“More or less.”
“I best come with you then.”
He opened his mouth to tell the boy not to bother, then changed his mind. The boy had come home yesterday and, for the first time, he and Belle had to be a bit sneaky to be together. Now it would help if the boy had something to do. The last thing Geordie wanted to do was dig in the wrong bed. “Thank ye. Is she going to be all right there or should I tote her back to her bed?”
“I will leave her a note in case she wakes up and looks for us, but she will be just fine sleeping there. She has done it before.”
Placing a cup of coffee near her brought no reaction, so Geordie resigned himself to digging clams. Collecting her tools for the job, he headed down to the beach with Abel. By the time he and Abel returned Belle was gone when he did the evening harvest of clams. He checked her bedroom, then his own, finding her sprawled across his bed.
He bit his lip to suppress his laughter and gently moved her until he had her settled beneath the covers. Then he sighed, knowing he could not crawl into that bed with her as he would like to. Abel was waiting for him downstairs. Brushing a kiss over her cheek he went to join the boy and maybe make them some breakfast.
* * *
Although he did not like working in the mud, Geordie enjoyed the time he spent with Abel. The boy was smart and good company. He even had a keen wit that made an occasional appearance despite his young age. By the time he had rinsed off the last basket of clams and they headed back to the house with their harvest, he thought on the inheritance the boy was due one day. Abel would be a very good caretaker of the Ampleford property.
Abel, only partially cleaned off, skipped along by his side, dashing off now and then to look at something he had glimpsed on the beach. He was a happy boy, he thought, even though he had lost both of his parents. He had a sister and aunt who cared for him and a lot of cousins to play with. Geordie suspected whatever scars the boy carried from the loss were not too deep.
When they returned to the house Belle was there to take the clams and quickly began to sort them out. She also murmured an apology for sleeping past the time she had needed to get out there to dig the clams herself. He took Abel by the hand, intending to take him to the upstairs bath and rinse him off.
As they started out the door of the kitchen, he said, “Nay sure sleeping is the word ye want. It was more as if ye were unconscious yet still able to stand, even said a word or two. Interesting skill.”
Mehitabel spun around to answer him but he was already gone. She had the suspicion he had picked Abel up and dashed right up the stairs, because she could hear the echo of the boy’s giggles. Shaking her head, she went back to sorting the clams, needing to get that done so she could begin the evening meal, and hoped Geordie would get Abel cleaned up well.
* * *
Geordie laughed when the moment he got Abel dried off, the boy ran off to his room. Standing up, he looked at how his own clothes had gotten wet and quickly went into his room. Using his slightly dampened clothes to wipe himself dry, he put on dry clothes. By the time he stepped out of his room, Abel was waiting for him. Geordie crouched down to redo the buttons on the boy’s shirt. Then he looked at Abel and, knowing he was a bright boy, had to wonder why he always seemed to do his shirt up wrong.
“Abel, why are your buttons always buttoned up wrong?” he asked.
“Dunno,” muttered Abel, smoothing his now neatly buttoned shirt.
“Perhaps it would help if you looked at the buttons as ye did them up.” He had to bite back a laugh when the boy’s eyes widened a little and he just nodded.
“That’s probably a good idea,” Abel said calmly.
“Probably. Ye should practice it.”
“All right. Think the food is ready now?”
Standing up, Geordie took the boy by the hand and led him down the stairs with him. “I suspect if it isnae, it will be soon.”
When they walked into the kitchen, Belle was busy frying potatoes while ham slices sizzled in the fry pan. He got the plates and cutlery out, he and Abel setting the table as she cooked. As he sat down, Abel fetched napkins for each of them before sitting down across the table from him. Geordie glanced down, and on the floor at the end of the table sat all Belle’s pets. Staring at her. He was not surprised when she put a little meat and egg on three small plates and set them down for the pets before bringing the rest over to the table.
“You dug a good crop,” she said and then grabbed the pot of coffee and set it on the table. “I will be able to make all my customers happy.” She poured a glass of apple juice for Abel and, after serving it to the boy, sat down and poured herself some coffee.
Between discussing the crops she had, how they were doing, and eating their food they soon finished breakfast. Abel gulped down the last of his drink, leapt up to put his dishes in the sink, and announced that he was taking the dogs out. He then ran off and the two dogs were close behind him. Geordie heard the boy say good morning to the patients in the infirmary and get a cheerful answer. A moment later the front door slammed.
“Can Abel manage Thor?”
Belle smiled and nodded. “Thor behaves very well with Abel. It is as if he knows he is bigger and stronger and just doesn’t bother to show it off to the boy. One time Thor ran off and dragged poor Abel along after him, and it upset him when he stopped and saw the boy crying, so he now behaves.”
“Dogs are loyal, and Thor has decided Abel is one he will be loyal to.”
“Well, I will just wash these dishes and then we can take the boys out for a little swim.”
Geordie helped Belle with the dishes by wiping them dry and putting away the ones that he knew where they went. He leaned against the edge of the counter, crossed his arms over his chest, and watched her as she emptied and cleaned out the sink. Just as she was wringing out the washing rag, he suddenly felt a need to at least attempt to get an answer to one of the many questions crowding his mind.
“Belle? Do ye ever think of living somewhere else?”
