Ben turned away from Felicity and Elizabeth as they left the store to find Marcus watching him.
"What?"
"Come help me in the counting room." Marcus requested. Ben followed the slave into the back. "You remember how to take inventory?"
"Yes."
"Good."
Marcus handed him a notebook and they got to work. After a minute in silence, Marcus remarked, "Do you like her?"
"Who?"
Ben heard the smile in Marcus' voice even though he was busy counting bolts of cloth. "Miss Felicity."
"We're good friends. We always have been."
"I suppose. She changed while you were gone. She's not a little girl anymore."
"She quit being a child when Polly was born." Ben remarked, thinking back to those long, difficult days.
"But she looks like a young woman now, too. She's courtin' age now."
"So she is."
"So you do like her thatta way?"
"I didn't say that." Ben kept his eyes trained on the bits he was counting, not daring to meet Marcus' eyes.
Was he that obvious? He didn't think so. He thought he had hidden those thoughts away quite well.
"Besides," he reminded Marcus. "I'm back to being an apprentice again. I don't have anything to offer a bride, Felicity or any other ."
"So you have been thinking about it?"
"I really fail to see how it matters. It would never work."
"And why not?"
"Again, I have nothing to offer. And Felicity needs a firmer hand, I would think. Don't you agree?"
"No. She needs a patient man, that's all."
"Perhaps. It would still never work."
Marcus was smiling, Ben could hear it again when the older man replied, "We shall see."
This will be a multi-chapter, but I'm not sure how long it'll take me. It may be hit and miss as I figure out how to get it to where I want it. Please review and check out my other stories (on FictionPress too)! Sorry that this chapter is as short as it is. I'll get to the point in the next chapter though, so hang in there. Thanks!