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Mr. Honeysett, however, maintained his stoic expression, swirling his drink back and forth in his glass, having yet to take a single sip.

“Did ye…” Mrs. Honeysett hesitated before Morvoren urged her to continue. “Did ye really ’ave a friend ’ere in Sennen?”

Morvoren pumped her head up and down, anxious for them to know she wasn’t a total wretch. “Yes, I truly thought she’d be here. After I swam, I was fully intendin’ on walkin’ to Sennen. I had no idea she wouldn’t be here. Although, I…” She hung her head. “I hadn’t corresponded with her like I said. I didn’t have the time ’fore I left. I realize now, had I waited for a response from her, all o’ this could’ve been avoided, and for that, I be sorry.” She paused, shaking her head. “For everythin’, I be sorry. I ne’er meant to hurt any of ye.”

She paused, reaching into her portmanteau at her feet and retrieving the coin purse. She withdrew a few coins—enough for a night at the inn and perhaps a bit of food—then dropped the purse on the table before Mrs. Honeysett. “I hope what be left will suffice for the trouble I’ve caused ye all in bringin’ I down here for no reason.”

Finally, Morvoren stopped, staring down at her plate of untouched food and wallowing in her shame. If she didn’t wish to allow the Honeysetts an opportunity to share their true feelings about her, she would’ve left right then. But she owed them that much.

Mrs. Honeysett leaned back in her seat, the wood creaking out across the room. “Well, what an ordeal ye’ve been through, even before ye were near-drowned.” She eyed the coin purse, then glanced between her son and daughter. “But ordeal or not, ’course we forgive ye for actin’ in a way ye only deemed fit for survivin’. Don’t we?”

Poppy instantly nodded, but Mr. Honeysett’s silence remained. Mrs. Honeysett either chose to ignore her son or simply didn’t see his lack of response, for she leaned forward and pushed the coin purse toward Morvoren. “And we’ll not be takin’ that.”

Morvoren shook her head. “Please. I have to give ye somethin’ for all your troubles. I’d not wish to be indebted to ye more than I already be.”

Mrs. Honeysett paused, looking thoughtful for a moment. “What do ye plan to do now, with the Prouts not ’ere?”

“I’ll still stay in Sennen,” Morvoren said, attempting to come up with the plan she’d been asking herself for the better part of an hour. All she knew was that she couldn’t ask the Honeysetts for more help than she’d already been given. “I’ll ask ’round if anyone be needin’ any help, or who might be willin’ to take me on.” She shrugged. “And if that don’t work out, then I’ll…I’ll find a workhouse, I s’pose.”

The very thought struck fear throughout her person. Working there would be nearly the complete opposite of obtaining freedom.

Mrs. Honeysett’s brow lowered. She glanced once more to her son, then faced Morvoren with a smile. “I tell ye what. S’pose ye return with we to Tristwick?”

Mr. Honeysett’s head remained in place, though his eyes instantly flicked to his mother’s, who again gave no notion that she’d seen her son’s actions.

“I don’t wish for no charity,” Morvoren said at once. “I already was a burden to ye all.”

But Mrs. Honeysett shook her head. “Ye won’t be no burden if ye work with we.”

Morvoren listened, attempting to understand, though she felt as if she was swimming against the tide.

“If ye return with we and work in the cellars, ye can pay your keep and save any extra wages ye earn ’til ye can become self-sufficient. Or ’til ye decide what it is ye want to do next. Ye’ll not need to worry ’bout your uncle either, as now that we’re aware of ’is actions, we can keep an eye out for ’im, as well.” She ended with a hopeful smile. “What do ye think?”

Morvoren couldn’t believe such a generous offer had been made after all she’d put this family through. But there was no possible way she could accept it, no matter the appeal of being tucked safely away in Tristwick with the Honeysetts as a beautiful buffer between her and Uncle.

Not only would she be a burden, but she would also be going straight back to living with a fisherman. And not just any fisherman, a fisherman who’d made her heart jump like a fish out of the sea with his flirting. A fisherman who had warmed her skin with his mere touch and had caused her blush with his stares.

She sent a furtive glance in Mr. Honeysett’s direction, though he’d returned to staring at his drink again. Living with him would only bring about more opportunities for the two of them to be together, to draw closer. But such a thing was dangerous if she wished to keep a hearty distance from the trade.

“Thank ye so much for the offer, but I couldn’t inconvenience ye any longer.”

“Nonsense,” Mrs. Honeysett said. “’Twouldn’t be an inconvenience at all. Ye’d be ’elpin’ we to get the fish in faster and joinin’ in cookin’ meals and cleanin’ ’round the ’ouse. Not to mention the fact that we’d love to ’ave your company for longer.”

Poppy sat forward in her chair, the legs creating a high moan against the wood floor. “And we could share a room then!” she said with excitement.

Morvoren couldn’t help but smile at the girl’s enthusiasm, nor could she deny the appeal of the portrait these two were painting for her.

Perhaps Tristwick, instead of Sennen, could be her next steppingstone for where she wanted to end up in her life. Surely she could stomach living with fishermen for a while longer without risking becoming tainted by them as Father and Uncle were.

But then, living with the Honeysetts did not solve everything.

She cast her eyes down. “I’d love to stay with ye. Really, I would. But I know what my bein’ in Tristwick has done to some folk. I’d hate to upset ’em more than I already have.”

Mrs. Honeysett huffed out an impatient breath. “If ye be referrin’ to Edern and ’is superstitious ways, ye oughtn’t give ’im another thought. That old goat’ll be onto the next thing that worries ’im ’fore long.”

The weight around Morvoren’s shoulders began to lessen, but she pulled it straight back into place. She needed to think rationally about this. She needed to ensure she wasn’t behaving selfishly again.

Yes, she could work for them and solve the issue of being a burden. She could reassure all those in the hamlet that she wasn’t a mermaid. And the Honeysetts would help protect her if Uncle ever did find her.