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“Get her unloaded, men. Time is money and money is rum,” Mia said as brightly as she could. Again, cheers rang out and the normal busy activity of the docks resumed as Mia walked back to theoffices.
Grim stopped her at the street and conveyed his concern as only he could. He wasn’t the only one worried, but Mia knew this would pass. That she was new at port, and a woman, left her open to such harassments but she’d send another complaint to the major’s superiors and wait for the storm to die out. He’d get bored soon enough and if not, Mia would try something different, like maybe tellingDevin.
“It’ll be all right, Grim,” she told the man with as much a smile as she could manage. He patted her shoulder then lumbered off, leaving Mia to make her way back alone. She needed one strong current to lift her up and get her through the rest of this week. As it happened, they were waiting in the office when shereturned.
“Lady Alice?” Mia cried as the woman stood and crossed to her. “How lovely to see you. And look, is this the little fish I caught that day on the docks?” Mia said, smiling at the little boy Alice held on herhip.
“I thought perhaps you might like to have a proper greeting,” Lady Alice said as she jostled the boy. “Thomas this is Mrs. Winthrop, do you rememberher?”
The little boy giggled then smiled showing his tiny little teeth, a good many not all the way grown in. His cheeks bloomed a warm red and his brown eyes sparkled with the kind of joy only children knew. “Mermaid,” he giggled again and hid his face in his mother’sshoulder.
“Ah,” Mia laughed. “He looks well,” Mia said, and when the boy reached for her she happily took him to her own hip. Thomas took a fistful of her hair, and stroking it, put his thumb in his mouth and his head on her shoulder. “Oh, I did so need this at the moment,” Mia said and indicated the lady should retake her seat. “Mr.Hong?”
“Oh is that the man from… China?” Alice asked. Mia nodded. “He said he’d get sometea.”
“The other thing I need,” Mia said, sitting carefully and adjusting the baby in her arms so she could cuddle him more. “Although I might hope to find my cup spiked with something stronger thansugar.”
“Has somethinghappened?”
Mia shrugged, “It’s no matter. I’m sure part of doing businesshere.”
“You don’t care for Portsmouth?” Alice said, making a face at her son who giggled and pulled his thumb out long enough to wave then went back to suckingit.
“Truthfully, I don’t care for England, but while Captain Winthrop is here what else am I to do but getalong?”
“Oh well, there are other things around to make getting along easier,” Lady Alice said and after Mr. Hong poured tea and left them alone the women spent some time talking about things one might do to fill uptime.
They also spoke of more personal matters. Lady Alice, it became known, was a relieved widow. Her husband married her only to better himself and even before their son was a year old, he was caught in bed with another man’s wife and that man shot and killed him. Alice spent most of her time from then until now trying to wear off that stigma, but wasn’t having much luck as the ladies in her social circles had long memories and loved to pity her. Having been told Mia’s situation with her father disgracing her mama, the two found a kinship in their social shunning. They had a good visit and might have gone on hours more had Mr. Hong not stepped up to thetable.
He pointed to where Grim and Thomas played with toy ships on the floor and said, “Boy tirednow.”
The ladies looked and true enough Grim was leaning against the wall, Thomas on his chest and both asleep. “He does so need the attention of men, I think,” Alice said as her expression softened. “Not that his father would have been the influence I would have wanted for him, but I think he misses something. Philip does try but he has a wife and two children of his own and a third on theway.”
“Well, I can’t promise he’ll remain uncorrupted but any man on my crew would gladly see he knows his way about a ship. He’d be welcomed. Bring him along any time, as you can see, if nothing else Grim will enjoy hiscompany.”
The woman shook her head. Her terror when the giant first reached for Thomas was clear, but Mia promised he could be no safer. And when Grim gave the toys to the tot the matter wassettled.
“You can’t know what that means to me,” Alice told her and covered Mia’s hand with herown.
“Oh bother, it’s nothing,” Mia said and smiled. She’d not had a female friend in so long she hardly remembered how it wasdone.
“Well, it means a great deal that you’re so kind to my child. You risked your life for him. Who doesthat?”
“A good number of people, I hope,” Mia said as Mr. Hong covered the sleeping pair. “It’s no hardship to behelpful.”
“I think for a number of people it’s far harder than it should be,” Alice said then looked out the window to see the sky turning dark. “Oh and do you know that was the other reason I came to visit,” she said. Mia raised her brow in curiosity. “I heard,” she started reaching for her reticule and pulling out a folded note, “that you’re raising funds for the orphaned children of the men of our navy and I want to donate to the cause.” She tried to hand Mia the note, but Mia held heroff.
“Lady Alice, you don’t needto—”
“Yes, I do. What youdid—”
“No, Alice,” Mia said and shook her head. “No. You need to listen to me. You need to hear what I’m telling you. You owe me nothing. Nothing at all. I didn’t save Thomas for any reason other than he was a child in a bindand—”
“In a bind? Mia, he almost died, if youhadn’t—”
“It doesn’t matter. I didn’t do it for any reason other than it needed doing. You owe me nothing. I need you to understandthat.”
“Mia, I owe you my son’s life,” Alicesaid.
