Ben nodded. ‘I guess the nanny retired there—when she had her breakdown, like Phillipa said.’
‘Yes.’ He pictured Jenna sitting on the step which he had walked across only that morning and felt a shiver pass through him. He took the next.
29 July
Dear William
Weve had a frightfull storm here for days. Mrs D promised her sister wood be here to help me when baby came but she wasnt because of the waves so my neybor had to come in and help instead. She has had three children and she was very nice. I thort I was going to have to do it all on my own! Imagine that although I dont expext you want to. Nanny one is still stuck on St Mary’s but I expext she will come when she can get across to check me and baby. But every one has been so kind considerring I am a fallen woman! So funny—fallen off what? I think I won them round with Stranger on the Shore. Hah. So if you get this when you come for your tea you can hold your name sake. William. It soots him so much. He is the most perfect baby in the entire world. He has blue eyes and chubby little fingers with nails that look like seashells and he knows I am his mummy allready. Do you remember I told you about being delivered of a prince and how silly it sounded to me? Well now I know. Hes in this world and he’s just himself but he belongs entirely to me. I never knew what happiness was untill this. You wont get this for weeks as I cant even post it now. The wind is lashing at the thach and its scarry. The waves are so bad they cant leave the childrens home at all or get food there. Were all thinking of those poor little mites. Some of the men are going to brave the corrsway tomorrow with ropes as its to ruff for the tractor. I wouldnt let my little William do something like that even when hes a big strong man. Hes going to be safe when he grows up.
Please come and see us when you get this. If this storm ever stops! Imagine if there was a storm that never ended. Isnt that a horrible thort.
All my love, Jenna
Ben frowned. ‘She did love her baby then—before she got sick like Oily said. That’s really sad.’ Aleksey nodded in agreement. He shifted so the little dog was not so constricted and the wheezy snoring lessened. ‘Maybe being cooped up in that lighthouse and not allowed to go out just drove her mad. It would me.’
Aleksey agreed—he wouldn’t want to be cooped up in a lighthouse with Benjamin Rider-Mikkelsen either. He could see that ending badly for both of them, despite other factors which ought to have mitigated the situation. ‘The housekeeper not only gave Jenna her cottage to live in, she somehow persuaded her sister, the nanny, to help out at the birth, even if she couldn’t actually make it across in time. Sixteen, unmarried, and entirely alone in the world. It seems the least these older women could do for her. I’m glad. How much longer?’
Ben checked his display. ‘Not long.’
‘It must be the same storm that delayed the letters getting to William in the lighthouse. There doesn’t seem to be anything in these that someone could be killed for.’
2 Aurgust
‘Her spelling is now officially worse than yours, by the way. I think I owe Dr Delectable’s research assistant a bonus if they had to decipher phonetic Cornish.’
William
Please can you come and see me.
I need to talk to you.
I dont even no if theyre sending my letters. Every one is looking at me as if I am mad. Something has happened to William. I think he is very sick. He was absolootly fine and my neighber Mrs Baker was popping in to help me and is being so kind like I told you. Nanny finally made it over alltho she said the sea was still ruff and she did look pale and shaky. I was wurryed about her holding William in case she droped him but she said he would be fine and that I was tired and needed a good nights sleep. She made me a nice hot drink and I did have a lovely sleep because I was not up all night with little William feeding him like I have been. But when I woke up and she gave him back to me for his feed he wasnt fine! Hes really sick. I screamed and screamed and said she had to get the docter and in the end Mrs Baker sent for him and he came from St Mary’s on the next boat and he said I was just being histerical and that William was very healthy for a mongolod baby! What dus that meen? No one will tell me. I dont know what to do! Pleese, pleese come. No one will lissen to me. This isnt my William.
Jenna
Aleksey felt a sense of numbness as he came to that last word, the repetition of her name once more, such a tiny sound on such a vast ocean of darkness.Jenna... He folded the letter and stared out over the cold sea.
Ben had his head lowered. ‘That can’t be true. I don’t believe it.’
Aleksey blew out a long breath. ‘It rather explains their desperation to cover it up though, doesn’t it? Something to kill for?’
‘Jesus. Read the next one.’
3 Aurgust I think
William
They said he has to go into the assilum. All children like him go into assilums because you cannot keep them at home. They said hed be better off and I have no say in it. No one will believe me that this is not my baby. Nanny said I dissgusted her with my ungreatfull behaveur. Shes gone back to London.
What am I going to do?
5 Aurgust
William
I think theyre taking my letters.
I think Im going mad. I heard bells last night when I couldnt sleep and the baby was crying and crying. Maybe they were just from the church but I dont think so. I think I could hear the bells from under the sea from Lyonesse. My father said all fishermen hear the bells of Lyonesse just before a storm comes and takes their boat to join the fishing fleet of the dead.
