“Good,” said James. “I promise I willnae be up at dawn snapping out orders.”
“Verra kind of ye,” muttered Geordie, as Robbie got up to put his dishes in the sink and walked away.
A moment later, James looked at Iain and asked quietly, “Are ye sure Robbie can deal with a trip like this?”
Iain sat back and crossed his arms. “I suspect he will need a lot of resting when he gets there, but, aye, he has healed enough to do it. True, he might make ye have to go a bit slower but nay by much. He has not healed as much as we hoped, yet probably as much as he can. There is a slight weakness that comes and goes, but it is there and I fear it always will be.”
“He wants this,” said Geordie. “I am nay sure why, as he didnae show any great interest in the ocean when we were near it, but I can feel that he really wants this.”
Iain nodded. “I could see that. He needs to go, yet I dinnae think he is trying to prove anything.”
“Nay. I didnae get that feeling, either.”
“He just needs to move, to go for a wee wander.” Iain shook his head. “He really hasnae gone anywhere since we arrived here and nowhere since those men beat him and left him on our doorstep. We arenae the wandering kind.” He frowned at Geordie. “Usually. Mayhap Robbie just believes that, if he can do this, then he can do anything he chooses to. I do feel he will come back feeling less uncertain of himself.”
“Maybe more confident that he can lead a normal life?” asked James.
“That may be some of it. A lot of men didnae come back whole, and ye see too many of them in the big towns and cities, many of them broken, poor, drunk, or dazed on something to kill pain, and homeless, rootless and alone. I can easily imagine him seeing that and fretting about his own fate.”
“Well, I hope a long, boring trip to Maine will help him.” James looked around at the people sitting at the table. “Although, I can’t believe the boy has any concern about finding himself alone with this lot around.”
“I dinnae ken why he frets, either, but maybe he will stop after traveling a bit.”
“Needs to test himself,” James said and Iain nodded. “He knows he can manage around here but doesn’t know for certain if some things have been arranged to cater to his injuries.”
“Told him we havenae.”
“And I suspect he quietly accepted what you said but still doubted. He will know for certain on this trip that nothing has been arranged to make things easier for him. So, yes, now that I think on that, it could well give him some confidence.” James turned to look out the door to the kitchen when he heard the front door open and shut. “Expecting company?”
“Just Matthew. You did say he was planning to come round. And here he is.” Iain smiled at the small girl Matthew held as he walked in. “Hello, sweet lady.”
“What? No greeting for your brother?” said Matthew as he sat down across from Iain.
“Ye arenae as bonnie. So, Abbie has gone shopping?”
“Gone and returned. Then she got started on some curtains she wanted to make and Caitlin was helping too much, so I said I would bring her here with me.” He frowned. “She agreed rather quickly.” He kissed his daughter’s cheek, making her giggle. “Guess ye were making her feel inept with all your help, dearling.”
“Isnae it a wee bit warm to be wearing a scarf?” Iain asked, frowning at what appeared to be a long knitted scarf draped around Matthew’s neck.
“It isnae a scarf.”
On the chair next to Matthew, Mrs. O’Neal set down the square of wood they used in the chairs for small children. Matthew set Caitlin on it, then used the scarf to tie her in the chair as Mrs. O’Neal set some strips of buttered toast smeared with jelly in front of her. Mrs. O’Neal was just securing a small piece of toweling around the child’s neck when Caitlin picked up one of the strips of toast.
“So, are ye going to give this vagabond a bed for the night?” Matthew asked.
“Aye,” said Iain. “And he is going to take Geordie and Robbie with him when he goes.”
Matthew made no attempt to hide his shock. “Why?”
Geordie excused himself and left to start packing.
“Geordie has a sudden hankering to see the ocean and Robbie decided he wished to go as well,” said Iain.
“Why would he have a strong wish to see the ocean? Would have thought he’d seen enough of it when we traveled here from Scotland, especially when we were hanging our heads over the railing, emptying our bellies.”
“I dinnae think even he could answer that question clearly. He just wants it.”
“Ye think Robbie can make that kind of trip?”
