An Angel

[Lovely]

August 28, Year 1
morning


Pa was relieved, finally got rid of all those kids, nice and quiet at his house, can finally sleep in.. He came to the estate for dinner and breakfast and other such visits at least a few times a week and they'd even given him a room of his own there in case he wanted to stay over sometimes.

"Gotta find him a new ma.." Someone teased at breakfast this particular morning and that started the teasing going all around.

"Well maybe with all you kids out of the way.. I'll be able to do that."

"PA!"

"Maybe even goes down to Tessa's." He grinned. "I'm still a man.. have man needs.."

Alex offers to introduce him to a couple of the nice girls...

Doyle gives him a look. "You keep away from Angel."

"Hhhmmm get me a nice young one like my boys have been.. pretty lasses.. they have sisters? ... ooo.. who's Angel?"

"What? ...um.."

"Is she young and pretty?" He winked at Doyle.

"She who?" He tried to stall.

Pa laughed. "s'alright.. I remember the name.. be sure to ask about that one"

"You will not!"

"Alex.. you seen her?"

"I mean.. that's not really her name."

"She must be a pretty thing."

Doyle cursed quietly. "Pa..."

"look at how worked up your brother is gettng."

"Not getting worked up." *grits teeth* "Alex, tell him.."

"You reckon she'd like a man with eight kids?

Alex gives him a sly grin... "Where should I start lad? She is pretty"

"Pa!"

[Lovely]

He enjoyed giving his boys heck for all the heck they'd given him. "Pretty.. pretty is good."

Doyle folds in on himself around the back of the chair he's been leaning on

"How about young.. and sturdy?.. need a gal who won't break on me." He eyed Doyle.

"Please, lord, tell me he didn't say that... Pa... please..."

Alex grins and pats his brother kindly on the shoulder, feeling the dampness of the nerves coming through his sleeve. "Should leave this party to the revelers... good luck lad... "

"I could ... mmmph," Doyle scowled quietly as Alex walked off.

He pulls out a cigar and doesn't light it, knowing he couldn't till he was outside. "Come on Doyle.. you best tell me, unless you want me to go find out for myself."

"You'll get your time, Alex... trust me on that," he called after him. "Tell you what, Pa?"

"About that gal.. you don't want me to aquire services from."

"Angel," he sighed, hating himself for bringing it up.

"She must be... never seen you look.. or act this way about some girl, before."

"She ain't just 'some girl'... she's...," he looked down at the floor, rocking the chair and sliding his toe back and forth beneath the raised leg as he stood behind it.

Takes a step closer to him. "She's what? Come on boy.. you ain't no kid, no more.. you're a man..no reason to get all shy on your Pa.. now come on and tell be about this gal.."

"Her name's Angel.. she's sweet as one, too," he smiled a little, not looking up from the floor yet. "She's smart, Pa.. not all that dumb giggling like the others that come by. She talks to me."

He paused, getting a bit of a wistful look to his face. "Sounds.. a bit like your momma.. could sit and talk for hours with that woman." He grunted. "Even back in the days when the last thing I thought I wanted to do with a beautiful woman, was talk.."

He'd carried her kerchief in his pocket since that morning and took it out now to look at, still sooted at the corners where it had dabbed the streaks away. "I don't mind talkin'... not a bit," he said looking up to his dad's gaze slowly. "She's not all frilly and no, I don't think she'd break. She's not all lace and blushes, Pa."

His eyes fell to the scrap of cloth, deducting that such a silken piece was hers, he smiled a bit. "Nothing wrong with talking.. I know that now.. just saying is all.. back when.. ah.. sounds like you... like that's she's not all lace and frills and blushes. That's what counts.. in the end. Son.. no matter what ribbing I might give ya.. or your brothers.. doesn't matter what town folks say or think.. doesn't matter what anyone else thinks or likes, what's important is what you like and what you feel. If you say she ain't just some girl.. " He sort of shrugged to indicated, that was what counted.

He shrugged and smiled softly, the tell-tale Carlisle gleam in his eye betraying anything he tried to hide. "Told you.. she's... she's Angel."

"Sounds like she's your Angel.. an angel in your eyes anyhow." He spoke softly. "or something like that." He chuckled, gently. "Angel, hmm.. nope not going to forget that name."

"Pa!?! Don't you dare go sayin' nothin', you hear me?"

He laughed heartily. "No.. no son.. I wouldn't... just might want to get a look at her is all.. see who she is."