“I’m not being stubborn. I’m showing common sense. Something you should try.” Captain Jackson strode onwards, hands in his pockets.
“I am showing a lot of common sense.” Dobkins came to a halt in front of the bench, her face flaming.
“What’s the matter?” Vivienne asked.
Captain Jackson scoffed. “Dobkins asked me, no, ordered me to teach her how to shoot.”
Samuel slanted a glance at the maid. “Why?”
“Protection.” Dobkins folded her arms over her chest. “With everything that’s happening, I would feel safer with a gun.”
“Safer? A gun isn’t a toy,” the captain said.
“That’s why I asked you to teach me.”
“No. It’s dangerous.”
“Captain,” Samuel said. “Perhaps you should consider Dobkins’s request.”
Captain Jackson pinched the bridge of his nose. “You, too? Since when do you approve of guns?”
“If you don’t help her, she’ll find someone else, and they won’t be as good as you at teaching her. She might get hurt. Under your guidance, I’m sure she’ll be safe.”
Dobkins winked at him.
The captain exhaled. “All right. But she won’t get a gun.”
“What’s the point of teaching me if I can’t have my own gun?” Dobkins asked.
“That’s the deal.” The captain offered her his hand. “Take it or leave it.”
Huffing, Dobkins shook the captain’s hand. “Let’s start.”
After they walked away, Vivienne said, “I can’t believe you agreed with Dobkins.”
He watched Dobkins and the captain walking away. “I think the captain and Dobkins will enjoy their time together.”
