Unhallowed (Rath and Rune #1) - Jordan L. Hawk Page 0,35

leaned across the table. “I’ll serve for you,” he offered, picking the serving spoon up. “Let me know how much.”

“I’m sorry to put you to trouble,” Ves said.

Bonnie snorted as she returned with a set of everyday utensils for him. “I have four children, Mr. Rune. Let me assure you, you’re no trouble at all.”

Once they had tucked in, Bonnie began to pepper Ves with friendly questions, until Pete laughingly told her to let the man eat. All of the children were naturally curious as well, even little Tommy, who only stared agog at the stranger. To be fair, he stared at Pete, too, since he’d been far too small at Pete’s last visit to remember the man.

Sebastian took the opportunity to put aside all the worries that had been building inside him about Kelly, and the stolen book, and the men who had apparently been following him. He listened as eagerly as the young ones while Pete related some of the adventures he’d had on the sea since last he’d seen them. His tales were filled with the wonder of the ocean, the terror of storms, and the beauty of far-off ports. Every character was a splash of color, from the smuggler with a heart of gold, to the dastardly pirates who’d found the Hawthorne wasn’t the easy quarry they’d hoped for.

A glance at Ves showed him equally enrapt. When Pete finished a particularly exciting story about an encounter with smugglers in Singapore, Ves’s expression grew wistful. “I wish I could see such things.”

“Come with me, lad, and you will.” Pete shot Sebastian a wink. “Dusty old books are for dusty old men like Sebastian—sign on to my crew, and you’ll know what it is to be young!”

“You’re twice my age, Pete,” Sebastian objected.

“I’ll come with you!” Willie offered.

Jossie clapped her hands. “I want to come, too!”

The mood instantly sobered. Jossie and Willie were both Pete’s natural children, and Sebastian wondered if a love of the sea could be passed down through the blood.

“Ah, Willie, it’s a hard life, my boy,” Pete said, his tone sobering. “One that takes too many young men to their graves. I’d rather see you and your brother and sisters safe here on land, going to school and getting the book-learning I don’t have.”

Willie scowled. “But I want to go. I want to work with you.”

“We’ll talk about it again when you’re older,” Pete said with a glance at Bonnie.

She nodded. “That’s right.” She glanced around the table. “Now, who would like some dessert?”

“Actually, Sebastian and I had some things to discuss,” Ves said, shooting him a look.

The poor man appeared a bit overwhelmed. “Of course. If you’ll excuse us.”

Sebastian rose to his feet, and Ves followed him to the back stair, which was nearest at hand. His room was directly off the stair on the second floor. The door stood open, as did the windows, letting in the evening breeze. It combatted the heat rising from the kitchen below, leaving the temperature pleasant.

Ves followed him in, pausing to look around at the boxes and dissected pictures crowding the room. “You weren’t joking when you said you like puzzles.”

Sebastian shrugged awkwardly. “It’s a foolish hobby, I suppose.”

“No. I like it. I like how your mind works.” Ves flushed slightly. “Thank you for inviting me to dinner.”

“Our pleasure.” Sebastian sat on the bed, since there was only one chair.

“Your sister is very kind,” Ves added. “Captain Degas seems nice as well.”

“Bonnie wouldn’t have a husband who wasn’t.” And since Ves couldn’t have missed the fact Clara was too young to be Pete’s natural child, he added, “She has three of them.”

“Three…husbands?”

Sebastian shrugged. “It’s a port town. You know the old saying: a wife in every port, a husband on every ship.”

“I can’t say I’ve ever heard that, no,” Ves said, eyes wide.

“Huh. Perhaps it’s a Widdershins saying, then.” Sebastian folded his hands around his knee. “It works wonderfully. Her husbands all get the comfort of a home when they’re in port, complete with wife and children. Bonnie and the children get the security of having more than a single man to rely on. Everyone is aware of the situation and is happy with it.”

“It sounds very civilized,” Ves said. “I never really met my progenitor. My father, that is,” he corrected quickly. “I knew of him, and we often communicated, but never face to face. I grew up in a one-room shack in the woods with my mother and her father.” Ves looked around the