Family Reunion (10 page)

Manny stepped aside so his son could pass. Turning to Rory and taking a deep breath, he invited him on to the lower quarters. "Come along Rory, I fear my body heat is now at its lowest."

Mike, after a full day with his father went straight to the family room in search of his wife and children, as Rory, Leon and Manny headed for his cabin. While sitting to warm up, Maria came in with Lolita in hopes of seeing her husband, having missed him because of being in the galley with Gaitsu.

"Buenos tardes Senor Web-…" Maria started; Manny's disapproving look halted her. Blushing with a contrite smile, she corrected herself. "Good evening father." Manny smiled and nodded as Lolita made her way to him. "Good evening gran'pa." She went to his side of the desk placing a welcome home kiss to his cheek.

"Good evening ladies, to what do I owe for this welcome visit?" Manny asked hugging Lolita and looking towards her mother. Maria looked sheepish. "Well actually it was my husband I was seeking."

Manny chuckled. "Well of course, he went that way." Manny nodded in direction of the family room down the corridor.

"I wasn't lookin' for'im gran'pa, mamah was. I'm happy to see you." Maria blushed, her reaction to her outspoken daughter making Manny chuckle. "Thank goodness, at least someone is here to welcome me home." He simpered at Maria's discomfort.

"My apologies, may I bring you coffee or tea?" Maria asked.

Manny loved teasing her, "Are you sure you wouldn't like to see your husband first?"

She covered her cheeks, warm from blushing. "No sir ... he can wait, I will bring you coffee to warm yourself."

"Hold on Maria." Manny called, she turned back in the doorway. "This young man here is Rory; he'll be working on the Princess as my cabin boy. Rory, my daughter-in-law."

Rory stood and nodded to
her
.
'A Mexican! His son's wife is a Mexican.'
He thought slightly surprised. Maria smiled and nodded to him.

"Welcome to the Princess, Rory. Now, I will get you all coffee ... good evening Leon."

He nodded with a grin on his face. "And Rory, tea...would you like that?"

"Yes, thank you." Rory turned and sat back down to see Lolita's eyes intently on him. Her head cocked to the side fetchingly, with his attention toward her. "I'm gonna go help mamah." Lolita excused herself from the room. While they waited on the refreshments, Manny sat back and listened as Leon went on to explain what it was that he and Manny expected from Rory and the errands he might at times have to run. While they talked, Maria entered with their coffee and tea then left again. That evening was spent conversing as the new cabin boy learned his place from his boss and supervisor. Part way through, the door opened again and in eased Celina, her hair streaming down as she made eye contact with her grandfather, waiting for his signal that it was okay to enter. Getting it, she darted across the room and hopped up in his lap.

"I com'in see ya' gran'pah." She whispered; shy in front of Rory, clutching her rag doll securely as her grandfather cradled her close.

Leon paused, smiling at the tiny child, winking and making faces at her as he sat listening to Manny talk, her giggle at Leon made Manny pause and look down at her. "Is it not past your bedtime?" The question was followed by a kiss to her forehead and a hug.

"Yeah, I went'a sleep wit' mamah, 'cause som'time she let me, but papah come an' say goodnigh' for me ta' go ta' my own bed an' sleep, he say I can't sleep wit' him and mamah tonigh' cause he so sleepy. He mean to me gran'pah. Sometime…sometime he lemme sleep there, sometime he don't…how come?" Manny opened his mouth but nothing came out.

Leon snickered.

"My pa-pah did'n look sleepy to me gran'pah…so why he make me go?"

Manny blushed, feeling discomfort at such a question from her, having missed that stage of curiosity with his own, to distract her, he tickled her tummy and responded as she drew up in a giggle. "I don't know why baby, but first chance you get, you ask your papah why, okay? And have him explain it to your satisfaction." She smiled up at him and nodded that she would. "Can'na sit here wit' you 'til I get sleepy grandpa?"

"Most certainly you can." He answered. "Rory this little chicken is
another of my grandchildren, Celina. Celina this young man is Rory, he'll be working for me on the ship."

Rory nodded and smiled at her. "He looks like gran'ma Royal Sun." She commented to her grandfather, Manny nodded in agreement.

"So he does."

"How many is there?" Rory asked referring to his grandchildren.

"Five." Manny stated proudly, "This one is the baby, all by my son Mike."

Rory smiled, looking at Celina then back up to Manny. "Is he your only son?"

"Yes, but I have another child, a daughter, eighteen. She's not with me right now, but I hope to have her among us soon." Manny informed him followed by a return to their discussion of his duties. As they spoke, Rory found his eyes straying to Celina over and over as she slowly nodded off to sleep in her grandfather's arms. Something about her drew his constant attention, he just wasn't sure why.

An hour or so later it was closing in on time for him to leave. Celina had now fallen asleep in Manny's arms and he rose to take her to bed as he told Rory he would be taking him home. On the way in the carriage, with Leon joining, Rory complimented Manny saying, "You have beautiful granddaughter's, they don't look much like their mother." He fished, curious.

"True, they look more like their aunt, my daughter, and she is very much like her mother."

Rory grew more curious to hear about their mother. "I see…and their mother, your wife, where is she? I hope you don't mind me asking?"

Manny was taken by surprise, not sure how to answer it as he glanced over at Leon, then decided to be honest. "My wife and I are no longer together, we're divorced. She lives back in England now." Leon was impressed by his response.

"Please excuse me, I didn't mean to pry." Rory apologized noticing his discomfort.

"No harm done."

"So the Princess, that wasn't your wife?"

Manny once again glanced at Leon, then back to Rory. His evasive answer hadn't taken the subject leading to Lena away as he had hoped. He felt Rory was too young to understand anything about love, especially the kind that existed between two totally different people, so he answered carefully.

"No son she was not. The Princess was someone I cared very
much about. Anyway, do you think you'll be able to make it to work on time tomorrow, no more late arrivals?" Manny tossed in quickly to change the subject. Rory wisely saw the switch over and dropped his questioning.

"I'll be on time tomorrow sir, I promise, no more late days."

"I’ll be holding you to your word, we'll see. Here we are at your home, I'd advise you go straight to bed, no excuses will do tomorrow, I want you at your best."

Manny stated as they came to a stop before the mansion. He opened the door for Rory, looking unconsciously at the big window. He smiled seeing the curtains fall into place again, his mother was looking for him no doubt. How he wished Rory was comfortable enough to let him meet her, maybe, just maybe he could help them bridge the gap he knew existed between them. As he promised, he would not push it, satisfied with the progress they were making. Perhaps later after he'd grown to trust him, he would allow him to meet his mother but until then, he would take it one day at a time. As he expected him to, Rory jumped from the coach and went up the steps to the door, he turned as it opened waving at Manny and Leon. Manny closed the carriage door as it sped away.

Chapter Three

"Hi, how was your first day at work?" Lena asked, closing the door behind Rory as he took off his jacket, she took it and passed it to Sheldon who was there as well, talking with Lena.

"Good evening master Rory, I shall take care of this Miss Lena."

"Thank you Sheldon." Lena returned with her eyes on her son.

Rory was hesitant to respond, watching Sheldon disappear down the hall. He turned to his mother, she was still doing it. Acting concerned and interested in him and he couldn't help looking down at her slightly surprised by it.

Lena smiled up at him, waiting. Rory backed slowly toward the stairs, "You know, you don't have to wait for me at the door."

"I know. How was your first day?" She repeated.

He stopped at the stairs with his hand on the post, "It was pretty easy, all we did was talk."

"That's good...you hungry?"

Rory stared at her; she was wearing her silk turquoise wrap. Her hair was braided and hanging over her left shoulder. It suddenly occurred to him once again that she was pretty and for a moment with out any effort of his own, a picture of Celina flashed in his mind. Dismissing the strange image, he surprised Lena by smiling back.

The smile was slight but a smile
just the same, nodding, he admitted, "Yeah, I am as a matter of fact, real hungry, did you save me something to eat?"

Lena's eyes widened from his unexpected response, she felt her heart leap in joy for the tiny step in the right direction and a bright smile lit her face, one that stunned Rory, bringing pleasure to them both.

"Of course I saved something for you to eat, come to the kitchen and I'll warm it for you." He turned from the stairs and followed her down the hall to the back of the house where he took a seat at the table while she stirred the coals and added a log to the hearth that kept the kitchen warm. As she was warming her son’s food, Rollo entered the kitchen. He stopped within the door and looked at Rory then Lena, surprised to see them in the kitchen together, with the boy speaking to her, answering questions she asked him about school. Rory stopped mid sentence looking at Rollo, who turned from him and spoke to Lena. He was carrying a pitcher of milk he had brought from the cooler then walked to the counter searching for a mug and grabbed a corn muffin from the basket there. Rory swallowed, fidgeting in his seat. Lena looked up at the two unable to ignore the sudden tense silence.

Rory knew if he was to continue seeing after Mailon, he would have to make some amends to Rollo so that he would be able to gain needed transportation to get to work on time.

Wondering at the vibes from the two, Lena asked for the pitcher of milk from Rollo, who smiled and handed it to her.

"Um…Rollo." Rory started meekly. Rollo turned to him with his eyebrows drawn and answered gruffly. "What boy!" The tone of his voice made Lena wince but she remained quiet as she sat her son's plate before him with a glass of milk. Rory took a deep breath. "I have a job now, and-…"

"Yeah, I heard." Rollo cut him off.

Lena looked up at him, uncomfortable with his conduct toward her son. Although aware that Rory's manners in the past left much to be desired, she didn't feel his tone and manner were necessary at that moment. Rory started again, "Well, today, I was late because I needed you to take me to South end and then to work, I know I might have made you mad-…"

"You sure as hell did, I ask you a question I expect a answer!" He returned heatedly.

Lena could not hold her silence a moment longer. "Rollo I don't think that tone is necessary, it's obvious to me he is trying to apologize for whatever may have happened between you two today, the least you could do is give him a chance."

"A chance for what, he up ta' somethin'! I wouldn't trust that boy
as far as I can fly." He said, biting into his muffin. Lena swallowed nervously, knowing this was a side of Rory neither of them had ever seen, but still until negative motives proved to be behind it, she would not discourage his obvious efforts. "Rollo, I would appreciate it greatly if you would allow him to speak to you and finish what he is trying to start, which is an apology, give him a chance ... please."

"Miss Lena I know he your boy but he ain't to be trusted. It ain't like him to up an' apologize less he need somethin'. I ask him earlier why he wanna go to South end, what business he got over there? He didn't wanna tell me, so to me that only mean one thang, he up to no good there!"

"That's what I want to apologize about Rollo, if you-…"