Karen sat humming as she worked on a tiny garment for Niamh, house quiet but for the humming of a busy mum. She finished the last stitch and cut the thread, turning the dress right side out and admiring her handiwork. The clock on the mantle chimed it's soft little melody and she smiled as thoughts of Frederic filled her mind. He'd been the one to bring her the clock, presented to her by his boy, Clover, and was placed proudly in the center of the mantle where it had been for at least a few weeks. Then her smile dimmed because she was wondering where Pony was, it had been quite some time since she had last seen him. Then she began to worry. Had he left without saying goodbye?

As if on cue, the sounds of hooves came as he arrived. It took several minutes of hushed silence other than an occasional murmur or sound of Jenny as Pony fed her and put her out to rest in the field.

He rubbed his back, looking exhausted as he came in. His eyes moved across the room until settling on her. A small uncertain smile appeared. "Hey, Karen. You re looking well. Glad the neighbors are helping you out. Need anything?"

"Nay, I was able to go to the market on me own. Mrs. Peabody watched the babes for me in return for me doing the same for her. It's been nice to get out of the house once I healed." She stood up and put the little dress on the arm of the settee, absently going over to the fireplace and picking up the little handmade toy that Clover had given to her, admiring it for a moment, and then straightening the clock out like it was crooked. A clock Pony would not recognize if he even noticed it. "The people of Whitby are lovely... Tis much calmer here than the last place we were at, and certainly no ghosties to chase you around." She was stalling on telling him about Fred. Ahh, Fred... Just thinking about him made her eyes soft and far away as she dropped her hands from the clock.

Pony nodded and watched her. He rose his brow and sighed sitting down as he was tired and wanted to rest. "Ah, that s good. So... where did that come from?" He gestured towards the clock. She had been acting different lately, but he had considered that perhaps Karen was relaxing. "I don't think we could afford a clock like that..." He rubbed his eyes and yawned but shook awake.

Shit! She had blundered. "This clock?" she asked while pointing back at it with her forefinger... "Well, ye see..." she began, stalling a little. Karen turned to her brother then and sighed, knowing that they were about to get into it over said clock and the reason for it. "It was made for me by Frederic, who is a clocksmith." She didn't even bother with Fred's last name. "Isn't it a lovely gift?"

Pony rose his brow. "Clocksmith? When did you see a clocksmith? And why haven't I heard about this 'Frederic'? And why is he giving you a gift?" He looked more suspicious and frowned. He laughed weakly and took a deep breath covering his face. "It sounds very suspicious, please be careful. He's probably doing it to get close to you, not caring you're a recent widow with children. So don't let yourself be alone with this man in case he tries something. Perhaps I should be home more." He sighed in thought and rubbed his eyes again. "Maybe I should take the clock back to this guy and explain that we don't need his 'charity'."

"Ye haven't exactly been around much," she pointed out flatly. Karen crossed her arms over her bosom and tapped her foot in irritation while feeling guilty at the same token for her silence on the matter. "Frederic is a kind man. I met him in the market." She sighed and said, "It isn't charity, Pony. He gave me a gift because he admires me. I know exactly what is happening because I admire him too." She lifted a hand to ward off any reply from him for the moment. "Before ye go takin me clock away from me, because ye won't," and she meant it, "know that ye will have a fight on yer hands. I LOVE that clock. Oh, what am I sayinf? Ye're goin' to fight with me anyway. I don't want to fight."

Pony stared at her and then the frown appeared. "What!? I knew it! I told you even back then that you don't give yourself time. You keep falling in love so quick. I knew you'd love another and you had to go for that damned doctor. Now you have another so quickly. Hasn't even been a year of mourning before you have another?" He folded his arms and glared at her. He tried hard not to raise his voice though it wasn't easy. "I hope I don't hear rumors this time about your character, though you are making it very easy for people to say things. I wish you'd think about things for more than amoment." He dragged his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Why am I trying so hard to help and keep you safe when you do this. At least this guy isn't a doctor but he could be a sleaze who does this to all the other girls in town. You don't know.'

She looked away with a flinch, then said ever so softly, "I know it's unthinkable to ye and others, but ye don't understand how lonely I've been without Harold... And I tried to be slow, Pony, I did, but Fred understands because he is a widower and knows how it feels to lose the one ye love. He hasn't pushed me to feel anything, it's not his character ye should worry about but mine. And I don't know if I love the man yet... Hell, I feel guilty enjoyin' his company! Either I worried about what ye would think because it does matter what ye think, or I wonder about how Harold would have felt knowing I enjoy his company. And no, nothin' bad happened, before ye even get that tought in yer head. He's been a gentleman. Ye'll see that."

"How lonely? You want to feel love, and I think that's it. You don't even let me meet this man as your friend before you are already thinking so strongly and he's giving you clocks! You do move far too fast. " He looked down and scowled because she clearly didn't care what he thought. She cared about a dead man's opinion more and not the one who planned and was willing to risk his life to get them both freedom from their father. "He was a gentleman? What about you? No!" he raised up a hand to stop her. "I don't even want to know what you would have done." He reached for the mantle and snatched up the clock. "I am keeping this from you until I get to meet him. I don't agree to you two courting behind my back!" Pony spun on his feet to head towards his room. "You clearly have enough time if you are gallivanting with men when you should be taking care of your children."