Meg Alexander - The Passionate Friends

“Then they shall say nothing to distress you. I’ll guarantee it. Do you promise?”

“I’ll try.” With an effort she regained a little of her self-control. “You’ve told me nothing of your own concerns. This voyage has been of some advantage to you?”

Wisely, Dan accepted the change of subject.

“I learned much about the operation of a sailing ship, and other vessels too, even to the handling of an outrigger canoe in the South Seas. All are designed to take advantage of certain conditions of wind and weather.”

“And your own designs? You were always inventing something.”

“I have a thick sheaf of them. Some I sent back to England for the attention of my Lords of the Admiralty, but I have heard nothing.”

“Wouldn’t the Earl of Brandon mention your work?” she suggested shyly. “If Lord Wentworth were to ask him…?”

“I don’t want patronage. My work must stand on its own merit, or not at all.”

“You’ll get there one day,” she encouraged. “You have plenty of time.”

“Have I?” His lip curled. “I am twenty-six already.”

“A very great age indeed,” she twinkled.

“Pitt was younger when he first became a Member of Parliament…”

Judith gave him a droll look. “I didn’t know that you had the ambition to become a politician.”

She’d hoped to cheer him, and was rewarded with a grin.

“I haven’t, and well you know it.”

Judith smiled back at him. “That’s a relief! I was beginning to tremble for the future of the country. Oh, there is Bessie! I must leave you now.”

“Not yet!” he begged. He tried to take her hand but she shook her head. With a sigh he stopped the coachman, and prepared to take up Bessie.

“We shall walk,” Judith told him hurriedly. “The rain has cleared—”

“I won’t hear of it. Get in, Bessie!” He rapped on the roof of the carriage to tell the man to drive on. As they entered the street where he had found them, Judith turned to him.

“Pray set us down here,” she said. “If I am seen in your company there may be trouble.”

When Dan returned to Mount Street it was to report the failure of his mission.

“Well, I, for one, will not give up,” Elizabeth cried at once. “Will Judith come to us today?”

“I doubt it. She fears you will return to the attack.” Dan’s smile robbed his words of all offence.

“And so I shall.”

“No, you will not, my darling.” Perry gave his wife an affectionate look. “Subtlety is needed here. You cannot gain your way with confrontation.”

His words brought a roar of laughter from each member of his family.

“Subtlety, Perry? Since when are you a master of the art?”

Perry took Sebastian’s teasing in good part.

“I can be devious when I choose,” he replied in airy tones. “I may surprise you yet.”

“You have already done so. I was never more astonished in my life. Tell me, how is this subtle approach to be accomplished?”

“I haven’t decided yet, but I’ll think of something.”

“Perry, there is so little time.” Elizabeth’s eyes were anxious. “The days go by so quickly, and Judith’s wedding will be upon us before we know it.”

Sebastian’s eyes were resting upon his wife’s face, and when he began to speak he chose his words with care.

“Let us consider this matter sensibly. We have no proof that the Reverend Truscott is other than he claims to be.”

“We could find out,” Dan said quickly.

Sebastian held up a hand for silence. “Hear me out. Prudence and Elizabeth both dislike and distrust him. They may be right, but if they are mistaken I must point out to you that Judith’s happiness is at stake. Any interference on our part would be a serious matter.”

“Sebastian, we have no wish to injure her.” Prudence gave him a pitiful look.

“Dearest, I know that well enough, but Judith has had an unhappy time since her father died. We must be careful not to make things worse.”

“They would be much worse if she married that dreadful creature!” Elizabeth was unrepentant.

“Quiet! The oracle is speaking!” Perry laid a finger against his wife’s lips.

Sebastian laughed at that. “I’m no oracle, but we must do nothing foolish.”

“Then what can we do? She may be walking blindfold into a life of misery. I won’t stand by and let that happen.” Dan ran his fingers through his flaming hair. “I’ll abduct her first.”

“You will do no such thing!” Sebastian’s tone was cutting. “Would you expose her to scandal? Her life would be ruined; she would be cut by society, unable to see her friends and received by none. Let us hear no more of such nonsense.”

“There’s no need to cut up rough at Dan, old chap. What do you suggest?”

“There can be no harm in making a few enquiries. I’ll see what I can do.”

“And I can ask around,” Perry broke in cheerfully. “I ain’t much of a one for church-going, but I could mingle with the Reverend’s congregation and question a few people.”

“With your well-known subtlety?” His brother’s tone was ironic. “I can hear you now. Would it not be something on the following lines, ‘We think your preacher is a rogue. What do you know against him?’”

Even Perry was forced to join in the laughter.

“Perhaps you’re right,” he admitted. “I’d best leave it to you.”

“I think you had. It should not take above a day or two.”

“Don’t be too sure,” Elizabeth warned. “That snake will cover his tracks.”

“Yet even snakes may be trapped and destroyed, my dear.” With these words from Sebastian the rest of the company had to be content.

Unwittingly, Elizabeth had hit upon the truth, but the past life which the preacher had been at such pains to conceal was, at that moment, in danger of being revealed to the world.

Truscott had, that very morning, been approached by a filthy urchin in his own church.

“Out!” He’d eyed the ragged figure with distaste. The child was little better than a scarecrow. “You’ll get no charity here.”

“Don’t want none, mester. I been paid. I wuz to give you this.” The child held out a grimy scrap of paper, but his eyes were wary. He kept his distance, as if ready to dodge a blow.

“What’s it about?”

“Dunno. I was to fetch you with me.”

A discreet cough drew the preacher’s attention to a small group of ladies advancing down the nave towards him.

“My dear sir, do you never rest?” one of them asked tenderly. “We’d hoped that you’d take tea with us today. We are raising funds for the Foundling Hospital.”

“God bless you! Sadly, this little chap is in some kind of trouble.” The Reverend Truscott considered resting a benevolent hand upon the urchin’s spiky hair, but he thought better of it.

“You ain’t read the note,” the child accused.

“My little man, you have given me no time to do so.” With the eyes of the ladies upon him, he was forced to open the paper. Drat the child! Had they been alone he would have been well rewarded for his impertinence.

The words were ill-spelt, and formed in an illiterate hand, but the message was all too clear. As its full enormity sank into his consciousness the colour drained from his face. He swayed, and held himself upright only by clutching at the back of the nearest pew.

“Bad news? Mr Truscott, you must sit down. Let me get you a glass of water.”

He could have struck the speaker. What he needed at that moment was a glass of brandy. If only these ridiculous old biddies would go away! He raised a hand to cover his eyes.

“Thank you, pray don’t trouble yourself,” he murmured. “This is but a momentary faintness.”