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see Rose’s double-toothed grin beaming at her from the comfort of Lillibet’s arms. “Rose!” she exclaimed, lifting the child and smothering her face with kisses. “I’ve missed you so much.”
    Lillibet folded her arms and smiled. “She’s been a sad little bunny without her mama around. I was beginning to wonder if you’d be the first person of my acquaintance who expired from excessive mal de mer.”
    “The idea crossed my mind,” Madeline replied in a rueful tone. She nuzzled the baby’s neck, grinning at Rose’s giggles, and said, “At times I’d have welcomed anything to put me out of my misery.”
    “I sympathize with you entirely, my dear. I had similar thoughts while I lay ill; but of course, they passed along with the squeamishness. Although I do confess that if I hadn’t had help with the babies, I might very well have succumbed.”
    Madeline caught hold of Rose’s fist and made a mental note to cut the child’s sharp fingernails. “I’m so sorry about leaving you to deal with my baby by yourself. I feel terrible about being so useless. Every time I moved I would retch and then—”
    Lillibet waved away her apology. “Don’t give it another thought. After all, Madeline, it is my job. You are paying me to care for the child. Besides, if anyone should apologize, it is I. Mr. Sinclair minded Rose the entire time.”
    “What did you say?” Madeline questioned, certain she’d misheard. Brazos Sinclair tended Rose? Her arms tightened around the child. “Oh, my. Is she all right? He didn’t hurt her, did he?”
    “Mr. Sinclair?” Lillibet replied, displaying a puzzled frown. “Why, of course not. He took wonderful care of the babies.”
    “Babies!” Madeline wondered if she were still ill and hallucinating. “What do you mean, babies?”
    “Rose and Thomas. Both André and I were indisposed, and Mr. Sinclair volunteered to help.”
    Madeline blinked. Uneasy laughter bubbled up inside her at the image of Brazos Sinclair with a baby in each arm. “Oh, Lil, quit teasing me. I can just imagine that mountain of a Texan changing a soiled diaper. I appreciate your efforts to lessen my guilt, but I’m afraid you’ll need to come up with something a little more believable.”
    “I’m telling the truth, Madeline,” Lillibet protested. “I was so grateful for your husband’s help. He took both babies for the entire day, and he did change diapers.” She frowned slightly as she added, “Of course, I’m afraid he threw the soiled ones overboard. He returned the wet ones, though.”
    Madeline shook her head in amazement. “You really do mean it?” At Lillibet’s nod, Madeline held Rose out in front of her and studied the baby. “She doesn’t appear any the worse for wear.”
    Rose began to wiggle, her arms and legs flailing about. She kicked off one of her knitted booties, and Lil bent to retrieve it, saying, “He’s a good man, Madeline. You were lucky to find him in Antwerp. You know, it’s not every man that would agree to the scheme you concocted to get aboard the Uriel. ”
    Madeline bristled at Lil’s praises of Brazos Sinclair. “He wished to join the colonists just as badly as I. Victor Considérant’s decision to bar me from the colony because I had lost my husband was unfair and arbitrarily made. In fact, I’m convinced it is a betrayal of Fourier’s teachings. If women are to be considered equal to men at La Réunion, then how can we allow bachelors to join us and not a widowed woman?”
    “I agree with you, dear, and so do a number of others,” Lillibet said, attempting to pull the bootie over Rose’s wiggling toes. “The majority of the colonists admire how you outsmarted Considérant, what with convincing Mr. Sinclair to marry you and join the Society. Madame Correll informed me that those in steerage have enjoyed a brisk discussion of your situation over the last few days. I’m afraid it bodes ill for the goal of Harmony at La Réunion. Opinion appears to