Page 117 of A Castaway in Cornwall
“I came to Jersey with a beauty of my own.”
“Oh? Perhaps I know this lady. St. Helier is not such a big town. Bigger than it once was, yes, but still not such a metropolis that one does not know his neighbors.”
“Miss Callaway is niece to Mrs. Hilgrove,” Alex explained. “She lives with a local nurse, Mrs. Tobin.”
“Susan Hilgrove ... That is ... Mrs. Hilgrove, yes. A ... gracious lady.”
“You are well acquainted?”
“Not as well as I should like, but I shall say no more. Not gentlemanlike, I reckon, to talk about a lady. Her niece, you say? I did not know she had a niece coming to visit.”
“I think it’s fair to say our arrival was most unexpected.”
“Well, I shall have to pay a call and learn all about it.” A flash of eagerness shone in the man’s eyes.
“Then, perhaps I shall see you again.”
“I hope so.” The older man extended a strong, rough hand. “Bert Gillan.”
Alex took it. “Alexander Carnell ... That is, Captain Carnell.”
Again the bushy eyebrows rose. “Captain, is it? Well, well. I won’t ask which side. I am neutral, after all, since I do business with both France and England.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“Staying with Mrs. Hilgrove, are you?” the man asked wistfully.
“No, I’ve taken a room at La Folie.” Alex pointed to the small inn tucked away in a sheltered corner of the harbour.
The man glanced at it and nodded. “Lot of character in that old place. And a lot of characters frequent it too. It’s a favorite with sailors, pilots, dockers, and the like. Local fishermen sell their catch right outside its doors.”
Yes, Alexander had seen and smelled the mounds of fish and hoped he didn’t carry the smell with him when he visited Miss Callaway.
Alex turned to take his leave, saying in parting, “May I mention to Mrs. Hilgrove that I met you?”
“Yes, and put in a good word for me while you’re at it, ey?”
Alexander grinned. “Indeed I shall.”
Her aunt insisted Laura rest, but later that evening, after a nap and a good dinner, the two sat together once more. Mrs. Tobin joined them.
Laura asked about Captain Carnell.
“We have not seen him since this morning,” Mrs. Tobin said. “He walked off in the direction of the harbour.”
He was looking for a ship to take him to France, Laura guessed, her heart aching at the thought. It was only a matter of time until he sailed away from her. As her parents had...
Turning to her aunt, Laura began, “When Mamma and Papa left me to the fickle mercies of an English boarding school, I felt abandoned, like an inconvenience sent off so that they could travel without impediment. Then again, I was an irritable adolescent.”
The two shared knowing looks at that.
“I received no letters from them, and assumed they had forgotten all about me as they enjoyed the delights of their new island home.”
Mrs. Tobin shook her head. “They did not forget about you, my dear. I can vouch for that.” The nurse handed her something. “Your mother wore this almost continually.”
Laura accepted the locket and stared down at the golden oval. She’d all but forgotten about it. Opening it, she saw the miniature portraits within—her father, and herself as a girl.
“She loved you both very much,” the nurse said. “She clutched that to her heart as she drew her final breaths.”
