"Everything will be alright," she said more to herself than to him, though it could easily be intepretated as her speaking it to him. She smiled at him and lay her head on his shoulder. "I am happy," she replied.

"So am I," Frederic replied and held her close. He kissed the top of her head and leaned his own head on it, breathing in her calming presence. Clover stirred across from them and he looked to his son with a loving gaze. This was good. Clover finally had a mother figure in his life and the stability of two parents. So did Karen's babies, now. He turned his eyes, now filling with tears of affection, to Niamh and Harold Jr, overcome with adoration for the three children of his family.

At some point, the babies needed changing and feeding. Karen used the bottles to feed them after changing their nappies, and she would kiss Clover on the forehead before sleep overcame her again.

Frederic remained awake for the rest of the train ride, and once they pulled into the station of their destination late in the day, when the sun was almost at the horizon, he gently woke his fiance and son and helped his family off the train. Cabs were parked in the front of the station, barking rates, and Frederic led them toward one of the more friendly-looking fellows. "Hullo!" the cabbie greeted, and cheerfully chattered with Clover, whose nap on the train had given him an absurd amount of energy. As they started along, Frederic moved to hold Karen's hands in his own and he kissed her forehead, then scanned her face for how she was feeling right now.

She seemed alright by the looks of her. Her eyes looked sleepy as they boarded the cab. She settled the twins on the floor in their baskets and smiled as Clover and the Cabby chattered away. She looked to Fred then and said, "Here we are." Then she took a deep and nervous breath.

Frederic leaned closer, not much caring if passerby noticed them, for no one would know them here. He brushed a stray lock of hair from Karen's face and stroked her cheek gently with his thumb, reassuring, "Everything, absolutely everything, is going to be alright." He smiled softly. "No, more than alright. It will be good."

She nodded and wrapped her arms around him for a hug. "It will be alright," she repeated and took in a deep and calming breath. A giggle bubbled forth despite her efforts to remain calm, but at least it was a giggle and not something else. She pulled away to look at him. She seemed to have calmed a little.

Frederic saw she'd calmed a bit and relaxed. He hugged her and when she leaned back, he pressed a quick kiss to her lips. Beside him, Clover tugged at his sleeve and he was distracted by his son's excitement at seeing so many new things.

She kissed him back and then turned her attention to the children, more specifically Clover as he seemed to be excited about seeing Gretna Green. "What say we find an inn?" she asked softly. It was, after all, night and they would be better off to wait until morning before they wed. At least that was what her mind was on about.

"Good idea," Frederic replied and tucked his arm through the crook of Karen's. The cabbie overheard them and let them off at what he called the best inn in town- "Reasonable rates, excellent service, and the food is just magnificent, I tell ya!" he announced, ever-cheerful, and Clover waved a happy farewell to the man as the family headed into the inn. The little boy was rubbing his eyes by the time Frederic secured them a comfortable room, asking Karen in a low voice if two beds- one for Clover, one for them -would be alright, or would the same be good but she would sleep in her own bed and he and Clover would take the other.