The Fisher Lass by Margaret Dickinson

follow his fellow trawler owner up the steps.
    For a moment Robert made no move but, from his vantage point, he watched Jeannie make her way back to where a young man and a girl stood together, obviously waiting for her. He ran lightly down
the steps and followed her. As he neared the three, they turned to face him. Robert nodded briefly to Jeannie and then to Grace, feeling once more as he did so, the flush of shame creep up his
neck. He cleared his throat with a nervous sound and turned to face the young man. Strangely, both Tom and his sister refused to meet Robert’s eyes. Only the red-haired girl’s green
eyes met his challengingly. Despite his father’s orders, he could not lie to these people, so instead he said quietly, ‘If I promise to let you know, myself, immediately we have news,
would you – I mean – could you, please, say nothing to anyone else for the present?’
    Jeannie, quick on the uptake, said, ‘Aye, I thought your father was avoiding answering my question.’
    Keeping his voice level, Robert found himself replying to her, for the other two had not opened their mouths. ‘Well, in a way, yes, he was, but I think . . .’ He hesitated, for he
was in danger of lying too now and he hated being forced into doing so. ‘The truth is,’ he began afresh, ‘that we ourselves know very little at present and we don’t want
rumours to spread before we know the truth.’
    Now Tom spoke, his tone deferential. ‘But you think something has happened then, sir? To the
Sea Spray
?’
    Robert swallowed again, conscious the whole time of Jeannie’s steady, unforgiving gaze upon him. ‘Something’s happened, yes, but – but we don’t know what.
Yet.’
    The young girl was crying now, clinging to her brother’s arm. ‘Oh no, not Dad. Not our dad.’
    Robert’s eyes, full of sympathy and contrition, turned towards her. ‘I’m so sorry. So very sorry,’ he whispered and, as the three pairs of eyes now looked upon him, he
knew that they were all aware that he was not only apologizing for the tragedy which may have befallen the Lawrence family, but also for his part in the disgraceful incident on the night before his
wedding.
    He saw Tom Lawrence give a brief nod. ‘Yes, sir, I do believe you are.’ And Robert felt that the young man too was referring to both events. He felt himself relax a little, believing
that his apology had been tacitly accepted, but when he turned to look directly at Jeannie he saw in her fine eyes that her understanding was not forthcoming.
    Abruptly, he turned away, saying over his shoulder, ‘I’ll keep you informed. I promise,’ before he strode away.
    As he ran back up the steps and into the building, Robert Hayes-Gorton was still thinking about the girl with the fiery hair.
    More than anything, he had wanted her forgiveness.

Eleven
    ‘What are we to tell your mother?’ Jeannie asked.
    Tom hesitated and glanced at his sister. ‘I don’t think we should tell her anything. Not yet. What do you think, Grace?’
    ‘Not tell her?’ Jeannie was scandalized. ‘You mean we’re going to walk into that house and act as if – as if nothing’s happened?’
    Now Tom would not meet her eyes. ‘There’s no point in upsetting her. Not till we know for certain. We’ll just say his boat isn’t in yet.’ He spread his hands.
‘After all, we don’t really know that anything has happened. Do we?’
    ‘But you heard what
he
said?’ Jeannie could not bring herself to refer to Robert by name. ‘Something’s going on.’
    ‘Yes, I heard,’ Tom said with quiet patience and resignation. ‘And I heard him promise to let us know as soon as he knew more himself. And he will.’
    Jeannie gave a snort of contempt. ‘You think so?’
    She made to turn away with an angry movement, but now Grace caught her arm. ‘Please, Jeannie, don’t say anything to Mam. Let’s do what Tom says.’
    Jeannie shrugged her shoulders, but her mouth was still tight. She hated deceit of