Page 148 of A Winter By the Sea
Reaching the western beach, she trudged on, relieved no men were bathing there, or at least no men bathing without clothes, as they were known to do on this more secluded stretch.
As she continued westward, she kept an eye on the water and hoped she could make it there and back before the tide came in.
When she reached the cave, would she find Mr. During?Would he be alone? She prayed she might find him before any potential meeting with a buyer could take place.
———
In the parlour with Mr. Thomson and Mr. Bernardi, Emily began to worry in earnest.
She rose and announced, “I am going to find Sarah.”
Mr. Thomson nodded. “I will go with you.”
“What’s going on?” Mr. Bernardi asked, eyes narrowed.
Emily explained the situation: Selwyn During’s suspicious behavior, the missing candlesticks, the possibility he planned to sell them to someone, and Sarah gone searching, hoping to avert catastrophe.
“I should never have let her go alone,” Emily lamented. “I should have insisted on going with her.”
“We shall go together now,” Mr. Thomson said.
Mr. Bernardi nodded. “And I will go with you. But first ... I need something from the kitchen.” He looked pointedly at James. “A buyer of stolen goods, whoever he is, could be dangerous, so this might be a good time to bring one of those swords of yours. And I don’t mean a practice foil.”
A short while later, the three donned coats and left the house together: Mr. Thomson, sword at his side, Mr. Bernardi armed with his favorite pestle, and Emily armed with her wits and basic knowledge of local terrain.
When they reached the beach, Emily saw Punch Cordey sitting outside the family cottage, puffing on a white clay pipe, and then bending over in a coughing fit.
“Since when do you smoke?” she asked.
“Since about five minutes ago.”
“That’s long enough, I’d say.”
Having seen them from the cottage window, Bibi came out to join them, wrapping a wool shawl around herself as she came.
“Have you seen Sarah?” Emily asked Punch. “Has she come this way?”
“Oh aye. She were lookin’ fer that skinny fellow a-stayin’ at Sea View.”
“Mr. During, yes. Did he come this way as well?”
Punch nodded. “Asked how to get to Lade Foot.”
“And you gave Sarah directions too?”
“I did.”
Worry lines puckered Bibi’s face. “If they’m goin’ there, no good can come of it.”
“What do you mean?” Emily asked.
“There’s a sea cave near Lade Foot, ’tween here and Ladram Bay, where smugglers hide contraband.” Bibi scowled at her brother, then cuffed his arm. “I can’t believe ’ee told her how to get there without warnin’ her!”
“I were, uh, thinkin’ on... other things.”
“Molly Tucker, no doubt.”
He dipped his head, cheeks stained red.
