He caught her hands and made her look at him. ‘I have to,’ he said quietly. ‘I’m innocent but it’s no good burying our heads in the sand. We both know what might happen with no witnesses to prove that I didn’t do it. That’s why the sergeant allowed my solicitor to come and see me to put everything in order. I want you to know that everything I have will be yours should the worst come to the worst. Jimmy is doing a splendid job of keeping the warehouse and the boats running smoothly and that should give you a decent income for the future, plus The Crow’s Nest will be yours so you and Charlotte will always have somewhere to call your own. Here’s the solicitor’s name, his rooms are in the market square.’

Despite promising herself that she wouldn’t, Amber started to cry and he lifted his hand to gently stroke her hair while his other arm slid around her shoulders. It was the first sign of affection they had openly shown to each other since the night his fever had broken, and placing her small hand over his large one Amber started to cry harder.

‘Lastly . . . I want you to know that although I did you wrong, I wouldn’t have missed having this time with you.’ His voice was little more than a whisper now as she stared up at him through a veil of tears. ‘I thought my first wife was beautiful when I first met her, but I soon discovered that her beauty was merely skin deep. Since getting to know you I’ve seen that you are truly beautiful both inside and out. I know that when we wed it was supposed to be purely for Charlotte’s sake but somewhere along the line I’ve come to care for you deeply, so do you think you could at least tell me that you’ve forgiven me . . . just in case . . .’

‘Oh Barnaby, I’ve come to care for you too,’ Amber told him chokily, just as the sergeant appeared at the bottom of the stairs that led to the cell. He had come to tell her that their time was up but seeing their closeness he decided to give them a little longer and tiptoed away back upstairs.