“Black Irish,” Kevin announced proudly. “Just like her grandpa.”
“All babies have blue eyes.” Temperance reminded the proud grandfather.
“I always pictured them as being brown.” Faith told them. “Chocolate-brown, like her father’s.” She looked up at Tempy.
“Perhaps they’ll turn brown as she gets older,” Temperance attempted to reassure her daughter.
“But then I won’t be here to see it,” Faith whispered softly, tears clouding her vision. “Where’s Reese?”
“I’m here,” Reese said from his position near the fireplace away. He walked to the bed and sat down, balancing himself on the edge.
Faith held the baby out to him. “Come meet your daughter.” She thrust the baby into his arms. “She belongs to you.”
Reese opened his mouth, tried to stop her, but Faith wouldn’t let him. “I hope you’re not going to be disappointed because she’s a girl. I know you wanted a son, but she can still be your heir. David will know how to draw up a suitable contract.” The baby wriggled in his arms and Reese tried to hand her back to Faith.
“Take her, Faith,” he pleaded.
“I can’t.” Faith smiled at Reese through her tears. “It hurts too much. You’ll have to learn how to cope with her, Reese. She’s yours now. I’ve delivered her to you.” She turned away from them both.
“Faith…” Reese began.
She shook her head.
Temperance stepped forward and took the baby from Reese. “She’s tired, Reese. Let her rest. You can talk later.”
“But I lo…” He tried his best to say them, but the words stuck in his throat.
“Let her sleep.” Sarah spoke to him in Cherokee. “You can tell her what you feel tomorrow.”
Chapter Twenty-six
“Are you sure you won’t change your mind?” Tempy asked, watching as Faith packed her trunk.
“You didn’t change yours.” Faith turned to look at Tempy. Her mother. She hadn’t meant to say that but after six weeks, she was still coming to terms with the fact that Temperance had given her into her sister Prudence’s care.
“I’ve tried to explain I didn’t have a choice,” Tempy repeated. “You had to be raised as Prudence and Edward’s natural daughter. That was the price they charged for taking you in. I accepted those terms so I could be near you. I couldn’t tell you. I couldn’t risk having them turn you out. Please, try to understand, Faith.”
“I understand why you couldn’t tell me the truth in the beginning,” Faith said. “But after they died…” Faith folded another dress and placed it in the trunk. “Everyone else knew, didn’t they? Aunt Virt, Hannah, and Agnes? You could have told me.”
“Yes, they knew. We all grew up together. They were aware of my so-called disgrace. I wanted to tell you after Prudence died. I ached to tell you. But I was afraid. Afraid to risk the relationship we shared.” Tears sparkled in Tempy’s gray eyes. “After nearly twenty years of living a lie, how could I tell my niece that she was really my daughter? How could I expect you to understand why I stood by and allowed someone else to raise my daughter as their own?”
“But I do understand,” Faith said.
“Now you understand,” Tempy told her. “Because you’re about to make the same mistake I made. You’re about to leave your daughter the way I left you.”
/> “You never left me!” Faith said fiercely. “You always loved me. You were always there when I needed you.” Faith folded another dress and placed it in the trunk.
“I’m still here.” Tempy reminded her hardheaded Black Irish daughter. “And your father as well.”
“And here is where you’ll stay. David is going back to Richmond. He hasn’t said anything, but I’m sure it’s to start the divorce proceedings.”
“Has Reese said anything?”
“No.”
“Then you don’t really know why David’s going back.”
Faith looked up from her chore and met her mother’s worried frown. “The point is he’s going for some reason. It has to be because of the divorce. I’m going with him. Joy and I.”