Free Beyond the Storm by E.V. Thompson Page B

was paying a visit to the Trethevy rectory. In response to his report on the ships wrecked along the North Cornwall coast on that eventful night he had received a letter from the Admiralty, requesting more details in respect of the loss of the Balladeer .
    ‘She is physically well enough,’ Alice replied, ‘but she becomes quite upset if the shipwreck is mentioned and there are great gaps in her memory of all that happened to her on that night.’
    ‘It’s hardly surprising,’ the coast guard officer said, sympathetically . ‘She is only a young girl and it was a horrific and terrifying experience for her. She is very, very lucky to have survived at all, only a handful of people were rescued from the ships lost that night. Three went down with the loss of everyone on board. I wouldn’t be asking her any questions at all but the master of Balladeer was related to a senior officer at the Admiralty who wants to know whether it is possible one of the bodies found might possibly be that of his relative. I don’t know whether Eliza saw any of them?’
    Alice shook her head. ‘She was terribly confused and far too ill to attend the funeral … but I saw the bodies and the men were allyoung, far too young to be master of a ship. Is that all you wish to speak to Eliza about?’
    ‘Yes … well no, actually, but it is nothing important. For some reason, probably purely because of the interest someone in the Admiralty has in the ship, they have sent me a list of passengers and crew. The name of Eliza Smith isn’t among them – although I have to admit there is nothing particularly unusual in that. The passenger lists of most ships are notoriously inaccurate, mostly through sheer inefficiency on the part of those making them, although sometimes it is because someone has taken the fare and kept it for himself. However, I thought I might mention it.’
    ‘You may, if you wish, she is sitting out in the sunshine at the back garden, but I believe I can give you an answer. A lady booked passage on the Balladeer for herself and a maid. At the very last moment the maid decided she did not want to leave England and the woman found Eliza to take her place shortly before the ship set sail for America. She probably did not even think about changing the name on the passenger list for a servant travelling with her. I have spoken to Eliza about the ship itself and she is very vague about it, but that is hardly surprising either. She went on board in the dark and the vessel set sail the same night, running into such bad weather when it left the Thames that she and her employer never left their cabin before the ship ran into trouble. At some stage when the ship was in distress she and her mistress were put into a boat in a vain attempt to reach safety. I think we both know what happened afterwards.’
    Jory Kendall nodded sympathetically. ‘I have experienced a great many storms at sea, some can be thoroughly alarming, even for a sailor. I can only imagine how Eliza must have felt. The poor girl would have been terrified. I don’t need to trouble her right now, if at all, but what is going to happen to her when she is well? Will she return to London and her parents?’
    ‘She is a poorhouse girl with no parents but as she has experience of being in service David and I thought we would take her on trial as a housemaid. If she proves satisfactory – as I am convinced she will – she will remain at Trethevy with us.’
    ‘That would be a very acceptable arrangement for everyone. I hope the girl will be duly grateful to you….’
    Before he could say any more there was the sound of hurried footsteps along the passageway from the front door and a moment later Percy burst into the room, his face above the greying beard ruddier than normal.
    Before Alice could reprove him for not knocking at the door, the old man asked breathlessly, ‘Where’s the Reverend? I just went up to the church to fetch a rake I’d left there yesterday and