A few strong strokes and he had them to the ladder. He held the nearest post while she struggled to get her booted foot on the lowest rung which was somewhere near her shoulders. It was an awkward thing, and if there was a part of her Mr. Belvedere had not touched or bumped as he tried to help her get her feet on it, she wouldn’t know. Finally she pulled herself dripping and shaking to the next highest rung and then the next. The water streamed down her, and her dress—thankfully a dark brown—was as heavy as wet drapes on washday. Captain Wentworth and the mate both extended their hands to help her clamber over the edge and onto the wharf.
The sun was set now, and only lingering twilight lit the sky and water as Mr. Belvedere came hand over hand up the ladder to join them. Captain Wentworth helped him, too, although Mr. Belvedere did it with significantly more grace and strength than she had.
Anne fetched Sophia’s cloak, and a sailor ran it down the gangplank to them. Captain Wentworth helped Sophia tug it around her shoulders and tie it. She futilely pushed back her hair, which now hung in wet strands around her face.
“Are you quite well, Mrs. Scott?” he asked. “Didn’t hit your head on the ship as you fell, did you?”
“No—no. I am just tired and shaken.”
Mr. Belvedere looked a little pale around the mouth, but his cheeks were quite red. The wind picked up and cut through their wet clothes.
There was a moment of silence as the men contemplated Mr. Belvedere, and he stared back.
“Well? Shall we head back to the ship?” Mr. Belvedere demanded. “I haven’t any hankering to stand here making puddles, and Mrs. Scott is chilled to the bone.”
“Apologies,” said Wentworth, “I suppose I thought you would run. I might’ve misjudged you.”
“I might’ve given you reason,” Mr. Belvedere allowed. “But currently, I have every desire to get back on that ship and into dry clothes.”
“Yes, quite,” Wentworth said. “I promise we shall give you both time to explain further, but weshallrequire explanations.”
“I wouldn’t expect any less.” Mr. Belvedere gave her a quick wink as he stepped across the gangplank to theLady Mary.
She hoped Mr. Belvedere had a plan for himself, for she was now at a complete loss, the water having stolen the last of her gumption.
24
Caroline held Sophia’s door for her and followed her into her tiny cabin to help her change. Despite Sophia’s full-body shivering and quivering lips, it wasn’t a fully compassionate impulse. Caroline wassointensely curious. She was sure she was right about most of her guesses, but she wanted to hear Sophia’s thoughts.
She wasn’tunsympathetic to her of course, but if Caroline could be kindandindulge her intense desire to get answers, there was nothing wrong with that.
“Th-thank you,” Sophia said. “But you can send Minnie?—”
Caroline expertly undid her buttons. “Do you really want a servant mixed up in this business? Besides, she is tending Lady Marston who was—er—temporarily overcome after that ugly business above.” Caroline was rather proud of her phrasing. There were not many genteel ways to say that one woman hadpushedanother off the edge of a ship, probably hoping she woulddrown.
Although that was another question in Caroline’s mind. What was Lady Marston’s goal? Was she merely overcome to theexclusion of all rational thought, or did she truly hope to silence Sophia for good? Was she truly a murderer at heart?
Despite the mystery that Caroline unraveled, she could not quite believe that Lady Marston was a cold-blooded killer. She must’ve known someone would dive for Sophia… but she was certainly angry that Mr. Belvedere had saved her so promptly.
Caroline helped Sophia peel off her wet dress—the tight sleeves clung like seaweed to her arms and had to be inched off. Her serviceable corset was easy to unhook, but her chemise was just as wet. Caroline helped her get it all loose and then turned away as Sophia sloughed the final things into a sopping pile on the floor. Once Sophia had shimmied into another clean chemise, Caroline turned back to help her do up her second corset. Sophia’s fingers were still too clumsy to manage the hooks, and her teeth chattered, but more from delayed fright than cold
“The cook is making a fresh pot of tea.” Caroline worked her way up the side. “You shall have some directly.”
“Yes, p-please.”
“Now then, tell me what you are thinking. The fake Sir Mark has confessed, we all heard him. But did you not guess he was an imposter?”
“I didn’t.” Sophia pulled away once Caroline was done. She drew out a warm shawl and wrapped it tightly around her shoulders. Wool stockings completed her toilette, although with her boots soaked through, she had only serviceable slippers to wear. She used a linen towel to dry her hair and twisted it into a messy knot. “It must sound incredible, but I didn’t. I even indulged the wish that I’d met him sooner. He was a good deal kinder than Lady Marston, which surprised me.”
“I believe you. Lady Marston would have wanted to keep everyone in the dark.”
In the diningroom once more, Sophia found a fresh pot of tea waiting for her, along with most of the other passengers. Richard explained that Lady Marston was in her room with Minnie, but there were questions to be answered.
Sir Mark—or whoever he was?—licked his lips and looked uncertainly at Sophia. Several sailors stood in the passageway with their strong arms crossed over their chests. They completely blocked the ladder up to the deck.
Mr. Belvedere sat at the table in dry clothes with his wet hair brushed back from his face. He wrapped both hands around a mug quite a bit larger than a teacup and took a deep sip. He raised it in salute to her. “Hot toddy. Highly recommend.”
“I think I’ll stick to tea.” Sophia sat by Anne, who poured her a cup of tea, adding the customary goat milk.
