back in in a few minutes."

"I'm sorry she did that," Sybil said.

"Don't apologize for her. It wasn't your fault. I should have told Kathy a long time ago. I just didn't know how to tell a child about the whole ugly mess."

"It won't be easy but she'll understand."

"Your probably right."

"Part of this is my fault too," Sybil said. "I should have told Merilee I was considering a relationship with you. I told the boys last summer. They were both supportive of whatever decision I made. I didn't tell her because she can be difficult."

"Sybil, I don't want to come between you and your daughter," he said. "Maybe we should call everything off right now. I'll go back to Ireland and that will be that."

"You're not getting off that easy," Sybil said. She slid her arms around his waist and pulled him close. "My family almost drove Tom and I apart. We had a terrible row when we told them we were married. We had another one when I told them you had been a rebel. I didn't give in to family pressure then and I won't now."

"She's your daughter. It's different."

"She's selfish and stubborn. She always has been. This isn't the first trouble she's caused and I'm sure it won't be the last. Tom always gave her the benefit of the doubt. Don't you want to be with me?"

"I do but not if it's going to cause you trouble and cause a rift between you and your daughter."

"Don't you care for me enough to weather the storm with me?" Sybil asked him.

"I do care for you. I love you," he said.

"I love you too. I would have like to have told you under better circumstances."

"It doesn't matter."

"I'm going to have a talk with Merilee, tonight," Sybil said.

"Kiss me first for luck?"

"Of course, I may need it," she replied.