“Just now, you said it was going to be hard. I do know that. Just in case you thought I didn’t. But we will find him. I can feel it.”

“Course we will,” said Lotti. “We just beat a blinking storm. Finding Sam’ll be nothing compared to that.”

Ben fell asleep and dreamed of wind and waves. Lotti stayed awake much longer. She thought about Ben and how he would feel if they didn’t find Sam, and she thought about Clara and her garbled speech on the Sparrowhawk. From what Lotti had understood, Clara wanted to rescue Ben from going to an orphanage and have him live with her, but she had said nothing about rescuing Lotti.

“But that’s all right,” Lotti whispered into the dark. “When Sam’s found, I can rescue myself. It’s not as if anyone can stop me.”

At Great Barton, Albert Skinner cycled wearily home from Barton Lacey, where he had been interviewing Zachy about Lotti. Zachy had told him nothing of any use. Tomorrow, Albert would go to Kent to interview the maid Sally, whom Hubert Netherbury had fired, but who had likely been the last person to see Charlotte St. Rémy before she vanished.

At Ramsgate, the East Kent Herald’s printing presses whirred.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Bright sunshine followed the storm. Ben and Lotti came down to breakfast in rebellious moods, ready to inform Captain de Beauchesne and Clara that they would be continuing their journey alone, but neither of the adults was there.

“The capitaine left an hour ago on a motorcycle which belonged to my cousin, who can no longer ride it because he has only one leg,” said Madame Royère, as she served them hot chocolate.

“Captain de Beauchesne has only one eye,” Lotti pointed out.

“For riding bicycles, one eye is better than one leg,” said Madame Royère. “He has gone to make inquiries for you, poor children.”

“What sort of inquiries?”

“Ah, ça.” Madame Royère shrugged. “I don’t know. And Mademoiselle Clara is sick. Well, she is crying, and has kept to her room. I know this sickness. It is a sickness of the heart. Also, you must take the father dog for a walk, he has been crying all night. So many dogs! Already I have had to chase away all the town children who want to see the little English puppies who were born on a boat.”

At the stables, Federico greeted Lotti with frenzied reproach. Elsie thumped her tail and allowed the children to admire the puppies. The four little black puppies were feeding gustily and already appeared bigger than yesterday, but toffee-colored Delphine was just as tiny, and mewled pitifully as she tried to push in past her siblings to feed. Lotti picked her up, kissed her and tucked her in close to her mother. Then, with Federico on a lead, she and Ben went into town.