She agreed about the two beds and that clover could take the one and they the other. It was a good thing the inn served food because what food she had packed had been eaten on the train at some point. By the time they got to their room, food had already been ordered and she was sitting at the table on one side of the room. The twins were set on the table and she pulled them each out of their swaddling so they could stretch their arms and legs, placing them back in their baskets for the time being. "I am quite hungry," she commented.

"Me too!" chimed in Clover from where he was staring out the window, on his tip-toes as he stood on a chair so he was tall enough to look out. Frederic smiled softly at the babes stretching out their little limbs and asked Karen if later he could rock them to sleep. He too was hungry, but he didn't mention it.

Niamh stuck her tiny fist in her mouth and sucked on her knuckle, while Harold pumped his little legs nd took in those sharp little breaths babies took in when they were happy. Karen looked over to Clover and said, "I'll bet ye are." She smiled and then looked at Fred. She tilted her head and asked, "What's on yer mind, Fred?"

Frederic gave a soft smile and walked over to the table, drawing a chair over to sit beside Karen. "Just thinking about how much I love my family." He kissed his fiance on the cheek and cooed at Niamh and Harold. Clover soon came over and climbed up on his father's lap to wave and make silly faces at the babies to try and make them laugh.

She smiled when he kissed her on the cheek and cooed at the babies. They continued to kick and flail and blow spit bubbles while Karen put her arm around Clover and gave him a big hug. Then she stood up when the knock sounded. "The food must be here," she said and opened the door to admit the person carrying their crock of stew, some bread, milk, butter, and cheese. She immediately went to move the baskets to the bed Clover would be sleeping on, making sure she could easily keep an eye on the two. The food was then set on the table and the server baked out of the room.

Frederic thanked the server and tipped the girl before turning to their meal. He held the hands of his fiance and his son and bowed his head to say grace. Once he was done, with a gentle "Amen", he lifted his head and smiled at his family. "Eat up," he told his son, tipping up Clover's chin with a grin, and the little boy did that, with quite excellent manners for a child of just seven.

Karen had grown fond of the way they dined together, it was lovely every time. She liked to have a family sitting at the table eating supper together, laughing together, and enjoying the food. She smiled at Clover for his healthy appetite and then to Fred. "He is a good kid." She fluffed the child's hair a little before turning to her food. She doled out a healthy portion of stew, but there was plenty of it left.

Frederic smiled at Karen's words as Clover shook his head after she ruffled his hair, grinning at her sweetly. Frederic served himself stew after Karen and began to eat, talking and laughing with his family around the table. It felt so right, and his heart warmed at this: his family.

Once the food was eaten and the conversation dimmed to a lul, she said to Clover, "It's time for ye to sleep, darling." It was time for them all to settle down for the night, for they had a big morning ahead of them. She got the babies situated, changing nappies, feeding bottles and the like, then put them back in their swaddling so they could sleep.

Frederic rocked the babes to sleep if Karen let him, then tucked in Clover after the boy had washed up and was ready for bed. He sang a soft song to his son, an old lullaby, and once the little boy drifted off to sleep, he stood and stretched his arms. Turning to Karen, he wrapped her in a hug if she let him and swayed with her in his arms. He kissed the top of her head, just wanting to spend a little time holding her like this before they slept.