away up the rise to a grand mansion with curious octagonal towers.
'If there are any who feel unequal to the ascent I'm sure we could send for a chair,' Lady Lockwood declared. However, it was pleasant in the bright summer sun, passing slowly under stately chestnut trees to sylvan glades, and Kydd's fears slowly eased.
A picnic was laid out on the level expanse of lawn before the great house, servants standing behind hampers with sunshades at the ready, and after the admiral's party had decorously draped themselves over the spread rugs there was a general move to do likewise.
'You must try to be more entertaining in your talk, Thomas,' Cecilia whispered sharply, as she smiled politely at the acquaintance who had claimed her attention once more.
Obediently, Kydd turned to the man, one Mr Armitage, a landed relative of the admiral's wife and from Ireland, and whose conversation seemed to consist chiefly of ill-natured grunts. Nothing in common was evident, and Kydd's despairing talk about Pitt's chances of returning to government, the shocking price of tobacco and a juicy local murder all left the man unmoved and he lapsed into silence.
Cecilia had been taken away by Mrs Armitage to meet a friend, leaving them both alone, and while elegant conversations swirled round him, Kydd reflected mutely on the trials of a society occasion. Then he sensed movement and looked round.
It was the admiral's daughter, Persephone, now stooping to offer him a plate. 'Mr Kydd, might I press you to try one of these little olive pies? They're quite the most toothsome.'
Her gay voice, however, had a cool patrician ring that might have been intimidating.
Her dress—a sweeping filmy gown in sprigged muslin—did nothing to conceal her willowy figure, and a single pink coral necklace complemented a smart beribboned bonnet.
Covered with confusion, Kydd scrambled to his feet. 'Miss Lockwood! How g-good to see you again!' His foot caught in the rug and he stumbled, dropping his new hat in his anxiety not to lose the pie he had accepted from her.
She laughed and picked up his hat for him. 'This is a smart beaver indeed. It's not often a naval officer displays such good taste.' There was a disarming warmth in her tone and the laughter had stayed in her eyes.
'Oh, er, the hat. For that I must own it's my sister is m' pilot in matters o' fashion.' He looked about for Cecilia but she was not in sight. 'Y' should meet her, Miss Lockwood. All the men do think her the prime article.'
'I shall, Mr Kydd,' she said, amused. Her glance strayed to the stolid form of Kydd's acquaintance and she added loudly, 'If this is your first visit here, you'll be entranced by the views to be had. Do let's see.'
Other couples were promenading or talking together and Kydd walked forward stiffly, trying hard to appear fashionable. He felt sudden pressure on his arm as Persephone, stifling a giggle, said softly, 'Armitage can be such a bore when he wants to be, and I did feel so sorry for you on your own. Can you bear to forgive me carrying you off?'
'Miss Lockwood! I—I thank you for y' service to me and I do confide it would be of some interest t' me should we sight the Sound.' This was a small distance across the rise to the thin line of trees veiling the view eastwards, but still within plain sight of the picnic gathering.
'Then so we shall.' They walked slowly together until the rise fell away to reveal the wide, glittering expanse of Plymouth Sound past the Hoe to the busy Cattewater and a sweep on out to sea.
'I never tire of this prospect,' Persephone said. 'It's always so animated, so ever-changing. But, then, you must have quite another perspective, I'm sure.'
Not possessed of a witticism worthy of such a lady Kydd fell back on a simple recounting of a mariner's experience when entering the great port. It seemed to satisfy, for Persephone remained attentive throughout. 'Papa tells me you were with Nelson at the Nile,' she said.
'Well, not really, I'm afraid—y' see, I was in a different ship fr'm his and we fought in the dark. I couldn't see much o' the flagship.'
She looked at him oddly. 'And at Acre the same year?'
Kydd gave a wary smile; this was not really a fit subject for fine ladies. 'Yes, but I don't care f'r y'r land-fightin'. It's so . . . so disagreeable,' he finished lamely.
After a space she said quietly, 'Do you know, Mr Kydd? You're quite unlike anybody else I've met—that is to say, for a sea officer. You may believe that an admiral's daughter does not lack for men's company, but you— Anyone else would have delighted in telling me of their victories in the face of such perils, and you . . . are different.'
Kydd found he had to look away from her frank gaze. 'I heard Admiral Lockwood went t' London to attend the court. Did you b' chance go as well and see, er, their majesties?' he asked tentatively.
Persephone paused and looked at him kindly. 'Papa's brother is Groom of the Stole and one of Prinny's set. And Mama is remembered as lady-in-waiting to Princess Charlotte—she's now the queen consort of Frederick of Wurttemberg, of course—so you may be sure it's quite impossible to stay away,' she said, with a sigh.
'Prinny?' said Kydd, awed.
'The Prince of Wales is such a spendthrift and coxcomb, of course, but I do believe his heart is in the right place.' Suddenly she looked down. 'I think we should return now, Mr Kydd. I thank you for your company, and I do wish you well for your next voyage.' Then, with the flash of a sweet smile, she walked ahead of him back to the picnic.
CHAPTER 6
'DID Y' FIND ENTERTAINMENT enough along shore, Mr Standish?' Kydd asked the figure in glistening black oilskins standing next to him as another slowly drifting rain squall passed over the little sloop.
The first lieutenant shook himself in a shower of droplets and allowed a smile. 'I do have my hopes of the young ladies here, sir.'
Kydd kept his eye on the swirling current lapping noisily round the rocks in the narrows of Devil's Point. On the ebb, and with this mild south-westerly, there should be no difficulty with the sharp turn before Drake's Island on their way out to sea.
Standish raised his speaking trumpet and blared at the fore-brace hands as
