FicWad

An hour before Liam’s bachelor party, Captain Fitzmaurice’s uniforms finally arrive in camp with the mail from Bridgeton. Because the Colonel has been ordered to bed rest by Doctor Sparrow, the unit is not in battle, so Lieutenant Hackett is at a tailor’s shop in town getting his new uniforms altered to fit him properly. When he returns, several of the officers, Doctor Sparrow, and Conan ride to town, Conan having borrowed the Colonels horse for the evening and Liam having borrowed Captain Boland’s horse. Much of Liam’s family is in town for the wedding. Lynn, Shane, and Laura all came from Bridgeton, and the twins came from Kilainaigh City. Liam’s aunt and cousin could not leave their small farm during the harvest season with little advanced notice. Major Michael Jameson, Mary’s brother and only surviving relative, took leave from his unit to attend, and Var and Katya Volkov came to town on the journey between their summer home in the District Eleven countryside and their winter home in Highton in District Five, though all of their children except the youngest traveled to District Five with Katya’s father. The officers of the Thirteenth Bridgeton Light Infantry, all in their dress uniforms, ride to town with Conan and Doctor Sparrow and meet Jack, Shane, Var, and the twins in a bar called The Knight’s Mare.

“Why you so late? What take you so long?” asks Var.

“Hackett had to get his new uniforms made, sor,” replies Major Fitzmaurice.

“Ye were supposed to be here an hour ago,” says Jack. “We started drinkin’ without ye.”

“Doctor, how’s me son?” asks General Callahan.

“Which one?” asks Doctor Sparrow warily.

“I can see Conan’s fine.”

“Fine but a fool.”

“So I’ve heard. How’s me Owen?”

“As good as can be expected. I’m fairly certain I got all the lead out, an’ there’s no infection. It broke a couple ribs, but he’ll heal quickly, an’ he’s on bed rest ‘til then. I wouldn’t be too worried, sor.”

“How much longer?”

“I do not know exactly, but, if he’s anything like his brothers, he should be back on his horse within the week.”

“An’ what’ll I tell his mother this time?”

“Tell her…tell her that her son’s a hero. ‘Twill soften it a bit.”

“An’ how do I explain Conan to her? No one in this family’s had soldier’s heart yet. She’s got three other boys at home. I doubt she’ll let any o’ them come out here if he’s got it.”

“He’ll be fine,” interrupts Conan.

“Doctor?” asks General Callahan.

“He’ll be fine, General,” replies Doctor Sparrow, “if he wants to.”

“Ye’re doin’ this to get out o’ duty?” asks General Callahan angrily.

“No, sor…da’…sor,” replies Conan. “I swear.”

“Ye little shite! I’ll kill ye meself! Ye’re a dishonor to yourself, to your uniform, an’ to your family!”

“With all due respect, sor, shut the fuck up,” says Major Fitzmaurice quietly but icily.

“Major, watch your tongue.”

“Liam wanted him here. Respect that or get the fuck out.”

“He’s me son, Major. I can do wi’ him as I please.”

“He’s an adult.”

“He’s still me son, an’ children’s somethin’ ye don’ know a thing about. When ye’ve seven o’ your own, ye can come tell me how to raise mine.”

“I ain’t tellin’ ye how to raise him. I’m tellin’ ye to keep family business to yourself.”

“Watch your temper, Major. Ye don’ know what ye’re sayin’.”

“I do. I’d two older brothers who were jusf like ye an’ Owen, jus’ as cruel an’ jusf as distant. Now Leave him be, ye bastard, an’ let us drink in peace for a few hours.”

“Conan get the fuck out o’ here ‘afore I kill ye,” says General Callahan.

“Aye, sor,” says Conan standing to leave.

“Stay, Conan. Ye’re as welcome as the rest,” says Major Fitzmaurice.

“Aye, sor,” says Conan sitting down.

“Leave. That’s an order,” says General Callahan.

“Aye, sor. Sorry, Major. He does outrank ye,” says Conan.

“Aye, he does, but I’m a knight, an’ he ain’t. Ye’d best leave anyhow Conan,” says Major Fitzmaurice icily. “I don’t want ye to see what I’m to do next. Ye won’t like it.”

In Mary’s room above the barroom of a sleepy, little building called The Thistledown Inn, Lynn, Katya Volkov, Kerrigan, Laura and Mary sit discussing marriage and children over tea. Katya’s baby daughter Tatiana is asleep in her arms, and Kerrigan’s son is asleep in hers. Mary is familiar with the Volkov children, having worked in their summer estate, but she does not know much about children, since she was chiefly a kitchen maid and occasionally did cleaning tasks as well. Mary knows nothing about raising children, so she is intent to ask questions of Katya and Kerrigan, but the three older women are more intent on discussing Liam’s bachelor party in great detail, sparing Mary and Laura none of the details of what happens at such events.

“Whom did he invite?” asks Kerrigan.

“His father and uncles; Doctor Sparrow; Majors Fitzmaurice, Jameson, and Moynihan; Var Volkov; Generals Malone, O’Casey, and Callahan; Captains Morrison, O’Dowd, an’ McEvoy; Lieutenants Hackett, Coffey, Killane, and Gaffney; and Corporal Callahan. Liam wanted Captain Boland to be there, but he is ill in bed and must rest if he is to attend the wedding tomorrow,” replies Lynn.

“That is a rather volatile group of men,” says Kerrigan.

“’Tis,” replies Lynn.

“I know something of the men he invited. Many of them have rather volatile tempers. There will be a fight before the evening is over.”

“I bet on Generals Malone and Callahan. For two men so much alike, they fight like dogs,” says Katya.

“I do so hope that it will not be Liam who starts the fight,” says Mary. “But ‘tis fair to say ‘twill likely be him.”

“I’d say one o’ the officers’ll get drunk an’ make a comment ‘bout dogs an’ Shane’ll go after his throat,” says Laura.

“Jack has the worst temper,” says Lynn. “An’ he doesn’t think before he speaks, especially when he has been drinking for five or six hours already. I think he will be the one to cause any problems.”

“I do believe,” says Kerrigan, “that you are all incorrect. Liam told me that Corporal Callahan has been in trouble recently and that he has not seen his father since then. General Callahan is, as you said, Katya, prone to fighting, though I think tonight his anger will be turned against his son. Corporal Callahan is quite close to the officers in his unit. He is closest to Liam and Major Fitzmaurice. It will not be Liam who starts a fight.”

“Ye think Fitzmaurice’d fight a general?” asks Mary. “Liam said he’s somewhat too bold, but d’ye honestly think that he’d risk his career doin’ somethin’ like that?”

“I do, and, if I am not very much mistaken, he already has. Offense is typically immediate.”

“Who d’ye think’ll win?” asks Mary.

“I’d bet on General Callahan,” says Lynn. “He’s bigger.”

“I would not,” says Kerrigan. “I saw General Callahan this morning, and I doubt that he will be able to control himself. On the other hand, Major Fitzmaurice is known for his temperament and control.”

“Are there normally fights at bachelor parties?” asks Mary.

“No, dear,” replies Lynn gently, “just anywhere your fiancée and my husband go.”

Kerrigan pours another cup of tea for everyone, turns to Mary, and says, “I believe you have a question for me. You have been staring for much of the evening.”

“Aye. I do.”

Major Fitzmaurice stands, waits until Conan has his back turned, reaches across the table, grabs General Callahan’s shirt in his left hand, and swings with all his might. When General Callahan begins to fight back, Major Fitzmaurice drops his shirt so he can dodge blows and hits General Callahan as hard as he can, upturning several drinks on the table as he does so. General Callahan falls to the ground and lands heavily. Having won, Major Fitzmaurice tells Conan that he may return, and Conan stares at his father, shocked that anyone would dare to defy the man, let alone cause him injury.

“Ye did that, Major?”

“Aye, an’ I hope I never lose me temper like that again.”

“As do I,” says Doctor Sparrow. “Much more an’ ye could’ve killed him.”

General Callahan spits out blood and asks, “What’s the damage, Doctor?”

“I wouldn’t visit Rose-Marie anytime soon if I were yourself.”

“That bad?”

“Aye. I’m afraid so. Would ye like me to heal ye?”

“No, Doctor. I can wait ‘til tonight. Major, I haven’t lost a fight like that since ‘afore ye were born. I owe any man who can best me a drink.”

“Ye aren’t about to hang me for insubordination?”

“’Course not. Ye’ll make a fine colonel some day. I’d not ruin that.”

“Sor?”

“I’ve a great respect for any man who’d dare to hit a general an’ who knows he’s right an’ sticks to it. I’ve an even greater respect for any man who can win. Ye’ll be great one day, Fitzmaurice. I can tell.”

“Thankee, sor.”

“So what’ll ye have?”

“Whiskey.”

In Mary’s room, Kerrigan sits cradling her infant son, poised to answer Mary’s question. Mary leans forward and asks, “Miss Kerrigan, why did ye come lookin’ for me? Everyone thought me dead thirty years past.”

“Many people do not realize that there were survivors. Liam was among those who were convinced that you were dead,” replies Kerrigan.

“Ye didn’t think I’d want it that way?”

“I did not think that at all. Liam adores you, and it was as a favor to him that I sought you. Ought I to have left you where you were?”

“No. I was happy there, but I am happier here. I never thought I would marry a soldier, much less find that my Liam was alive.”

“No woman ever think she will marry soldier,” says Katya. “It just happen.”

“Where’s Emily Barrett?” asks Laura. “I thought she was coming.”

“She cannot. She was injured in battle and is currently in surgery,” replies Kerrigan.

“Did anyone tell Major Fitzmaurice?” asks Lynn.

“I doubt anyone did,” says Kerrigan. “I also doubt that he will be pleased about that fact.”

“What happened to her?” asks Laura.

“She has a small amount of shrapnel in her leg from a bullet that shattered on a helmet nearby.”

“Sounds painful,” says Mary.

“It is extremely painful,” replies Kerrigan.

“Will she lose her leg?”

“I doubt it, but her unit does not have the most competent surgeon in the Western Army. I anticipate Doctor Sparrow finishing the surgery later tonight. I hope that he does not drink too much before then.”

Kerrigan sips her tea silently while Mary sits and stares. Eventually, Mary asks, “Kerrigan, Katya, what’s it like havin’ kids?”

“You know my children,” says Katya.

“I did not see them often, ma’am,” says Mary.

“It is true you did not.”

“I doubt you will have children in the near future. After the wedding, you’ll be returning to Bridgeton with Shane, Laura, and me,” says Lynn. “You won’t necessarily have a child every time you sleep with your husband.”

“But what do you do?”

“You feed it, bathe it, keep it warm, and love it. You will be fine. It is natural,” says Kerrigan. “Katya, perhaps she could hold Tatiana. My son has been somewhat ill recently. This traveling does not suit him yet.”

“It rarely suit them,” says Katya.

“I know, and I have tried to remain at home as much as I could, but, unfortunately, I am not a housewife. I have business both in Court City and abroad, and I hesitate to leave him with his father for more than an hour or two.”

“You can’t leave a baby with its father?” asks Laura.

“I’m sure you could leave a baby with Shane, Laura, or with Liam, Mary,” says Lynn, “but her husband Morietur is not like Shane or Liam at all.”

“Mary, hold her in arm. Be sure you are holding the head. She is far heavier than she look,” says Katya, handing Tatiana to a nervous Mary. “See, you are natural. You be great mother.”

“She’s an angel,” says Laura.

“Actually, she is quarter Angel. My mother was Angel.”

“She’s a beautiful child,” says Lynn.

“Thank you. You have beautiful daughter of own one day. You have good man. He give you beautiful child. You see.”

In the tavern, Jack inspects General Callahan and says, “For fuck’s sake, Fitzmaurice, killin’ him would’ve been kinder.”

“’Tisn’t so bad as that, Jack,” says General Callahan. “Sure, I’ve had worse than broken teeth.”

“Aye, ye have. Remember the time back in eighty-seven when we fought o’er that whore?”

“Aye, ye broke me jaw so bad I couldn’t talk a’ ’tall for a month.”

“Or the time I caught ye wi’ Bevin,” says General Malone.

“Ye didn’t even let me finish…” sulks General Callahan.

“Well, she’s me wife.”

“I can’t do nothin’ ‘bout it if ye can’t keep her legs shut. ‘Sides, ye wasn’t even married at the time. Jus’ engaged.”

“That don’t mean ye had to sleep wi’ her, especially since ‘twas three days ‘afore me weddin’ an’ she was pregnant.”

“I forgot ‘bout that. She lost the baby, aye?”

“Aye. Ye mean ye slept wi’ her more’n once?”

“Aye. Who hasn’t? ‘Tis ancient history for me, at least.”

“I’ll kill the whore when I get back to Bridgeton.”

“Be honest,” says Jack. “Ye’ll get so drunk tonight ye won’t even remember he said that.”

“Speakin’ o’ women, did anyone find any?” asks Lieutenant Hackett.

“Liam told me not to bring no whores,” says Jack. “Said he didn’t want none.”

“Ye’re free to find your own. Granted, ‘tisn’t Bridgeton, but Crosspoint’s full o’ whores. I jus’ don’t want no part o’ that,” says Liam.

“Aw, Liam, why no whores?” asks Lieutenant Hackett. “Women love a man in uniform.”

“That’s where ye’re wrong, Lieutenant,” says Jack. “Women love a man in half a uniform, preferably the top half so they can see the medals an’ everythin’ else at the same time, an’ preferably an officer’s uniform, since they’re usually after money.”

“Aw, Jack, don’t tell ‘em that,” says General Callahan.

“The higher the rank, the prettier the girls an’ the more expensive it gets,” says Jack.

“An’ the more they let ye do to ‘em,” adds General Malone. “Ye baby officers don’ know the half o’ that.”

“I had one offer to come to Crosspoint wi’ me,” says General Callahan. “’Course, I told her to stay in Bridgeton. I wish I didn’t. I hear she’s married now an’ out o’ the business. Pity, too. She was one of the pretty ones.”

“Ah, but that’s always the case,” says General Malone, “The pretty ones are the ones who go after generals, an’ the pretty ones are always the ones who eventually get a decent man, settle down, an’ leave the business. Have ye ever seen an ugly whore quit?”

“On’y ‘cause she died,” says Jack.

“Ye’re talkin’ ‘bout Miss Jane, ain’t ye?” asks General Callahan.

“Aye,” replies Jack.

“Miss Jane?” asks Major Fitzmaurice.

“She’s ‘afore their time,” says General Callahan. “They haven’t the faintest clue who we’re talkin’ ‘bout.”

“I remember her,” says Liam. “She gave the evidence to the crown that got a warrant out on me. She’s the reason why Mary was arrested. She’s the one what lured me out that night, an’ I’m the one what killed her.”

In Mary’s room, the bride is nervously awaiting her wedding day with anticipation. Mary, still holding Katya’s daughter, begins to worry. She quietly asks, “Lynn, Kerrigan, is Liam a good man?”

“I wouldn’t know,” says Lynn. “I know that you mean everything to him, and I know that his father thinks highly of him, but I don’t know him well, personally. He’s been here in Crosspoint, and I have been in Highton. You should really ask Kerrigan. She knows him better than I do.”

“He has a dark past, and he has his scars,” says Kerrigan. “Of that there can be no doubt. He has not been well in the past thirty years, and I am afraid it has taken a very serious toll on him. However, despite this disadvantage, Liam is a good man at heart, and good men are notoriously difficult to locate, let alone to marry. Liam is loyal, trustworthy, and honest, but he can also be so loyal that he would injure another on the behalf of one to whom he owes gratitude. He will be a good husband to you. Of that, I have no doubt.”

“I’m worried,” admits Mary.

“My husband invented the idea of marriage in Hell. I was probably the most nervous bride there ever was. I had too much to drink before my wedding, which helped some, but I do not remember my own wedding night. Nobody does.”

“Mine’ll probably be like that too…”

“Katya and I will remember it. Neither of us will be drinking.”

“Miss Katya, it is a pity that ye won’t drink. We got the best vodka.”

“You mean illegal vodka, yes?” asks Katya.

“I don’ know,” admits Mary. “Liam says ‘tis good vodka an’ his colonel got it for him.”

“Colonel Callahan?”

“Aye…”

“That’s illegal vodka. Colonel Callahan does not drink vodka. He win it in card game from enemy officer. Many colonels do this, but is still illegal.”

“Will we be arrested?”

“No, dear. Nobody tell police. Is very hard to find good vodka so far south, so Var thank you for having. He not like your vhiskey, you know.”

“I know, Miss Katya. The master likes his vodka in the evenings after dinner, served promptly at the seventh chime in his study, unless the master has company, in which case, drinks are to be served immediately after dinner in the lounge.”

“I only pray our new maid be as good as you to him. We not find anybody yet. I trust you treat Liam like king, just as you treated my Var, yes?”

“I doubt Liam’ll want vodka in the evenin’, but he’ll be treated like a king.”

“Good girl.”

In the tavern, some of the men are starting to leave. A few of the Lieutenants are looking for women, and Keegan and Conan Callahan are going to see Owen. Var, who has been drinking since a day before his journey south, wants sleep, and Doctor Sparrow is asleep in his seat. Major Fitzmaurice wakes him and tells Liam that they must leave. Eventually, only Jack and Liam remain. Liam stares silently into his glass, and Jack fills his own and sighs.

“So, what’s Mary like?” asks Jack.

“Sweet, gentle, beautiful…perfect,” replies Liam, reminiscing.

“I mean in bed.”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“Ye’re marryin’ her, an’ ye ain’t even tried her out yet?”

“O’ ‘course I haven’t!” exclaims Liam, shocked that Jack would suggest that he would ruin her honor. “She’s a woman, not a racehorse.”

“Because ye’re such a gentleman now. Is that it?” asks Jack sarcastically.

“No. She told me I’d have to wait for our weddin’ night, an’ that was years ago. I’m still waitin’.”

“I wouldn’t marry any woman I didn’t sleep wi’ first.”

“So are ye goin’ to marry Kerrigan, then?” asks Liam icily.

“She’s a husband o’ her own.”

“I still ain’t forgiven ye for what ye did to her.”

“I know. I ain’t forgiven meself. Probably never will. At least ye ain’t marryin’ some whore. Can she cook?”

“Aye. Better’n anythin’ ye’ve ever tasted.”

“Maybe ye’ll be happy wi’ her then. Ye e’er had a virgin ‘afore?”

“No, but Fitzmaurice says they ain’t so bad.”

“I don’ like virgins meself. Too much trouble to train ‘em, an’ then they go an’ leave ye as soon’s ye got ‘em doin’ what ye want.”

“Ye prefer other men’s wives. I know. Nothin’ like leavin’ your mark in anoher man’s territory an’ givin’ him a child what ain’t his, ‘specially if ye hate him an’ don’ have the balls to say it to his face,” says Liam coldly.

“Liam, why are ye sayin’ all this now?” asks Jack, utterly confused. “‘Tis been pret near a year. I ain’t proud o’ what I done, but I did it. Ye can’t change it, an’ neither can I.”

“Why am I sayin’ this now? ‘Cause I’m finally drunk enough to do what I’ve wanted to for nigh on a year now.”

“What’re ye gonna do? Hit me? Go ahead. I know I deserve it.”

“No. I’m gonna leave ye here to drink alone. Enjoy your misery. Drown yourself, for all I care. Ye don’t deserve sympathy or company, an’ I won’t drink wi’ the man who raped Kerrigan Sheehan, even if he is me father. I’m gonna sober up some an’ go see me Mary. Ye’re not welcome to join me.”

Liam pays his tab and leaves in disgust, stepping out into the refreshing October air. He walks around the city letting the midnight breeze revive his dulled senses. He lets his mind and feet wander absentmindedly, strolling through the crisp night with one hand on his sword, by force of habit and in case of attack. He remembers that he was penniless two years ago. He is amazed that nearly thirty years could pass without him realizing and that two years could both seem like an eternity and change him so drastically. He eventually lets his feet carry him toward Mary’s hotel room, where he is a welcomed, though unexpected guest.

“How will I know what Liam wants?” asks Mary nervously.

“He will likely tell you directly. He is quite straightforward,” answers Kerrigan calmly.

“I mean…well…ye know…”

“In bed?” asks Lynn.

“Aye,” replies Mary.

“You’re worried about your first time?”

“Aye. Will it hurt?”

“Not badly. You’ll bleed a little. That’s normal. You’ll be sore for a day or so. That’s normal. If Liam’s anything like his father, it probably won’t be easy your first few times, but, eventually, you’ll learn to like it.”

“How d’ye know that?” asks Mary, who is extremely embarrassed to be asking sexual questions.

“We all do, dear. Your mother didn’t tell ye this?” asks Lynn, who is as comfortable discussing sex as she is inquiring about dinner.

“I don’t remember me ma’ well. Me parents died when I was just small. Me brother Michael cared for me.”

“If you do not mind my asking, how did you meet Liam?” asks Kerrigan.

“He’d business wi’ me brother durin’ the Revolution. I saw him from time to time, since Michael’d bring me along. He didn’t want me left alone for fear o’ me safety, havin’ a rebel brother an’ parents who died for the rebel cause. There was a soldier in the King’s Army what wanted me, but Michael wouldn’t let him have me. That made it all the more dangerous.

“Eventually, I got to know Liam, an’ we fell in love. He gave me a silver engagement ring. It cost him near everythin’ he had. He promised we’d be married when he had money for the weddin’ ring, but just ‘afore he could’ve bought it, I was taken in his place, since I didn’t know his whereabouts. Instead o’ buyin’ a weddin’ ring, he bought a tombstone.

“The prison doctor said I’d died, an’ that was all he knew. I passed from Lord to Lord for five or six years before serving Miss Katya’s father, who was the one who told ‘em to save me in the first place. First, Lord Barrett. He was a kind man. He told me everythin’d be alright. He couldn’t hide me in Bridgeton, so he moved me north as soon as he could where I passed into the service o’ Lord Harrington. From him, I passed to Lord Diederich Weiss von Ritter, then Lord Ivar Johansen for a short time, then, when he died, to Lord Mstislav Koulikovsky, from whose service, I passed into the hands of Lord Miternowski, when he decided he must have me to serve at parties and charm his guests, realizing that I had learned small amounts of German and Russian from my previous masters. When Lady Katya married Senatorial General Volkov, I passed into their service. That’s me entire adult life.”

“You vere vonderful maid, but you will be better wife, mother, and lady yourself,” says Katya kindly.

“Thankee, Miss Katya.”

“Just Katya now, dear. You are marrying Royal Knight tomorrow. You are equal, not servant.”

All of a sudden, there is a knocking at the door. Mary hands baby Tatiana back to Katya and answers the door, surprised to see Liam standing there, shivering with frost in his hair, looking her in the eyes.

“L-Liam? I didn’t expect ye here. Come in. Sit by the fire. Warm yourself.”

“Thankee, Mary. I’m terrible sorry to intrude, ladies.”

“Is no problem. I should go home to Var anyhow,” says Katya, bundling first her infant and then herself.

“I think ye’ll find him drunk an’ asleep. He’d a mite too much vodka, since he had it to hisself.”

Katya bids everyone goodnight and leaves, prompting Laura to do the same, as she is eager to return to the safety of Shane’s side. Kerrigan hands her son to Lynn and makes Liam a cup of tea. Mary wraps a blanket around Liam’s shoulders and draws a chair to the fire for him. Kerrigan’s son begins to fuss, and Lynn, not being a mother, hands him back to Kerrigan when her attempts to quiet him fail. Lynn makes Liam a plate of cookies and cakes, and he eats them gratefully.

“Liam, what happened?” asks Kerrigan.

“I got drunk an’ did somethin’ stupid,” replies Liam.

“What did you do?”

“I owe yourself an’ me father everythin’. If ‘tweren’t for him an’ his influence, I’d still be on the streets. If ‘tweren’t for yourself, I’d never’ve been re-united wi’ me Mary. I finally got drunk enough to leave Jack to his misery.”

“You left Jack alone?”

“Aye. Are ye pissed at me?”

“Perhaps that is best. Those of us who care about Jack ensure that he is in the presence of others nearly all of the time. Perhaps that is more for our own peace of mind than it is for his wellbeing. Yes, there is a chance that he will do himself serious damage, but that chance is minimal. He realizes that he cannot attend your wedding if he is severely intoxicated, so I doubt that he will cause any trouble tonight. He needs to realize that we cannot continue to save him from himself forever.”

“I still feel bad ‘bout it.”

“I have no doubt about that. Why are you angry with him?”

“For what he did to ye. Has he even held the child?”

“He has not held the baby. He saw him once in July. I have not seen Jack since then.”

“Not even for the balls?”

“I did not attend any balls this year, and Jack did not attend the Senatorial Ball as he had planned, due to continued hostilities, which required him to remain in Crosspoint.”

“Can I hold him?” asks Liam, motioning toward Kerrigan’s infant.

“Of course you may. Are you eager to be a father yourself?” asks Kerrigan.

“I’m tryin’ to do what me father didn’t.”

“You cannot accommodate for his shortcomings nor can he for yours. You must learn to accept that Jack is not always the most reliable of men.”

“Did havin’ sons change him?”

“To be honest with you, you changed him more than Jason and John did. He was not happy with Maire. He is happy with Lynn, but he sees her seldom. His other sons rarely hear from him. He has not seen them in nearly a year. He seeks your company, which he does to a select few. Having a son with a similar background to his own changed him more than anything.”

“I’ll never do like he’s done.”

“I know, Liam. You are not your father, nor will you ever be him. You are your own man. You are also a natural father, unlike him. I have never seen a man without several children hold an infant so securely. That child will fuss if Morietur tries to hold him, but he is calm for you, though you lack my husband’s practice. You would be a wonderful father.”

“I doubt that.”

“Do not doubt yourself, Liam. You could not possibly do worse than Jack has done.”

General Callahan approaches the camp of the Thirteenth Bridgeton Light Infantry with Conan by his side. Nobody is awake, save the men on watch. General Callahan walks straight to the Colonel’s tent and enters without hesitation. Colonel Callahan is sitting on the edge of his cot shirtless with a bottle of Liam’s poitín in his left hand examining his battle wounds. General Callahan clears his throat, and Colonel Callahan, who is far more intoxicated than anyone who attended Liam’s bachelor party, squints in the direction of his father. After realizing who is standing before him, Colonel Callahan stands and attempts to salute, falling backwards onto the bed.

“’Fraid that’ll have to do, sor, but I’m a wee bit,” he pauses, trying to remember the word, “drunk, p’r’aps. What brings ye here?”

“I came to see me son.”

“Which one? Ye’ve got…Conan there. Brendan’s out in the Major’s tent, I think. Kian’s…I don’t really know where Kian is, but he’s here somewhere maybe.”

“I mean yourself. Jaysus! Ye’re a mess! I ain’t seen ye this drunk in ten years. What’s wrong wi’ ye? D’ye really want your men to see ye like this?”

“They won’t see me…I’m invisible.”

“Owen, put your clothes on, fer Godsakes. I’ll fetch your other brothers. Conan, stay here. If he tries to leave the tent, see to it that he don’t. Ye have me full permission to beat the shite out o’ him. He can’t fight back, an’ I doubt he can walk.”

“Aye, sor.”

General Callahan leaves momentarily and returns with Brendan and Kian Callahan. “He give ye any trouble?”

“’Course not. He’s been singin’ Kitt Hath Lost Her Key this whole time.”

“Fer Chrissakes,” says Kian, himself intoxicated and having just woken. “Why?”

“I swear, Owen, ye on’y ever get horny when ye’re drinkin’ alone,” says Brendan.

“No I don’,” retorts Owen.

“Prove it,” dares Kian.

“I’ve a son, which is more’n ye can say.”

“Have ye touched your wife since then?” asks Kian.

“Pardon me,” says Colonel Hagan, intruding, intending to inquire about a serious matter. Distracted, he asks, “Wha’ happened tae yeer face, General?”

“Major Fitzmaurice happened,” replies General Callahan. “D’ye have serious business here?”

“Tha’ Ah do. We got in a bluidy great battle up yonder. They attacked mah camp. Ah need men.”

“Ye’ll have to take ‘em without Owen. He’s too horny to go,” says General Callahan.

“He’s been drinkin’, then?”

“Aye. He has. Ye have a doctor? I’m not sure where Sparrow’s gone to. Oul’ Jack’s son’s to be married the ‘morrow.”

“Aye. Say nay more.”

“Then rouse what men ye can here an’ take ‘em as reinforcements. Ye won’t find everybody, an’ some may be a might too drunk to help, but take what ye can, an’ do it right quick.”

“Thankee, General.”

“This camp an’ me son are completely vulnerable to attack, Donald. Don’t let the enemy get this far. That’s an order.”

“Aye, sor. Ah’ll do mah best.”

“I want better’n that, Colonel. Dismissed.” General Callahan turns to his fourth son, “Conan, ye’re sober enough. If he’s this desperate, there won’t be no charges or direct orders. ‘Twill be chaos. Every man for hisself. Ride off in your nightshirt if ye want. Jus’ fetch your sword, get out o’ your dress uniform, an’ go. Take Owen’s horse. He’s too injured to be of use. Prove your worth tonight. This family’s countin’ on ye. Don’ let me down.”

“Aye, sor.”

“Good lad. Your mother’d be proud.”

“Go get ‘em Conan!” shouts General Callahan. “God knows I can’t…” he mutters.

Conan returns to the Colonel’s tent five minutes later wearing his white nightshirt and riding the Colonel’s horse. He waves his father and brothers goodbye and rides off toward Colonel Hagan’s camp, eager to make his father proud of him, as he is of his older sons. Kian mentions his intention to prepare for battle as well, but General Callahan tells him to stay, eager to see what Conan will do without his brothers’ guidance. General Callahan hopes that he is making the correct decision, and he worries that he is not. He cannot think of Conan as a normal corporal. He knows that he ought to, but he realizes, from having brought three other sons into the military, that he cannot think of his children in the same way that he thinks of the other men. Conan will always be his son, no matter how honorable or dishonorable his deeds. General Callahan merely hopes that he has not sent his son to his death because of honor.

Meanwhile, in another camp, Major Fitzmaurice and Doctor Sparrow arrive at the tent of Emily Barrett. When her tent mates tell the men in no uncertain terms that Emily is not there, Major Fitzmaurice seeks her Colonel, who is still awake, despite the late hour. Colonel Matthew Sheridan is a kindhearted, though stern, man from a respectable middle class family. He was raised in District Twenty and attended Bridgeton Military Academy with every intention of joining the Southern Army. After three years as a Lieutenant in the Southern Army, he was assaulted by one of his subordinates for a perceived injustice, after which he requested a transfer to a District One unit in the Western Army where, under the watchful eye of a wise Colonel, he thrived until he was offered the chance to lead his own unit from the District Five portion of his native Bridgeton. Major Fitzmaurice asks to enter his tent.

“Come in, boys. I don’t bite,” says Colonel Sheridan, assuming that the visitors are his own men. Shocked upon seeing a green uniform and officer’s insignia, he says, “Take a seat. Can I get ye some brandy?”

“No,” replies Major Fitzmaurice, knowing from Emily’s accounts that Colonel Sheridan is not one for warmth and pleasantries, despite his good heart, “I’m drunk enough already.”

“To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” asks Colonel Sheridan, trying to keep the conversation light.

“I’m lookin’ for the whereabouts o’ one o’ your Lieutenants,” replies Major Fitzmaurice, careful not to give away too much information.

“Which one?” asks Colonel Sheridan, hoping that he has an answer.

“Barrett,” replies Major Fitzmaurice.

“She’s in medical,” Colonel Sheridan says, realizing to whom he is speaking.

“What happened?” asks Major Fitzmaurice, deeply concerned.

“Shrapnel to the leg. She’ll be alright. Are you Major Fitzmaurice?” asks Colonel Sheridan, already knowing the answer to his question.

“Aye,” replies Major Fitzmaurice.

“She’s been askin’ for ye,” says Colonel Sheridan, waving Major Fitzmaurice and Doctor Sparrow away from his tent.

Major Fitzmaurice walks solemnly to the medical tent where he finds Emily sleeping gently. He sits by her bedside and strokes her hair gently, worried that something dire has happened to her. She stirs and is pleasantly surprised to find Major Fitzmaurice at her bedside.

“Billy? That yourself?” asks Lieutenant Barrett.

“‘Course it is. For all your fine education an’ breedin’, ye still sound like a District Thirteen girl.”

“Ye know quite well I’m not.”

“Aye, ye don’ sell it for a silver piece or less on a street corner.”

“I have me father’s accent. It comes out more when I feel like shite. I suppose it comes from him bein’ from District Thirteen an’ me bein’ his on’y child an’ him me on’y parent.”

“Emmy…are ye alright?” asks Major Fitzmaurice.

“Fine. Jus’ peachy,” replies Lieutenant Barrett sarcastically.kk

“Can ye leave?”

“I can’t walk too well, but I can leave both this tent an’ this camp, so long as I’m back sometime tomorrow or the day after. Sure, I’m no use here.”

“Want to come to our tent in the woods? I want to speak wi’ ye. Alone. I also want the Doctor to have a look at ye for hisself. He looks drunker than he is.”

“Ye’ll have to carry me.”

“Not a problem.”

In town, in a small room above an inn that has closed for the night, Liam and Mary sit side by side, Kerrigan’s son asleep in Liam’s arms. Kerrigan, momentarily freed of her burden takes the opportunity to bring the borrowed dishes downstairs to the kitchen. She leaves a saucer of milk for the innkeeper’s cat, who stares out from the shadows with glowing golden eyes before deciding that Kerrigan poses no threat and twisting itself around her ankles. She bends down and strokes the cat and wonders if Jack is alright.

Jack sits alone in a tavern, unaware that a battle is occurring and that his son is safe. He sits drowning in a bottle of whiskey wishing that he had not fathered the son that Liam is holding, unbeknownst to him. Outside the door, a street dog begs for scraps of meat from the kitchen, which he is given tonight, as he is every night. Jack wishes that he could undo the past, and he wishes he could remember the way back to his cabin. The bartender politely informs him that it has been an hour since the bar should have closed, so Jack pays his tab and wanders aimlessly, hoping he finds his way home.

Lynn leaves Mary’s apartment, followed by Kerrigan and Liam. Liam will stay there once they are married, but tonight he will sleep in the spare bed in Kerrigan’s room down the hall. Lynn is to spend the night with Jack, and she hopes that he is still alive, lest he have lost his way, but when she returns to the cabin, she finds him sleeping somewhat restlessly on his usual bed. She removes her dress and dons her nightshirt, carefully crawling into bed next to him. He grabs her tightly and whispers, “I’m glad ye’re here. I love ye. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Jack,” she replies.

Conan Callahan, deliberately wearing his white nightshirt and riding his brother’s horse, storms through the battle charging enemy soldiers and firing a borrowed gun left and right. The enemy troops are wearing their uniforms, but the remnants of Colonel Hagan’s unit and the reinforcements, all of whom were woken from their beds, are wearing an odd array of uniforms, civilian clothing, and nightshirts, having donned whatever was closest at hand. They are an amalgamation of light and heavy infantry, cavalry, and artillery, fighting with a wide assortment of weapons from torches to bows, swords to guns, bombs to axes, and makeshift clubs to stones. Joined only by a force of sheer determination, they beat the enemy back slowly but surely until a retreat is called by the enemy colonels. Many enemy soldiers lay dead and dying on the ground. A few of the wounded were able to retreat, and the doctors agree to treat enemy soldiers the same as if they were among their own, with the exception that they will be imprisoned and possibly traded in the future.

In the camp of the Thirteenth Bridgeton, General Callahan urges his oldest son to go to bed. Owen is in danger of ripping his stitches if he continues to drunkenly stumble around his tent, and he is in danger of being seen by his men if he leaves it. All of a sudden, a horse runs back into camp. Kian Callahan runs after it and retrieves it. He determines that it is the Colonel’s horse, and he puts it in its stall before reporting back to his Colonel and his General. He is reporting more to his brother and father than to his superiors when he tells them that Conan did not return with the horse. General Callahan drinks half a bottle of whiskey in order to calm his nerves and sits on a stool outside the Colonel’s tent looking into the distance.

Returning from the battle, a private, speaking to his friend, says, “I can’t believe the Colonel showed up. He’s not been out o’ bed in days.”

General Callahan stops him and says, “Colonel Callahan is in his tent. I’ve been wi’ him this whole time. Perhaps there’s another Colonel.”

“I swear I saw Colonel Callahan. Then again, he was off in the distance from me. Killed a good many dogs, though.”

“Have ye seen Conan?”

“The Corporal? I haven’t. He’s been kind o’ odd lately. Say, who are ye, sor?”

“General Callahan, their father.”

“I’m sorry General. I ain’t seen Conan a’ ‘tall tonight. I didn’t know he was even there. Then again, ‘twas complete confusion.”

“Thankee, Private. Dismissed.”

Upon leaving for his bunk, the private salutes General Callahan out of respect, not having recognized him in civilian attire. General Callahan begins to pace, and Kian assures him that Conan will be fine, but General Callahan has his doubts. After nearly an hour of pacing and asking men returning from battle, Conan himself returns from camp, a bandage around his head, his nightshirt soaked in blood and his pillow in his hands. Kian is the first to see him and runs over to him out of concern.

“Conan, what happened?” asks Kian.

“Well…don’ tell Owen this, but I put me pillow up me nightshirt an’ pretended to be him.”

Kian laughs uncontrollably for a few minutes before saying, “I wish I’d seen it. Our dear Colonel probably ought to lose a good twenty pounds, an’ ye’re the on’y man ‘round here fool enough mock him.”

“Could I borrow your spare nightshirt? I’ve on’y the one an’ ‘tis a wee bit bloody.”

“Take it. ’Tis yours. What happened to your head?”

“Got hit in the eye wi’ a club. Knocked me from the horse. Wrestled on the ground wi’ the bastard what did it. Stabbed him, but got kicked in the same eye in the panic. Surgeon stitched me up right good. That’s what took so long. Says I don’t got a concussion, thank God, but I’ll ne’er see out o’ that eye again.”

“Go to bed. I’ll tell da’.”

Upon learning what happened to Conan, General Callahan turns to Kian and says, “The boy’s earned his stripes tonight, but what a price it cost him. Go to bed, Kian. I have to go back to town. Night.”

After he sees that Kian is in his tent, General Callahan secretly and silently sneaks into Conan’s tent and takes a set of old insignia pins from his pocket. They have been passed down from him to Owen, from Owen to Brendan, and from Brendan to Kian. He pins a set of sergeant’s stripes on Conan’s uniform and removes his corporal’s stripes. He writes a note and leaves it in Owen’s tent. He then returns to his hotel room in town after receiving blood from Brendan, his only sober, uninjured son, for his own injuries, though he knows that he will not sleep well knowing that he must tell his wife that their son is blind in his right eye.

After Doctor Sparrow determines that Emily Barrett’s leg is, indeed, healing and directly ordering her and Major Fitzmaurice to refrain from any sexual activity until her stitches are ready to be removed. Doctor Sparrow returns to camp, carefully avoiding the Callahans, but does not light the candle outside his tent that informs the men that he is there and accepting patients. He does not wish to be woken, and he does not realize the need for a doctor. Major Fitzmaurice and Lieutenant Barrett cuddle in the dark in Major Fitzmaurice’s secret tent in the woods. Major Fitzmaurice hears shouting in the distance and a commotion in camp, but he is too tired and drunk to think anything of it.

Suddenly, Emily turns to him. “We’ve been together o’er a year now an’ engaged for quite some time. Why haven’t I met your family, Billy?”

“What family?” asks Major Fitzmaurice darkly. “They’re dead to me.”

“But ye have a family, don’t ye? The one thing I want most is to have me father back so he could see me married. I never knew me mother, but me father meant everythin’ to me.”

“Havin’ a family…tisn’t so wonderful.”

“Why not? I miss me father every day.”

“Perhaps Emmett Barrett was different, but as far as I’m concerned, havin’ no family a’ ‘tall, ‘twould’ve been better’n the one I got. I’ve no father, as ye well know, an’ perhaps ‘twould’ve been different if I did, but Gerald Fitzmaurice was a drunk who beat his wife an’ children. Ma’ was no better. Me older brothers say she was nice ‘afore he died, but I never saw it. I wouldn’t know. I guess I ruined everythin’ when it comes to her. Henry’d fight back, first against his father, then against her, but I ain’t seen him in ten year or more. Charlie’s still in Bridgeton somewhere. I see him once in a while. I saw him at Yuletide. He’s the one I went to drink wi’ that night when ye stayed wi’ the Sparrows. Katie, me on’y sister, she started whorin’ ‘afore she was sixteen. She’s childer o’ her own, but I ain’t never seen ‘em. I don’ even know their names. I’m not their full brother anyway, an’ ma’ll die ‘afore she tells me who me da’ is.”

“How d’ye know ye’re not their full brother if she won’t tell ye who your da’ is?”

“’Sides the fact I look more like Brendan Sparrow than I do me brother Charlie, Gerald Fitzmaurice died too long ‘afore I was born. She was a widow when she got in the family way, but she won’t admit it.”

“Me mother died bearin’ me. The first thing I ever did was kill her, if ‘tis any consolation.”

“’Tisn’t. I’d’ve been beteter off an orphan than a Fitzmaurice. I bear their name, but I’m not like them, an’ I’m not one o’ them.”

“What are ye then? A Sparrow?”

“Aye, somewhat. Matter o’ fact, the Sparrows took me in, more or less.”

“How?”

“Ma’ was a maid in District Five. Still is, last I heard, different family, though. She cleans for people like yourself. When I was a babe, she’d take me wi’ her. She says the rich folk found me adorable when I was jus’ small,” he pauses, “but when I got too big to carry, she’d lock me in a room alone or sometimes wi’ Charlie ‘afore dawn ‘til well past dusk. Usually, I’d no food or water. Sometimes, she’d forget to let me out. Henry an’ Katie used to sometimes, but not after Henry started drinkin’. If I asked for food, I’d get beat. When I learned to pick the lock to me little prison, she’d put me out in the streets.”

“How old were ye? Nine? Ten?”

“I was four. ‘Tis a miracle I survived.”

“Jaysus.”

“I learned to steal. I ain’t proud o’ that, but I did it. I had to steal food in order to survive.”

“If me father had known, then surely he would have taken ye in.”

“Your father knew. Everyone who’s ever been to Bridgeton knows, but your father couldn’t’ve fed all the starvin’ children o’ Bridgeton, not even wi’ all his money an’ titles. Jack Shepherd can’t neither. There was too many o’ us then, an’ there’s more now.”

“I wish I could do somethin’.”

“Ye can’t. Senatorial General Shepherd’s the best hope there is, an’ even he can on’y do a little every few years in the Senate. He got a couple daycent schools built. Can’t ask for much more.”

“How’d ye meet the good doctor?”

“I’ve known Brendan Sparrow me whole life. We lived in the same street. When Henry an’ ma’ broke the front door down in a drunken brawl, Brendan’s da’ came o’er our way an’ fixed it. He’s always been there. One mornin’, the Sparrows saw me in the street, fed me, washed me up, an’ told me their home was me own an’ their doors was always open. Brendan Sparrow’s more a brother to me than me oldest brother Henry is.”

“I’m sorry, Billy. I shouldn’t’’ve asked.”

“’Tisn’t a bother. I should’ve told ye sooner. Jus’ don’ tell no one. Most o’ me unit don’ know that, an’ I don’ want ‘em to. Liam knows. Kerrigan knows. Brendan knows, obviously. A few o’ the Captains know ’cause Liam let it slip when he got drunk. He’s part o’ the reason I survived. This was maybe seven year after Mary disappeared. He’d gone to prison, then up north, then back to Bridgeton. He was a beggar at the time. He fished me out o’ the River Tyne.”

“So I suppose invitin’ your family to the weddin’s out o’ the question?”

“’Tis. I don’ know where Henry is; Katie’d never afford it; an’ Charlie’s always too busy. He’s been too busy since I was five year old.”

“An’ your mother? Surely ye can’t hate her that much.”

“I do. It’d’ve been kinder o’ her to have drowned me. She can’t know who ye are. If she finds out, she’ll kill us both for your money.”

“Come now, don’t be absurd, Billy.”

“I’m not, When Brendan’s da’ found out who ye were, he told Liam to be sure not to tell me ma’. If I marry ye, I’d become the heir to your money. If I die after ye, it goes to our closest survivin’ relatives, an’, since ye’ve none o’ your own, that means me brothers, sister, an’ ma’. ‘Tisn’t beyond what she’d do. Me brothers’d never tell her. They ain’t like that, an’ they know how she really is since their da’ died, but I don’ owe them no more loyalty than I do her. Me sister’d sell me life in a heartbeat, given the chance.”

“An’ if they find out?”

“They won’t, but if they do, I’d sooner kill me own family than see harm come to ye, Emily Barrett. Blood ain’t thicker’n water. At least mine ain’t. They’ll never hurt ye.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”