for words. But the woman thrust her face forward and peered intently at Beth.
‘I know you,’ she declared. ‘You’re Elizabeth Farrell. What are you doing out on such a night?’
‘I saw you coming home,’ Beth said. ‘Who was the man with you?’
‘Man? I wasn’t with no man, dearie. My husband is at sea. I wouldn’t dare look at another man for fear that Rufus would find out.’
‘The man you came out of the inn with,’ Beth insisted. ‘He left you at this door. It was Adam Traherne, wasn’t it? I must know. Please tell me.’
As she spoke, Beth felt a weakness begin to overwhelm her, and a strange roaring sound filled her ears. She staggered, and would have fallen if the woman had not reached out to grasp her.
‘Here, you’d better come inside and sit down for a moment,’ the woman said worriedly. ‘You’re all in. What have you been doing with yourself?’
Beth allowed herself to be helped into the house. She closed her eyes against sickening dizziness, and the woman’s voice became fainter then faded into silence as Beth collapsed into the woman’s arms.
9
Beth came to her senses when rum seared her throat, almost choking her. She heard a woman’s voice and opened her eyes to find herself lying on the hard floor of the house. The woman straightened, a glass in her hand and a look of genuine sympathy on her gaunt face.
‘You gave me a nasty turn, fainting like that,’ she declared. ‘I thought you’d died on me, as sure as my name is Jane Mull. Can you get up?’
Beth regained her feet with Jane’s help and was led into a room and seated on a chair. Jane went to close the door, then returned, and Beth co-fronted her, grasping her arms.
‘You must help me, Jane,’ she said fervently. ‘That man you were with. It was Adam Traherne, wasn’t it?’
‘I came home alone,’ Jane replied doggedly. ‘I work at the inn while my Rufus is away, and I never walk home with any man.’
‘You say you know me by sight. You know I’m Elizabeth Farrell, and I live at Sedge Manor. If you do know about me then you must be aware that I am betrothed to Adam Traherne. He has just returned from the Americas and we are to be married very soon.’
‘I know who you are and I saw you earlier, arm in arm with Martin Cresse, who is Jonah Peake’s man. My Rufus is mate aboard the Seagull . Trouble’s building up in Falmouth, and they do say Peake is behind it.’
‘I know about it,’ Beth said. ‘Adam told me. Peake’s men tried to steal Seagull two nights ago and two of the Seagull’s crew were killed.’
‘You could have learned that from Peake.’
‘You must have given Adam some of your husband’s clothes to wear,’ Beth continued. ‘Adam and I were trapped in a cavern below Peake’s warehouse. There was no way out so Adam stripped off and swam through a cave and into the sea. He plans to get some of his men together and raid Peake’s warehouse. You must tell me if it was Adam with you. If he has gone to Traherne Court for help then I don’t have to go there, but if it wasn’t Adam then I have to warn his father, Captain Traherne. You can trust me. If Peake gets the better of the Trahernes then your husband will surely suffer along with the rest of them.’
‘It was Adam,’ Jane said reluctantly. ‘He came to the inn for help, half-dressed and half-drowned. He’d been in the sea all right. I gave him some clothes belonging to Rufus and he’s gone to fetch the excisemen to Peake’s warehouse. He told me not to tell anyone that I’d seen him. Will you stay here until Adam gets back? He’s promised to let me know what happens.’
‘I’d better go to Traherne Court and tell Jeremy Traherne.’
Beth prepared to leave, and felt quite elated as she went out into the storm and hurried along the street. But the prospect of the long walk to Traherne Court did not appeal to her, although nothing could dismay her now and she strode along with great resolution.
She
‘I know you,’ she declared. ‘You’re Elizabeth Farrell. What are you doing out on such a night?’
‘I saw you coming home,’ Beth said. ‘Who was the man with you?’
‘Man? I wasn’t with no man, dearie. My husband is at sea. I wouldn’t dare look at another man for fear that Rufus would find out.’
‘The man you came out of the inn with,’ Beth insisted. ‘He left you at this door. It was Adam Traherne, wasn’t it? I must know. Please tell me.’
As she spoke, Beth felt a weakness begin to overwhelm her, and a strange roaring sound filled her ears. She staggered, and would have fallen if the woman had not reached out to grasp her.
‘Here, you’d better come inside and sit down for a moment,’ the woman said worriedly. ‘You’re all in. What have you been doing with yourself?’
Beth allowed herself to be helped into the house. She closed her eyes against sickening dizziness, and the woman’s voice became fainter then faded into silence as Beth collapsed into the woman’s arms.
9
Beth came to her senses when rum seared her throat, almost choking her. She heard a woman’s voice and opened her eyes to find herself lying on the hard floor of the house. The woman straightened, a glass in her hand and a look of genuine sympathy on her gaunt face.
‘You gave me a nasty turn, fainting like that,’ she declared. ‘I thought you’d died on me, as sure as my name is Jane Mull. Can you get up?’
Beth regained her feet with Jane’s help and was led into a room and seated on a chair. Jane went to close the door, then returned, and Beth co-fronted her, grasping her arms.
‘You must help me, Jane,’ she said fervently. ‘That man you were with. It was Adam Traherne, wasn’t it?’
‘I came home alone,’ Jane replied doggedly. ‘I work at the inn while my Rufus is away, and I never walk home with any man.’
‘You say you know me by sight. You know I’m Elizabeth Farrell, and I live at Sedge Manor. If you do know about me then you must be aware that I am betrothed to Adam Traherne. He has just returned from the Americas and we are to be married very soon.’
‘I know who you are and I saw you earlier, arm in arm with Martin Cresse, who is Jonah Peake’s man. My Rufus is mate aboard the Seagull . Trouble’s building up in Falmouth, and they do say Peake is behind it.’
‘I know about it,’ Beth said. ‘Adam told me. Peake’s men tried to steal Seagull two nights ago and two of the Seagull’s crew were killed.’
‘You could have learned that from Peake.’
‘You must have given Adam some of your husband’s clothes to wear,’ Beth continued. ‘Adam and I were trapped in a cavern below Peake’s warehouse. There was no way out so Adam stripped off and swam through a cave and into the sea. He plans to get some of his men together and raid Peake’s warehouse. You must tell me if it was Adam with you. If he has gone to Traherne Court for help then I don’t have to go there, but if it wasn’t Adam then I have to warn his father, Captain Traherne. You can trust me. If Peake gets the better of the Trahernes then your husband will surely suffer along with the rest of them.’
‘It was Adam,’ Jane said reluctantly. ‘He came to the inn for help, half-dressed and half-drowned. He’d been in the sea all right. I gave him some clothes belonging to Rufus and he’s gone to fetch the excisemen to Peake’s warehouse. He told me not to tell anyone that I’d seen him. Will you stay here until Adam gets back? He’s promised to let me know what happens.’
‘I’d better go to Traherne Court and tell Jeremy Traherne.’
Beth prepared to leave, and felt quite elated as she went out into the storm and hurried along the street. But the prospect of the long walk to Traherne Court did not appeal to her, although nothing could dismay her now and she strode along with great resolution.
She
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