."Now I see—" she curtailed her steps, her eyes disdainfully flickering between Callan and Orla. "the reason you've decided to waste your life away—" With arms akimbo, she stood in front of them.

"Mom," things were sour between them the last time he visited for the annual family meeting.

After that, he had knowingly avoided her for weeks and seeing her in his house without prior notice was startling. Elizabeth rarely visited him in the house, he'd rather go to hers.

Flouting Orla's ...