‘No point, old chap,’ he would tell him jovially. ‘After all, everything’s going to go to your children one day, isn’t it? So we may as well leave things as they are.’ And with that Barnaby had to be content, although he felt it was unfair.

‘We’ve lost The Neptune and most of the men on board. The captain of The Mermaid suspects she hit an iceberg that was floating beneath the surface. Before she sank, they sent up a flare but by the time The Mermaid got to her it was too late.’

Robert stroked his chin. ‘Damn bad luck,’ he remarked with a shake of his head. ‘The Neptune was a fine ship.’

Barnaby stared at him as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, before saying shortly, ‘Yes, it is. Especially for all the men who lost their lives, and for their families.’

Just like his daughter, Robert seemed less concerned about them than the loss of the ship.

‘Aw well, there’s nothing can be done for them now, is there?’

‘Not for the men,’ Barnaby agreed hotly. ‘But we could help their families financially. Most of the men had young children.’

Robert shrugged as he swirled the brandy in his glass before taking another swallow. ‘We’ll have to have a think about it,’ he remarked and walked back into the drawing room as calm as you like.

Barnaby clenched his fists and stormed off to his study, wondering exactly what sort of cold-hearted family he had married in to.

*

Down in Argument’s Yard Alice sat staring numbly into the fire as her sons swung the sooty-bottomed kettle over the fire to boil for some tea. As yet their mother hadn’t shed so much as a single tear but they weren’t surprised. They could see she was in deep shock and guessed that the tears would come later. They just wished Amber was there to comfort her.

‘When will Amber be home, Mam?’ William asked.

‘What?’ She stared at them blankly for a moment before answering, ‘Oh, not for another eight or nine days. As I told you, she’s been working as a nanny for the last couple of months or so.’

‘Aye, but where?’

‘London.’

They both looked shocked. They had assumed that her new position was local and had wondered why their sister hadn’t at least visited them over Christmas, but they hadn’t liked to question their mother when she was so worried about their father and brothers. ‘And how did she come to hear about a job like that?’

‘Barnaby Greenwood told her about it. She’s gone wi’ the Temples from up on the headland.’

‘An’ why would he think of offerin’ the job to our Amber?’ It was Edward who spoke now. ‘She is goin’ up in the world, ain’t she?’