Things were looking up for Karen. Her babies were crawling around and old enough to laugh and play, she was away from the stress of her brother's life interfering with her own, and best of all, she was about to be married to Lorn Vaughn, who even her brother would probably approve of given how rich the man was; not that she cared about that part. He had made it clear that she was not worth his time and she was busy moving on with her life after being widowed for a year or so.

She was busy packing up the last of her belongings to be moved to the big house... she was leaving the furniture for the woman who took over the cottage and the cookware, and taking only things that she could decorate with or wear, for Lorn's house would be hers soon and it needed a woman's touch.

She had yet to look into the boxes filled with her new clothes, but they sat in a neat pile on her kitchen table. After she finished packing her afghans and quilts, she moved over to the table and pulled one box to her, opening it up to find the scarlet ballgown. A ballgown. It was still surreal that she would be wearing such things. She unfolded the gown and held it up to her. It was beautiful.

Then she picked another box... This time, it was her wedding garb. Her breath caught at the way the delicate and soft lace felt against her fingertips. It was the most beautiful thing she would ever wear! She was half tempted to try it on and look in the mirror, but she didn't want to do something to ruin the dress.

A happy sigh exited her mouth and she gave a twirl, "Oh, so beautiful."

While things had been easy for her, Pony had been working hard to keep his business alive. He'd done decently enough and only had to run from the law a few times. Jenny was faster than she looked when push came to shove, not literally though. But he'd decided it had been enough time to see if she'd fallen out of love with the awful whatever he was. Jeweler? Clock maker? He didn't remember or care to.

When he'd gone to visit her, he could see from the outside something was different. A neighbor kindly told him she'd moved away and was getting married. He rose his brow and ground his teeth as he headed to the new home. He didn't bother to take in the look of the place. They'd come from money and he knew how evil it could be. He stormed up to the door and knocked.

She set the gown down at the knock and hummed as she moved to answer. The smile died on her lips the moment she saw her brother. She stared. "I thought ye'd never come see me again, brother," she said flatly and stepped back to let him in despite wanting to shut the damned door in his face. Her dark eyes took in the scowl on his face. If he was there, then he had to know what was going on.

"I suppose ye've heard the news then and came ta give me an earful, Pony? Out with it. Go on."

Pony could have spent fifteen minutes lecturing, but he knew she'd just cut him off and toss him out. He folded his arms and leaned against the wall by the door as he stared at her. "At least you admit you were wrong about him then? Or is he something on the side? You can tell me, I promise I'd believe it." Of course he would, she had as much sense of loyalty as a cat.

"Wrong fer being in love?" her brows rose. "If ye must know, I never loved the clock-maker, and he left me anyway. As far as Mister Vaughn goes, he's been an absolute gentleman and has courted me only after I'd been a widow fer a year, so there is no reason to lecture me fer doin' it proper like." She paused when the babies both started babbling at each other from the blanket near the cool hearth. "And ye would know all of this if ye hadn't run off yet again without a word."

"You claimed to be in love with the clock maker, quite adamantly. You even pushed me aside for him you were so strong in your feelings", he corrected her and then tapped his palm. "And it doesn't count to say it's been a year when you'd been seeing someone not two months ago." He wanted to laugh that he'd left her, but he more wanted to kill the guy for hurting her. Yeah it didn't make sense, but just because he hated her choices didn't mean he truly wanted her to be hurt. He admitted he hurt her anyway, but it wasn't the same thing.

"Fancy place here, how long have you known each other? A month? I mean, if you wanted money so badly, we could have stayed home and had dad marry you off to that geezer. He was rich too."

"It's been longer than that," she said, sighing, suddenly tired. "It's a complicated story. Mister Vaughn and I met on the train the day Frederick left me and he offered me a place ta land safely as an employee, ta give me a fresh start. I'm not marryin' him fer his money, I am marryin' him because he's the kindest person I've known and I love him genuinely. Why, when someone called me a bad name, ye should have seen how he fought the man fer his disrespect. He's only been good to me and I'll not have ye treat him like ye treated Harold." She said this as a warning. "Stop scrutinizin' me fer bein' lonely enough ta think I was in love with Fred. That's all it was. This is different." She didn't yell, she didn't scream, she actually spoke calmly. Harold Jr crawled to her feet and started tugging at her skirts to be picked up, "Close me door now, please." She knelt momentarily to pick up the little boy who looked so much like his father.

Pony sighed and frowned. "The last one was 'different' too. It's easy for men to be nice in the beginning. I keep telling you that and you keep telling me I'm wrong. Isn't the fact he left enough proof that maybe I'm right and you should be a little more careful? I keep telling you to take longer with these men you let into your life because they are the nicest guy ever. I keep saying there are more men out there. I get you want the kids to be taken care of even though I thought your first husband left you enough money to be cared for. Clearly it wasn't enough since you are rushing into marriage again. Or did you just want better stuff?"

She sighed too, and then said, "I said that I loved Fred more out of anger toward ye, Pony. I am tellin' ye that Lorn is much different. I wish ye'd give him a chance before ye assume the worst of the man or me for lovin' him." She looked into his eyes and he would be able to see the truth in them. "I've changed for the better since he's come in me life. I've made me mistakes, I married Harold too quickly and lost him, I almost made the mistake of me life with Fred, but Lorn? He's different. It isn't about the money." Harold stuck his hammy fist into his mouth, nomming. Karen looked down at him. "As far as Harry and Niamh, they will not just gain a father but a sister, and lots of people who adore them already... And his people accept me fer me and they don't make me feel like a horrible person fer me past."

Pony frowned more. "Then why do you have to rush? Why not date him for a year? Is he dying? Does he need a wife? And 'his people'? What sort of person are you with? This is sounding weirder and weirder by the minute. You really shouldn't just jump into something, no matter how nice it sounds. You will ignore me though, as always. What if he ends up having a secret wife. He has a kid!"