As would he.
He frowned at the thought. He’d never missed anyone a day in his life. He’d made certain no one held that sort of power over him. Sure, he might miss the camaraderie of Marcus and the rest of his crew, but it wasn’t as though he was sitting here pining for them.
He stared at Abigail’s profile in horror.
Would he be pining over her when she was gone?
The mere thought was repulsive. How on earth had she gotten so thoroughly entangled in his life?
She reached out and tousled Nicholas’s hair. “Never you mind, Nicholas. How are your mathematics coming along?”
Then she was off, taking care of the little ones, and teaching each one with more patience than he’d ever witnessed.
She was something, his Abigail.
He turned away with a frown. No, she wasn’t his. She was leaving, and so was he. He had places to go.
Where?
He had things to do.
Like what?
He growled as he moved toward his chair by the fire, the only seat that wasn’t currently occupied by a small army of little people. He’d had too much time to think since their journey to her aunt’s estate a few days before. Far too much thinking had been going on. Little of it useful. None of it good.
He supposed it was about time he gave some serious thought to where he would go next and what he would do, but learning that Abigail was leaving for London hadn’t helped. Without her visits, without her here to protect...
Oh, he’d stick around until Captain Jones thought it safe, but his time here was coming to a close and it was well past time that he decided what to do and where to do it.
London, he supposed. He eyed Abigail as she moved about. He could continue to keep an eye on her if he went too.
He gave his head a shake. And do what? Watch her parade around with a bunch of stuffed-shirt lords and the like?
“Are you angry?” Polly appeared at his side and he turned to see her gazing up at him.
“No, pet.” He reached out and patted her on her head, making her grin. “I’m not angry.”
And then she…well, he wasn’t sure what to call it but he suspected she was cuddling him. She climbed up onto his lap and curled into a ball. He held his arms aloft for a bit as he looked down at the little ball of energy. When at last he realized she wasn’t going anywhere, he dropped his arms so he was holding her and she gave a contented sigh.
He made the mistake of looking up just then and caught Abigail watching him with a smile that made his chest ache with something he’d never known. If he’d ever had a home, he suspected this was what it felt like to yearn for it.
A home. He looked away, his gaze fixed on the fire. He supposed that was what he ought to be building for himself. Now that he was going to be on land for the foreseeable future, he ought to have a proper home. He eyed the wooden slats of his ceiling. Something like this would do if only it were in better condition.
But of course, he wouldn’t stay here.
Why not?
He ignored Abigail’s stare, but he could feel it. What was she thinking? About her upcoming trip, no doubt. It was for the best that she was leaving. She deserved to find a fine gentleman, and he...
Well, he had nothing to offer anybody, least of all a fine young lady such as her.
A knock on the door had them both glancing over just as her sister pushed through the door, a flurry of snowflakes coming in behind her.
“Hattie!” Several of the children ran to the short blonde’s side, making her laugh.
“Well, hullo there,” she said as she wrapped her arms around them and held them tight.
“It seems maternal affection runs in your family,” he said. In truth, it came out as an accusation, and he was startled when Abigail laughed. “Hardly. Our mother left us when we were children.”
Hattie’s eyes widened in surprise, but Abigail gave her sister a small shrug. “Caleb here has saved my life, I think we can trust him with our family secrets, don’t you?”
Hattie smiled over at him. She had Abigail’s fair coloring, but her smile reminded him of Minerva’s. Filled with mischief. She might have been the quiet sister, but he suspected she’d cause trouble if given half a chance.
“I suppose he’s proven himself trustworthy,” Hattie teased. Her cheeks flushed pink as she said it.
He wasn’t so foolish as to think the youngest sister was blushing because of him. He’d watched all the sisters long enough to know that Hattie was the sister who blushed in the company of any man.
Abigail, on the other hand, didn’t seem to notice that he even was a man. She was at his side now and he could have sworn her warmth overshadowed the flickering flames coming from the fireplace.
Stuff and nonsense. It was definitely for the best that she was leaving. Surely she’d done something to his head.
“Our mother was declared lost at sea, as you know,” Abigail said softly beside him. “But father told us the truth. She’d left us to chase after her passions, to live a life at sea...” She gave another small shrug, her smile small and sweet. “So, you see, none of us had the sort of maternal affection you mentioned.”
“Nonsense.” Hattie looked offended. “Rebecca, Sally, and I always had you and Min. No one could have asked for more affection.”
Abigail’s smile grew, but thanks to Caleb’s preoccupation with her lips, he caught the way they
