A/N: Hi everyone. Firstly, I just want to apologize for how long this chapter has taken. I got struck down with covid a couple of weeks ago and had to isolate in my spare bedroom to stop my husband from catching it too (which he didn't, thankfully.)
This chapter in particular required quite a lot of researching which is not really something I can do on my phone so I had to wait until I was out of isolaton before I could get back to my computer and type this chapter up. This has been so much fun to write, taking our Warbucks family out of NYC and to a completely different setting with new characters which is not something I often do with these characters.
I hope you enjoy this setting as much as I do, as we will spend at least 3 chapters here with them.
Also, a trigger warning for this chapter: Infant loss. (Not for our main characters.)
Peace and love,
Renee.
...
Three weeks later, Oliver, Grace, Annie and Mrs. Pugh were down at the pier getting ready to board the RMS Majestic and set sail to Ireland.
Mrs. Pugh and Annie had both been absolutely ecstatic about the trip and hadn't stopped talking about it from the time Oliver and Grace had told them.
"Wow, it's so big", Annie's eyes widened at the enormity of the ship as they prepared to board.
"Magnificent, isn't she?" Oliver wrapped his arm around his daughter's shoulders and gazed upwards at the vessel fondly. "There are newer ships we could have taken, but the Majestic holds a special place in my heart." He leaned over to Grace with a reminiscent smile. "Do you remember those fantastic little "cruises to nowhere" we took a few years back?"
"I remember you getting very drunk, darling", Grace told him with a pointed look and Oliver chortled. "Yes, what a marvelous time it was."
Grace just shook her head at him with a sideways grin.
"Of course it was good for making connections as well. Lots of other wealthy businessmen simply wishing to escape the prohibition rules for a few days", Oliver shrugged.
"Well, this time there's to be no talk of business, and a lot less drinking", Grace looked at him sternly, though she still had a little gleam in her eye.
"I'm still going to have a marvelous time", Oliver told her charmingly, wrapping both arms around her waist.
"Even more so if you behave yourself", she told him, her grin growing.
"And if I don't?" He spoke lowly, the noise of the crowd around them doing enough to keep this part of their conversation private.
Grace's eyes twinkled and darkened somehow all at once. She whispered discreetly to her husband. "Then perhaps even more so still."
They both jumped at the sound of the blaring horn which echoed all across the harbor.
"All aboard!" Oliver hollered, taking Grace and Annie's hands. Annie reached for Mrs. Pugh's as well and all four of them boarded the ship excitedly together.
Annie thought that her own home was refined but the RMS Majestic was luxury on a whole other level.
A glorious painting hung overhead a grand doorway in the entrance hall. Ornate tables and chairs decorated the room, embossed by oak paneled walls. The carpet was much more worn than it had been at the start of its life but still quite magnificent.
Annie's eyes scoured the room in fascination. She tried to take everything in as they were shown upstairs to their room by a young bellhop.
"Keep up dear, there'll be time to see everything later", Grace said to her daughter, hurrying her along so she wouldn't get lost in the crowd.
Annie and Mrs. Pugh were shown to the room they would be sharing, first.
"Oh, this is gorgeous", Mrs. Pugh remarked as she glanced around the stately room.
"Really gorgeous", Annie grinned in agreement.
"Annie, I want you to unpack before we go back downstairs", Grace said astutely to her child.
As expected, Annie pouted at her. "Do I have to?"
"Yes", Grace gave her a no-nonsense stare. "You're going to be much too excitable later on, and I suspect that when we return from our tour of the ship it'll be time to get dressed for dinner."
"Don't worry, love. I'll help you", Mrs. Pugh told Annie kindly and Grace smiled at the woman gratefully. "Thank you, Mrs. Pugh."
"We'll be right next door. Come and find us when you're done", Oliver added before pulling Grace by the hand to the neighboring room.
Stepping into their stateroom, Grace's face lit up. She and Oliver had sailed on the RMS Majestic before, but of course then, their accommodations had been separate. This time, their suite, the Imperial suite, was the finest onboard and everything about it was spectacular.
"This room really is gorgeous", Grace breathed, pausing for a moment as Oliver tipped the bellhop handsomely for his assistance. Her husband strode over to her and said, "Not as gorgeous as the woman standing in it."
Grace raised her eyes to his surprise and chuckled. "Well, aren't you charming?" She drew her arms up around his neck and he kissed her lips quickly. "Isn't one supposed to be whilst on their honeymoon?" He brought his mouth to her cheek, then to her neck, making Grace's spine tingle. "Yes", she tittered. "I've just never seen you quite so buoyant - no pun intended", she giggled as he nipped gently at her ear.
He drew back to gaze at her absolutely adoringly. "I've got the sea beneath me, and you in my arms. What could be better?"
"Me beneath you?" Grace suggested, sinking her teeth into her lower lip.
Oliver's eyes widened in shock at her candor but without missing a beat, he said, "What an excellent argument."
She laughed girlishly as he brought their mouths together once again.
"Yes, I thought so. However, that will have to wait until later because our daughter is absolutely without a doubt going to come bursting through that door at any moment."
"She's unpacking", Oliver tried to sway her but Grace shook her head. "That won't last five minutes. She'll be dying to explore the ship."
"There's a lot that can be done in five minutes", Oliver grinned convincingly. His wife swatted him. "Oliver! Settle down, please."
"You started it", he grumbled half-heartedly.
"And I'm finishing it", she told him straight but then kissed him on his cheek, stroking away the lipstick stain she'd left on his skin with her thumb. "Until later", she promised him with a wink and proceeded to start unpacking her own luggage.
As Grace had predicted, not five minutes later, Annie came running through the door of her parents' room, followed by Mrs. Pugh who was calling out for the child to slow down.
"Can we look around the ship nooow?" She asked her parents pleadingly.
Grace chuckled in fond exasperation. "Why don't you three go? I'll unpack our things and come and find you when I'm finished."
Oliver's brow furrowed. "But this is supposed to be your trip. I don't want you to miss a moment."
"That's very sweet of you, darling, but I know how you like your things organized. Can you profess to know the same about me and mine?"
Oliver grimaced slightly. "I'll learn for next time", he said apologetically.
Grace merely smiled at him. "Alright. Now go and take this girl downstairs before she wears a hole in the floor", she glanced at her daughter who was bouncing anxiously on the spot. Annie gave her Mother a sheepish look. "I promise we won't see too much without you, Mommy."
"Just go and have fun", Grace told her daughter sincerely. Annie hopped forward and kissed her Mother quickly on the cheek before grabbing her Father's hand and pulling him out the door of the cabin. Mrs. Pugh looked back at Grace, both women chuckling at the girl's enthusiasm before Mrs. Pugh left to follow her boss and his daughter.
Grace finished unpacking and preparing their dinner attire fairly quickly and had made her way downstairs before the ship had even left the dock. The other three hadn't even moved through the foyer area yet, Oliver had been explaining not only the history of the ship itself but teaching Annie about all the components of a ship as well. To his pleasant surprise, the girl was fascinated.
"Our baby's going to develop an ambition for a life at sea, Oliver", Grace warned him playfully as she joined the group.
"Nothing wrong with that, as long as she remembers to come home from time to time."
Grace wrapped a protective arm around Annie, then bent down to whisper in her child's ear. "Have you seen the swimming pool yet?"
Annie gasped. "There's a pool onboard?!"
"One of my favorite parts of the ship" Grace nodded, taking Annie's hand and skipping through the B-deck towards the location of the austere Pompeian style pool.
Annie gazed around the room in awe. Her parents promised her they would come and make use of the area the following day. They continued their exploration of the ship until it was time to go back upstairs to their cabins and dress for dinner.
Of course, being who he was, Oliver was invited to dine at the Captain's table. Captain Trant held them all captive over dinner with his wondrous tales of a life at sea - especially Annie who was particularly entranced. The food was exquisite and the music delightful. Mrs. Pugh in particular had a grand time, not being used to such finery.
When they had finished their meal and the Captain had returned to the bridge, the Warbucks' and Mrs. Pugh retired upstairs to their rooms.
"Don't you want to join the men in the smoking room for a while?" Grace asked her husband as he locked the door behind them.
"Not particularly, no", he said, already moving towards her.
"Not even a brandy before bed?" She asked him in surprise.
"Not tonight", he answered intently, his eyes boring into hers.
She bit her lip. "May we watch the sunset first?" She smiled shyly, her eyes flicking towards the window where glorious reds and oranges were splayed out over the horizon.
Oliver sighed causing Grace to chuckle. He put on his best charm and gave his wife a smile. "Whatever you wish, dearest."
She opened the doors to their own private balcony - the only one on the ship, and took his hand before stepping out onto it.
He wrapped his arms around her securely and together they watched the sun drop into the ocean.
"Well, that was sensational", Grace breathed contentedly as darkness filled the sky.
Oliver kissed the side of her head. "Yes, it was."
Grace turned in his arms and with a smile brighter than the setting sun they'd just bore witness to, she said to him, "Now, take me to bed, Mr. Warbucks."
…
They journeyed for four days and nights, soaking in all the best the RMS Majestic had to offer. Swimming, dancing, fine dining, breathtaking views across the vast North Atlantic, and then finally on the fifth day, the British Isles came into view.
Mrs. Pugh was in tears at seeing her homeland and Grace hugged the older woman as they stood on the upper deck together, becoming a little emotional herself at seeing the pure beauty of her ancestral home for the first time.
Southampton was the final destination for Majestic, however the Warbucks family and Mrs. Pugh would be disembarking at Cobh.
The ship anchored offshore and they boarded a much smaller boat to take them into the port of the Irish town which was not large enough to accommodate the huge ship.
It was an odd sensation for everyone to be back on dry land again after days at sea.
"I feel like I'm still rocking", Annie swayed dizzily on the spot with a little grin as they walked up the pier towards the terminal.
They passed through immigration without any fuss and took the short walk to the nearby train station. They would be catching the train heading for the city of Cork, hopping off at a village named Little Island where Grace's cousin lived with her family.
Grace's cousin Mary was her Mother's sister's daughter. She and Grace had only ever communicated by letters and Grace was beside herself with excitement to be meeting her beloved cousin for the first time after corresponding with her since they were children. The week prior, with Oliver's help, Grace had contacted Mary by telephone to let her know that she would be visiting. It was the first time the cousins had heard each other's voices and they were both quite overcome with emotion, especially knowing they would be meeting soon after.
Mary had married a Farmer named Malachy Maguire. The couple had four children. All of them were anticipating the visit of their relatives with much excitement.
The walk up the hill from the station to the Maguire's farm was steep but small and as they approached the house, a full-figured yet pallid looking woman appeared at the door, then came running towards them, not stopping until she was hugging her cousin tightly. The two women sobbed joyfully, murmuring emotional sentiments and holding each other for at least a full minute until Grace pulled back and introduced the others. "Mary, this is Mrs. Pugh", Grace motioned to their cook who Mary greeted with a warm "How do you do?"
Grace placed her hand on Oliver's arm. "This is my husband, Oliver."
"It's so good to meet you, Oliver. I've heard so much about you", Mary told him, pulling him in for a hug. Oliver laughed. "Well then, I'm pleased you're still happy to meet me."
"Oh don't you worry, Oliver. There have been far more compliments about you than complaints", Mary informed him with a wry grin and everyone laughed.
Grace put her hands on Annie's shoulders and told her cousin, "And this is our daughter, Annie."
Mary's bent forward to the young child. "Hello Annie. I'm so pleased to meet you." Mary's smile was sweet and sincere but clouded with some other emotion.
"I'm pleased to meet you too", Annie smiled back, shaking Mary's hand gently.
Mary straightened back up and turned around as she heard footsteps through the long grass behind her. "Ah, and this is my lot." Two little boys aged five and seven and a girl not much younger than Annie joined Mary at her side. "The younger boy here is Cormac, my eldest son Donovan, and my daughter Elaine."
The two families greeted each other, the little boys more shyly than the rest.
"Come inside and meet me husband Malachy. He's just tending to the baby", Mary said, inviting them all into her home.
All eight of them piled into the small house and Mary introduced a kind looking man with a mustache and a cap on his head. He was carrying a wriggling 5 month old baby boy.
"This is Malachy. Malachy, this is my cousin Gracie, her husband Oliver, their daughter Annie and Mrs. Pugh."
"Pleasure to meet all of ye", Malachy smiled warmly at all of them. The man had a rough exterior but there was also a gentleness to him.
"And who is this?" Grace inquired of the baby Malachy was holding.
"This here is Alfie", said Malachy, bouncing the little boy.
"He's a reluctant sleeper at the moment. We're just trying to put him down for a wee nap. Why don't you children head on outside and show your cousin Annie around the farm? Try and give the baby a little peace."
"Yes Mam", the children all chorused softly in understanding and Annie followed them happily outside after receiving an encouraging smile from her parents.
"I'll sit outside and watch them", Mrs. Pugh said to Grace, knowing that it would both provide reassurance to her and give her the space to speak with her cousin properly for the first time.
"Thank you Mrs. Pugh. What would we do without you?" Grace said sincerely and Mrs. Pugh simply patted her arm with a soft smile before walking outside behind the children.
Malachy lowered baby Alfie into his crib and turned to Oliver. "Would ye like the grand tour, Oliver?"
Oliver nodded his head graciously at the other man. "Certainly. Though I'll admit, I'm not much of a country lad."
"Ah, there's still time yet", Malachy grinned roguishly.
Oliver, ever the industrialist, was very interested in Malachy's farming operation and the two men wandered off into the field talking animatedly about plowing and harvesting. Oliver took particular interest in Malachy's Fordson Model N tractor.
"Would you like some tea, darlin'? Mary asked Grace once the others had left.
"Oh that'd be lovely", Grace sighed thankfully as she sat down at the small kitchen table.
"It really is so grand to have you here, Gracie. You've always been so special to me and I know just how loved your Mother was by mine."
"Yes, and vice-versa", Grace smiled tenderly. "This is such a peaceful place, Mary. It feels like we're on the edge of the very world here."
Mary chuckled. "A tad different from New York I suspect."
"Yes, absolutely", Grace laughed.
Baby Alfie began to fuss from his crib. Mary turned around from the range with a huff. "Heavens to Betsy lad, you've only just eaten not half an hour ago, so you can't be hungry already", she shook her head wearily as Alfie howled.
"Can I get him?" Grace asked, standing from the table.
"Please", Mary smiled gratefully as she returned to making their tea.
Grace walked over to the crib and picked the baby up carefully. Holding a child so small wasn't something she was used to and she was extra cautious but at the same time, as she placed her hand behind his warm little head and held his tiny bottom in the other, cradling him against her chest, it all came so naturally to her.
She sat down delicately at the table again, bouncing the baby gently and within moments, little Alfie became soothed and quiet.
Grace felt her heart fill to the brim. When Oliver had asked her a few weeks back what she'd wanted most in the world, the thought of trying for a baby had crossed her mind, but after the conversation at the gallery, she wasn't sure where he stood with that idea and he'd just made a huge change in his work-life balance to give more time to their family, she was so appreciative to him and didn't want to ruin the happy atmosphere they had. So, she'd proposed this trip to Ireland instead, knowing that he would enjoy it as much as she, while also studiously avoiding any chance of a conflict with him.
They were so new as a couple, as a proper couple, and she didn't want to risk creating a rift this early on. They were both so happy. It didn't mean her heart had stopped yearning for a child of their own, but she just wasn't prepared to do or say anything at this stage that would upset the balance they had worked so hard to finally get right.
"Suits you", Mary noted with a smile as she sat down at the table opposite Grace and Alfie, setting down the two steaming mugs of tea.
Grace smiled back, a little shy but pleased at her cousin's observation.
"Do you think so? To be honest with you I've had it in my heart for a little while now to have a baby of my own."
"Is there something stopping you?" Mary asked caringly.
"There are a few things, actually", Grace answered honestly.
Mary set her eyes on Grace in contemplation."Are you afraid that Annie might become envious or insecure if you were to have a child of your own?"
Grace raised her eyebrows at yet another thought she'd never even considered. "To tell you the truth, I hadn't even thought about that. It's Oliver's hesitation I've been more concerned about, but yes obviously Annie's feelings about it matter too."
"Have you discussed it with them?"
Grace shook her head slowly. "No. We've only just come together as a proper family. Annie's had so many changes happen for her in such a short space of time. I…I don't want to overwhelm her, and Oliver, well…he did say to someone recently that he felt he was too old to be Fathering a child."
"Perhaps he'd change his mind if he knew it was what you wanted", Mary advised her, stepping into the role of the wise older cousin.
Grace pondered for a moment. Would he change his mind in order to make her happy? But was that the right motivation to have a child with him? Could she even be sure he was so against the idea in the first place?
"It won't be the right time forever, Gracie", her older cousin said knowingly, to which Grace merely nodded. She'd come all this way to see her cousin, she didn't want to spend the precious time concerned with her own issues. "What about you, are you planning on having any more?" She asked brightly.
Mary's face became ashen. "Erm no. To be honest, we…we struggled to get this one."
Grace looked at her cousin intently, waiting for her to elaborate.
"Not long before I became pregnant with Alfie, I had a miscarriage. We lost a little girl."
Grace's face fell, her heart clenching in pain for Mary. "Mary...I'm so sorry. I wish I'd known", she reached across the table to take her cousin's hand which the other woman squeezed gently. "It's not exactly something you put in a letter, especially to someone you've never even met. At least I couldn't've, even if you are family." She smiled almost apologetically.
The look on Grace's face was one of understanding and empathy. "I want you to know that Oliver and I will always be there for you, to help you in whatever way we can", Grace told her sincerely. Mary shook her head softly. "I don't need your help, Gracie. Just your love."
"You have it, always", Grace assured her tearfully. The two women smiled emotionally at one another. After a moment, Grace turned her focus back to Alfie and kissed the side of his head. The little boy looked up at his older cousin and grinned gummily, causing both women to chuckle affectionately.
Outside, the children were becoming fast friends, the two girls in particular, being that they were closer in age. Elaine and Annie walked around the garden, Elaine introducing all of her animals and showing Annie all of her favorite places to play while her two brothers were play fighting with sticks.
"Wow, you're so lucky having so many animals", Annie told her cousin. Of course Annie realized that she herself was lucky in many other ways as well. "I only have one dog. He's a really good boy, though."
"What's his name?" Ten year old Elaine asked with interest.
"Sandy", Annie told her with a broad smile. Elaine giggled. "That's a funny name for a dog."
Across the garden, Annie heard her cousin Donovan cheer in triumph as he "stabbed" his younger brother with his make-believe sword.
Annie scrunched her nose up at their foolishness. "Do you like having so many brothers?" She asked Elaine.
Elaine shrugged. "I don't mind it."
Annie smiled knowingly. "Would you prefer to have a sister?"
Elaine bowed her head. "I had a sister but she was never born."
Annie's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"She died while she was still in Mammy's tummy."
Annie gasped. She never knew something so sad could even happen.
Elaine turned and pointed to the other side of the garden. "She's buried over there."
Annie gazed across the lawn and noticed a smooth rock. She was both horrified and fascinated that there was a human child buried in the garden.
The two girls walked over to the place where the unborn baby had been laid to rest. Once Annie got closer, she saw a name etched into the stone. "Angeline", she whispered solemnly.
"That's what Mammy and Daddy called her", said Elaine softly.
Annie turned to the other little girl with a look of sympathy. "I grew up with a whole bunch of girls. We were kind of like sisters. It wasn't so great all of the time", Annie did her best to console her cousin.
Elaine nodded with tears in her eyes.
Annie put a hand on Elaine's shoulder and sweetly said, "I'll be your sister, Elaine."
The Irish girl laughed softly and said, "But Annie, you're my cousin."
Annie beamed. "I've never had a cousin."
"Then we'll be best cousins", Elaine nodded decidedly.
The two girls shared a hug, the two of them filled with instant familial love.
