Then for over an hour she cried her heart out. She had known terror, numbness, hysteria and a kind of madness, all in a very short time. But at the end of her distressed weeping her mind was clear and she knew exactly what she would do. She would return at once to Tolwithrick and ask her father to send for the one man she knew she could trust, and perhaps one day, as he deserved, she would truly return his love and devotion. With him she would be able to leave Cornwall and she would never return and risk facing the man who had so coldly violated her, the man she hated with all her being, whom she could never bring to justice for his heinous crime for fear of retribution and the risk of losing the man she now wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Ameline intended to tell the comfortable, serious, uncomplicated James Mortreath she would be honoured to accept his proposal of marriage.

When Hezekiah Solomon returned to his ship, after spending the evening at a brothel, there was someone waiting for him on board.

‘You have a passenger, Hezekiah, I was going to seek a berth on any ship going across the Channel but as you have delayed setting sail…’ Oliver leaned against an overhead beam, his over-generous height preventing him, as it did Clem only hours before, from standing fully upright. A packed canvas bag sat on Hezekiah’s table.

‘You really mean to sail with me, Oliver?’

‘I do. Now the festive season’s over I’m leaving Cornwall for a while.’

‘I see. For how long?’ Hezekiah wanted to question him further but Oliver’s gaunt expression spoke of an intention to keep his reason to himself.

‘That remains to be seen. I’ve made all the necessary arrangements at home, the Renfrees and O’Flynn, and Angove the head gardener and even Jack are all capable men, they’ll see to everything between them in my absence. I’ve taken the liberty of opening a cask of your boot-legged brandy. Will you join me?’ Oliver gave a shudder that made Hezekiah raise his silky eyebrows. He explained, ‘I’ve not long since seen a sight so hideous that it will haunt me throughout the rest of the night.’

‘Oh? What was that?’ Hezekiah asked, taking a glass of his own brandy and warming the bowl in his delicate hands.

‘A body. A man’s body, at least I think it was a man’s. It was badly slashed and cut up, and apparently left in the gutter for hours in the belief it was an animal. I am told there were parts of it everywhere. I’ve seen men killed on the battlefield, but this… ugh! Some believe him to be a sailor – not one of your ship, I hope.’