The next few days were pleasurable enough, once Mal got over the shock of Inara’s pregnancy. He wasn’t too happy with Freya giving her a boxful of Jesse and Ethan’s baby clothes – as he said, he was trying his hardest to get her knocked up again – but Freya explained patiently that this was just something one did, and it didn’t mean that she’d given up hope. In fact, they could practice some more this layover, and would Mal care to join her for a bath?

Actually Mal had also grumbled when he found out Rosemary and Letitia Reilly weren’t at home either, gallivanting (his word) off to join their sisters on their interrupted cruise.

“Valentia and Phoebe offered to pay,” Inara explained. “I think they wanted some … company.”

“How about that bodyguard Dillon was gonna get them? There’s no way I’m like to countenance the four of them making the ‘verse twitch on their own.”

“Oh, they’re not alone.”

Freya, standing next to her husband, narrowed her eyes. “Inara, what did you do?”

“Oh, not me.” She smiled knowingly.

“You didn’t.”

Inara didn’t respond, just continued with her smug smile.

“Frey, there something going on I don’t know about?” Mal asked, looking from one woman to the other.

“Dillon and Breed.” Freya had to laugh.

“So they were going to hire a couple of guards. So?”

“So they didn’t hire anyone.”

This time it was Mal’s eyes that widened, and he stared at Inara. “You got them involved?”

“They offered. Something about a cruise being something they’d always wanted to take but never had.”

“With four young ladies?” Mal chuckled. “They won’t know where to look.”

“And I feel incredibly safe knowing just that.”

“I conjure Dillon and Breed ain’t.” Indeed, just the thought of them having to chaperone half a handful of Reillys kept him chortling all evening.

At least the rain stopped sometime during the second night, and after a hurried breakfast the children were allowed outside to go and get as muddy as they liked, something they were all extremely go