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Silence followed Mrs. Honeysett’s words, and Morvoren held her breath until Mr. Honeysett spoke again.

“Even if she be lyin’?”

“Yes, even if she be lyin’,” Mrs. Honeysett returned.

Morvoren blanched. They all suspected her?

“We don’t know ’er reasons for doin’ so, nor what she even be lyin’ ’bout,” Mrs. Honeysett continued. “But to I, it ’ardly matters. ’Twas your nets that drowned ’er, so we’ll be ’elpin’ ’er ’til she be fitty.”

“I didn’t drown ’er, for Heaven’s—”

“Stop, Trevik. She’ll ’ear ye.”

Their voices continued, though too softly for Morvoren to decipher another word. It was just as well. She knew Mr. Honeysett would continue to accuse her of lies and Mrs. Honeysett would defend her further—even though Morvoren had, in fact, lied to her from the very start.

That knowledge alone was enough to shake the foundations of Morvoren’s decisions, but she reminded herself once again what—and whom—she’d left behind.

She would continue with her lies, if only because she could not go back to her uncle, nor the man he intended for her to wed.

CHAPTER TEN

After being thoroughly scolded by Mother again, Trevik had spent the rest of the day catching up on his sleep and helping in the cellars, doing anything to avoid being near Miss Hollow.

How the woman had managed to dupe his own family to be on her side instead of his was beyond him. Clearly, she was lying about her memory. Her accent had strengthened, though not as greatly as theirs, and she had far too strong an opinion about fishermen—seiners and drifters alike—to have no recollection of either.

After their argument during luncheon, Miss Hollow hadn’t joined them for dinner that evening. She was simply evading his family to avoid being caught in her lies, but Mother had blamed Trevik instead.

“She’d be out ’ere with us if she didn’t fear she’d be questioned by ye all the time, Trevik,” she’d said in a whisper as they cleaned up the meal. “I do think she be in trouble, son. Whether with the law or something else, I don’t know. But she was adamant that ’er name wasn’t to be spread about St. Just. Poppy and I ’ave decided to honor that. Dr. Kent, too. Will ye?”

Trevik had reluctantly agreed, if only to end his mother’s arguments in the woman’s defense.

He regretted being the cause of Miss Hollow’s injury more than anything. He hated knowing that he’d truly wounded someone. But now more than ever, he was beginning to regret the accident if only because of how much trouble Miss Hollow was proving to be for him.

Bidding farewell to his mother and sister, Trevik closed the door behind him, setting off across the footpath that led from his home at the south curve of the cove down to the small harbor at the center.

He was eager to sail that evening, to clear his mind on the waves. Hard work always did a man’s mind good. And hard work at sea was worth double.

“Evenin’, Trevik.”

Trevik glanced up as Gryffyn stepped out of his own home and joined him on the pathway. “Evenin’, Gryff.”

“Ye ready for another night?”

“As always.”

They fell in step beside each other, a few other men filtering from their cottages farther down the pathway.

“Your mother and sister all right?”

Trevik nodded.

“And the mermaid?”

He glanced at Gryffyn sidelong. Humor was laced in his friend’s words, but Trevik wasn’t in the mood for such teasing after the scoldings he’d received. “Don’t ye be startin’ with that belief now.”

Gryffyn chuckled. “’Tain’t in the mood, are ye?”

Trevik rubbed the back of his neck. “Not after findin’ out that the woman’ll be ’ere ’til Monday next.”