The Complete Ravenscar Trilogy: The Ravenscar Dynasty, Heirs of Ravenscar, Being Elizabeth. Barbara Taylor Bradford
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СКАЧАТЬ Edmund’s innocent young face, and then opened them almost at once.

      ‘Let’s put out our lines, Tiddler,’ Ned said to his youngest sibling, and cast his line into the sea as he spoke.

      Richard followed suit. They stayed there for over an hour, caught only a few fish. Freezing cold, their eyes watering, their faces bright red from the wind, they finally abandoned Cormorant Rock to the cormorants and headed back along the beach. Their destination was the steps cut into the cliff face. These would lead them up to the lowest part of the moorland that flowed down to the North Sea.

      As they climbed slowly towards the low stretch of moorland, Richard chattered away to Edward, interrupting his thoughts, which were mostly about Deravenels and those who currently ran it. The boy was forcing Ned to pull himself out of his sudden and rather reflective mood.

      ‘Ask me questions about sea lore,’ Richard requested at one moment, staring up at Edward, tugging at his arm.

      Understanding that he would have to comply, Edward nodded, and remembered that this was a game they had played with their father only last summer.

      Taking a deep breath, stifling the rush of unexpected and sudden emotions, Edward finally said, ‘All right then, let’s do just that, Little Fish. Let’s see how sharp your wits are today.’

      ‘Very sharp,’ Richard shot back.

      ‘What is the one thing you must not do with a ship or a boat?’

      ‘Change its name!’

      ‘Correct. But why is that so, Little Fish?’

      ‘Because it’s unlucky to change the name of a sailing vessel.’

      ‘Very good indeed, Dick. Now here’s another…what were Admiral Nelson’s last words?’

      ‘Kiss me, Hardy.’

      ‘Clever lad, that you are. Now, which was Nelson’s greatest battle?’

      ‘Trafalgar.’

      ‘That’s it and Waterloo is another one. What else do sailors consider unlucky, especially when they’re out at sea?’ This was something of a tricky question, and Edward wondered if Richard had remembered what it was, that it was partially a joke amongst sailors.

      ‘Mermaids! And I know I’m right. Edmund told me this…never take mermaids on board. Yes, he told me that lastsummer—’ The boy’s voice faded away and he fell silent, his eyes grown dark, the colour of slate. He fell down into his sadness, didn’t say much for a while, and then he murmured, ‘I thought of Edmund, Ned, and that made me want to cry. I miss him…do you?’

      ‘Very much,’ Ned answered, and hoisted the fishing basket higher on his shoulder. It contained the cod, which were not heavy, but the leather strap kept slipping. ‘Let’s keep going with the game, my lad,’ he went on, asked, ‘When you go up the gangplank of a British battleship, what’s the first thing you see when you step onto the deck?’

      ‘A plaque that says, Fear God. Honour the King.’

      ‘You have an excellent memory, Dickie. I know Father taught you a great deal of this stuff, didn’t he?’

      ‘Yes, and he said he would have liked to have been a sailor in the Royal Navy. I think I would, too.’

      ‘Talking of the Navy, what do you do when you unexpectedly see a sailor?’

      ‘Touch his collar for luck.’

      Edward began to laugh, and through his chuckles he murmured, ‘I think I’m actually running out of things to ask you about sea lore, do you know that?’

      ‘It’s all right, Ned, we’re almost at the top of the steps. Are we going to give the fish to Cook? Perhaps she’ll make it for supper.’

      ‘Perhaps, although I think the cod are going to end up as fish cakes, because they are quite small, you know.’

      It was Will Hasling who greeted them when they went back into the stable yard. He was standing at the back door waiting for them and he waved, and exclaimed, ‘Do you two have a big catch then?’ He was grinning from ear to ear, and seemed anxious to talk to Edward.

      ‘What’s the matter?’ Edward asked, as they went inside the house together. ‘You look excited.’

      ‘Not really excited, but well, sort of relieved, perhaps that’s the best way to describe my feelings.’

      ‘Do tell me,’ Edward answered, putting the fishing basket down along with his rod, struggling out of the cap and scarf and layers of clothes, then helping Richard to do the same.

      ‘Neville telephoned whilst you were out. Apparently Oliveri has had a telegram from his contact in Delhi. It looks as if his little team out there have come up with just the evidence we need. David Westmouth is going to send it all in a series of telegrams—seemingly that’s the quickest way.’

      ‘Thank God we’ve heard from the fellow at last, I’d almost given up on him,’ Edward replied, and this good news brought a smile to his face. ‘Now, Tiddler,’ he remarked, turning to Richard. ‘Here’s the catch of the day. Take it along to the kitchen and tell Cook it’s our present to her. If she wants to keep the cod for herself, she can. Will you tell her that?’ Lifting the fishing basket, Edward placed the strap on Richard’s shoulder. ‘Oh, and do me a favour, please, Little Fish. Ask her to please send hot tea and crumpets to the library, will you, my boy?’

      Richard nodded. ‘’Course I will, Ned.’

      The boy hurried off with the small haul of fish, walking rapidly down the corridor.

      Will and Edward followed at a slower pace, a compatible silence between them. After they went into the library Will said, ‘Once we have that information, everything can go ahead according to Neville. There’s nothing else we’re waiting for, not really.’

      Walking across the floor, going to stand in front of the roaring fire, still chilled from his sojourn on the beach, Edward nodded. ‘I’m anxious to get things moving, to be honest. The sooner the better. There’s no real reason to wait, once those telegrams are received. I don’t want John Summers and that bloody woman to do any more damage.’

      He sighed and went to sit in a chair nearby, looked across at Will. ‘There’s a lot of rebuilding to do, of that I am absolutely certain. Rob Aspen and Alfredo Oliveri, and Christopher Green as well actually, will quickly pull the mining division into shape, but the vineyards in France are in need of an overhaul, and somebody will have to look after the northern offices. Things have grown slack, in my estimation.’

      ‘Perhaps Johnny will agree to do that,’ Will suggested. ‘After all, he has a fund of knowledge about the north, after working for Neville all these years, and he has a family home in Yorkshire.’

      ‘I expect he will СКАЧАТЬ