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“Ah, lovely. You’ll excel at language, Ibelieve.”
“I didn’t really know what you said,” the boy answered, proving heguessed.
“Part of learning a language is listening to more than words,” Mia said, climbing to her feet and ruffling the child’s hair. “It’s also hearing what someone’s body is saying. You can already dothat.”
Devin saw the woman he still hadn’t been introduced to mouth the words “thank you” to Mia who smiled then walked back tohim.
“Well lunch it seems is coming,” Devin said and pulled his watch from his pocket to check the time. It felt like hours already, so he was disheartened to see it was only twenty minutes and he had more than an hour left before his next class. “Again, what brings you allhere?”
“We, ah… that is,” Ronald started. “We came up to Portsmouth to see about putting the… putting my… son, Robbie, to sea and…” The woman’s sob ended theexplanation.
“It’s not as easy as it was with you,” his father said as his brother and mother both tried to comfort the otherwoman.
“We were at war in 1805, father. They’d have taken a cat if it could sail and fight. Men were dying faster than could be replaced.” Devin always wondered if his father even considered that when he dragged him down to the docks and handed him over to the captain of theVictory. He’d sent his son not just to sea but to war at the age of six. Devin hadn’t been aboard more than a year when they entered the first battle. It was the last day he’d ever been afraid of anything. At least until Mia entered his life. She scared him. Or at least the thought of losing herdid.
“Well can you get him on a ship?” Coleasked.
Devin glared at him again surprised to see he backed down, then with a sigh turned to the boy trying to pull away from his mother. “You want to be a sailor,son?”
“Yes, Uncle,” the boy said sounding like maybe he mightactually.
“Captain,” Miacorrected.
“Yes, Captain,” the boy said pulling his shouldersback.
“And your name again?” Devin was almost sure the boy and he shared the samebut…
“Rob—” Ronaldstarted.
“I asked the boy. If he goes to sea you won’t be able to answer for him. He either speaks up for himself or he will fail,” Devin said and watched as his brother seemed to be understanding for the first time what he was sending his sonto.
“Robert Adams…” the boy looked to want to say more but then his eyes dropped to thefloor.
“End with captain, or sir,” Mia told him. “Tryagain.”
“Robert Adams Winthrop, sir,” the boy said, and Devin’s nod of approval encouraged him to finish his thought. “Father named me after you, but he gave me mother’s name in the middle.” He sounded so disappointed by thatdifference.
“As it should be done,” Devin said glad when the boy smiledagain.
“Can you help us?” Ronald asked. “I know we’ve no right to impose. The way… well with how… it’s been twentyyears.”
“Twenty-three years,” Devin corrected regretting it when his mother had to muffle a sob. “And how old are you, Mr.Winthrop?”
“Me?” Robbie pointed to himself and Devin chuckled understanding his confusion with no less than three other possible ‘Mr. Winthrops’ in theroom.
Mia was less forgiving, “Me,captain?”
“Me,Captain?”
“Aye, you. How old are you, Mr.Winthrop?”
“I’m nine, almost ten,” he said and before Mia had to correct him again, he added, “Captain.”
“He’s too young for the academy,” Devin announced. “Take him home and bring him back in five years.” More sobs, but if they were from relief or from disappointment he couldn’ttell.
“Can’t you use your standing to get him on a ship?” Richard asked. “You’re a damn bloody hero to England that should letyou—”
“I’m not a hero to England,” Devinsnapped.
