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“I’ve never heard of him,” Grandfather said suspiciously.
“I don’t recall the name,” Mama said. “There used to be a Billy Gale who lived in the area, but never a Willie Dillikins, not that I can remember.”
“That does not surprise me.” Theo turned her full attention to Becky. “He was considered a simple man, a man who enjoyed walks and trees and flowers. He was apt to say whatever popped into his head, which proved most disconcerting for some people.”
“Disconcerting indeed,” murmured Captain Balfour.
“But now I think on it,” she said determinedly, “one shouldn’t say what he spoke was nonsense, when I am sure it made perfect sense to him. For really, who are we to judge how another person sees the world?”
“Nonsense. There be right and wrong, black and white, truth or false. There’s nothing in between,” Grandfather objected.
“Do you really believe so?” Theo mused, sipping her lemonade. “Do you recall just last week when you declared that Mr. Brannock should not sell old fish and were inclined to tell him exactly what you thought of such a practice? Not a day later, we learned it was actually his nephew who had sold the fish that was slightly off.”
“Yes, well …” The rest of her grandfather’s response was lost within his beard.
“It’s easy to make judgments, but things aren’t always as they seem.”
“That fish did have a most peculiar flavor,” Mama said absently. “I can’t say that I would ever choose to have the same sort again.”
“And poor Willie Dillikins?” the captain asked Theo, one eyebrow aloft. “Whatever happened to him?”
“He is no more.”
“How unfortunate.”
“Indeed it was.”
“I should have liked to have met him. People who say whatever pops into their head are people I tend to find most intriguing.”
Her heart scampered as she worked to keep a straight face. “Speaking of things not always being what they seem, Captain Balfour, I wonder when you expect your man of business to arrive.”
He met her gaze with a rueful glance.
“What? What man of business?” demanded Grandfather. “Why would you need a man of business if you are here yourself?”
Theo’s head tilted as she sent the captain her own raised brow look of enquiry.
“You are correct,” he said slowly. “I am in somewhat of a quandary regarding that.”
“But if your stay is not so very long, then it need not be a concern,” Theo reminded him.
“We shall have to see.” He glanced at Becky. “I cannot like the idea of pretending to be—”
“That fool of a Bellingham woman was here yesterday, jawing off about you,” the general interrupted, studying the captain. “You should have heard her, going on as if you’d hung the moon or some such nonsense.”
“Grandfather,” Theo protested.
“I can’t imagine the fuss when they learn you are here, nor all the visitors and the like that will demand to see you. The way that woman carries on.” He snorted. “She talks even more nonsense than poor Letitia here.”
Mama carried on eating her soup, as if she had heard nothing.
“Dinners, and balls, and all manner of things.” Grandfather shook his head. “We’d never get a moment’s peace, and neither would you.”
“It is not something I wish for,” the captain admitted.
“Then who needs to know you are here?” Her grandfather huffed. “Janet and Ian might have the sense of a peahen between them, but they know enough to keep their mouths shut. Same goes for our servants here. And if you have no wish to advertise your presence, then I don’t see why you should.”
“Ah, but I have been reliably informed that the delay of such information might prove problematic in days to come,” the captain countered, slanting a glance at Theo.
