“So Hallam could have simply fallen asleep, leaving the door unlocked?”

“But Hallam saw me, sir. We spoke, he drank …”

Mr. Darwin had that familiar light of a new idea in his eyes. “Did anyone else see you?”

“No, I walked back.” I frowned as I caught on to his train of thought. “But then Hallam will be blamed—”

“Nonsense. I will see to Hallam’s pension myself. He is an old man and should not have been working long hours in the dark and damp; he developed a fever and hallucinated your appearance. It was an accident waiting to happen; this is certainly not his fault.”

Mr. Darwin stood and paced, twirling the tasseled cord of his gown. I sat up a little taller myself.

“You will leave on the first passage out of London, Covington. I would suggest … Australia or America? I have contacts in both places. I will find you a position.”

He was waiting for a reply, but my head was spinning. I would leave for good? I had no family to speak of in England, but there was Mr. Darwin. I wrote to Robbins and Davis from the Beagle, but they weren’t good with their letters so didn’t write back often and would both soon be at sea again. I thought of the golden green hills sweeping from restful Sydney Harbour, the clear sky and the welcoming people.

“Sydney. I liked … Sydney.”

“So did I.” He smiled. “It is settled, then. I will pay for second-class passage under an assumed name. If the police arrive, I will tell them you are in Cambridge fetching a batch of specimens for me.”

My throat filled. I hadn’t imagined this, or anything like this.

“But I can’t, I will not—your reputation, your important studies, your book. It is too much risk to you, sir.”

When Mr. Darwin fixed me with those clear eyes, I saw he was decided.

“It is a risk I choose to take,” he said, and his voice dropped. “The lizards were going to die there, Covington, eventually. With the Queen’s involvement, I could see no way to prevent it. But you … you set them free, so I will set you free. I will not argue on this, my boy; it is decided.”

It was my turn to nod. I thumbed hot tears from the corners of my eyes and edged closer to the fire.

“Farthing wouldn’t leave. I had to shout at her to make her go,” I mumbled. Mr. Darwin’s eyebrows rose in the middle as he shook out a clean handkerchief and handed it to me.

“That must have been very hard, dear boy,” he said, and paused. “But you did what was best. Let them take their own chances. It was brave. Now you have your own escape to think on.”

Australia.

I sniffed. “I’ll never be able to thank you, sir,” I said.

Mr. Darwin poured more tea.

“Well, in that case, we are in the same boat. So to speak.”