Mable’s comment about her brother, while unfortunate, was not all that hard to believe. The boy had been respectful and polite as anyone else once they had moved beyond the initial wariness of one another, but Malachi figured there was more under the surface of that one. There usually was, when it came to people backed into corners and doing their best to defend.

“It isn’t that far at all, no,” though it followed the bank to the ocean. Perhaps he would not take her that far, though, at least not without her brother’s knowledge. He was hesitant as it was to remove her from the place that he probably expected her to stay, but there wasn’t any real harm in taking her for a walk, was there?

It had to be more entertaining than… whatever she had been doing with those pebbles on the floor.

Malachi lifted, pushed his chair back into place, and was caught off-guard by the sight of Mable in his hat when he turned.

Oh God. Oh God. His heart felt like it melted in his chest, and yet something pricked, too, at the corners of his eyes as he watched her pose. She was just so… happy. The thought of her making it all the way from the states, sleeping God knows where, dealing with all the clamor and chaos of ships and traveling that were hard enough for a privileged adult – he was not the type to cry. Not easily, not often. But God it hurt to think of all the girls just like her that he would never get the chance to help.

“Ah, right!” he nodded, shaking himself from the sudden emotion. “I’m afraid I can’t promise that I won’t get us lost either… but I’ll do my best.”

He smiled as he opened the door, and held it open until she’d passed through.

“Eddie mentioned that you two were from Pennsylvania? What is it like there?”

Once they were out of the building, Malachi gestured to the nearby street that ran along the river, walking towards it at a casual pace.