“It’s nothing.”

“She’s sick as a dog every morning,” Shannon corrected, looking directly at Maeve.

“Maggie, you told me it was passing.” There was accusation twined with the concern in Brianna’s voice.

Furious and embarrassed, Maggie glared at Shannon. “It’s nothing,” she repeated.

“Never could bear a weakness.”

Maeve’s caustic comment had the fury leaping. Before Maggie could spew, Shannon nodded in agreement. “She snaps like a terrier when you try to help her through it. It’s hard, don’t you think, Mrs. Concannon, for a strong woman to need help? And one like Maggie, who’s figured out how to handle a family and a demanding career, to lose her stomach and her control every morning . . . it’s lowering.”

“I was sick every morning for more than three months carrying her,” Maeve said crisply. “A woman learns to get through such things—as a man never could.”

“No, they’d just whine about it.”

“Neither of my daughters were whiners, ever.” Scowling again, Maeve looked over at Brianna. “Are you going to stand there holding that pot of tea all day, Brianna, or are you going to pour it out?”

“Oh.” She managed to lift the jaw that had dropped and serve the tea. “Sorry.”

“Thank you, darling.” Delighted with the way things were going, Lottie beamed.

For more than two years she’d been nudging and tugging Maeve toward even a shaky bridge with her daughters. Now it looked as though the span was narrowing.

“You know, Maggie, Maeve and I were just looking through the snapshots from our trip to your home in France.”

“No more pride than a beggar,” Maeve muttered, but Lottie just smiled.

“They reminded us both what a lovely time we had there. It’s the south of France,” she told Shannon. “The house is like a palace and looks right out over the sea.”

“And sits there empty, month after month,” Maeve grumbled. “Empty but for servants.”

Maggie started to snarl at the complaint, but caught Brianna’s arched look. It cost her, but she buried the hot words and chose kinder ones. “Rogan and I were talking about just that not long ago. We’d hoped to take a few weeks there this summer, but both of us are too busy to go just now.”

She let out a breath, telling herself she was earning points with the angels. “It’s been a bit of a concern to me that no one’s there to check on matters, and see that the staff is doing as it should.”

Which was a big, bold lie she hoped wouldn’t negate the points. “I don’t suppose the two of you would consider taking a bit of time and going out there? It would be a great favor to me if you could manage it.”

With an effort Lottie bit back the urge to spring up and dance. She looked at Maeve, cocked her head. “What do you think, Maeve? Could we manage it?”

As the image of the sunny villa, the servants dancing attendance, the sheer luxury of it all slid into her mind, she shrugged and brought the cup of tea to Liam’s waiting lips.