Eamon followed her voice into the sitting room and watched her pace its length two times before he went up to her and stopped her to kiss her lightly on the cheek. "And if you run the length of this parlor another ten times, you won't catch up to our dear son and preempt his attacks on our peace," he said and led her by the arm to the chairs by the fireplace. Eamon sat down next to her.

He smiled, but not too brightly. He did not want Lowri to get the idea that he was not taking this seriously; at times she could be cross with him for being difficult to perturb. His wife was easy to distress, but her sensitivity to the fate of the unexpected girl endeared her to Eamon, who was inclined to view such matters pragmatically.
"This boy of ours never runs out of surprises, does he? Fool that he is."
He took her hand. "The matter of the child is something we ought to talk about before making any hasty decision."

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