by Dilly Court
She was uncomfortably aware of the curious glances from the dockers and a hard stare from Gilks, who had just come out of the office. 'Let's walk, and you can tell me everything.'
He offered her his arm. 'Look – no shakes. I've been remarkably abstemious since I took on Walter's case. If I'm not careful I might become a reformed character.'
In spite of everything, Rosina could not suppress a gurgle of laughter. 'I can't see you joining the Temperance Society somehow.'
'Perhaps not, but I've given up my lodgings in Naked Boy Yard and moved in as a permanent paying guest with the Smilies. Gladys takes pleasure in mothering me, and to tell the truth, I rather enjoy it.'
'I'm glad, for your sake, Septimus, but what about Walter? Do you think the charges will stick?'
'Barnum says he has a witness. I've done my best to discover who it is, but so far I have found nothing definite.' Septimus stopped as they reached the roadside and he put his hand in his coat pocket. 'Walter is desperately ashamed of his outburst after the trial. He begs you to forgive him, and he hopes that you can understand why he allowed his feelings to overcome his better judgement.'
'I used to tease him about his iron self-control and lack of emotion,' Rosina said with a heartfelt sigh. 'I confess that it was a shock to see him lose his temper in such a way.'
'He sent you this.' Septimus took her hand and dropped the gold locket and chain into her palm. 'He wanted you to know that Will is very much alive, and that he loves you more than life itself.'
Rosina stared mutely at the locket, unable to speak for fear that she would burst into tears. Walter's anger and his harsh accusations had cut her to the quick.
'I don't understand the message,' Septimus said softly. 'But it seems that you do.'
'I do.'
'There's something more I have to tell you, Rosie.'
She could tell by the sound of his voice that it was not good news, and she raised her head to look him in the eyes. 'What is it? Tell me the worst.'
He cleared his throat and a dull flush brought colour to his normally pale cheeks. 'I told you that Barnum had a witness to the first act of piracy. He wouldn't divulge the name of that person, but he said whoever it was had implicated you in the robbery.'
'No! That's not possible.'
'Think hard, Rosie. It is possible that the fellow could be mistaken, or did you happen to be in the vicinity when the crime took place?'
'I – I was looking out of the window, and I thought I saw a movement on Captain Barnum's boat. I didn't care about him, but my papa's barge was moored alongside the Curlew. I went to raise Mr Cotton, the wharfinger, but I slipped and fell . . .' She stopped, unable to go on. The vivid memories of that night had come back in a blinding flash. She could hear Will's voice whispering in her ear. 'My beautiful rose' – that was what he had called her. If only she had known then that Will and Walter were one and the same.
'Go on,' Septimus said gently. 'What happened then?'
'I didn't know it was Walter, but I recognised the pirate's voice. I – I had met him before at Cremorne Gardens. He was masked and I did not see his face but we danced on the crystal platform and he held me in his arms. It was like magic.'
'And you fell in love with him.'
Rosina looked away, unable to meet his gaze. 'I know it sounds silly, but perhaps in my heart I knew all along that the pirate and Walter were the same person.'
'And Walter did steal from Captain Barnum's vessel?'
She could not answer, would not answer. She could not utter the words that would incriminate the man she loved and possibly send him to the gallows. 'What will we do?'
'I don't know yet, but I will go and visit Walter in Newgate. He must have had good reason to target Captain Barnum, and only Walter knows the truth.'
'And what if he won't tell you?'
'He will do anything to protect you and your good name. Walter won't stand by and see you dragged into court as a material witness.' Septimus raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. 'Trust me, Rosie. I will get Walter acquitted if it's the last thing I do.'
She watched him stride away towards the road, but she could not share his optimism. There was some deep, dark secret that Walter was hiding, even from her. She had no idea what it could be, but it must have something to do with Captain Barnum, or why would Walter steal from him and him alone? Barnum was obviously the key to the mystery; she must face him and demand to know the truth.
The Curlew was not in port. Rosina had run all the way from Duke's Shore Wharf to Black Eagle Wharf, and by the time she reached her destination she was hot, breathless and desperate to find Captain Barnum. On questioning one of the dockers who was unloading barrels from a lighter, she discovered that the Curlew had sailed earlier that morning. She knew the route that Barnum would take to collect his cargo from the farmers of Essex. She had done this trip with her father many times in the past, and although her memory of the route was hazy, she was becoming quite adept at reading a chart. She made her way back to Duke's Shore Wharf. Caddie and Pip would be disappointed – they had been eagerly anticipating a day's rest – but she knew that they would rally round in her hour of need.
With the leeboard raised, the Ellie May slid onto the mudflats in the narrow creek. Beneath the vast expanse of sky, the saltings were haunted by the ghostly cries of curlews and the liquid song of skylarks. The acres of mud and brackish water were punctuated by tussocks of marram grass stretching as far as the eye could see, and a group of buildings perched like beached whales on higher ground. At high tide the boat would float gently back into the mainstream, giving Rosina a few short hours in which to find Captain Barnum, although she was fairly certain that he would be ensconced in the alehouse while Barker saw to the loading of the barge just a little further up the creek.
Leaving Caddie and Pip on board, she lowered herself onto the sticky mud. She had taken off her boots and they hung by their laces around her neck. She could remember doing the same thing when she had accompanied her pa all those years ago. She felt as though his spirit was with her as she leapt from tussock to tussock, occasionally having to wade through the glutinous morass until she reached firmer ground. The alehouse was constructed of weatherboard and the roof thatched with reeds; beyond it were a couple of fishermen's cottages and a hay barn. As she went inside her nostrils were assailed by the strong smell of hops and malt mixed with tobacco smoke from the clay pipes clenched between the teeth of two old men seated on a bench. They glared at her as if she had no right to invade their masculine domain, but she ignored them. The landlord did not seem much more welcoming as he eyed her suspiciously from behind the bar where barrels of beer squatted on wooden trestles. He folded his arms across his chest. 'I think you made a mistake, missy. This ain't no place for the likes of you.'
Rosina stood her ground. 'I'm looking for Captain Ham Barnum.'
'And what might you want with the captain?'
'It's all right, Cooper. I know this young woman.'
She turned with a start. Barnum was sitting at a small table behind the door with a pint tankard in front of him. He beckoned to her and she moved swiftly to take a seat opposite him.
'You shouldn't be here, Miss May. You won't do any good by pleading your cause with me. I'll see that young devil hanged and you must take your chances with the law for abetting him.'
His eyes were cold as shards of ice, and Rosina's fingers trembled as they sought the comforting touch of the locket which Septimus had restored to her keeping. Just the feel of the warm gold seemed to bring her closer to Walter. 'You had your differences with my pa, but I still think you are a fair man, Captain Barnum. Walter is not a criminal. I'm begging you to drop the case against him.'
'He did me a great wrong. Why should he go unpunished?'
It was true. Walter had broken the law: that was an undeniable fact, but he must have had good reason, of that she was certain. As she sought desperately to think of an answer which would convince him, she tugged at the locket
and it flew open. The medallion landed on the table and rolled towards Barnum. He picked it up, holding it between his thumb and forefinger. 'This is a strange object for a young lady to hide in a locket. It must be a love token.'
When she did not answer, he slipped it into the palm of his hand and examined it more closely. His smile faded and the medallion fell from his nerveless fingers. 'Where did you get this?'
Rosina caught it and held it in her hand. 'What does it matter who gave it to me?'
'It matters to me.' Barnum grasped her by the wrist. 'I won't ask you again, girl. Where did you get that medallion?'
'Let go of me, Captain Barnum. I will tell you nothing until you are calmer, sir.'
He released her, drawing his hand away and rubbing it across his temples. 'What is inscribed on it? Read it to me.'
She peered at the heart-shaped piece of gold, holding it in a shaft of pale sunlight as it filtered through the salt-spattered window glass. 'It is initials – WB.' Her heart missed a beat. Now he would know for certain that Walter had given it to her.
'Winifred,' Barnum said slowly. 'I gave that token to my wife on our wedding day.'
His deep distress was obvious and Rosina shook her head. 'No, sir. You must be mistaken. I believe the initials stand for Winifred Brown, not Barnum.'
Barnum leapt to his feet. 'My God. It can't be. Why didn't I see it before?'
'I don't understand.' Rosina rose slowly, pushing the chair back from the table.
'I should have known him. By God I should. He even looks like her.'
She was frightened now. His eyes were glazed and starting from his head – he looked like a madman. Even the old men had stopped smoking their pipes, and the landlord had come out from behind the bar. 'What's the matter, Captain?'
'You little fool,' Barnum hissed, seizing Rosina by the arm. 'You have no idea, have you? Your friend Walter Brown is none other than my son, William Barnum.' Without waiting for her response, he slammed out of the alehouse.
She was too stunned and shocked to move, and her first reaction was of denial. Captain Barnum must be mistaken. Walter could not possibly be his son – and yet . . . She hurried after him, catching him by the sleeve as he paced up and down, mumbling beneath his breath and shaking his head. 'Captain, please be calm. Could it be that you are mistaken?'
Barnum came to a halt, staring at her with a bleak expression in his eyes. 'I did not recognise my own flesh and blood.'
In her mind's eye she saw Walter, the unobtrusive counting-house clerk, and the pieces of the puzzle seemed to move a little closer together. 'Perhaps he did not want you to recognise him, sir?'
Barnum frowned. 'I had not seen him since he was a child.'
'I heard a little of the story.'
'From your father, I suppose? Well, it would not have been to my credit, and on looking back I am not proud of the way in which I treated Winifred and the boy – but that is ancient history. It is over and done with.'
'Not, it would seem, from Will's point of view.'
Barnum did not appear to hear her; he raised his head and squinted into the setting sun. The saltings were slowly dissolving into the dusk. He sniffed the air like a fox scenting its quarry. 'The tide is on the turn. You must get back to your vessel or you will be stranded here in this godforsaken place.'
'It's over there.' She pointed to where she had left the Ellie May. 'But I cannot leave until I have your word that you will not pursue the case against Walter. I mean Will.'
He took her by the arm and began walking briskly in the direction of the barge. 'You must get back on board. These marshes are dangerous, especially at night.'
'Just give me your word and I will go alone. I know the way.'
'And you are as stubborn as your mother was, and just as beautiful. I have three daughters of my own, Rosina. I would not have them walk the saltings alone and in fading light.'
'You really loved my mother, I can tell.'
He lifted her over a rapidly widening channel of salt water, setting her down on firmer ground. 'I was bewitched, besotted and completely beguiled by her. I abandoned poor Winnie and my boy, and I would have gone ahead with the marriage ceremony, even though it was bigamous, if my father-in-law had not found me out. Your father married the only woman I have ever truly loved. I never forgave him for that, God help me.'
His voice broke with emotion and Rosina could almost feel sorry for him, but she was not going to let him off so easily. 'And yet you must have married the present Mrs Barnum fairly soon afterwards. Sukey is only a year or so younger than me.'
'I was a sad and lonely man. Winnie had died of smallpox and her widowed sister took Will in and was raising him as her own. I sent her money, but I could not bring myself to see the boy. I can't say that I blame him for hating me. He has good cause.'
They had reached the Ellie May, and she was beginning to float on the incoming tide. Pip and Caddie were leaning over the bows calling out to Rosina to hurry. Barnum lifted her up and tossed her onto the deck. She scrambled to her feet and leaned over the side. 'Captain Barnum, will you at least give me your word that you will visit him in jail, and that you will try to understand why he did what he did?'
Barnum stepped back into the gathering gloom. 'You have my word.'
'The tide is coming in,' Pip said urgently. 'Best hurry, Captain, or you won't get back to your vessel.'
Barnum turned away and his shadowy shape dissolved into the darkness. Caddie threw her arms around Rosina. 'We was so worried. Don't never give us a fright like that again.'
Halfway between tears and laughter, Rosina dashed her hand across her eyes. 'Let's head for home. I've done what I came to do; now it's up to Captain Barnum's conscience. I pray to God that he has one.'
*
Next day, Rosina was back on board the Ellie May watching the city's rubbish being tipped into the hold. She could not afford to break her contract with Gilks by taking another day off, and she had to be content with going about what had become a routine task. It was hard to put her worries aside, but the gruelling work left her little time to fret. She was desperate to know whether Captain Barnum had carried out his promise to see Walter, but it was almost a week before she had time to sit down and write a note to Septimus, asking him to come and see her on Sunday, their only day of rest. It was almost midnight on Saturday when they arrived back at Duke's Shore Wharf. As she sank down on the straw-filled palliasse in the shack, Rosina could only hope that Septimus has received her note and that he would have some good news for her.
She was struggling through knee-deep water and her feet were sinking into deep mud. She was shouting Captain Barnum's name, begging him to stop, but he was striding on ahead of her, his booted feet skimming across the marsh as though he were flying. She could not keep up with him – she was sinking – the water was closing over her head – someone was shaking her by the shoulder and calling her name. Rosina opened her eyes and looked up into Bertha's face.
'Wake up, ducks. There's someone to see you.'
Rosina struggled against the mists of sleep. Even as she drew herself up into a sitting position, she was still trembling with fright.
'You was having a nightmare, ducks. Shouting out and calling for Captain Barnum, the old devil.'
Rosina stretched and yawned. 'Thank goodness it was just a dream. But who wants to see me?'
Bertha moved to the table and poured tea into a cup. 'Drink this first. It's that there lawyer fellow and I made him wait outside on the stoop. Maybe he's got good news for you.'
Rosina sipped the stewed tea. It was lukewarm, sweet and bitter at the same time, but it brought her back to her senses. As she clambered to her feet, she realised that it was unusually quiet in the hut. 'Where are Caddie and the nippers?'