Penwick studied her, taking in her flushed cheeks.He looked back at Jed.
“I hope you don’t mean to say you ran?”
Jed looked him in the eye.“That’s right, sir.I ran.”
“Surely you don’t intend…” Penwick trailed off.“Your place is on your ship.Your duty—”
Solomon shifted in his seat, but did not speak.Carrie was very still.Jed met Penwick’s gaze.Penwick looked away, lips pursed.He’d been a nervous little boy; Jed had a sudden memory of seeing him trailing around after his father, the old squire, looking miserable every time he was called upon to speak.
“What duty is that, sir?”
“I mean, defending England’s shores.The threat of invasion… the foreign tyrant…”
“I see.Funny how I spent the past five years convoying merchant shipping in the East Indies, then.”
Penwick winced.His gaze slid away from Jed and fell on Solomon.“And your friend…?”He addressed himself to Solomon.“What was your name again, my good man?”
“My friend is a landsman,” Jed said firmly.“And so was I, once, and wish to be again.”
Penwick frowned.“Your place is on your ship,” he repeated, seeming to take courage from the dictum.
Jed spread his hands on the table.“My place is where I decide it is.Sir.And what I want to know now is, what’s become of my horse and cart?Where’s Bess?”
When Penwick said nothing, Carrie spoke up.“I don’t know, Jed.Mr Penwick’s man of business dealt with all our furniture and so on, when I left the cottage.Mr Morgan, you know.”
“Bess en’t a piece of furniture!”
“No, of course not.Perhaps your cart is in the carriagehouse?”She looked helplessly at Penwick, who held up both hands, disclaiming all knowledge.She turned back to Jed.“I suppose Mr Morgan will have some record of the sale…”
Penwick cleared his throat again.“When your brother returns to his ship, he won’t need—”
“I’m not returning to my fucking ship.”
It came out loud and angry, but he didn’t care.He opened his mouth to go on.Solomon touched his arm, and he subsided, swallowing.Solomon leaned forward to speak to Penwick in a hard, level voice.“The man’s horse and cart are missing.Seems to me you’d best instruct your man of business to look into the matter.”
There was another pained silence.
“Yes, naturally I will do so,” Penwick said stiffly.
Carrie was studying her teacup.Penwick would not meet Jed’s gaze either.He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
Jed grabbed his hat and rose to his feet, unable to bear this any longer.“I’ll have a look in the stables for my cart, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course, Jed,” Carrie said when Penwick did not speak.
Solomon picked up their haversacks and followed Jed from the room.
Outside the house, Jed aimed a vicious kick at a stone on the driveway, sending it skittering across the gravel.“Can’t believe my sister married that prick.”
Solomon murmured his agreement.His quiet presence was balm to Jed’s nerves.
“I’m sorry, Solomon.I promised you hospitality, not… whatever this is.”
Solomon shook his head.“Not your fault.Nevertheless, I think I’d best go.You have enough to worry about without bothering your head over me too.If I leave now I can still reach that farm you mentioned by nightfall, I think?”
Jed’s anger evaporated, with the shock of realisation that this was goodbye.The end of things between them.Everything seemed to be going wrong today.
“Yes.Yes, I—” He gathered his thoughts.“Don’t leave the village by the road we came down on.There’s a more direct route to Barnstaple.”He gave Solomon directions to set him on the right road.
