“My thanks. I’d forgotten to replace it.” And with that one bit of cloth, Silas’s good mood evaporated. Fine clothes or not, the coming months were bound to be difficult. His entire life was a storm-tossed sea, and though he saw the distant light of what he wished it to be, there were rough waves between here and there. A new business was enough of an undertaking to give any man of sense pause, but it was not the reason he lingered in the tailor shop.
Hatch watched him; he was growing somewhat more talkative of late, but those eyes of his spoke far more than his mouth ever would. And they knew the truth of the matter.
What man was terrified of his children?
It wasn’t as though Silas would be expected to care for them directly; they had a governess and maid to cater to their needs. Silas knew nothing of the head of his nursery staff, yet the fact that Deborah (and more recently, her sister) had thought the woman a perfect fit for the household did not bode well for Silas. No doubt, the governess was the sour sort that cared more about stuffing facts and figures into their little minds than what sort of person they would become. Silas had little experience with governesses, but his teachers and headmasters had been a dour lot, and he doubted the female equivalent was an improvement.
But fretting about the nursery staff was of little importance. Silas was master, and if the woman didn’t suit them, there were plenty of others willing to teach in the manner he wished. Or perhaps Silas would find a local school. There hadn’t been many reputable ones when he was a child, but like so many things in the world, that was changing. He needed to choose a proper school in the area for his eldest son, and there was no reason he could not find Helen one as well.
It was too bad Felix had to finish out the term before he could return to his family; Silas would not tolerate his children being scattered across the country.
That instinct brought some comfort. He had four children he was expected to lead and guide into adulthood though he’d hardly spent more than a few months in their presence throughout the entirety of their lives, and if he thought too hard about the situation, Silas was apt to board the nearest ship bound for the other side of the world. Yet, he detested the idea of sending them to distant boarding schools. An odd contradiction of feelings, but it proved there was some hope for him.
“Silas.” Hatch’s voice called him back to the here and now, making it all too clear that they’d been standing there as Silas gathered wool.
Giving a nod that he hoped conveyed nothing of his current thoughts, Silas exited the tailor’s shop and stepped onto the pavement. The fresh air renewed his spirits, casting aside the weight once more as Hatch came to stand beside him.
Yes, he needed to face his children and would do so before the day was out, but there was no need to rush things; his sister-in-law had been caring for them in the months since Deborah’s passing, and Silas was certain the children were enjoying their time with the Slades. Another hour or two to gather his courage wouldn’t go amiss. Besides, there were so many things that needed attending before he retired to his home.
“Do you think we ought to tour our offices?” asked Silas. Not that he expected an actual answer from Hatch, but one of them had to speak if they expected this venture to be a success.
And with that, they set off through the streets of Portsmouth, winding their way to their business. Having purchased the building and all the assets through their man of business some time ago, they were both anxious to see what was to be the headquarters of their financial empire, though Hatch hid his excitement.
Setting a brisk pace, Silas rambled on about the various items that needed sorting now that the masters were at home to handle such things, while Hatch made only the occasional comment. With a tip of his hat and the occasional nod, Silas greeted others on the street, though there were none of his acquaintances about.
Ahead, a woman struggled with her parcels. In one arm, she held a basket piled precariously high with packages, while the other arm balanced several more. Her burden was stacked in such a manner that she could not go more than a few steps without dropping one. When she stooped to fetch it, another toppled free of her grasp, making her progress along the pavement very slow. Quickening his steps, Silas hurried over as yet another slipped while her attention was fixed on another.
“Allow me,” he said, righting it before it fell and snatching another up from the ground.
Puffing out her cheeks, the lady shook her head. “You are an angel, sir. Every time I feel I have them in hand, another topples over, and I am at odds once again.”
Silas flashed her a smile, reaching for her packages. “If you would like, my associate and I can escort you to your next destination.”
“I thank you, but I am going to Whitmouth, which is—”
“Some three miles away,” Silas said with a nod. “Might I call you a carriage?”
The woman blushed, though she kept her expression otherwise nonchalant. “You are most gallant, but my burden isn’t heavy. I am merely struggling to get it all in my basket.”
It had been some time since he’d spoken to any woman, and Silas straightened his spine with a wide grin as he considered the issue at hand. It had a simple enough solution, and Silas wasn’t about to turn down the opportunity to dust off his gentlemanly airs.
“As I’ve spent many years aboard ships where space is tight, I’m a dab hand at organizing such things. Might I?” he asked with a nod at her burden.
The woman smiled and nodded, and in quick order, Silas had them all sorted and shifted. In all honesty, it wasn’t even that difficult, but her glowing words of gratitude warmed him through. With a tip of his hat, Silas bade her farewell, and he and Hatch continued on their way. Straightening his new waistcoat, Silas considered the many good things that awaited him on land—including the fairer sex.
Perhaps being ashore wasn’t such a frightening prospect after all.
Chapter 2
With forty years to her name, Judith Delmonte was double the age of those girls lost in the giddiness of courtship. A seasoned woman such as herself ought to know better than to gawk at a gentleman in the street, but Judith could not help but watch the fellow as he sauntered down the pavement with his companion. It was foolish on many levels for her to even notice a man, yet Judith could not help the flutter of her pulse and the lightness of her step as she continued on her way.
Gentlemen may have no use for a spinster like her, but that did not mean the feelings were reciprocated. And she had many uses for a dashing gentleman like that. The man was quite a fine sight.
Judith felt like laughing aloud at her swooning over a man in the street, and she couldn’t help the smile stretching across her face as she considered the interlude.
Perhaps some might not consider him so very handsome, for he looked weather-beaten like the rest of his ocean-borne profession. But there was a rugged cut to his features that appealed to Judith. Although she could never explain why, she had long ago accepted that the most handsome feature on a man was a strong, square jaw, and that fellow had it in spades.
And if Judith needed any more reason to cast a last, lingering look at the fellow as he disappeared into the distance, it would be that little kindness he’d shared. A small, simple thing, yet other men had passed without offering assistance, and he had done more than was strictly required.
