The Lion Triumphant Read Online Free PDF Page A

barnacles and all.”
    Honey blushed becomingly and said: “Sir Penn, you must meet my sister.”
    I curtsied. The blue eyes were on me. “Another little beauty, eh?” he said. “Another little beauty. Two of the prettiest ladies in Devon.”
    “It’s kind of you to call me such, sir,” I said. “But I’ll not ask you to swallow your ship if you should be proved wrong.”
    He laughed, great bellowing laughter. He slapped his hands on his thighs. He was more than a little crude, I guessed.
    And behind him was his son, who was now greeting Honey before it was my turn to stand face to face with him.
    The recognition was instant. He took my hand and kissed it. “We’re old friends,” he said.
    I thought contemptuously: In thirty years’ time he will be exactly like his father.
    Honey was looking surprised.
    “I saw Captain Pennlyon when I was on the Hoe,” I said coldly without looking at him.
    “My sister is fascinated by ships,” said Honey.
    “Well!” Sir Penn was regarding me with approval. “She knows a good thing when she sees it. Young lady, there’s only one thing I know more beautiful than a ship and that’s a pretty woman.” He nudged his son. “Jake here agrees with me.”
    “We want to hear about your voyage,” said Honey politely. “Let us go into the punch room. Supper will be served shortly.”
    She led the way up the three stone stairs past the dining room to the punch room and there we sat while Edward’s servants brought malmsey for us to drink. Honey was very proud of fine Venetian glasses, which were very fashionable and which she had brought with her. I imagined the Pennlyons had never seen anything so fine.
    We sat rather stiffly on our chairs, the tapestry back and seats of which had been worked by Edward’s great-aunt. I thought the chair might break under Sir Penn, for he sat with little thought for its fragility and Honey threw a glance at me as though to say, We have to get used to country manners.
    Sir Penn said what a fine thing it was to have neighbors of the quality to bring their fine Venetian glass for them to drink out of. His eyes twinkled as he spoke as though he were laughing at us and in a way despised us—except Honey of course and perhaps me. Both of them—father and son—had an insolence in their looks which suggested that they were assessing our personal attributes in a manner which was slightly disturbing.
    “And how long are you staying here?” he wanted to know of Edward.
    Edward replied evasively that so much depended on circumstances. His father had wished him to come and look after the estates here for a while. It would depend on what happened on the Surrey estate.
    “Ah,” said Sir Penn, “you noble families have your seats in every part of the kingdom. Why, young sir, there must be times when you wonder whether you’re a Surrey or a Devon man or maybe there is some other county to claim you.”
    “My father has estates in the North,” said Edward.
    “Marry! Why, you’ve a foot in every part of the Queen’s realm, young man.”
    “By no means,” said Edward. “And might I not say that your ships sail on every known part of the ocean?”
    “You can say it, sir, you can say it. And Jake will tell you that it’s so. Just back he is from a long voyage, but he’s too taken with the company to give voice.”
    Jake said: “The company delights me as you see.” And he was looking straight at me, mocking because here he was and I had said it was not likely that he would be invited. “But I’ll confirm it’s true that I have but recently returned from a voyage.”
    “My sister was excited when she saw your ship come in. She sees the ships come in from her window, and never seems to tire of it.”
    Jake had brought his chair closer to mine. They had not the manner which we had come to expect. These people were lacking the niceties of behavior; they were more frank than we were, coarser too.
    “So you liked my ship,” he said.
    “I like