‘You should have thought about that before you encouraged them to invest.’ Rob shrugged off his wet jacket and hung it over a chair by the fire. ‘You’re no businessman, Doctor. You should stick to what you do best.’

‘I don’t think this is helping,’ Judy protested, handing Ben a towel. ‘What you need is a good night’s sleep.’

Hilda had been hovering in the background, but she nodded in approval. ‘I’ll make him some cocoa. That will help.’ She turned to Nate, who was standing by the fire with steam billowing off his wet clothes. ‘And you can go upstairs and change out of those wet things, or you’ll be down with a fever and no good to man or beast.’ She bustled off in the direction of the kitchen and Nate headed for the stairs.

‘I’ll mind the bar,’ Judy said hastily, ‘although it’s unlikely that we’ll get any more customers this evening.’

‘You need to get dry, too,’ Rob said firmly. ‘I’ll stay down here and make sure this idiot doesn’t do anything stupid, and if anyone comes in I can serve a pint of ale as well as the next man.’

‘I’ll go to my room,’ Dr Godfrey said tiredly. ‘Don’t worry, I won’t try that again – the moment has passed. I’ll have to face up to what I’ve done.’

Judy took the glass from his hand and placed it on the table. She helped him to his feet. ‘I’m going upstairs, you can lean on me.’

He smiled ruefully. ‘It’s a case of “physician, heal thyself”. But I don’t think I’m clever enough to do that.’

‘Everything will look better in the morning,’ Judy said gently. ‘Come on, Doctor.’

‘I think after this you really ought to call me Ben.’

She smiled. ‘All right, if it makes you happy. Come on, Ben.’

Judy slept little that night. She had pinned all her hopes on the fact that Ben had promised to send trade their way, and he was not the only one who was suffering from his ill-judged actions. She was left wondering how they would survive the rigours of winter out here on the headland. It was not surprising that past landlords had encouraged the smugglers to use the premises, but those days were long past. There must be another way, but a solution to their problems escaped her. Rob might intend to rebuild Creek Manor, but he had given no assurances, and perhaps she had been naïve in assuming that goods and workers would arrive by sea and bring much-needed custom to the Crooked Billet.

After sleeping fitfully Judy awoke next morning having come to a decision. She got up, washed, dressed and put her hair in a neat chignon before going downstairs to the kitchen, where to her surprise she found Ben seated at the table, drinking coffee.

He looked up and smiled sheepishly. ‘I’m so sorry for the way I behaved last evening.’

‘You gave us all a terrible fright. But no harm came to you, that’s the main thing.’