Free Fall of a Philanderer by Carola Dunn

same words from HMS Pinafore buzzed silently in her head as in his:

    Carefully on tiptoe stealing, Breathing gently as we may, Every step with caution feeling, We will gently steal away.

    Except that she was not stealing “away,” and he damned well wished she was.
    When next Alec raised his head, Anstruther was on his feet, facing the garden wall but slightly turned away, towards his wife who, fortunately, was beyond him. His voice, though low, was impassioned, and clear enough for Alec to make out his words.
    â€œIt’s my fault. You’ve been alone too much, with no family near to support you, no children to occupy you. I’ll apply for a shore berth, Devonport or Portsmouth. I’ve been at sea over twenty years, that’s enough. Cecily, you need never fear me.” He held out his hands to her, and she threw herself on his chest, sobbing. As his arms closed about her, he repeated tenderly, “Never be afraid of me, Cecily.” Then his voice rose, the tone turned menacing, and he spat out, “But
as for that filthy lecher who took advantage of you, he’d bloody well better watch out!”
    Â 
    The sun shone through the open window onto Daisy’s face, but she didn’t want to get up. She was sure her bottom still bore the imprint of the cold stone step she had cowered on for what felt like hours, while the Anstruthers canoodled in the garden above. Of course she was glad they were reconciled, but they might have had the decency to take their billing and cooing indoors!
    She had been too tired to face the slog back along the track and round by the lane to the front door, though if she had known how long the wait would be she might have changed her mind. Alec and Baskin had both stayed with her, all by silent consent too embarrassed to openly walk up the steps. When at last the Anstruthers went into the house, Alec swore his every joint creaked as he rose from his crouch.
    Baskin still had a youthful spring in his step. But as he and Daisy and Alec crossed the lawn towards the back door, she had heard him mutter, “Well, that settles it! The man’s a cad and a bounder and he’s got to be stopped.”
    Last night, cold, cramped and cross, Daisy had considered it only right that George Enderby should get his just desserts, and the sooner the better. This morning, warm and comfortable in her bed, she was inclined to feel more charitable.
    Or rather, since she was not at all inclined to make allowances for Enderby, she began to consider consequences.
    Peter Anstruther’s attack in the pub had not done Cecily’s reputation any good, but at least his naval superiors were not likely to take a bar-room brawl too seriously. A premeditated assault, on the contrary, could lead to a court-martial as well as a prison sentence, besides confirming and spreading word of Cecily’s downfall. The couple would be ruined.
    Whatever Cecily’s misdeeds, Daisy liked her. She liked Baskin, too, and he was pretty well bound to lose his job if he raised a hand
to Enderby. Still, though she knew nothing of his family circumstances, she thought on the whole it would be a good thing if he put Enderby out of commission before Anstruther got around to it.
    She wondered if she dared hint to him that he should stop procrastinating and get on with giving Georgie Porgie the thwacking he so richly deserved. But Alec would be furious if he discovered her meddling. The phrase “accessory before the fact” came to mind.
    A glance at the clock on the mantelpiece told her she was too late, anyway. By the time she was up and dressed, Baskin would have finished his breakfast and gone off for his daily hike—unless he chose a shorter walk today, to the Schooner Inn and a confrontation.
    Daisy was getting hungry. Alec had promised to bring her up some toast with homemade jam, but she was beginning to wish she hadn’t surrendered to the temptation of her cosy bed. Scrambled