Farnham’s Freehold By Robert A. Heinlein

“I know.” He suddenly looked weary. “We do not what we wish, but what we can. Karen, I am dreadfully sorry that you do not have a longer list to choose from.”

“Daddy, if I’ve learned anything from you, it is that it’s a waste of tears to cry over anything that can’t be helped. That’s Mother, not me. And Duke, though not as bad. I’m just like you on this point- You count your points and play accordingly. You don’t moan about how the cards aren’t fair. Dig me, Daddy?”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t come here to ask you to marry me. Nor even to seduce you though I might as well say, having said so much, that you can have me if you want me. I think you’ve known that for years. I didn’t come here to say that, either. I simply had to get things out of the way before I told you something else. Something where I’ve counted the points and I’m going set and that’s that. Can’t be helped.”

“What? Perhaps I can help.”

“Hardly. I’m pregnant, Daddy.”

He dropped the shovel, took her in both arms. “Oh, wonderful!”

Presently she said, “Daddy – . . I can’t shoot a bear with you hugging me.”

He put her down, grabbed the rifle. “Where?”

“Nowhere. But you’re always warning us.”

“Oh. All right, I’ll take over guard duty. Who’s the father, Karen? Duke? or Joe?”

“Neither. Earlier, at school.”

“Oh. Still better!”

“How? Damn it, Daddy, this isn’t going the way it’s supposed to. A girl comes home ruined, her father is supposed to raise hell. All you say is, ‘Just dandy!’ You’ve got me confused.”

“Sorry. Under other circumstances, I might feel that you had been careless-”

“Oh, I was! I took a chance, like the nigguh mammy who said, ‘Oh, hunnuhds of times ain’t nuffin happen at all.’ You know.”

“I’m afraid I do. Under these circumstances I am delighted. I had assumed that you were inexperienced. To learn that, instead, you have gone ahead and given us a child and one whose father is from outside our group- Don’t you see, dear? You have almost doubled the chances of this colony surviving.”

“I have?”

“Figure it out, you’re not stupid. Your child’s father- Good stock?”

“Would I have been doing what I most certainly did if I hadn’t thought pretty well of him, Daddy?”

“Sorry, dear. It was a stupid question.” He smiled. “I don’t feel like working. Let’s go spread the good news.”

“All right. But, Daddy- What do we tell Mother?”

“The truth, and I’ll do the telling. Don’t worry, baby girl. You have that baby and I will take care of all else.”

“Yes, sir. Daddy, I feel real good now.”

“That’s fine.”

“I feel so good that I almost forgot something. Did you know that Dr.-Livingstone-I-Presume is going to have babies, too?”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You had the same chance to notice that I did.”

“Well, yes. But it’s pretty frowsy, your noticing that Doe is pregnant-and not noticing that I am.”

“I thought you had simply been overeating again.”

“You did, huh? Daddy, sometimes I like you better than other times. But this time I guess I’m going to have to like you anyhow.”

Hugh decided to eat dinner before stirring up Grace.

The decision was justified. From her rantings, it appeared that Karen was an ungrateful daughter, a disgrace, a shameless little tramp, and that Hugh was an unnatural father, a failure, and somehow to blame for his daughter’s pregnancy.

Hugh let her rant until she paused for breath. “Grace. Be quiet.”

“What? Hubert Farnham, don’t you dare tell me to shut up! How can you sit there, when your own daughter has flagrantly dis-”

“Shut up or I will shut you up.”

Duke said, “Pipe down, Mother.”

“You, too? Oh, that I should ever see the day when-”

“Mother, keep still for a while. Let’s hear from Dad.”

Grace simmered, then said, “Joseph! Leave the room.”

“Joe, sit down,” Hugh ordered.

“Yes, Joe,” agreed Karen. “Please stay.”

“Well! If neither of you has the common decency to-”

“Grace, I am nearer to striking you than I have ever been in all these years. Will you keep quiet and listen?”