Her maternal feelings were unlikely to be assuaged by hearing that the marriage had been performed in the middle of the night on a West Indian beach by a disgraced-if not actually defrocked-priest, witnessed by twenty-five seamen, ten French horses, a small flock of sheep-all gaily beribboned in honor of the occasion-and a King Charles spaniel, who added to the generally festive feeling by attempting to copulate with Murphy's wooden leg at every opportunity. The only thing that could make things worse, in Laoghaire's view, would be to hear that I had participated in the ceremony.
Laoghaire's maternal instincts were unlikely to find comfort in the peculiar circumstances of a marriage that was conducted under unusual and seemingly inappropriate conditions. The ceremony took place at night on a beach in the West Indies, conducted by a priest with a questionable reputation and attended by a mixture of sailors, horses, and sheep. The whimsical details, such as the presence of a spaniel adding to the chaos, would only serve to heighten her distress regarding this event.
Laoghaire's dismay would surely deepen if she thought I had any involvement in the bizarre ceremony. The absurdity of the situation—the unconventional attendees and the atmosphere filled with farcical and inappropriate elements—would only amplify her concerns as a mother. This combination of chaos and the lack of decorum around the event only adds to the tension and anxiety Laoghaire feels in response to the marriage.
