Gosh, I don't know, it's been a while since I read it actually--but I can easily imagine Howl a) feigning reluctance to provide food for his wife and child and b)being genuinely afraid of what Sophie will do to him after he turned her into a cat. She's a scary lady, and he is a coward.

(And thank you! Abdullah's dialogue is a treat to write. Some people find it annoying, but they have no poetry in their souls.)