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The group laughed, but Mrs. Honeysett stepped forward. “Would ye mind if I walk with ye for a moment?”

Mrs. Causey smiled. “Oh, please do.”

“I’ll be back soon,” Mrs. Honeysett said, then she moved forward with the couple, their voices reaching Morvoren as she and Poppy remained behind with the shells. “So ye saw Gwynna Merrick…Oh, I always do say ’er old name. Mrs. Trevethan. ’Ow she be, then?”

Mrs. Causey nodded. “She is doing wonderfully well. I do believe she is having a difficult time adjusting, but as we all could have guessed, Mr. Jack Trevethan is as patient with her as he always has been. The two of them are still as happy as a portrait. Just the other day, I saw them riding across…”

Her voice slowly trickled away, replaced with the rushing of waves.

Morvoren didn’t waste a moment before turning to Poppy. “What be the matter?”

Poppy pulled on an innocent expression. “Pardon?”

“I saw your change back there. What ’appened?”

Poppy hesitated a moment, waving a passive hand through the air. “Oh, nothin’, really. I just…I was thinkin’ ’bout me talk with the lieutenant t’other day.”

Morvoren paused. “Ye spoke with him?”

“At Golowduyn.”

“Why didn’t ye tell I?” Morvoren exclaimed.

Poppy shrugged. “Well, ’cause it didn’t end well, really.”

Morvoren waited impatiently for Poppy to continue.

“We were ’avin’ a right nice conversation, I was bein’ confident and flirtin’, as ye taught I. I was ’appy as I thought ’e be flirtin’ right back.”

Morvoren smiled, nodding her head and lapping up the story like a kitten to spilt milk. “And?”

“And…nothin’. Our conversation ended when ’e spoke of ’is arm bein’ right, enough for ’im to return to sea. ’E’s been called to leave in a fortnight, maybe earlier.”

The excitement fled from Morvoren’s heart, and her stomach plummeted. “I…I didn’t realize he’d be goin’ back so soon.”

“Neither did I.” Poppy picked up a shell.

As far as Morvoren was aware, the smooth edges and white glaze looked as perfect as the other shells they’d collected that evening, but instead of pocketing it in her reticule, Poppy took another look at it, then threw it fiercely toward the sea.

“I thought…it be silly, but I thought ’e’d retire early and continue work at Golowduyn. There ain’t no reason for ’im to not. I know ’e be ’appy there. But I guess not enough.”

She ended with a helpless shrug, and another piece of Morvoren’s heart shattered. “I’m so sorry, Poppy,” she whispered. “Had I known, I’d ne’er have encouraged…”

Her words trailed off as Poppy shook her head. “Oh, ’tain’t your fault. It be me own stupidity. ’Course ’e’d return to sea. That be ’is life.”

Morvoren hesitated. “Does he know how ye feel about him?”

“Oh, there can be no doubt that ’e does. I be that obvious.”

“But ye’ve ne’er admitted the like to him aloud?”

She shook her head fiercely. “I couldn’t bear it if ’e didn’t return me feelin’s.”

Morvoren nodded in agreement. She wanted to encourage Poppy, to advise her to throw caution to the wind. But how could she say such a thing when she, herself, was far too fearful of the very same things?

She watched Poppy carefully before the girl straightened her shoulders and her smile returned. “At any rate, all will be well eventually. ’Til then, I’ll just be glad to ’ave your company. I don’t know what I’d do without ye, Morvoren.”

Another knife to her chest, another twist of her heart, and Morvoren’s smile was weaker than ever before.