“Oh, it’s you, Paddy,” she said. “And what brings you here, I’d like to know—not just coming on a friendly call to see if the old folks have snuffed it yet? You’re not delivering something, are you? I don’t remember ordering anything and we’ve certainly no money to pay you.”

“Delivering somebody, Lady Whyte,” Paddy said as Darcy opened the door and stepped out.

I hadn’t been sure if this was Aunt Oona or maybe her housekeeper, but the moment she saw Darcy she opened her arms. “Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Would you look here,” she exclaimed. “What a nice surprise. I began to think you’d completely forgotten about your old aunt and uncle. Or were you staying away out of loyalty to that fatheaded father of yours?”

“How are you, Aunt Oona?” Darcy said, stepping forward to be smothered in a giant embrace. “I haven’t deliberately stayed away. I’ve just had things to do that kept me occupied in England. I’m glad to see you looking so well.”

“I’m surviving, thank you. Could be worse,” she said. “Dooley gets the odd twinge of rheumatics, but all in all I’d say we’ll stick around for a while yet. Especially since you’re to inherit this property someday. I’m not leaving this earth without a darned good fight, you know.” And she gave a deep-throated laugh.

I had hesitated to climb down behind Darcy, waiting to see how he wanted to introduce me, or even if he wanted to introduce me. But Aunt Oona looked over his shoulder. “And who might this be, Darcy? Not a young bride you’ve kept secret from your family?”

“Just one of my friends from London. She came out from Dublin to see how I was faring,” Darcy said. “Her name is Georgie.”

I stepped forward to shake hands. “How do you do?” I said.

“Well, Miss Georgie with no apparent last name, you’re very welcome at this house of horrors,” she said, pumping my hand and laughing. Her hair was iron gray and drawn back into a bun at the back of her head, but her face was unlined and her eyes were bright blue. It was hard to tell how old she was. I noticed now that she was wearing a coarse apron over various bright and mismatched layers of clothing and she had a beaded jet scarf draped at her neck. Although she was large she was certainly not flabby. Statuesque might be a better description.

“Well, don’t just stand there,” she said. “Come in, do. And don’t mind the dogs. They’re completely untrained and untrainable but they don’t have a mean bone in their bodies. If a burglar ever came they might lick him to death. Not that a burglar would ever bother with us. What have we got worth stealing?”

She had released my hand and started toward the house.