He stilled at the open door frame catching the lady of the house unaware. Although he was one of three people he suspected could ever surprise her, Critter hadn't happened upon South McCain unawares in quite some time.
She was staring into a looking glass set upon a dresser. He watched as she pressed some rogue onto her cheeks carefully and calculated. She stood straight enough to be balancing a book upon her head even as she was clearly dancing on her toes beneath her skirts.
Casey Margaret McCain had been born and raised a lady. The daughter of a minor military family on her father's side and a distant cousin of Roosevelts on her mother's, Casey had been trained for society. She had been educated in literature, history, and geography as well as music, painting and etiquette. As a young lady Miss McCain had been instructed on how to engage in small talk, when to smile, how to listen and when to react. As she had insistently explained over a decade ago, being a lady was very similar to being a bird. Critter had laughed at the girl until he realized she was being earnest.
Casey was dabbing powder over her nose now, white puffs bursting into the air while also expertly repining a part of her hair. Critter jolted at the realization that when he had met her, the girl hadn't been allowed to wear powder or her hair up. He remembered the afternoon she appeared wearing ribbons in her plaits, and skirts that didn't drop below her ankles. It had been Cricket's fault, she had followed the boy, they were endlessly following each other. They had both been so young. Even Critter had been as young then.
"I've never known you to be lost," Casey mused without turning.
"I'm not usually, and am not now." He replied immediately.
"I can't remember the last time you were in my rooms." She spun about and gave the man a sharp inquisitive look.
"It wasn't proper once you came out to society." He shrugged. She stared at him a moment before letting out a breathless and incredulous little laugh.
"And now?"
"You are a married woman, a mother, and your husband sent me up."
"My husband has never sent you anywhere." She smiled knowingly.
Casey moved in the direction of Critter and the man stepped towards her and into the room, instinctually. She reached a hand up and he leaned down for her to give him a light kiss as a greeting.
"Hello, Christopher." Casey murmured her greeting. She couldn't help but catch how he had started graying.
"Casey." He returned his greeting, stepping back to the doorway. "Thomas is calling for the carriage to be ready."
"He sent you up to hurry me along." Casey rolled her eyes, stepping back to her vanity.
"Audrey will not be joining us?" Critter frowned slightly.
"Has Conlon sent new orders?" Audrey appeared at his shoulder as if summoned by her own name. "Thinks Thomas and Casey not able to mind me, now?" Her tone was light and teasing but he recognized the angry easily enough. Casey set her rogue pot back down on her dresser before turning to head to spot her ward.
Audrey breezed easily past Critter in the doorway, negotiating the sleeping baby in her arms comfortably. She was in a light green afternoon dress and had her hair plaited down her back and tied in a ribbon, in a way that made her appeared younger then she had the last time Critter had seen her out and about.
"Audrey." Casey chastised while giving Critter an exasperated smile. "Greet our guest, politely please."
"We've a guest then?" Audrey settled into one of the plush chairs near the window, lifting her chin in a defiant way that set Critter on edge. "I was unaware we received guests in your rooms, Casey."
"Audrey," Critter sighed tired of her endless energy for difficultness and sarcasm.
The baby let out a tiny whimper and waved his fists in his blankets. Audrey bounced the bundle slightly, dancing her fingers along the boy's chin.
"You would tell Conlon he's being a busybody, writing to Critter. Wouldn't you?" Audrey cooed a bit at the babe and William cooed back.
"The boy," Critter began.
"The man. Really Crit, Conlon hasn't been a boy in at least a year." Casey murmured as she latched a necklace around her neck.
"The boy." Critter repeated stubbornly, stepping towards the window where Audrey sat. He stretched his hand out to the baby's waving little fist, allowing the baby to grasp one of his fingers. "Worries of the young lady's recklessness."
"If my recklessness was of his concern, he might not have wandered west to begin with." Audrey sighed impatiently.
Critter crouched down, taking care not to jerk his finger from the baby's grasp while reaching out to tug on the ribbon in Audrey's hair.
"You've been careful then, since I last saw you?" He demanded.
"I've hardly been allowed out since you last found me last." Audrey snapped impatiently. Critter tilted his head patiently towards the open door and Audrey glanced up in time to see Thomas appear.
"Keep up that cheek then darling, and you'll not be let out for another week yet." Thomas warned from the door. Dressed in his evening finery, he casually leaned against the doorframe.
"I didn't instruct for her to be restricted." Critter questioned up at Thomas.
"And you knew I was out, and when I'd be back. I don't understand what all the fuss is about!" Audrey huffed.
"A young lady, even one raise abroad, out without a chaperone traveling the city streets is not a scandal I wish to live through my dear." Casey laughed.
"When Lina, Critter, Conlon and even Kelly…" Thomas started.
"Jack wrote to you?" Audrey interrupted. She started to try to stand, but Critter pressed down on her shoulder to keep her in place.
"As a matter of fact, he did. And when those four agree on your recklessness when you are too settled, I can't help but to try to do something about it. And you promised…" Thomas nodded at her.
"I kept my promises!" Audrey cried indignantly. William gave a sharp little shriek at being startled and Critter quickly lifted the baby from her arms to shush him.
"Christopher, do mind your coat. If you jostle William too much, he'll spit up and you'll not fit in Thomas' coats." Casey warned as she rang her service bell.
Thomas was drawn into the room stepping towards Critter. The man leaned gracefully over to coo at his son. Audrey kicked out her stocking foot at Thomas for his attention.
"Didn't I keep my promise, Cricket?" Audrey demanded.
"You did tell me you knew where she was?" Critter prompted.
"I did." Thomas replied, tickling the baby under the chin.
"And when did you decide to restrict her?" Critter continued ignoring the bristling young lady easily enough as if he had lifetimes doing so.
"Why not ask her, then?" Audrey snapped, kicking out again. Nancy stepped into the room in time to catch sight of gesture and clicked her tongue.
"Do stop that young lady." She instructed sternly. The older maid patiently reached out to Thomas and fixed his collar in the back, while also smoothing down a stray hair at his neck. Audrey watched the gesture curiously. Nancy was so rarely familiar with the master of the house, though Audrey knew the maid had known him since he was young.
"Nancy." Thomas whispered as he ducked away from her caring hand.
"Let us get young Master William back to Nanny." Nancy ignored Thomas easily slipping her hands over Critter's cradle of the baby.
Critter let out a low twitter, the mimic of a wren, that put the three birds in the room on edge immediately.
"That's it then, is it?" Critter let Nancy take the baby. Nancy gave him a curt nod and it was unmistakable how the stress lines around her eyes had turned into wrinkles. Nancy had spent her last twenty years in service of the Longfellows, she had learned first-hand how privilege, love and protection made young people dangerously reckless. The young kitchen maid had many times come to Critter, back when he had been a boy king himself, to demand he restrict his birds to their gilded cages. The very birds and gilded cages that O'Connell had tried and failed not to have as a responsibility.
"It is because of Nancy!" Audrey demanded suddenly, not missing the exchange she had been trained to catch.
"Gentleman, Ma'am, you'll be late to dinner if you don't go now." Nancy bobbed curtly before hurrying out of the room.
"But Nancy's only a…" Audrey began hotly but as the three glares snapped to her face she felt her jaw clamp.
"Minding your tongue shows you understand your surroundings," Thomas murmured quietly and Critter jostled at his own words sounding old and tired in the younger man's mouth.
"The Vanderbilt's inviting you to their dinner party proves you've sense sometimes," Casey stepped towards her own door, waiting for her husband's arm. Thomas held out his arm, perfectly poised.
"Or that Jacob Henry Canterbury is believed to be an eligible bachelor." Critter muttered darkly. He held out his arm to the younger lady, wordlessly instructing she move with them. "Audrey may yet be of use at this play tonight?"
"I don't wish to attend." Audrey retorted sullenly, stepping out into the rich hallways with the people she'd come to understand as her guardians.
"She isn't dressed." Casey shrugged.
"And maybe next time if she's going to be hapless with her own safety, she'll do us the courtesy to give us all the slip at least." Thomas laughed.
"She wouldn't dream of it." Critter pressed a paternal kiss to the top of her head before releasing her and stepping down the staircase.