‘Your wife is such a gentle soul,’ Oliver went on dangerously, ‘sees no evil in anyone – not even you. Now, there will be no suggestion of King and Drannock being refused to fish from the Young Maid, will there? No more talk of them paying compensation for the damage done to the lugger. And I would go as far as to suggest that your dear wife would deem it an act of the highest Christian charity if you offered the lugger as an outright gift to the grieving families, to form a partnership. Drannock’s very young, so Matthew King would be skipper but the partnership would be equal.’ Oliver smiled, but his dark eyes were treacherous. ‘Well, what do you say, Blake?’

With an effort he spat, ‘I say you are a bastard, Pengarron!’

Oliver smiled with pure joy. ‘There are times, Blake, when the weak, the cheated and the downtrodden, if they are to see justice, require the services of a thoroughgoing bastard.’ Oliver had no doubt he had won the day, but added for Blake’s further discomfort, ‘If things don’t go quite to my suggestions, Blake, you would be a very foolish man. You see, I would make absolutely sure that your wife became aware of your visits to a certain female you help keep in, shall I say, comfortable circumstances, for services rendered.’

Blake gasped.

‘Did you think your indiscretions had gone unnoticed?’ Oliver taunted.

Somehow Blake managed to speak. ‘We both love our wives, but don’t tell me you don’t go somewhere for a little extra, Pengarron.’

‘You do me an injustice, Blake,’ Oliver replied smoothly before striding away, then threw back over his shoulder, ‘I’m not that much of a bastard.’

Chapter 5

Kerensa was in her favourite place, Trelynne Cove. She left Kernick, her chestnut pony, close to the spot where the small cottage she had been born and raised in had once stood. With Bob, her devoted black retriever, at her heels she ran down the remainder of the cliff path, over the scrunching shingle of the beach and on to the coarse dark sand of the shoreline. She glanced up at the hot sun and smiled contentedly. It was late summer, her favourite time of the year, and today the sun was at its best.