something worse than consorting with the likes of me, be still!” he hissed.
“Captain Holcombe?” John asked.
“Aye, lad.”
“Is all . . . are you all right?”
“Aye.”
“I heard a great rustling . . .”
An elbow ground down into my rib. “Just . . . uh . . . stepped upon something, lad.”
“Can you watch from there?”
“What’s that?”
“Do you not have trouble seeing from there?”
“Oh. Aye. Well. We must attend to the . . . necessary every now and then, must we not?”
I drove a fist into the small of the captain’s back. He grunted in response.
“Pardon me? Was there something else, Captain?” John’s voice was tentative.
“Uh . . . aye. Aye, there was.” He settled against me as if he meant to enjoy himself. “You are a man unmarried. If you were courting a girl, would you not wish to take advantage of a night such as this?”
“Advantage? How so?”
“If I were such a young man as you, I would . . . well . . . I mean . . . with the moonlight and a girl close at hand . . . I suppose I might want to kiss her.”
“You would?”
“Why? Would you not?”
“Of course not.”
“Nay?”
“Nay.”
“Come on, lad. Man to man. Of course you would.”
“Of course I would not. There will be . . . would be . . . enough time after marriage to undertake all of that.”
“ All of that . You make it sound like work. Not one little kiss? To know what to look forward to?”
“Nay.”
He wouldn’t? Not even one?
“Oh. Well.” The captain slumped against me as if his argument had been exhausted.
I pushed back.
“Was there nothing else, Captain?”
“Hmm? Oh. And also, I had a wish to test you.”
“Test me?”
“Aye. Had a savage truly crept up on me, were we truly wrestling upon the ground, no good would have come of announcing your presence. And were there other savages about, surely you would be dead by now.”
“Oh. So . . . I failed, then.”
“Aye. In more ways than one. Now, back to your post. Better luck next time. Off you go. Step sharp!”
There was more rustling and snapping of limbs as John retreated.
“Boy walks with all the grace of a blind ox.”
Boy? He addressed John as if he himself were so very old, but the captain was of an age with Simeon Wright. And John was as much a man as they! I sat up and shoved at him to do the same.
“You can thank me later.”
“For tumbling me into the brush and then grinding your elbow into my ribs?”
“Hush. I would hate to have him return, in silence this time, and find you here with me. How would you ever explain yourself? Do you not find it curious that he mentioned no intentions toward you?”
“I do not. ’Tis none of your business.”
“I am a man unmarried. Of course it is my business.” The captain shrugged, made as if to speak, then shrugged again instead. “Well . . . have you your cloth?”
“What? You were going to speak.”
His lips pursed, his eyes narrowed, but he shook his head. “I do not wish to say.”
“What is it?”
He opened his mouth, glanced at me, and then closed it. “Nay.”
“Tell it to me this minute or I shall scream.”
“ ’Tis simply, my dear, that you deserve better.”
“Nay, I do—” I halted, realizing he nearly had me disagree with him, telling him that I did not deserve better. But then, I did not agree with him. John Prescotte was good enough. Was better. Was fine. He was better than fine! I gathered my thoughts. “I do not agree with you.”
He pulled me up. And then he stepped close. “You deserve someone who would want to kiss you given even the very slightest of opportunities.”
I could not think of anything to say to him. My ears had gone thick with a curious buzz, so I turned my back to him and left. Took two steps before I realized I had started off in the wrong direction. Turned once more and walked past that man and headed home.
But as I walked, I turned John’s words over in my mind. Although we had both said the same
“Captain Holcombe?” John asked.
“Aye, lad.”
“Is all . . . are you all right?”
“Aye.”
“I heard a great rustling . . .”
An elbow ground down into my rib. “Just . . . uh . . . stepped upon something, lad.”
“Can you watch from there?”
“What’s that?”
“Do you not have trouble seeing from there?”
“Oh. Aye. Well. We must attend to the . . . necessary every now and then, must we not?”
I drove a fist into the small of the captain’s back. He grunted in response.
“Pardon me? Was there something else, Captain?” John’s voice was tentative.
“Uh . . . aye. Aye, there was.” He settled against me as if he meant to enjoy himself. “You are a man unmarried. If you were courting a girl, would you not wish to take advantage of a night such as this?”
“Advantage? How so?”
“If I were such a young man as you, I would . . . well . . . I mean . . . with the moonlight and a girl close at hand . . . I suppose I might want to kiss her.”
“You would?”
“Why? Would you not?”
“Of course not.”
“Nay?”
“Nay.”
“Come on, lad. Man to man. Of course you would.”
“Of course I would not. There will be . . . would be . . . enough time after marriage to undertake all of that.”
“ All of that . You make it sound like work. Not one little kiss? To know what to look forward to?”
“Nay.”
He wouldn’t? Not even one?
“Oh. Well.” The captain slumped against me as if his argument had been exhausted.
I pushed back.
“Was there nothing else, Captain?”
“Hmm? Oh. And also, I had a wish to test you.”
“Test me?”
“Aye. Had a savage truly crept up on me, were we truly wrestling upon the ground, no good would have come of announcing your presence. And were there other savages about, surely you would be dead by now.”
“Oh. So . . . I failed, then.”
“Aye. In more ways than one. Now, back to your post. Better luck next time. Off you go. Step sharp!”
There was more rustling and snapping of limbs as John retreated.
“Boy walks with all the grace of a blind ox.”
Boy? He addressed John as if he himself were so very old, but the captain was of an age with Simeon Wright. And John was as much a man as they! I sat up and shoved at him to do the same.
“You can thank me later.”
“For tumbling me into the brush and then grinding your elbow into my ribs?”
“Hush. I would hate to have him return, in silence this time, and find you here with me. How would you ever explain yourself? Do you not find it curious that he mentioned no intentions toward you?”
“I do not. ’Tis none of your business.”
“I am a man unmarried. Of course it is my business.” The captain shrugged, made as if to speak, then shrugged again instead. “Well . . . have you your cloth?”
“What? You were going to speak.”
His lips pursed, his eyes narrowed, but he shook his head. “I do not wish to say.”
“What is it?”
He opened his mouth, glanced at me, and then closed it. “Nay.”
“Tell it to me this minute or I shall scream.”
“ ’Tis simply, my dear, that you deserve better.”
“Nay, I do—” I halted, realizing he nearly had me disagree with him, telling him that I did not deserve better. But then, I did not agree with him. John Prescotte was good enough. Was better. Was fine. He was better than fine! I gathered my thoughts. “I do not agree with you.”
He pulled me up. And then he stepped close. “You deserve someone who would want to kiss you given even the very slightest of opportunities.”
I could not think of anything to say to him. My ears had gone thick with a curious buzz, so I turned my back to him and left. Took two steps before I realized I had started off in the wrong direction. Turned once more and walked past that man and headed home.
But as I walked, I turned John’s words over in my mind. Although we had both said the same
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