a history that folks around here donât care about.â
âThey do too,â he said. âTheyâre proud of us.â
âMaybe,â she said. âBut our family isnât one most gentlemen would brag about.â
âWell, his family did worse,â he retorted. âAnd Iâll have yâknow,â he said in agitation, ânone of us never died in no commission of a crime neither!â
âThatâs because they were never caught.â
âWell, there you are. Nor never would be. Clever as they could hold together, all your ancestors, and lucky too, because luck counts, yâknow. As for me, I made my money in business, good investments and such, missy, and donât you forget it.â
âBut your father didnât,â she persisted.
âWell, neither did young Wyldeâs!â he said triumphantly.
She sighed. âAll Iâm saying is that Iâll be polite. But I donât want you to expect anything else. I donât. What his father and mine wanted doesnât matter.â Her eyes widened. âUnless you mean to hold me to it, whatever I think?â
ââCourse not!â he said promptly. âYou donât have to take him if you donât want him.â
She nodded. âRight. If I donât like him, youâd understand. So if he doesnât want me either, youâll have to understand that too.â
âIf he hasnât lost his wits after one look at you,â he said, âwhy, Iâll eat my own beard!â
She frowned. âI wish you would. Whatever possessed you to try to grow such a ratty-looking thing, anyway?â
He looked guilty, and stroked his ragged, grizzled beard protectively. âWell, I told you I went to see some old mates when I was in London too, and they wouldnât have recognized me without it. I wore one when I was a lad.â
âSo why donât you shave it off now? Donât tell me the widow likes it!â
âHer name is Mrs. Twitty,â he said with awful dignity. âAinât her fault her man up and died.â
âSheâs been âthe widowâ since I can remember.â Lisabethâs eyes widened. âOh! Of course! Iâm sorry, Grandy! Does this mean youâve decided to make it legal? That could explain your eagerness to see me wed and gone, because there canât be anything worse for a bride in a new marriage than an old flame in the same house, and some women look at any other female that has a claim on their husbandâs heart as that. This puts a new face on things. Iâll find someone soon,â she said quickly, âor try, and if I canât find anyone, why then Iâll go live in London a while, Iâve always had a fancy toââ
âNow wait!â the captain bawled, holding up one hand. âAinât nothing like that! In fact,â he added more quietly, before she could scold him again, âshe and me, well, weâre sort of going our separate ways anyways. Sheâs got her eye on Mr. Finn, the butcher, and good luck to them, says I. I never made her any promises, nor she to me, and she ainât getting any younger, nor am I getting any fonder, so thatâs all there is to that. I want you to find a good man soâs I can rest easy, is all. And,â he added slyly, âI could use a grandchild or seven playing about my feet in my old age.â
She laughed. âWell, if youâre waiting for your old age, I can put off meeting someone for at least another twenty years.â
He smiled. Sheâd forgotten the beard, as heâd hoped. But how was he expected to throw the fear of God into a fellow if he came to him all neat and sweet and clean-shaven, as was the fashion these days? Not that he thought heâd scared young Wylde. But heâd certainly got his attention.
âSo all I want is for you to be civil to him, even if he donât suit