She raised her gaze to his jaw, which was shadowed like always, but she saw that his mouth was set in a firm and stubborn-looking line she hadn’t seen before.
He pushed his spectacles up his nose, a gesture that Amy had seen him do so many times she knew it was a nervous habit. The thought that he was nervous gave her a little hope. Perhaps he did care.
He looked at her with those dark blue eyes. “Do you want me to take you home? I’ll make any explanations if you need me to.”
“There’s no one to make any explanations to.” She could feel his gaze and squared her shoulders, but didn’t look to him. She thought she might start crying.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and stood there. “I have to meet with some people, then sail up to Bath.”
When she’d been healing he had come to her room, had told her about the ships from Scotland, in particular the one that was coming and how he felt he had a duty to see that the people on board were given clothing, shelter, and food. Calum gave people a new chance in a new land.
If she hadn’t been in love with him before, she would have fallen when she realized this man cared about someone other than himself. He actually cared about strangers. Calum MacLachlan was noble and honest and above all he was different from any other man she had known except her father. He was like him, because deep inside of him, he was a truly kind man.
Someone called out his name and they both looked up. A small group of tall and rugged-looking men were walking toward them.
Amy turned toward Calum.
“The MacDonalds,” he said.
“Those are the men you are to meet?”
“Aye.”
She squared her shoulders, then offered him her hand. “I guess this is goodbye.”
He was staring at her mouth.
Amy had a hunch that Georgina was right. He wasn’t thinking about her brain. “Thank you, for everything.” She flushed because she was thinking of those kisses. In an embarrassed rush she added, “For saving my life.”
He just nodded and took her hand in both of his. “Are you sure you don’t want me to take you home?”
“I’m sure.”
“I’ll go with you to the end of the dock.” They walked together. He jumped off the way his brother had, then placed his hands on her waist and lifted her down to the dock as if she weighed no more than a feather.
When they were at the end of the wharf they stood there in awkward silence. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but he didn’t.
She looked up at him. “Goodbye, Calum.”
“Goodbye, Amy-my-lass.”
She closed her eyes when he called her that. Her heart was pounding in her ears so loudly that she barely heard those men impatiently call out his name.
“I have to go.” His voice was gruff.
Amy nodded and just stood there watching him walk away.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Always act the winner,
even if you lose.
—Anonymous
Georgina marched down the streets of Portland with proud and determined strides. She hadn’t a cent to her name, couldn’t even hire a coach, but that wouldn’t stop her. She’d walk all the way home.
She moved along the board walkways for quite a distance before she became aware of the continuing jingle of a wagon harness and the steady clopping of a team in the street alongside of her. She sped up. So did the wagon team. She slowed down and the team paced her.
