Oscar carried his newborn son. He, Poppy, and the baby would be the only passengers on the first tender to the yacht because it was filled with trunks, hatboxes, and pillows for Poppy’s comfort. It would return shortly for anyone else who wished to return to Manhattan.

As soon as the tender pulled away from the dock, Patrick and Gwen were alone in the boathouse.

“I’m going back with Oscar,” she said. She set her hand on his arm, and it was trembling. “There is room on the yacht for you, if you want to join us.”

“I’ll take the ferry back later this morning,” he said, avoiding the wounded look in her eyes.

“But why?”

“I can’t be trapped alongside those people any longer. I’ll jump out of my skin.”

Her expression tightened. “And by those people, I assume you are referring to my family?”

“Yes, Gwen. I am.” He turned away to pace, his footsteps making dull thuds on the planks of the boathouse. He dragged a hand through his hair as he struggled to find the right words, but there was no way to express how he felt without hurting her. “I know you think highly of them, but I’ve had my limit. We come from different worlds, Gwen.”

“You don’t have to live in their world,” she said in exasperation. “I have a beautiful house. There’s room enough for your mother and a yard where children could play.”

“I’m not going to be a kept man, Gwen.”

“That’s ridiculous. If you won’t move into my house, then I could move to the Five Points.”

“And be a martyr for the rest of your life? You hate my place in the Five Points and always complained about the noise. The lousy plumbing.”

“I could have the plumbing fixed. It’s a health hazard.”

“You see? You haven’t even moved in and you want to rip out the plumbing and begin anew. The plumbing in my building is good enough. It’s what I can afford. I don’t want to wake up some morning years from now and find out I’ve turned into your uncle Milton, who has shrunken into a shell of the man he should have been. Did you know he pretends to go fishing so he can hide from your family?”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“It’s true. If your family was embarrassed by Milton’s shoelaces or underwear, how will they feel about my job defending people for drunkenness or bounced checks or dallying with prostitutes? That’s what I do, Gwen. I am called to help downtrodden people who have fallen off the path and need a hand back up in the world.”