Frederic offered a slightly-shy smile as Miss Calloway opened the parcel to reveal the special clock. "Instead of a cuckoo," he explained, "it will play a lullaby from a music box on the hour and only a few notes on the half-hour. I designed it as such so it would not wake your children when it sang the time." Frederic clasped his hands behind his back. Did she like it? Oh, how he hoped she liked it.

"Oh, it's beautiful," she said softly with awe. She traced her fingers gently over the surface of the clock. It was, perhaps, the most thoughtful thing anyone had given her. "Thank you. I don't know what to say." The urge to hug the man was real. "Ye are a talented man, Mister Mulvahil." She moved to the mantle and carefully deposited the beautiful gift in the very center of the shelf. A smile lit her face as she stepped back and admired the object in question. After a moment, she turned a soft look toward Fred, the dear sweet man.

Frederic was having a hard time fighting down the heat creeping up his neck, but he simply couldn't hide his smile. She really liked it! Unsure of what to say, he just smiled at Miss Calloway and tried to ignore the growing warmth in his heart at her praise and thanks. Clover jumped up and down, clapping, beside him, but after a moment he stopped and looked warily at the bassinets as if afraid he'd woken or annoyed one of the babies with the noise. Frederic laid a gentle hand on his son's shoulder. How mature he was becoming! Although he knew it was cliche, it seemed only yesterday Clover was that little, laying in the bassinet and staring up at him with big, bright, curious eyes.

It was at that moment that he decided he would give these feelings a shot, but slowly, carefully. She was a fairly new widow, of course, and he would never want to rush anything. For the time being, he would be on standby, ready to help her with anything and preparing to make his move when he eventually felt the time was right. Clover placed his little hand on top of Frederic's, which still held his shoulder, and smiled up at his father. "I think she likes it, Pa," he said happily and Frederic grinned. "Thank you for the compliment," he said to Miss Calloway, "I do hope you find it competent in its timing." And just then, as if by some providence, the music box played a few short notes- four-thirty in the afternoon, on the dot, Frederic noticed with satisfaction when he glanced at his watch. How unfortunate that he had an appointment with a customer this afternoon, he could have stayed in this moment for a long while.

"It is the loveliest gift I have been given," she said honestly. "Aside from the children," she ammended after a moment, for nothing could surpass the beauty of motherhood in her mind. Karen gasped in delight as the clock chimed gently with those few notes, and she said, "Wonderful!" Ah, she thought, what harm would it do to be this man's friend? "Call me Karen... please. I think we are passed formality now." She thought the gift of her first name would do for a start and wanted to do more in return. It was the least she could do in return for such a pretty clock. She regarded him and Clover both with a smile of delight that lit her face beautifully.

Clover beamed beside Frederic when Miss Calloway- Karen -extended her first name and, along with it, the offer of friendship. Although he wanted to grin just as wide as his son, Frederic reigned in his smile a little and gently took Karen's hand and kissed the back of it. Smoooooooth, as Clover would likely tease him later. "It is a pleasure to earn your friendship, Miss Calloway- Karen. Do call me Frederic or Fred, as you wish."

Oh, oh my. The feel of his lips on the back of her hand almost made her shiver. Almost. She managed to suppress it before it even had a chance to dance along her spine. Have mercy, she thought with a silent sigh, the kind one makes in their inner monologue. She couldn't help but feel the flutter of butterflies in her belly. "Frederic," she murmured his name almost weakly, the name rolling off her tongue just so... She was quite aware of the attraction between them, it was so thick that one could cut it with a knife. She did not know if he felt the same tension as she, the frustration of loneliness mingled with such attraction was bound to cause trouble one day, she thought warily. She very much craved the friendship that seemed to have instantly budded between them.

Frederic did, indeed, feel the same attraction to Karen, though he couldn't tell if she returned the strong feelings. For only knowing her a week and meeting twice in that time, the romantic tension in the air he felt (but wasn't sure if he was imagining or not) was incredibly strong. Maybe for once, Clover's obsession with getting his father to fall in love would be a good thing. Just this once. Frederic glanced at his watch and his smile dropped a little. "I'm afraid I have an appointment in a half-hour and must be getting home. Thank you so very much for your hospitality and I do hope to see you again soon." Clover picked up the cuckoo clock and trundled back to the front hall with it in his arms. He dumped it rather unceremoniously in the wagon as Fred pulled on his coat, adding to Karen, "If there is anything you need, Karen, do feel welcome to send for me through a neighbor, or a letter, or Clover, if you can draw him out of play after school." In fact, the school was much closer to Karen's house than his clock shop, so fetching Clover to get him would probably be the easiest option, so he was glad he'd remembered it.

"Until we meet again, then," she said softly and then moved to escort them to the door. "Thank you for coming by and the lovely gifts. I shall cherish them." And she meant it. She genuinely hoped to see him again soon. It surprised her to know that she was looking forward to that day. As he and his son were leaving, however, reality came crashing down again and brought her back to earth when one of the children started to cry, then the other, which meant she had to nurse or change nappies. Oh well, she thought, it was nice while it lasted to float away on a cloud around Fred. Once the two left, she turned to take care of the needs of the infants.