waves. Since it was a dry day, with the sun occasionally peeping out from behind the clouds, most of the company stayed on deck to watch the coastline of England recede slowly behind them. Nicholas Bracewell stood at the bulwark with Anne Hendrik, hoping that the rest of the voyage would be as smooth as its beginning but knowing that many hazards could well lie ahead. George Dart joined them on the crowded deck.
‘Are you reminded of your days as a sailor, Nicholas?’ he said.
‘Yes, George,’ replied the other.
‘This ship must be much smaller than the
Golden Hind
.’
‘Oh, no. The
Cormorant
is bigger in every way.’
Dart was disappointed. ‘But the
Golden Hind
is famous.’
‘Not for its size,’ said Anne. ‘I’ve seen her.’
‘I lived in her for almost three years,’ recalled Nicholas, ‘so I know her dimensions by heart. She was seventy feet in length whereas the
Cormorant
must be at least twenty feet longer. The
Golden Hind’s
beam was nineteen feet, narrower than the one we have here. While we carried eighteen cannon, they have almost double that number on board today. Our reputation made the ship seem much larger than she really was, George.’
‘If you were to sail around the world again,’ asked Dart, ‘which of the two vessels would you choose?’
‘Neither of them,’ said Nicholas with a smile, ‘because I never wish to undergo such trials and tribulations again. When we left London, we had five ships. Only one returned to Plymouth – that tells its own story. I lost a lot of good friends on the voyage,’ he went on wistfully. ‘The sea can be a cruel tyrant.’
‘I hope you lose none of us on this ship.’
‘So do I, George.’
‘Nothing could be worse than drowning.’
Dart looked anxiously down at the sea, smacking the bows of the ship as it plunged into another wave. Spray was thrown up into his face and there was a salty taste on his lips. He was soon diverted. When he saw Owen Elias come up on deck, he moved across to the Welshman to stare at his injuries with ghoulish interest. Anne noticed the battered face for the first time.
‘Whatever happened to Owen?’ she asked.
‘He was set on by two ruffians last night.’
‘Why?’
‘Drink had probably been taken,’ said Nicholas, not wishing to divulge what he had been told. ‘It’s all that some men need in order to pick a fight.’
‘There must have been more to it than that, Nick.’
‘I think not. Owen is a strong man – he beat them away. His injuries will heal in time. They will have to, because he could not act on a stage like that. The sea air will be good for him.’
She eyed him shrewdly. ‘You are hiding something.’
‘Why should I do that?’
‘You must tell me.’
‘There’s nothing to tell, Anne.’
‘I know you too well,’ she said, looking him straight in the eye. ‘When you conceal things, it’s usually because you want to protect me. What is it that you are keeping from me this time?’
Nicholas shrugged. ‘It is only a silly idea of Owen’s.’
‘Tell me about it.’ He hesitated. ‘I’ll not be baulked, Nick. I have a feeling that this might concern me.’
‘It does,’ he conceded, electing to tell her the truth. ‘Owen believes that he was attacked because of the way he helped to catch that man at the Dutch Churchyard.’
She blenched. ‘Then I
am
involved here.’
‘No, Anne.’
‘Had I not told you about that incident there, you and Owen would not have mounted a vigil at the churchyard. In other words,’ she said guiltily, ‘I must take some of the blame for his injuries.’
‘That’s foolish talk.’
‘Preben told you not to bother on his account.’
‘I thought only of you, Anne,’ he said, taking her hand.‘The stone that hit Preben could just as easily have been hurled at you. Imagine that. You might have been disfigured or even blinded.’
She tensed slightly. ‘That did occur to me at the time.’
‘I wanted to catch the man
‘Are you reminded of your days as a sailor, Nicholas?’ he said.
‘Yes, George,’ replied the other.
‘This ship must be much smaller than the
Golden Hind
.’
‘Oh, no. The
Cormorant
is bigger in every way.’
Dart was disappointed. ‘But the
Golden Hind
is famous.’
‘Not for its size,’ said Anne. ‘I’ve seen her.’
‘I lived in her for almost three years,’ recalled Nicholas, ‘so I know her dimensions by heart. She was seventy feet in length whereas the
Cormorant
must be at least twenty feet longer. The
Golden Hind’s
beam was nineteen feet, narrower than the one we have here. While we carried eighteen cannon, they have almost double that number on board today. Our reputation made the ship seem much larger than she really was, George.’
‘If you were to sail around the world again,’ asked Dart, ‘which of the two vessels would you choose?’
‘Neither of them,’ said Nicholas with a smile, ‘because I never wish to undergo such trials and tribulations again. When we left London, we had five ships. Only one returned to Plymouth – that tells its own story. I lost a lot of good friends on the voyage,’ he went on wistfully. ‘The sea can be a cruel tyrant.’
‘I hope you lose none of us on this ship.’
‘So do I, George.’
‘Nothing could be worse than drowning.’
Dart looked anxiously down at the sea, smacking the bows of the ship as it plunged into another wave. Spray was thrown up into his face and there was a salty taste on his lips. He was soon diverted. When he saw Owen Elias come up on deck, he moved across to the Welshman to stare at his injuries with ghoulish interest. Anne noticed the battered face for the first time.
‘Whatever happened to Owen?’ she asked.
‘He was set on by two ruffians last night.’
‘Why?’
‘Drink had probably been taken,’ said Nicholas, not wishing to divulge what he had been told. ‘It’s all that some men need in order to pick a fight.’
‘There must have been more to it than that, Nick.’
‘I think not. Owen is a strong man – he beat them away. His injuries will heal in time. They will have to, because he could not act on a stage like that. The sea air will be good for him.’
She eyed him shrewdly. ‘You are hiding something.’
‘Why should I do that?’
‘You must tell me.’
‘There’s nothing to tell, Anne.’
‘I know you too well,’ she said, looking him straight in the eye. ‘When you conceal things, it’s usually because you want to protect me. What is it that you are keeping from me this time?’
Nicholas shrugged. ‘It is only a silly idea of Owen’s.’
‘Tell me about it.’ He hesitated. ‘I’ll not be baulked, Nick. I have a feeling that this might concern me.’
‘It does,’ he conceded, electing to tell her the truth. ‘Owen believes that he was attacked because of the way he helped to catch that man at the Dutch Churchyard.’
She blenched. ‘Then I
am
involved here.’
‘No, Anne.’
‘Had I not told you about that incident there, you and Owen would not have mounted a vigil at the churchyard. In other words,’ she said guiltily, ‘I must take some of the blame for his injuries.’
‘That’s foolish talk.’
‘Preben told you not to bother on his account.’
‘I thought only of you, Anne,’ he said, taking her hand.‘The stone that hit Preben could just as easily have been hurled at you. Imagine that. You might have been disfigured or even blinded.’
She tensed slightly. ‘That did occur to me at the time.’
‘I wanted to catch the man
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