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Hester took charge of the teapot without being invited to do so and she filled two cups with tea. ‘Will you join us, Mr Charnley?’
‘No, thank you, Lady Carey. I prefer something a little stronger at this time of day. I’m afraid we are an all-male household, apart from the servants, of course. My wife passed away several years ago and neither of my sons has yet succumbed to the charms of any of the planters’ daughters.’
Nancy sipped her tea, wondering whether Rupert was as snobbish as his father, but Hester was smiling and patently unaware of any undercurrents. She reached for a cake.
‘You have an excellent cook, Mr Charnley. Are servants difficult to come by on the island?’
He laughed. ‘If you are asking tactfully whether my servants are slaves, the answer is no, definitely not. My grandfather freed the slaves nearly sixty years ago. Our workers are all paid for their labours and housed on the estate.’ He moved closer to the French window. ‘I see Rupert coming and he’s bringing your friends with him.’
Nancy sat on the edge of her seat. She put her cup and saucer back on the low table, forcing herself to be patient. She could see Alex and Leo and the man who accompanied them, laughing and chatting as if they were old friends. As he entered the room she knew she liked him as much as she disliked his father. Rupert Charnley was probably in his early thirties. He was about the same height as Alex but of slighter build. He was not classically handsome but he had an open face with eyes the colour of molasses that crinkled at the corners when he laughed. His dark brown hair was streaked blond by exposure to the sun and his skin had a healthy tan as if he enjoyed the outdoor life.
Alex and Leo stopped in the doorway, staring in stunned silence. Nancy wanted to laugh at their startled expressions, but she managed to control herself. She sat very still, her hands folded demurely in her lap while she waited for them to realise that they were not seeing things.
‘Rupert, these ladies have come all the way from England to find Captain Blanchard and Mr Wilder. They are to be our guests for the next few days.’ Mr Charnley, seemingly oblivious to the astonishment of his other guests, turned to Hester. ‘Lady Carey, may I introduce my son, Rupert?’
‘How do you do?’ Rupert said politely. ‘It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.’
‘And you, sir.’ Hester glanced past him, frowning. ‘Alexander Blanchard and you, Leo Wilder, your wives have been worrying themselves to death because you have been away for so long without sending a word home. What do you have to say for yourselves?’
She sounded more like an irate nanny than the widow of a baronet, and Nancy was embarrassed for Hester’s sake. Nancy jumped to her feet and ran to hug Alex and then Leo. ‘I’m so glad we found you.’
Leo held her at arm’s length. ‘How did you get here?’
‘We shared a cabin on the Bonaventure – it’s a long story, Leo, but we’re here now.’
‘Why did you travel all this way?’ Alex demanded. ‘You must have known we would return as soon as we had persuaded Piers to come with us.’
‘That’s not likely to happen, is it?’ Nancy looked from one to the other. ‘We found Piers in a dockside pub, drinking with the locals. He refused point-blank to come home.’
‘Let me handle this, Nancy.’ Hester stepped forward. ‘We need to speak in private, but things are bad at Trevenor. Piers must be made to return. It’s as simple as that.’ She turned her head to give Mr Charnley an apologetic smile. ‘I’m sorry, sir. This isn’t the sort of thing you might want to hear.’
‘Of course you need privacy to discuss family matters. Anyway, I have business in Bridgetown, so I must leave you now, but we’ll meet again at dinner this evening. Rupert will look after you until then.’ Charnley bowed politely and strolled out of the room, calling for his manservant.
Rupert sat down opposite Nancy and reached for a cake. ‘You must have an interesting tale to tell of your journey from Devonshire. Alex and Leo have told me why they are so keen to persuade Piers to return home, but you know how bad men are at recounting the interesting details. I can’t wait to hear it from your lips, Nancy.’
‘Leave her alone, Rupert,’ Alex said sternly. ‘Nancy isn’t a gossip, but I’m sure Leo and I both want to know why you brought her here, Hester?’
‘I came of my own accord. Hester volunteered to come with me.’ Nancy sighed. ‘We wouldn’t have had to make the journey had you returned in time for Christmas. There was a riot at the mine and Aurelia’s husband was killed. Lady Pentelow stands to lose everything and heaven knows what will happen to Aurelia.’
Rupert frowned. ‘That does sound serious, Alex. Isn’t there anything you could do that would persuade your cousin to return to Cornwall?’
‘No, I’m afraid not. Piers is a law unto himself. He’s very bitter about the way the courts treated him, although as far as I can see he brought it on himself.’
‘Nevertheless, we’d best get a passage home as soon as possible,’ Leo said firmly. ‘I’ve left my wife handling the business at the sawmill.’
‘There’s something you should know, Leo,’ Nancy said in a low voice.
He turned to look at her. ‘Is anything wrong?’
‘On the contrary. It’s wonderful news – you’re going to be a father. I know Patsy would have wanted to tell you herself, but you should return home as soon as humanly possible.’
Leo paled beneath his weathered tan, and was silent for a few seconds, digesting the news. ‘Are you – are you sure, Nancy?’
‘She told me so herself. I wouldn’t lie about anything so important.’
‘Women are having babies all the time,’ Hester said impatiently. ‘The thing is that you two are needed back in England. I’m sorry if it brings the real world to you when you are obviously enjoying life here, but there it is. You have to come home with us.’
‘Of course we’ll return on the next ship bound for England.’ Alex eyed Rupert expectantly. ‘Didn’t you say you have a vessel loading a cargo of rum and molasses, bound for Plymouth?’
