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“It’s reward enough he’s here in the world. I won’t have you anchored down with some idea of a debtowed.”
“Very well then,” Alice said and Mia wondered if she’d insulted the woman. “I won’t let it anchor me as you say. But, you’ll accept this money for your cause and… how might you say it? You’ll let it blow my boat over thewaters.”
Mia laughed at the silly attempt. “You mean you’ll let it fill yoursails?”
“Oh yes, much better when you say it.” They both laughed again. “You take this.” She forced the note into Mia’s hand. “You make sure some other child has as fine a Christmas as I’ll have with my son. And let me feel the rewards of a kindact.”
“This I can do,” Mia said and watched a cab pull upoutside.
“I should go. Thomas needs a bath, though he might sleep through that as much as he played.” They both stood and Mia watched as Lieutenant Coventon stepped out of thevehicle.
The bell over the door chimed and Mia watched as Jonah and Alice exchanged surprised and shy looks. She rather hoped they might be of interest to each other when she put them together at each party to dance and eat. If a little romance bloomed, it would hurtnothing.
“Lieutenant, what brings you to my door?” Mia said as Mr. Hong helped Lady Alice prepare to leave. She didn’t miss how the man’s eyes stayed onAlice.
“Well I mentioned I was coming this way to pick up some correspondence and the captain asked me to tell you he’d be rather latetonight.”
“Oh bother,” Mia sighed. “Anythingwrong?”
“No, I think the admirals have their rigging in a knot over another ship being attacked,” Mr. Coventonsaid.
“We tried to tell them,” Mia said, shaking herhead.
“Aye,” Coventon said as he smiled at Alice. The sleepy Thomas came awake instantly at the appearance of another male. Jonah didn’t disappoint. The child reached for him and without hesitation Jonah lifted him against his chest. “And this fine ladis?”
“My son,” Alice said shyly. Perhaps they’d not spoken of anything so personalyet.
“Well of course. Such a robust young man could have no other as his mother.” His words made Alice blush and Mia knew now was the time to add wind to thesails.
“Lady Alice was about to leave, Lieutenant. But I fear it’s growing rather late and she’s without an escort. Perhaps youmight…”
“Oh, I couldn’t impose on you that way,” Alicedeferred.
“Not at all. It would be my honor. Something must be going on. I saw army as I came in. It’s never good when they’re atport.”
Mia sighed, but remained quiet. If what was said today wasn’t enough to keep Major Bennet in his place, she’d find something else, like an anchor that fit hisneck.
“Mrs. Winthrop?” Coventon called, perhaps noticing her distraction. Mia shook her head at him and ushered the group to thedoor.
“You see them home safely, Lieutenant. I have but one friend now. I should hate for her to be lost to me,” Mia said and returned Alice’s embrace. “Come again, soon,” Mia said, watching as Coventon helped Alice into the cab then stepped in behind her holding theboy.
“She’d make a good first wife for the lieutenant,” Hong said stepping up. “And you’d make a better wife if you’d tell the captain what’s goingon.”
“He has enough to worry on without me swamping his deck with my business,” Mia said, turning away as the coach pulled off. Besides, with army already pestering, she didn’t need navy stepping on her decks,too.
“Mia, the captain will find out. He won’t like that you saidnothing.”
“What will he find out? That I’m being harassed by an uptight army man with nothing better to do at the moment? What merchant sailor these days isn’t being treated to the same? It’s part of doingbusiness.”
“It’s part of doing business to be propositioned,” Hong’s sharp tone conveyed what she already knew. They wanted to use her sex to intimidate her. “The commodore isn’t going to stand for this and you know he’s heard about it by now. If you make him think the man he picked as your husband isn’t doing enough to protectyou…”
“Hong Chin, enough,” Mia said and stomped her foot. “You’ll let me deal with the matter as I see fit. When and what I choose to tell Devin is for me to decide.” But she knew the man was correct; Papa wouldn’t be pleased if he thought Devin was allowing the harassment to happen. And she knew if Devin heard it first from Papa, she would see cannons turned full on her broadside… she’d be lucky to sit again before Easter. As it was, the choice became less hers when all the parties involved had the misfortune of being at the same holidayball.
Chapter 10
Devin stepped rightwhen the man across from him shifted obstructing his view of Mia across the room speaking with several of the officer’s wives who’d she worked with to help donate to the new charity established with her help. The effort garnered the interest of several higher members of society beyond the navy ranks. The small event everyone thought they’d be attending a few weeks ago was now the social event of the year. That his wife took little credit for it, though she’d raised more in funds than any other, didn’t surprise him. What did surprise him was how so many pushed her to do that. Take credit. It wouldn’t last, but Mia’s selflessness wasfashionable.
Devin could be glad for it because it made it easier to keep her from going adrift when one of the women in the circle thought to show her up. It had happened several times now, requiring him to be slightly heavy handed. Nothing like the first time, but enough that his criticisms along with whatever was distracting her at the shipping office managed to swamp her. She’d spent a few days where righting the ship seemed to overwhelm her and he wondered if maybe it was time to step in and demand she hire help at thedocks.
