“I—”
They spoke at the same moment, and both fell silent, caught in the brief collision of words. After a long pause, she summoned a tentative smile. “Thank you for walking with me.”
He nodded, shifting his weight. “Yes… well, it was a—pleasant diversion from a busy day.”
“Isaac? Miss Montclair?” Samantha approached, wearing a simple blue day dress. “What are you doing here?”
Lieutenant Caldwell grinned. “I found Miss Montclair wandering around the market on her own. I feared leaving her might lead to another tumble into misadventure.”
Samantha raised an eyebrow and stepped between them. “Go on, then. Finish what you were doing. I’ll get Miss Montclair back to the Rosses.”
“Very well, ladies.” He inclined his head in a crisp bow, then turned toward the docks with a purposeful stride.
Samantha’s blue eyes glinted in the sunlight as he descended thesteps and disappeared from view. “So, how did you end up in the market? I can’t imagine Abigail letting you out of her sight for even a moment.”
“Well, we went to tea and…” she trailed off, afraid to offend.
Samantha gave her a knowing look. “I did try to warn you. Let me guess, Mrs. Crompton’s?”
Josephine nodded and Samantha sighed. “I can only imagine how that felt for you.”
Pushing her toe against the cobblestones, Josephine frowned. “I was so excited to go, but was made to feel quite unwelcome.” It was her turn to sigh. “I never thought something as simple as tea could be so… complicated.”
Samantha patted her hand. “Don’t be too hard on yourself. Those girls live in a world of their own. Their reaction to you would have been the same no matter who you were. Besides, they probably just felt threatened by your beauty.”
Josephine couldn’t help but snort. “I’m pretty sure that was the last thing on their minds. All they cared about was how different I am from them.”
With a wry smile, Samantha gazed out over the water. “You know, it’s not our differences that set us apart from the world—it’s the courage to embrace them.”
Josephine cocked her head. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Grin widening, Samantha took her arm and turned away from the water. “It means there’s nothing wrong with being different. Now, let’s get you back to tea before anyone gets worried.”
Chapter Nine
“Ican’t believeyou left Mrs. Crompton’s house.” Abigail broke the silence she’d held the first half of the drive.
“I didn’t mean to worry you.”
“You could have been hurt, or lost, or any number of things.”
Josephine frowned. “Is Savannah a dangerous city?”
“No. Not usually. But it’s not proper for one to go out without an escort. People will talk.”
Buildings disappeared and the countryside stretched around them. They were getting close to the Ross estate. Josephine sighed. “Are you terribly upset with me?”
Abigail reached out and took her hand, her expression warm yet firm. “Of course not. But, as the person in charge of introducing you to Savannah, please do consult me before running off like that.”
The carriage turned up their drive and Josephine gave her friend a small smile. “I can do that.”
Moments later, they rolled to a gentle stop in front of the house. The footman opened the door, and Josephine gathered her skirts as Abigail climbed out first. “Not to rush you,” she said over her shoulder, “but we need to start getting ready.”
Josephine stepped from the carriage. “Ready for what?”
“If you hadn’t snuck off, you would have heard. Governor Milledge arrived in town this morning, and he’s insisting on a sendoff party for the sailors.”
“A party?”
