‘…A storm lashed the coast on the night of January the thirty-first, giving the year its violent start, and Martha Trewint was delivered of quads at the same moment the thatched roof of her cottage was torn off.’ Would Oliver never finish? James wondered desperately. ‘The infants all survived and were aptly named Tempest, Gale, Blaze and Glory. Peter Blake’s new residence was completed and the family moved in, but he is still an outcast of the gentry and deservedly so. No one was brought to book for free-trading despite one of its busiest years. The Reverend Ivey baptised twenty-four infants and conducted eleven marriages but no one in the parish was confirmed. Heather Bawden disappeared, Mrs Tregonning announced her intention of retiring from Reverend Ivey’s employ to live with her widowed cousin at Mousehole…’

Oliver went on and on and Kerensa thought she would either be sick or faint. Hezekiah saved the day by plunging in on a pause.

‘And of course we remember Martin on celebrating his three score and ten and I would like to take the liberty of toasting your health, Oliver, and that of Kerensa, our beautiful and perfect hostess tonight, and good health, much wealth and prosperity to the future Pengarron generation.’

Glasses were sipped from, ‘hear hears’ were said, and after a murmured ‘thank you’ Oliver finally shut up. Sir Martin noisily picked his teeth and looked about for something to spit in.

Afraid that Oliver would start all over again, Kerensa got up quickly, desperate to get away into a cooler, less hostile atmosphere, and invited Ameline to join her in the comfort of the winter parlour. She avoided going near Oliver as the gentlemen rose to see the ladies from the table, because at that moment she wanted to slap his face with all her might.

James was distressed enough to blurt out, improper or not, another invitation to Ameline to converse with him somewhere alone. Together, Kerensa and Ameline looked at Sir Martin for approval and both did not bother to suppress sighs of relief when he nodded from a bowl of cold egg and nutmeg custard. Kerensa showed the couple into her sitting room and fled to the children’s bedroom.

Ameline was so relieved to be out of sight of Hezekiah and the range of his overpowering colognes she even shut the door after Kerensa.

‘Would you mind if I loosened my neckcloth for a few moments, Ameline?’ James said, afraid he would choke if he did not.

‘Please do, Mr Mortreath, that was the most unpleasant meal table I have ever sat at. I can understand you becoming a little overheated.’ Then in two understatements she said, ‘Sir Oliver has been in a strange mood all evening and Captain Solomon has a disconcerting way of staring at people.’

James was very disappointed with her ‘Mr Mortreath’. ‘I rather thought it was James now.’

‘Oh, yes… James…’