The Admiral's Daughter

'That's kind in ye, Miss Rosalynd,' Kydd said, with finality, hoping she would go away—he was enjoying the tranquillity and those pale blue eyes had an other-worldly quality that unnerved him. But she remained quietly, watching him. 'Y' see, I'm in deep study with m' book,' he explained stiffly.

She approached shyly and Kydd became uncomfortably aware that she had a startling natural beauty, of which she seemed unconscious. 'I'm so curious, Mr Kydd—I've never met a learned gentleman before. Do forgive me, but I've always wondered what they think on when their mind is not in a struggle with some great problem.'

Those eyes. 'Er, I'm really no scholard, Miss. F'r that you need t' ask Mr Renzi. I'm only his—his assistant.' He fiddled with his book.

'Oh, well, if there's any service I can do for you gentlemen . . .'

'Thank you, we'd most certainly call on ye.'

She hesitated. Then, with a smile and a curtsy, she left.

It was no good. She had ruined his rest so he took up Chesterfield. The Latin tags annoyed him and the convoluted prose of half a century before was tedious. Yet if he was to hold his place in the highest society he should know the rules by heart, and soon. He sighed and ploughed on.

Renzi returned in high spirits. 'Such richness of material—it's striking to see the variation in responses. And the philology—it would give you pause should you see what I've gleaned from their rustic speech. A splendid day, and tomorrow I'm promised an old man of a hundred and five years who can remember Queen Anne's day . . .'

At the evening meal Kydd left it to Renzi to deflect the polite enquiries concerning where they had come from. It would probably cause alarm and consternation if ever it reached down to the nest of smugglers below them that an active commander, Royal Navy, was taking his ease so close. And, of course, he did not want to hazard the trust Renzi had established with the local folk.

In the morning Renzi was off early, leaving Kydd to his orangery once more. Just as he had settled in his easy chair there was a shy knock and Rosalynd entered, then stood before him. 'Mr Kydd, I don't believe you're a learned gentleman at all.'

Kydd blinked and she went on, 'I saw you last night when Mr Renzi was telling about his word fossils and I could swear you had no notion at all of what he was saying.'

'Ah, well, y' see, I'm a friend of Mr Renzi's who assists when called upon,' Kydd said weakly.

She laughed prettily. 'You see? I knew you weren't. You're much too—too, er . . . May I be told who it is you are, sir?'

It was unsettling, but her innocence was disarming and he could not help a smile. 'No one of significance, you'll understand. I'm just a gentleman o' leisure, is all, Miss Rosalynd.'

Looking doubtfully at him she said, 'I do believe you're teasing me, sir. You have the air of—of someone of consequence, whom it would be folly to trifle with. You're a soldier, Mr Kydd, a colonel of some high regiment!'

Kydd winced. 'Not really,' he muttered.

'But you're strong, your look is direct, you stand so square—it must be the sea. You're a sailor, an officer on a ship.'

He could not find it in him to lie and answered, with a sigh, 'Miss Rosalynd, you are right in th' particulars, but I beg, do not let this be known. I've just endured a great storm an' desire to be left to rest.'

'Of course, Mr Kydd. Your secret shall be ours alone,' she said softly. In quite another voice she continued, 'I really came to tell you that the first Friday of the month is the fair and market in Polperro. If you like, I'd be happy to take you. Of course, Billy will come with us,' she added quickly, dropping her eyes.

'Billy?'

'That's what Titus wants us to call him. He hates his name.'

A country fair! It had been long years since he had been to one—but Chesterfield beckoned. 'Sadly, Miss Rosalynd, I have m' duty by my books an' must decline.'

'That is a great pity, Mr Kydd, for your friend left before I could inform him of it, and now there is no one to tell him about what he might have seen.'

Kydd weakened. 'Mr Renzi—you're right, o' course, it would be a sad thing should there be no one t' report on it. I shall come.'

'Wonderful,' she said, with a squeal. 'We'll leave after I put on my bonnet—will that be convenient to you, Mr Kydd?'

They set off for Polperro on foot. 'I hope you don't mind the walking—we should take a donkey shay but I do so pity the beasts on this steep hill.' The Landaviddy pathway was a sharp slope down, and Kydd thought of their return with unease.

'It's so lovely in Polperro at this time of the year,' Rosalynd said wistfully. She went to the side of the path and cupped her hand. 'Just look at these yellow flowers. It is the biting stonecrop come to bloom. And your yellow toadflax over here will try to outdo them. We call it 'butter and eggs,'' she added shyly.

Titus hopped from one foot to the other in his impatience to get to the fair. They descended further, the rooftops below now in plainer view.

'I do love Polperro—there's so much of nature's beauty on every hand.' A rustle of wings sounded on the left and a small bird soared into the sky. 'A swift—we must make our farewells to him soon. Do you adore nature too, Mr Kydd?' The wide blue eyes looked up into his.

'Er, at sea it's all fishes an' whales, really, Miss Rosalynd,' Kydd said awkwardly, wishing they were closer to their destination.

She stopped and gazed at him in open admiration. 'Of course! You will have been all round the world and seen—you'll have seen so much! I do envy you, Mr Kydd.'

He dropped his eyes and muttered something, turning away from her to resume walking. He had no wish to be badgered by this slip of a girl when his thoughts were so occupied with the challenges of high society.

Well before they reached the village Kydd's nose wrinkled at the unmistakable stench of fish workings, but