‘It’s bedtime for you two,’ Anna said, keeping her voice light after such solemnity. ‘Allan, I found your favourite soap when I was cleaning out the linen closet. Would you find me another bar in there? I like it, too.’
Allan ran ahead, but Pru walked sedately between them. ‘If I could give you a medal, brave girl, I would,’ John told her when Allan was out of earshot. ‘Thank you.’
She took their hands. ‘Captain, you gave me something better than a medal: a home. Thank you and goodnight! I can read to Allan tonight.’
She skipped ahead, too, a child and no conspirator. John put his arm around Anna.
‘I am leaving as soon as I can, but I need to lie down for a few minutes at least,’ he told her, his lips close to her ear. ‘It might be wild surmise, but making sure I am in port means they can harass theHartford. It chafes me. Together, we two ships can keepLa Guerreat bay. Separate, the smallerHartfordis fair game.’
‘I know I’m sounding like Allan…’
‘But why?’ he teased, finishing her question. ‘This is for you only: Captain Tyler thinksLa Guerreis landing French troops on Mallorca. Just a few at a time, so as not to arouse suspicion.’
‘Why these islands?’
‘If he can’t conquer England—Trafalgar and our blockade have stopped him—Napoleon wants to control the Mediterranean. Maybe he has designs on Egypt again. Men like Napoleon are never satisfied. He wants the Royal Navy gone. What better start than to take Menorca and fortify it for France?’
‘And here you are in a small ship,’ she said.
‘Two ships,’ he corrected. ‘Anna, I am going to make a leap of logic and assume two torches mean what we think. I will alert Captain Tyler. We will formulate a plan. I don’t know what it will look like, but trust me.’ His smile was genuine and comforting; she knew it. ‘I have asked that of you again and again.’
‘I trust you, dear man,’ she said simply. ‘I always will.’
You are dear to me, she thought, and not for the first time. Maybe she was admitting it to herself at last.
‘Keep that in mind,’ he told her, his voice just as soft.
They stood in their bedchamber then. Was this the moment she’d wanted? Who knew when a time would ever be right? Theywere but two puny people in the middle of constant, grinding war. What she wanted to know mattered to no one except her.
‘Before you leave, tell me about Cathy. I know you treasure her portrait. I want to know her a little.’
She heard his involuntary catch of breath, then a sigh that sounded like relief. Maybe he had been wanting to speak about her, but didn’t think it a kind subject for his new wife. Or she could be horribly, terribly wrong.
Trust me, she thought, as though willing the words into his very soul.Trust me.
He made himself comfortable, settling into their bed, pulling her down beside him, his grip loose.
‘She was my dear love,’ he said. ‘I can’t recall a time I didn’t love her.’ He chuckled, which relieved her heart. ‘I didn’t even propose. I came back from the Indies, held her close and asked, “Should we spend three weeks crying the banns, or get a special licence and marry fast?” Anna, I paid a fortune for a special licence. And look, I did it again for you!’
She attempted a smile, feeling a pang as she considered how different the circumstances were. He rested her head against his chest, maybe as if she were Cathy. His voice turned serious then.
‘She knew even then she had consumption. She didn’t tell me until I returned from the Nile. I didn’t know what to say. She told me she yearned for a child, which could have been a death sentence. Allan was born nine months later, when I was in the Caribbean.’
He stood suddenly and paced the room. She said nothing that might stop the flow of words. He sat down again, cross-legged on their bed, and stared at her.
‘Her skin was so pale and she had no energy. Thank God we could afford a wet nurse and nanny. Every exertion exhausted her.’
Anna leaned forward and put her hand on his knee. He covered it with his hand, then got up again and picked up his uniform coat, rummaging. He returned to bed with a folded note.
‘Light the lamp.’
She did so.
He handed the paper to her. ‘Her original letter faded with time and brine. I’ve copied it several times since. Please read it.’
She felt his eyes on her as she read silently, her heart going out to this couple she didn’t know, because this was a different husband from the man beside her.
Dearest, I knew. Don’t despise me for that, Johnny. I wanted to know the delight of you, and if God was benevolent, I wanted the blessing of our baby.
