Ladybird

Chapter Three: Getting

Keith raised an eyebrow as they started to walk. "A little sister, eh? How old?"

"Sixteen, seventeen in a few months. Although if you look at them, you think they're fifteen, and after talking to them, you think they're thirty."

"Them?"

"Twins, but Anne's the one that has been on an arm. Emma's not that way."

"You make Anne seem a flirt."

"Oh, she's not, not in the least, she's quite conservative and terribly proper. It's just that she's awfully pretty and I'm a bit jealous. She's sixteen and already bein' courted, and here I am, almost twenty- one, and, well." 

Mary stiffened after a second's, realizing what that had sounded like. "Oh, that's not what I meant, I-"

"Oh, I understand." Keith chuckled good- naturedly. "So this town of yours, Running Creek, what's it like? I've only ever seen it in passing."

Mary shrugged as they turned a corner. "It's fine. Of course, I was raised in one of the largest cities in all Ireland, so-"

"You are Irish?"

Mary remembered all too late that she had near renounced her Irish heritage in the store not ten minutes before. "Half. I hope you're not angry with me for tellin' your father otherwise."

"But did you lie completely to him, or are you actually Scottish as well?"

He didn't seem mad- on the contrary, Keith seemed quite amused. 

"I didn't lie at all- didn't make up anything. My father was from Inverness, in Scotland, and I was born there as well." She gave a short, bitter bark of a laugh. "I don't like to associate myself with my father, though. If it hadn't been a question of if I'd have a job or not, I would have answered that I was full- blooded Irish, without a moment's hesitation."

She had completely caught Keith's attention now. It wasn't that he had been disinterested before, only that now he was entirely caught in her words and fully enthralled. They looked at one another as Mary spoke, walking more slowly so as not to run into anything.

"Why's that? Is there something that happened? I don't mean to pry, you don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"Oh, I don't mind in the least, if I hadn't wanted to speak of him I wouldn't have brought up my near- about renunciation of my Scottish blood. He's gone," she rushed a bit quietly. "When I was fourteen. He up and left us in Galway- my mother and all ten of his children. Not that it mattered," her voice cracked and she looked away from Keith's eyes a moment. "Two of them were already dead, and he'd been long gone in the head for a while."

"You mean... he was mad?" Keith probed carefully so as not to offend her. He didn't want to offend her- he was enjoying her company so far, she was so vastly different than the girls that met him when he traveled to New York, as he often did, or in Boston when he was there on business.

Mary shook her head. "No, just a drunk. Lost his job and left us all to rot. So we came here six- almost seven years ago."

"You didn't have to tell me all that," he replied gently. "That's very personal stuff, Miss MacEilan, so if you didn't-"

"Oh, no, it feels good to speak about it," she interrupted, looking back up into his eyes, melted with something like pity, or sympathy- maybe it was something else she couldn't name. "It's been so long since I even said more than a few words to someone not living with me, I like it."

Keith decided it'd be best to change the subject. "So you have six siblings, then?"

Mary shook her head sadly. "Not anymore. Just the twins and my older brother, Iain, but he's married and has a child and one coming, so he's too preoccupied for his sisters anymore. My mother's gone too. She... she... left with my two youngest siblings not long after we came to Running Creek." She choked on her words, she let her soul go into them. How long had her words been corked inside her? It felt good to let them bubble out a bit, even if it did mean she was crying in public, in front of an acquaintance. 

Keith's eyes widened. "Oh, my word, miss, I really didn't want to set you off like that." His attempt to change the subject had blown up in his face.

Mary shook her head and smiled weakly. "I'll be quite alright. I've been dealing with this nearly seven years, I'll deal with it. I'm used to this." She looked out and her eyes widened. "Well, this is Sally's. I don't believe I know the city any better now, Mr. Little," she teased as they made their way up the front walk.

Keith chuckled. "No, I suppose you don't, but I know you better now, and knowing a person is better than knowing a city that will forever be changing, isn't it?"

They un-linked their arms and Keith gave a shallow bow and a small smile. "It's been a pleasure, Miss MacEilan. I hope for your sake and mine that you're not one minute past six- thirty Monday morning. Father will kill me for persuading him to hire you, and he'll kill you for being late."

Mary laughed as she gave a shallow, wobbly curtsy-she never had been ladylike like Anne and Emma and was incredibly bad at anything feminine. "I'll not be a single second late. Will I see you Monday?"

"I certainly hope so. I'll look forward to it."

"As will I." 

Keith opened the boardinghouse door and Mary stepped inside. "Until Monday, then," he bade farewell.

"Until Monday," she agreed.

How are you guys enjoying this story so far? I'm SUPER excited for this story to develop...

Megan