Sampson kept his knock quiet, and the door swung open a moment later. Miss Hampton’s wide gaze met his, then dropped to the babe she was feeding.
Ruby nestled in one of her arms, eyes closed as she drank from the bottle. So tiny. So innocent. That urge to protect them both crept through him once more.
He lifted his focus to Miss Hampton. Were her eyes rimmed in red? She’d been crying, probably because of this marriage her father was forcing on her.
The weight on his chest pressed a little harder. He was part of this debacle that brought her pain. He couldn’t stop it, but he could do his best to help her see this would be a benefit for her and Ruby.
He kept his voice quiet. “Would you like to go downstairs?” He nodded over his shoulder toward Jedidiah's door across the hall.
Seeing to understand his meaning, she nodded and stepped out of her room. He followed her down the stairs, and when they reached the foyer, she turned to him.
He raised his brows. “Are you hungry? There’s a cafe down the street.” She hadn't brought her coat. Ruby would need a warmer blanket too. “I can run up and grab your wrap, and maybe a heavier cover for Ruby.”
She shook her head. “I’m not hungry.” Her expression looked miserable.
He motioned to the parlor across from the clerk’s desk. The closed door would give them some privacy.
She followed him inside.
After closing the door, he motioned to the sofa. “Do you want to sit?” Ruby might be getting heavy in her arms.
But she shook her head, facing him again. She took a deep breath and met his gaze squarely. “Upstairs, you asked me to marry you. You did that because my father insisted, but I need you to know, you don’t have to go along with it. I don’t need anything from him. Or you. Ruby and I can just leave. Set out on our own.”
He inhaled. At least she hadn’t outright refused. She was probably just trying to give him the option to take it back.
He didn’t need that, and he wouldn’t take it either. How could he explain?
Lord, give me the right words.
How much did she know about her father? It seemed almost impossible to believe she wouldn’t be aware of the kind of man he was. Yet, Miss Hampton had an innocence, a gentleness that made him think she might be naïve to the extent of her father’s crimes.
He might as well ask. “How well do you know your father?”
Her brows pulled together, and she glanced back toward the stairs. Was she worried about Jedidiah overhearing? Or did she think Sampson might tell him what she said?
She returned her gaze to Sampson. “He runs a mining business. It’s a lot of work and can be dangerous. He came to visit Mama and me every month.”
So, not often enough to truly know the ugly side of the man. Jedidiah showed only what he wanted others to see. “Did you ever live with him?”
She shook her head. “Mama and I always lived in our house in the valley while he lived at the mine.”
The babe reached the end of the milk in her bottle, and Grace pulled it away. She shifted Ruby up to her shoulder and rubbed her back.
He reached for the bottle to free her hands.
“Thank you.” Miss Hampton murmured the words as she focused on the babe.
Ruby opened one eye as she lay against Miss Hampton, and her brown hair stuck out in several directions. That adorable innocent expression… Something warm tightened in his chest. He’d never thought a tiny baby could be so cute. So… He didn’t have words to express how much she’d taken hold of him.
If he and Miss Hampton married, he would be Ruby’s father. The thought struck like a bolt of lightning.
He wouldn’t really be, though. He had offered her a marriage with no strings. She could be on her own, safe and provided for. He would never try to control her like her father did.
And on that point, how much should he tell her about her father? It seemed cruel to dash the image she carried of him. But she needed to know why it was important to go along with Jedidiah’s wishes if they could make it work.
Lord, give me wisdom.
He took a breath. "I’ve worked for your father a few months now."
