Cold All the Way Through, But Warming

Leave's End

It was rather entertaining to watch Will growing more and more exasperated as the truck from the docks disgorged yet another trunk of my clothes, sent with love from Mother. Two trunks were already stacked in the office, and a number of hatboxes now occupied the desk.

Will watched as the porters took it upstairs, then turned to me. "She does realize that you can buy clothes over here, right?"

"She said in her letter she wanted me to make myself at home here, so she sent some of home along." I waved the letter she had included with her delivery. "It sounds as if there's a delivery of food coming with it, so if you want a decent dinner, you should consider your next words carefully."

He pursed his lips, coming to place his hands on my shoulders. "I suppose can put up with some frivolousness, in exchange for that dinner."

"You won't have to put up with it for long." I looked away for a moment, taking a breath to calm myself. The end of Will's leave was coming up in three days, and even with the extra time we had enjoyed together, it still felt like I had barely been with him. But I couldn't let that mar our last few days, so I shook the thought away and smiled. "I'll let Kate cook, that way we can actually eat."

Will chuckled, his blue eyes bright as he leaned down to kiss my cheek. "You'll have to take Sylvie up on her lessons, I'd love to eat something made by your hands when I return." He was still standing over me when the porters came down, promising to return with the shipment of food. I sent them off with a tip, earning a snort from Will. "You already pay them well."

"And now they'll feel even kinder towards me." I smirked, "I can use them to ferret out Campbell."

Will moved to the parlor, sitting on the settee and wrapping an arm around me. "Are you really going to do that?"

I laughed, "I spoke to Welton about it, and he said he thought it was unlikely Campbell would have spies on the docks. Although if we were a German company, or even shipped to Germany, he thinks we would be crawling in them."

"You believe him?"

"I do. Campbell would gain nothing beneficial by spying on me, if anything he runs the risk of angering me and losing a source of supplies. He's arrogant, but I'm not sure if he's that foolish."

Will shook his head, "I could feel the class rolling off of him, with that posh accent and posture."

"And I don't exude poshness?" I raised an eyebrow. "Will, I have far more money than him and so do you now."

"But you don't wear it like he does." Will drew me closer. "You speak kindly to everyone, even old sailors."

I pressed a kiss to his lips, lingering for a moment. "And I'm not arrogant?"

"Only sometimes." He smiled, kissing me again. "And you're at least charming when you are."

I let my hand drift to his chest, "Will, if you really do think Campbell might be a problem, I can tell Welton to take it seriously."

He covered my hand with his own. "I just want you to be safe while I'm gone. Intelligence can be a dangerous field, and I worry that he might try to use you."

I sighed, leaning on his shoulder. "I'll tell Welton to begin sniffing around. There's no point in being reckless. Besides, we may find a German spy and make Campbell look like a fool."

Will had just set his hands to running up my sides when a knock sounded at the door, making him curse. "If that's the damn food, I'm sending them away." I stayed on the settee, closing my eyes for a moment and listening to Will open the door. "Yes?"

"Is this the home of Captain Murdoch?"

"It is." Will answered, making me perk up. It wasn't the voice of one of the porters, and I was curious who it was.