"Ruth! You made it." Victoria smiled as she walked to where her sister stood in the foyer. "Thank you, Silas," she whispered as the man started carrying Ruth's luggage up the stairs.

Ruth hugged her sister then kissed her cheek. "Of course I did, Sis. I told you I'd be here. I haven't missed Olivia's birthday all these years, why would I start now?"

Victoria sighed as she clasped her sister's hand. "Oh Ruth. She's been so happy. Why did I…" she stopped and shook her head.

"What is it?"

"Why did I continue to keep her hidden away after Tom died? Why, Ruthie?"

Ruth arched an eyebrow at that. Her sister hadn't called her that nickname in years. As a matter of fact…the last time was when Victoria had come to her in tears because of Tom's demand that they hide Olivia away. "Sis, what's brought all of this on?"

"Six years! Six years she could have been home, here with her family instead of hidden away."

Ruth sighed as she watched her sister pacing. "Victoria, you're not going to like what I'm going to say, but I'm going to say it anyway. You didn't bring her home because you didn't want people to think badly of Tom. You've been protecting that man's image because of some misguided sense of loyalty. With the arrival of his illegitimate son, the whole of Stockton knows Tom wasn't the perfect man he was made out to be by himself and the rest of you, so now it doesn't matter if they learn of Olivia."

Victoria glared at her sister and opened her mouth to give her an angry retort but all that came out was a half sobbing sound. "How could I have let myself be so…weak?"

"Victoria, you're one of the strongest women I know, but love makes anyone do stupid things sometimes. You weren't weak, you were a woman grieving over the death of the man she'd spent over twenty years loving. I dare say you've also been afraid of bringing Olivia home because you don't want her ridiculed by those that don't understand."

"She's been protected from that, Ruth. No one has ever pointed and whispered about her. The doctors and nurses at Shepherd's Home were all carefully picked by Dr. Shepherd himself to insure that the children were loved and treated with dignity as well as being physically cared for."

"But, Sis, she hasn't been protected from it. She's been hidden away because of her illness, because her father was ashamed of her. That, I think, is far worse than idiots pointing and staring."

"Aunt Ruth!" Nick yelled as he through the door and spotted her.

Ruth frowned and shook her head. "Haven't you broke him of that, yet?"

"Nick!" Victoria scolded. "No, I haven't," she answered her sister.

Nick grinned as he kissed his aunt's cheek. "Sorry, Aunt Ruth."

Ruth rolled her eyes. "None of that. You're too old to be using your bashful grins to get what you want."

Jarrod's laughter joined his mother's as he came in. "She's got your number, Brother Nick."

Nick snarled good naturedly at his brother before moving to kiss his mother. "Where's Livy?"

"Upstairs with Audra. She wanted to wear one of her new dresses for dinner tonight and she wanted Audra to fix her hair."

Jarrod kissed Ruth's cheek. "I'll go see if they're ready and help Little Bit downstairs."

Ruth looked at her sister. "It seems Olivia has gained a few nicknames."

"Jarrod is the only one that calls her Little Bit. Heath called her Livy first and the others have picked up on it. She likes it. She told me that it makes her feel part of the family now." Victoria smiled as she heard the excited chatter of her daughters.

"Do they ever stop long enough to sleep?" Ruth asked, smiling at the sound of her nieces' laughter.

"No." Nick grumbled, his grin giving him away.

"I think Audra has slept in Olivia's room more than she has her own since Olivia arrived." Victoria noticed the looks that passed between Nick and the others who had all come into the room at the same time. "What is that look about?"

Eugene winked at Olivia who giggled. "Well, Ma…we might have all spent a night or two in Olivia's room when she first arrived."

Victoria looked at Jarrod with an arched eyebrow. "Even you?"

"Well," he hedged then grinned. "Someone had to keep them in line. Besides, Olivia's never had a slumber party before. Who am I to say no?"

Olivia kissed his cheek as he settled her on the settee. "We were going to ask you to join us, but you were already asleep," she told her mother.

Victoria shook her head and smiled. "You do realize you don't have to cram everything into this visit, yes?"

"I get to visit again?"

Jarrod held out his hand for Victoria and drew her to his side as the others gathered close. "Little Bit, we were going to wait for your birthday, but now seems like a good time."

Audra smiled at her sister, tears on her cheeks, as she took over. "You're going to get to come home to stay."

"I am?" Olivia asked, eyes wide as she looked up at her mother.

"We've been working on it. Things aren't finalized yet, but yes, some point in the next few months, you'll come home to stay." Victoria sat down beside Olivia and felt tears well up when the girl threw her arms around her with a whispered, "Oh Mama…all my dreams…" but she couldn't finish.

Caressing her daughter's hair, Victoria smiled at her. "We're going to try, Darling. I've been a fool for taking so long to bring you home and tell the secret, but not anymore. You're my baby, and everyone's going to know the truth."

Heath smiled at the girl when she looked at him. "We'll keep working on fitting in together, just like we've been doing."

TBV

Dinner was a lively affair made up of several dishes, each one a favorite of each individual Barkley offspring. Silas didn't want to leave anyone out tonight, he was so happy with the news that Miss Olivia would be coming home to stay at some point in the next few months. He knew that things were going to change in the household out of necessity to accommodate the young girl, but it would be worth everything to have her back where she belonged.

Silas could still remember the night she was born. It was just him and Mrs. Barkley in the house. Mr. Barkley had taken the kids, with the exception of Jarrod, out to spend the night under the stars. Silas knew the man hadn't intended to take the youngest two, but Miss Audra had a way of persuading her father to let her do anything she took a notion to do. Mrs. Barkley hadn't argued, which Silas had thought was strange, but once it was just the two of them, he'd realized just why she hadn't put up a fuss.

What he didn't understand was why Mr. Barkley hadn't thought it strange that his wife had given in so easily and questioned her about. He rolled his eyes. That man, while a good man, could be a bit obtuse at times. Mrs. Barkley had insisted she didn't want anyone going after him and had asked Silas to send someone into Stockton for Dr. Merar.

Just before sunrise, the loud cry of a baby filled the quiet house, and by the time the rest of the family had returned, Mrs. Barkley and the family's newest addition were settled and resting.

It wasn't until months later that they realized something was wrong with the baby, and the tearing apart of the family Silas considered his own, began.

He'd often wondered why Mrs. Barkley hadn't brought Miss Olivia home after the death of Mr. Barkley, but he'd never asked for fear of upsetting the woman. He'd overheard what was said by Mrs. Faraday when she was talking to Mrs. Barkley and he realized then that the woman was right. Everyone was always protecting Mr. Barkley's memory.

Even Silas himself.

Shame on all of them.

Hearing the family calling for him, Silas shook himself out of his thoughts and headed to the dinning room, a smile on his face as he listened to the sound of laughter.