‘I know. I wish you’d been here too, but she came early. And everyone says I’m very lucky the labour was so short. She was certainly in a hurry to come. You’ll be here in another week, and then you’ll see what a beauty our daughter is,’ Keelin consoled him.

‘It can’t come soon enough,’ Armand said fervently. ‘Have your parents seen her yet?’

‘Dad has. I don’t think Mam will be visiting us in the foreseeable future, if ever.’

‘I’m so sorry to hear that, Keelin,’ Armand said sadly.

‘It’s her loss, beloved. I’m not going to let it spoil this wonderful day.’ Keelin was adamant about that.

‘Good, that’s very good, chérie. It is a wonderful day for us. We’ve been blessed by the arrival of our child. Soon we’ll all be together. A family at last. As soon as I have my qualification to teach French as a foreign language I will be able to support us,’ Armand assured her.

‘I could go back teaching. I might have to pretend to be married though, because . . . well you know the Catholic ethos in schools . . .’ She trailed off.

‘You won’t have to pretend. We will be married, never you fear,’ Armand said resolutely.

‘No! I don’t want you to feel forced into a marriage,’ Keelin replied firmly. ‘An unplanned pregnancy should never be a reason to marry.’

‘Keelin, pregnant or not, I always wanted to marry you, once I’m laicized. Chérie, we are meant to be together. It’s been divinely ordained.’

‘Oh, I feel that too, Armand. So strongly. Now I know why I was meant to join the nuns and go on the Missions. It was to meet you.’

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

‘Look at the size of her. And look at the smiles out of her for her granddad.’ Larry was delighted with himself as Marie-Claire cooed up at him, beaming a toothy grin that seemed to stretch from one ear to another. ‘Can I lift her out?’

‘Of course you can, Dad,’ Keelin laughed. ‘Though Una will probably give out. She says we’re giving Marie-Claire bad habits, holding her all the time.’

‘But sure, I’m her granddad, and I don’t get to see her half as much as I’d like to,’ Larry retorted, lifting the baby out of her pram. ‘Make me a mug of tea and tell me all the news,’ he smiled at Keelin.

‘Armand will be here at the weekend. He has a job interview next week, in a school in Whitehall. We’re going to look for a place to rent in Dublin in the New Year.’