"The barn," Edgar said, "wants a roof, as you say. I'll have a man out by Friday. The hearth I can do myself. It is a fine barn, Maeve. The light is good."
"I'll send for my brother today." She clapped.
"Wonderful." Rhoda drew in a deep breath.
"He'll want feedin'." Maeve warned.
"Of course." Edgar said.
"He eats like a man at war with a famine." Maeve chuckled.
"Oh, well, of course." Honey stuttered, "We'll need a larger pantry."
"...we will." Rhoda rubbed her temples.
Maeve side-eyed Oona. And then both women broke. Maeve went first. The laugh came out of her in a single yelp she had been holding since she had walked through the door, and it doubled, and it could not stop. Oona let out a big and wheezy guffaw, her hand on Bramble's head and her shoulders shaking.
"Edgar Hadwin." Maeve dabbed at her eyes with her shirt. "I'm sorry. I am that sorry. I cannot keep a face when I try."
"Did ye see his face?" Oona pointed at Edgar with one bent finger. "Did you see it. The man was promisin' me his upstairs reading room. The man was buildin' me a hearth."
"Rhoda was movin' her books."
"Honey was settin' the table for you, Maeve." Oona slapped her knee
"For my brother!" Maeve snorted.
"For your brother Maeve, who eats like a man at war with a famine."
Rhoda laughed until her shoulders dropped and her eyes filled. Edgar shook his head once on his neck and let out a long Southern laugh he had been holding politely in his throat. Honey put her face in her hands and laughed into them, the relief making her shoulders shake.
"Oona Pierce and Maeve Byrne." Edgar barely got their names out. "You are terrible women."
"I am that, love." Maeve agreed.
"And we'll miss you dearly." Oona cooed.
"Ye'll miss us a great deal, Edgar. That's the joke." Maeve winked.
Maeve crossed the kitchen and got her arms around Rhoda first, and Rhoda held her tight enough to lift her up off her toes. Then Honey. Then Edgar, who took both of Maeve's hands in his, held them a beat, and let her go. Oona came up after her with the unhurried gait, and she got her arms around Rhoda, and Rhoda made a small sound into Oona's shoulder, and Oona made one back.
"Yule," Maeve said. "I'll be back at Yule. With my brother, who won't eat ye out of house and home, but he'll try."
"Yule," Rhoda said. "The both of you."
"My heart." Oona squeezed Rhoda once and let her go. "Yule. It's been a long time since I've looked forward to Yule."
"I'm glad, Oona. You're family now." Rhoda squeezed her again.
By mid-morning the back bedroom had been cleared. Maeve's trunk stood corded at the foot of the bed. Pepper had taken her place on the lid with her tail tucked, ready to be carried. Oona's small valise stood beside the trunk. Bramble had refused to be carried and had walked himself down to the front hall.
The Saturday coach was due at noon at the bottom of the hill.
The Hadwins walked them down the long sloping lane together, the four of them and the two ladies, past the marigolds at the back door of The Boozy Cauldron where Murphy O'Reilly had stepped out onto the stoop with a tea towel over his shoulder when he heard them coming.
"Off, then?" Murphy leaned on his broom.
"Off, Murphy. With many thanks for the whisky."
