13

Cara went on deck with the others, carrying Niamh, who was waving her arms around and making cooing noises.

She felt healthy now, and they were well on their way to Australia. She hoped she’d never have to go back to England again. Never, ever.

As Fergus came across to join her, she looked across at the forward deck and gasped. She froze for a moment, then clutched Fergus’s arm tightly as a younger gentleman began to stroll about.

As the man reached the dividing area, he paused and studied the groups of people travelling in steerage. His whole body said ‘arrogant’. Well, he was arrogant, horribly so. She knew that only too well. Hardly daring to breathe, she began to move backwards, but she wasn’t quick enough and he saw her.

The whole world seemed to stand still as their eyes met. He stiffened and mouthed her maiden name, Cara Payton. She could guess what he was thinking, too.

Fergus’s voice seemed to come from a great distance and to echo in her ears. ‘What’s wrong? Are you feeling ill? Cara?’

She couldn’t speak. Jeffrey Barrett had stopped moving and was glaring at her. She felt sickness rise in her throat.

Fergus grabbed the baby. ‘Ma, can you take Niamh for a moment? I think Cara’s feeling unwell.’

Ma took her tiny granddaughter into her arms, looking at Cara in concern. ‘What’s wrong?’

Cara couldn’t answer, couldn’t say anything. She was having difficulty even staying upright, she felt so faint with terror. She wanted to run to the cabin to hide, but Fergus’s touch somehow helped her stay where she was. And you couldn’t hide for the whole journey, could you?

‘Tell me what’s wrong, Cara,’ Fergus insisted. ‘Are you feeling ill?’

But she still couldn’t tell him, just … couldn’t say a word, could only gaze in horror at him.

Fergus looked in the same direction. ‘Who is that man? Tell me. I can’t help you unless you tell me.’

She found the strength to mutter, ‘There’s nothing you can do to help. Nothing anyone can do now.’

‘We won’t know that unless you tell me what the problem is.’

Somehow she found the strength to force the words out, because Fergus had been kind to her and had married her, so he deserved and needed to know. ‘That’s the nephew of the man who attacked me. His name is Jeffrey Barrett and he’s recognised me, of course he has.’

She paused to gulp in more air. ‘He used to visit his uncle and aunt occasionally, and they all came to our house a few times. He … he tried to kiss me a few times, but I couldn’t bear him to touch me. I didn’t dare complain to my parents, though, because our two families have been friends for a long time. Especially my father and his uncle and …’

‘Go on.’

‘I don’t understand what he’s doing on this ship! He can’t be following me, surely? There’s no reason for him to do that. He wasn’t involved in the trouble. But from the way he’s looking at me, he knows about it.’

‘Whatever he’s doing here, whatever he thinks he knows, you must always remember that you have done nothing wrong and hold your head high.’ As Fergus spoke, he pulled his arm away from hers.

For a dreadful moment she thought he was upset, didn’t want to touch her, but he put the arm round her shoulders instead, where it felt warm and strong.

She looked sideways. ‘Oh, Fergus, he’ll tell people, I know he will. And they’ll believe him. No one believes me, except you and your family, and perhaps my aunt.’ She was close to tears, struggling to hold them back. ‘Will it never end?’

‘Yes, it will end, Cara. I’ll make sure it does. Remember, whatever happens, you’re not alone now, and we’ll never abandon you.’

Those words helped her to stay there on the deck, but they didn’t lessen the sick fear roiling inside her.

After a few moments, Jeffrey turned away, but she knew he’d come and confront her some time. He had always been cruel as a boy, enjoying tormenting those weaker than himself.

He’d enjoy ruining her life, just as his uncle had.

She turned to look at Fergus. ‘Thank you.’

‘You’re my wife. And I think by now I know you well enough to believe in your innocence.’

Jeffrey stopped dead at the top of the gangway. It couldn’t be, but it was! Her. Here on this ship. What the hell was she doing here?

Not content with upsetting his uncle, who had apparently turned into a near recluse since his encounter with the bitch, she was now standing with a strange man’s arm round her, travelling on the same ship as decent people.

He felt sick to the soul to be travelling with a whore. His uncle had said she was experienced in the ways of men, had tempted him beyond endurance. His aunt had wept for days.

Cara’s own father had disowned her, so he mustn’t have believed her protests of innocence. Only Madeleine had stood up for her, but then a sister would. The two of them had always ganged up against Jeffrey when they were children.

He was glad he hadn’t offered for Cara in marriage, as his father had suggested at one stage. Well, he hadn’t liked the impudent way she spoke to him, even daring to contradict him. He wasn’t going to spend his life with a nagging wife.

He turned and bumped into a young officer. ‘Sorry.’ He gestured with his right hand. ‘Am I right in assuming those are the steerage class passengers?’

‘Yes, sir. They aren’t allowed to come on to this deck.’

‘I thought I recognised someone. The woman next to the red-haired lad.’

The officer turned to look. ‘Mrs Deagan, do you mean?’

Jeffrey nearly spoke his thoughts aloud, but he had learned at university not to blurt things out when shocked, because sometimes you made a fool of yourself. ‘Mrs Deagan, did you say? No, the woman I know wasn’t called that, wasn’t even married. I must be mistaken. There is a resemblance, though.’

But he knew he wasn’t mistaken. It was definitely her.

He carried on with his stroll, already making plans to humiliate her. That’d teach her to mock him. But he’d find out more before he did anything.

He smiled. He’d enjoy keeping her in suspense. She had turned his uncle into a wreck, told lies and caused serious trouble between his uncle and aunt. His mother had wept about how broken her poor brother seemed by the incident.

All thanks to that woman. And there she was standing on some poor misguided fellow’s arm, brazen as you like, travelling on the same ship as decent folk.

Oh, yes. He would do something. She was not going to get away scot free after what she’d done.

Was she even married to the fellow she was with? Or was she just pretending to be married? And what the hell was she doing on this ship?

She couldn’t be going to India like him, could she? No, fate couldn’t be that unkind to him. Where was she going, then? He’d find out. He’d find out everything before he pounced.

Let her worry. She was already afraid. He’d seen the fear on her face when she recognised him.

He turned and walked back, getting into conversation with another gentleman. But after a while he returned to his cabin. He felt ridiculously weak today, still hadn’t recovered from the seasickness.

The steward came to answer the bell and brought him a pot of tea and a plain biscuit, which was the only thing he seemed able to keep down at the moment.

‘There seem to be a lot of passengers. Is the ship full?’

‘Yes, sir. It’s because of the sinking of the SS Rangoon off Point de Galle last year.’

Jeffrey stared at him in puzzlement, not seeing the connection.

‘It took a while after the sinking for the news to get to England and then they had to rearrange sailings to keep up the schedule. The mails must go through on time, you see, or the company will lose the contract.’

Jeffrey nodded. ‘Interesting. Do go on.’ He slipped a coin into the man’s hand.

‘Well, since passengers had booked to sail with us, this new ship has been put into operation early. You might not have noticed the smell of new wood, you being ill. Anyway, they’ve shuffled the passengers about and all the cabins are taken. It was felt that people would prefer to continue their journey as planned, even if in more crowded conditions, rather than waiting weeks or months for another ship.’

‘Yes, something was mentioned, but I hadn’t realised I’d have to share a cabin.’ He’d been saying farewell to his friends, sharing a drink or two, hadn’t taken everything in. ‘Surely there is somewhere else free? I don’t mind paying extra.’

‘I’m afraid the cabins are fully occupied until we get to Suez, sir. Then I believe you’re going on to Bombay. You’ll probably manage to get a cabin of your own for that leg of the journey.’

‘It’d be the same with the steerage class passengers, I suppose.’

‘Yes, sir. They were summoned to board ship early, those who could make it. Otherwise quite a few of them would have to travel on another ship. Is that all, sir?’

‘Yes. Thank you for that information. I like to know where I stand.’

When the steward had gone, Jeffrey smiled. So fate had stepped in to make sure Cara Payton got her comeuppance. Well, well.

His wife was looking so white, Fergus thought it best to take her down to their cabin. ‘Cara’s not feeling well, Ma. Will you look after Niamh for a while? And Pa, will you keep an eye on the boys, please?’

‘Of course I will.’ Patrick ruffled Mal’s hair affectionately.

Fergus led Cara towards the companionway and went down the stairs first, keeping an eye on her, because she seemed a bit dazed.

When she stumbled and fell, he caught her in his arms and she clung to him for a moment or two, her body soft and warm against his. In the cabin, they sat on her bunk and he asked again, ‘Why should Barrett say anything about you?’

She swallowed hard. ‘Because he’s spiteful and enjoys getting people in trouble. Because … if he believes I flirted with his uncle and yet treated him scornfully, he’ll be furious. He’s … rather fond of himself. He looked at me as if he hated me. I know he means to hurt me, I just know it.’

‘Shh, now, shh.’ But she continued to weep, so he pulled her into his arms and held her close feeling very protective.

He wasn’t sure what he could do to stop this fellow spreading lies, but there must be something. Cara didn’t deserve to be hounded. Why the hell had fate put that young man on this particular ship?

‘I’m sorry, Fergus. I shouldn’t have married you. I don’t want to spoil your life. And the boys! Niamh, too. What will a scandal do to them all?’

He doubted the fellow would tell people about Cara immediately – well, he hadn’t spoken out straight away, had he? Maybe it’d be possible to speak to him, persuade him that his uncle had lied about her.

He sighed and shook his head slightly. No, people tended to believe their relatives rather than outsiders.

If necessary, if the worst happened and word spread, they’d all have to change their names and go to New South Wales, or New Zealand even.

That was when he suddenly realised he loved Cara. How had that happened? He hadn’t expected it at all.

She was still nestled against him and he dropped a kiss on her shining hair. ‘Try to stop crying, love,’ he said. ‘We have to decide what to do.’

She made a valiant effort. ‘I’m so sorry to bring trouble on you, Fergus.’

‘I keep telling you, you have done nothing to be sorry for. And whatever comes of this, I’m glad we got married. Truly, I am. I’ve come to care for you.’

Her mouth fell open in surprise at that. ‘You … care for me?’

‘Yes.’

She closed her eyes for a moment or two, as if overwhelmed by that, then whispered, ‘I care for you, too, Fergus.’

He kissed her cheek, knowing he had to move slowly, even though he wanted to kiss her properly, touch her.

She didn’t flinch from him, though he remembered in the early days, she’d flinched from any man touching her, even Pa. She was gazing at him in wonderment, looking like a child who’d been given a present.

‘I’ll try speaking to this fellow first. Maybe I can convince him that you were not to blame. Can you tell me more about him? What’s he like?’

‘Jeffrey is very selfish, thinks of no one but himself. He’ll enjoy hurting me. You’ll be wasting your time.’

‘I have to try.’ Somehow, in spite of all the obstacles, he intended to prevent Barrett from blackening his wife’s name.

Jeffrey went up on deck again later to stand by the rail, trying to work out what to do about her.

A steward came up to him. ‘Excuse me, sir. You’re Mr Barrett, aren’t you?’

‘Yes.’

‘I have a message for you.’ He held out a folded piece of paper.

‘Thank you.’

Jeffrey opened it. Could I please speak to you in private? Fergus Deagan.

The officer had called Cara ‘Mrs Deagan’. He wouldn’t mind speaking to this Deagan fellow in private. She’d probably told him lies and Deagan didn’t know what his wife was really like. He smiled, anticipating the shock, the upset.

He’d teach her to mix with decent people!

‘I’ll speak to Mr Deagan in my cabin.’ If Newland was there, he’d ask him to leave for half an hour.

Fortunately, the cabin was empty.

When Rémi saw Fergus following a steward across the deck towards the first class cabins, he guessed at once that something was wrong and didn’t hesitate to stop them.

‘I need to speak to Mr Deagan for a moment.’

‘I’m on my way to see Mr Barrett.’ Fergus’s voice sounded sharp, full of anger.

‘It won’t take a minute.’ Rémi turned to the steward. ‘I can show Mr Deagan to the cabin afterwards.’ Money exchanged hands, enough to bring a smile to the steward’s face.

‘What’s happened?’ Rémi asked.

‘I need to stop a man called Barrett from blackening my wife’s name.’

‘He’s sharing my cabin.’

‘What’s he like?’

‘Not very nice. So it may be useful to keep me informed of what’s going on. I’m on your side, whatever it is.’

Fergus stared. ‘You’re on my side without knowing what’s wrong?’

‘Of course I am. We’re friends, aren’t we?’

‘It’s, um, a bit delicate.’

‘Barrett isn’t the delicate sort, to judge by his boasting. Look, Fergus, if I can help you with anything, anything at all, I will, so don’t hesitate to ask.’

Fergus remembered suddenly that Rémi had trained as a lawyer and decided to ask his help. ‘Please keep this to yourself.’

‘You have my solemn promise.’

‘It was Barrett’s uncle who attacked Cara. Barrett probably believes she led him on.’

‘Ah. That’s why she was looking terrified.’

‘Yes. She’s sure he means to make trouble for her.’

Rémi gave his friend a sympathetic look. ‘What rotten luck he’s on this ship! She doesn’t deserve his spiteful treatment. I’m sure she was innocent.’

‘You are? Just on my word?’

‘Partly on your word, but also because I’ve had quite a bit to do with the other sort of women, the so-called ladies who break their marriage vows. I took advantage of that, I’m afraid, because I enjoy bed play. But Cara’s not at all like them. She wouldn’t lead anyone on.’

Rémi thought quickly, then added, ‘Look, if necessary, you should tell Jeffrey you’ll bring in your lawyer and sue him if he says anything about your wife. I’d be happy to act as your lawyer.’ He raised one eyebrow.

‘Are you sure?’ Fergus asked.

‘Sure that I want to help you? Yes, of course. And I’m also sure things will go better for you if you seem to have a lawyer. Definitely. I’m not at all certain we can stop him, though.’

‘No. That’s what Cara says. She thinks he enjoys making trouble.’

‘Don’t tell him it’s me who’s your lawyer unless you have to. I may be able to pick up some useful information from him since we’re sharing a cabin. I’ll get drunk with him, or pretend to, because I don’t have much of a head for boozing. We’ll see what comes of it.’

Moved by this offer, Fergus shook his hand. ‘Thank you.’

Rémi laid one hand on his companion’s shoulder, then pointed. ‘Good luck. It’s that cabin.’ He walked away.

Fergus took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

‘Come,’ called a voice.

He walked in to find Barrett sitting down, so waited, expecting to be offered a seat. But he wasn’t. That said a lot about the man.

‘Is that woman really your wife?’

Fergus turned as if to leave.

‘Hoy! I haven’t finished with you yet.’

‘I’ll not stay to hear my wife spoken about in that tone.’

‘You will, or I’ll tell everyone about her past.’

‘Oh? And how would you be knowing about her past?’

‘My family is friends with hers. I know exactly what happened last year. The point is, do you? And are you really married to her?’

Fergus was astounded at this. ‘Of course we’re married!’

‘Then you need to be told about her past.’

‘That your uncle raped her, do you mean?’ He used blunt words and could see that he’d shocked the other man by saying it out loud.

After a moment Barrett said, ‘She lied to you. She seduced him.’

‘Oh? Are you sure of that?’

‘Of course I’m sure.’

‘How old is he, this uncle of yours?’

Barrett stiffened. ‘What the hell has that to do with anything?’

Fergus moved a step forward, feeling furious but holding back his rage. Just. ‘Tell me how old your uncle is and I’ll explain.’

‘He’s sixty-three, if you must know.’

He looked at Barrett, who was going thin on top already and looked as if he ate well. Fergus took another guess, ‘Is he plump? Balding?’

‘Yes …’

‘And he has a wife?’

‘My aunt? Yes, of course. Look—’

Fergus didn’t give him time to speak. ‘Then ask yourself this: why would a gently brought up girl of twenty-one, who’d never been in trouble before, wish to seduce an elderly, plump, balding married man?’

Barrett’s mouth opened and shut like a fish out of water. Eventually, he stuttered out, ‘What has that – to do with the matter? My uncle wouldn’t lie about such a thing.’

‘Well, she must have had some reason to seduce him, don’t you think? What benefit would she get from it?’

Barrett frowned at him. ‘How should I know the way a woman like that thinks? Maybe she was just a bitch on heat.’

Fergus was across the cabin in seconds and grabbed Barrett by the throat, making him squeak as he shook him hard. ‘I told you before: be careful how you speak of her.’

Barrett pushed him away.

Fergus let go and stepped back, then moved towards the door. ‘I’ll leave you to think about what I’ve said. But if you attempt to blacken my wife’s name, I’ll make you sorry.’

At the door, he stopped again. ‘Think about this, too. You’ve known her since she was a child, haven’t you?’

His companion nodded.

‘You’re a good-looking young fellow, surely more attractive to a woman her age than your uncle. If she was that way inclined, she’d surely turn to a person like you first, not an old man, don’t you think? Did she ever try to seduce you?’

‘Well … no. ’

‘I believe Cara. Her aunt Lavinia does too. She told Cara that your uncle had fumbled with her body, too, more than once. But since he was a dear friend of Cara’s father and uncle, they wouldn’t believe any wrong of him.’

Barrett was silent, his expression now more that of a sulky little boy who’d had his game spoiled than the face of a grown man.

Fergus gave him a minute, then added, ‘I took legal advice about the situation when we married. If you do anything whatsoever to blacken my wife’s reputation, I’ll bring in my lawyer and sue you.’

‘Don’t you threaten me. I’ll complain to the captain.’

‘I’m not threatening you in any way. As my lawyer will point out, if necessary.’

‘Ha! A man of your class with a lawyer? I don’t believe that for a minute. And how will you reach him from here anyway?’

‘He’s on the ship already.’

‘Who is he?’

‘That’s my business, unless you cause trouble for us. Cara is my wife and I care deeply about her. I will not have her hurt again by a member of your family. Remember that.’ Fergus turned and left.

He didn’t know how he’d kept his hands off that vicious fool.

Unfortunately, he didn’t trust that the man had enough sense to think logically about what had happened, let alone keep quiet. There was something strange about Barrett.

When he got back to the cabin, Fergus found Cara sitting there, her face pale. She looked more composed now, to his relief.

‘What did he say to you?’ she asked before he could even close the cabin door.

‘He tried to tell me you seduced his uncle. I made it plain I didn’t believe that, and said I’d take it amiss if he tried to spread that slander.’

‘Thank you.’ She sighed. ‘I don’t think we can stop him, though. He likes upsetting people, likes to think he has power over them.’

‘I had a quick word with Rémi on the way there. He believes you and has offered to act as our lawyer, if necessary.’

‘That’s so kind of him.’ She squared her shoulders. ‘Then I can do nothing except … carry on. Hope. Pray.’

‘And if the worst happens, you must deny what he says. Unfortunately, I can’t stay with you. I have a rehearsal later, and there may be new passengers who wish to join in the entertainment.’

She clapped one hand over her mouth. ‘Oh, no!’

‘Something else wrong?’

‘Jeffrey has a good voice.’

‘Then he’ll be welcome to join the concert party. In public, I’ll treat him as I treat any other person, as long as he’s polite to you.’

‘Now, let’s go and eat our meal, then confront the dragon at rehearsals, if we have to.’

‘I’d better stay out of it.’

‘No. You’re already in the chorus. You must face the world, as I said before, with your head held high.’

But she ate very little. And he didn’t try to force food on her.

Some instinct told him things were going to be difficult. There was something odd about Barrett, he was … Fergus sought for a word, and could only come up with ‘unstable’. He’d met men like Barrett before. Weak in themselves, but bullying others when they could. Always unpredictable. As if something wasn’t quite right in their minds.

Would the fellow keep his mouth shut about Cara?

Fergus didn’t feel optimistic, but he tried not to let her see that.