Chapter Thirty-Three
S he woke, lying on her bed, to the horrible odour of burned feathers waved under her nose by Madame Durand.
‘That will do, madame ,’ John said. ‘Leave us.’ The door closed behind her.
She tried to sit up, but the room still revolved.
John held her close as she sobbed. ‘There is the letter,’ she managed to say, ‘over there.’ He ignored the letter, then lay down beside her.
She clung to his hand. ‘I never would have let her go, but he was her uncle and…and… You see that official letter. What have I done ?’
He held her close as she tried to burrow inside him, anything to be swallowed up and disappear. ‘You did what anyone would have done. My God, I would have done the same thing, had I been here with you. Shh, shh, no tears.’
That was easy to say, she thought as she wept. She heard John’s low voice: ‘Pru, Allan, I’ll speak to you soon. Give us a moment.’ The door closed.
‘They’re back from the parish school. They need me,’ she said, rubbing her eyes because they hurt from so many tears.
‘They can wait. Hear me out.’
She lay in his arms, desperate to find out what he knew. She hoped it would make her feel better, but knew it wouldn’t because Sofia was gone.
‘Captain Tyler and the Hartford were sailing in tandem with us. We’re doing that more and more. We came across a yacht drifting, and boarded her.’ He paused and she saw the pain in his eyes. ‘The crew was dead, and so was an old gentleman.’
‘Sofia’s uncle,’ she whispered, anticipating his answer.
‘We only knew that because the yacht’s captain, a man named Luigi, lay there beside him, barely alive.’
She shuddered, and he held her tighter.
‘What he managed to say before he died was that they had been boarded by a French ship—probably La Guerre —carrying Sofia Callona’s uncle, the one you met.’
‘She…she knew him. She was so pleased to see him. She thought… Oh, John, he was to take her to England!’
‘Wrong brother, and how would she have known? She was distanced from the whole business because she was in that convent school in Rome.’
‘Such a nice man,’ Anna said softly. ‘So courtly, so dignified.’
‘So traitorous. Mr Marsing and I pieced the story together from what Luigi managed to tell us. There were two uncles, one loyal to Napoleon, an afrancesado , as the Spanish would say—oh, don’t get me started on the Spanish, who can’t decide whose side they are on!’
‘John,’ she said quietly, as calm reason began to peep out from wherever it had fled in terror.
‘Aye. The other uncle was opposed to our despot from Corsica, that damned Bonaparte.’
‘What else?’
‘That’s all we know. Luigi died.’ He held up the letter. ‘The count you saw obviously confiscated this from the yacht. He killed his own brother.’ He shook his head. ‘The things people do for a little power…’
They lay there in silence. She wondered if he slept now, imagining that once this long war ended he would probably sleep for a week, perhaps hibernate for a winter.
‘John, you need to know something else. It may not matter, but it might.’
‘Tell me.’ He sighed. ‘If you could make it good news, I’d be grateful.’
‘I don’t know what it is. After you sailed last time, Pru went down those steps again. You remember, the ones down to the inlet.’
He smiled at that. ‘What a delight! I have to admit it was grand of you to give us a send-off from our own private inlet last time. All the same, better tell Pru not to do that again by herself. Those steps look risky.’
‘I’ve already mentioned it to her. But you might find this useful,’ she told him. ‘She went down near dusk after you’d left this last time, and discovered a torch burning. There were two torches by the rope ladder. Do you think…?’
She knew her man. He raised up on one elbow to look at her.
‘We have wondered how someone always seems to know when we are in port. One torch? That might be the signal for the Swallow leaving port.’ He lay back and stared at the ceiling. ‘Two torches probably mean our arrival.’
He pulled her close this time, as if wanting to burrow inside her for his comfort. ‘This changes everything. We have to be certain, Anna. Up you get. God forgive me, but I am about to tell a monumental lie to our children.’
She heard our children the loudest and longest, until monumental lie pushed its way through, shouldering aside the sweetness. He opened the door, stepping back in surprise because the children still waited there. Anna watched John kneeling down to gather Pru and Allan close.
‘We heard Missy crying,’ Allan said, his expression troubled.
‘She was overjoyed to see me, laddie. That is all,’ her generally truthful husband said, and then, ‘I’ll admit I was near tears of joy myself, to learn that Sofia is now in the care of her uncle, who will see her to a better place.’
You can be a shrewd liar , she thought. She is certainly in the care of her uncle. As for a better place? Unlikely . Still, it sounded true enough to satisfy the children. She glanced at Pru watching, not wary now but considering. Maybe she would always be that way.
Anna exchanged glances with her husband. ‘You or me, dear?’ she asked.
She was right. ‘Me,’ he said, then smiled at his son. ‘Allan, I have something for you in my duffel. It’s right on top.’
Allan brightened. ‘Where?’
‘I left it inside the front door.’
When Allan hurried off, John held out his arms to Pru. ‘We haven’t much time, but Allan is too young to hear this. Come here, Pru.’
She settled on his lap.
‘Pru, I didn’t want to tell you what really happened, but I know you are more aware than I have given you credit for.’ Another breath. ‘The man who came for Sofia was her uncle, aye, but let me tell you what happened to her other uncle. It’s not a pretty story.’
He was economical with his words. Anna watched Pru’s face and saw the sadness.
‘I was hoping it would be different,’ she said at last, then half turned on John’s lap to look at his face. ‘You told Allan and me that Sofia was in safe hands. You’re not really very good at lying, Captain Beattie.’
‘Maybe I don’t do it enough,’ he replied, which made Pru shake her head.
Anna took Pru’s hands in her own. ‘Tell us how you knew he was lying.’
‘Your voice changed, sir. You looked at me then looked away.’
‘You’ve had too many people tell you one thing and do another, haven’t you?’ he asked. ‘I won’t do that again.’
‘I would know if you did,’ Pru said. ‘What is really in your duffel?’
‘It really is a sack of lemon drops. I know Allan likes them. Do you like lemon drops?’
‘I’ve never tried one,’ she said longingly.
‘Tell Allan to share, Captain’s orders.’
‘Aye, sir,’ she said, and darted away.
‘You are amazing,’ Anna said.
‘I’m an idiot for trying to fool a wise child,’ he said frankly. ‘Now, what should I do?’
‘Kiss me and then we’ll have dinner.’
‘That’s hardly a punishment.’
‘It isn’t meant to be. I think that men usually underestimate the fairer sex,’ she said, then kissed him. ‘Don’t do that again.’
‘I won’t. Promise.’ He kissed her back. ‘Mrs Beattie, this could become a habit.’
Dinner was a hurried affair, after John announced to Madame Durand that he was returning to the Swallow to get the ship to sea as soon as possible. ‘Do tell Hector to have the pony trap ready after dark. We’ll get a better wind then.’
He was quiet through dinner, his thoughts miles away.
What are you thinking? Anna asked herself, wanting to ask him out loud, but not with the children there.
There was a set look to his jaw, a resolve.
She watched his face through two courses of Madame Durand’s delicious meal—amazing how proficient she was on short notice—and to the three cheeses dipped in mahonnaise , invented in Port Mahon, some said.
He spoke to Madame Durand. ‘Dear lady, would you let the children help you clear the table? I’d like a moment alone with my wife.
’ He shook his head. ‘This is a short visit. We’ll be outside the sitting room.
I like those canvas chairs on the veranda.
If I fall asleep and start to snore, Mrs Beattie will nudge me. ’
Madame Durand nodded. ‘I could do with their help.’ She leaned closer and spoke softly. ‘I can distract them far longer, Capitaine .’
‘No need. Let them help you in a leisurely fashion, then send them here. We’ll all enjoy the sunset.’
‘ Mais oui .’ Madame marshalled her forces. ‘Come, children, you may eat the leftover titbits if you are efficient.’
When they left the dining room bearing dishes, John moved his chair closer. ‘I have a bold idea, one which I doubt you will approve of, but which I need done most particularly.’
‘That’s a little mysterious,’ she said.
He kept his hand on her thigh, as if drawing comfort from touch alone. ‘Needs must, Anna, needs must,’ he said finally, sounding tired.
They walked from the dining room to the sitting room, then through the glass doors onto the veranda, where he sank into a canvas chair.
She pulled her chair closer, craving every second in his orbit.
There was a chill in the evening air, which surprised her, considering that it was June in a warm spot in the universe, a beautiful island with seabirds quarrelling on the air currents and nesting birds rustling nearby, tending to little ones of their own.
‘I like it here,’ he said. ‘I do wish Admiral Collingwood could know the peace that I feel right now.’
‘He would if he had his wife and children near as you do, my love.’
He smiled at my love , and she wondered, slightly panicked, if she had said that before. ‘I’m probably the envy of the fleet, except…’
She did not know what he would have said because Allan sneaked up behind him and covered his eyes, with Pru smiling beside him.
How many days like this is my husband permitted? she thought, hoping for many, but aware, as never before, of the cost of command.
‘I have a task for you, Pru,’ he said. ‘I wouldn’t ask it, but I am curious about something.’
‘Please, no,’ Anna whispered, suddenly knowing.
John touched her leg. ‘Trust me.’