Of course she could not bear to become the wife of a poor fisherman, to exchange her genteel life for one of hard work and squalor. But she was powerfully drawn to Bartholomew and her head was full of romantic notions; if he happened to propose on their next meeting, if he would agree to wait a few years to see if his dreams came true… Even if her family could not overlook his low background, Oliver would understand. He had married out of his class, and she would always have a friend in Kerensa. They would convince her father and grandfather— she heard a step outside the door, a step lighter than Kerensa’s.

Ameline dropped a handful of hairpins. ‘Olivia, is that you?’

But Olivia had been taken over to Tolwithrick by Cherry to attend the birthday party of one of her many younger sisters. In fact there were few people about the manor today. Angered that Kerensa had ridden off without him, Oliver had postponed Luke’s punishment and taken him and Kane over to Ker-an-Mor Farm. Ameline had given Peters, her maid, permission to visit an acquaintance on the staff of Sir Martin’s house. It was Polly’s afternoon off, the King sisters were at the fishing village attending to a very ill woman and Beatrice was drunk in the tack room. Kerensa was at home, but having returned in a somewhat distressed condition from Marazion she had retired alone to her bedchamber, giving strict orders she was not to be disturbed.

A feeling of acute unease brought Ameline to her feet. Her spine stiffened as the handle of her bedroom door was slowly turned.

‘Who’s there?’ Her voice came out as an unrecognisable squeak.

The door was opened fully. Ameline’s eyes enlarged in their sockets, her throat constricted to choking point.

‘I… I thought you would be at sea…’

‘I have delayed leaving until a later tide,’ Hezekiah Solomon poured through his teeth.

His smile did nothing to lessen her horror. Ameline lurched backwards until her back hit a bedpost. She could not tear herself away from his steely-blue snake’s eyes.

‘What… what do… do you want? Why are you here?’

‘I’ve come to keep you company, Ameline.’

‘I… I have plenty of company, Captain Solomon. Kerensa—’

‘Is fast asleep. I crept into the house unseen. There is no one about. No one knows that I am here.’

Ameline watched petrified as he slipped off his brocaded frockcoat and took meticulous care to fold it and place it over the chair she had vacated. Seemingly from out of nowhere he produced a thin stiletto blade and after testing the point on a fingertip in front of her stricken eyes he placed it on her jewellery case. As he came towards her, soundless as a cat, there was not a hint of expression on his ageless face.