Darkening Sea Read Online Free PDF Page A

through his arm they walked out into the garden. It was very hot, and the wind seemed to have fallen away to a mere breeze. He wondered if Adam would be able to claw his way out of the harbour.
    He asked, “What news of Miles Vincent? You wrote to me that he had been pressed by the Ipswich. ”
    She frowned. “Roxby wrote to the port admiral when he discovered what had happened. The admiral was going to send a despatch to Ipswich ’s captain to explain the mistake . . .”
    She looked at him with surprise as Bolitho said, “Being pressed into the service he abused with his cruelty and arrogance might do him good! That petty little tyrant needs a lesson, and feeling the justice of the lower deck instead of the gunroom might reap some reward, but I doubt it.”
    She paused to shade her eyes. “I am sorry Adam could not accompany you here.”
    The mood left her and she twisted round in his arms and gave him her radiant smile.
    â€œBut I lie! I wanted to share you with no one. Oh, dearest of men—you came as I knew you would, and you look so well!”
    They walked on in silence until she asked quietly, “How is your eye?”
    He tried to dismiss it. “Nothing changes, Kate. And sometimes it reminds me of everything we have done . . . that we are so much luckier than those brave ones who will never know a woman’s embrace, or smell a new dawn in the hills of Cornwall.”
    â€œI hear people in the yard, Richard.” Her sudden frown faded as she heard Allday’s deep laugh.
    Bolitho smiled. “My oak. He stayed behind with Yovell to supervise the landing of some chests, and that splendid wine cooler you gave to me. I would not lose it like the other one.” He spoke calmly but his eyes were faraway.
    â€œIt was a brave fight, Kate. We lost some good men that day.” Again the tired shrug. “But for Captain Rathcullen’s initiative I fear things would have gone very much against us.”
    She nodded, remembering the intensity on young Stephen Jenour’s face when he had visited her, as Richard had requested he should.
    â€œAnd Thomas Herrick failed you again, in spite of all the danger, and what you had once been to one another . . .”
    He stared at the sea and felt his left eye smart slightly. “Yes. But we won, and now they say that but for our victory our main forces would have had to fall back from Martinique.”
    â€œBut for you, Richard! You must never forget what you have done for your navy, your country.”
    He lowered his head and gently kissed her neck. “My tiger.”
    â€œBe certain of it!”
    Ferguson’s wife Grace, the housekeeper, came out to them and stood beaming with a tray of coffee. “I believed you would like it out here, m’lady.”
    She said, “Yes, that was thoughtful. The house seems extra busy today.”
    She reached out suddenly and gripped his hand. “Too many people, Richard. Demanding to see you, to ask for things, to wish you well. It is difficult to be alone even in our own house.” Then she looked at him, a pulse beating quickly in her neck. “I have ached for you, wanted you in every way you dare to use me.” She shook her head so that some of her loosely pinned hair fell across her face. “Is that so wicked?”
    He took her hand tightly. “There is a small cove.”
    She raised her eyes to his.
    â€œOur special place?” She studied him until her breathing became steadier. “Now?”
    Ferguson found his wife by the stone table in the garden. She was looking at the coffee, which was untouched.
    He said, “I heard horses . . .” He saw her expression and sat down at the table. “Pity to waste it.” He reached out with his one arm and squeezed his wife’s waist. It was hard to remember her as the thin, sickly girl she had been when Bolitho’s press-gang had caught him and Allday with some