The Complete Ravenscar Trilogy: The Ravenscar Dynasty, Heirs of Ravenscar, Being Elizabeth. Barbara Taylor Bradford

you go up the gangplank of a British battleship, what’s the first thing you see when you step onto the deck?’

      ‘A plaque that says, Fear God. Honour the King.’

      ‘You have an excellent memory, Dickie. I know Father taught you a great deal of this stuff, didn’t he?’

      ‘Yes, and he said he would have liked to have been a sailor in the Royal Navy. I think I would, too.’

      ‘Talking of the Navy, what do you do when you unexpectedly see a sailor?’

      ‘Touch his collar for luck.’

      Edward began to laugh, and through his chuckles he murmured, ‘I think I’m actually running out of things to ask you about sea lore, do you know that?’

      ‘It’s all right, Ned, we’re almost at the top of the steps. Are we going to give the fish to Cook? Perhaps she’ll make it for supper.’

      ‘Perhaps, although I think the cod are going to end up as fish cakes, because they are quite small, you know.’

      It was Will Hasling who greeted them when they went back into the stable yard. He was standing at the back door waiting for them and he waved, and exclaimed, ‘Do you two have a big catch then?’ He was grinning from ear to ear, and seemed anxious to talk to Edward.

      ‘What’s the matter?’ Edward asked, as they went inside the house together. ‘You look excited.’

      ‘Not really excited, but well, sort of relieved, perhaps that’s the best way to describe my feelings.’

      ‘Do tell me,’ Edward answered, putting the fishing basket down along with his rod, struggling out of the cap and scarf and layers of clothes, then helping Richard to do the same.

      ‘Neville telephoned whilst you were out. Apparently Oliveri has had a telegram from his contact in Delhi. It looks as if his little team out there have come up with just the evidence we need. David Westmouth is going to send it all in a series of telegrams—seemingly that’s the quickest way.’

      ‘Thank God we’ve heard from the fellow at last, I’d almost given up on him,’ Edward replied, and this good news brought a smile to his face. ‘Now, Tiddler,’ he remarked, turning to Richard. ‘Here’s the catch of the day. Take it along to the kitchen and tell Cook it’s our present to her. If she wants to keep the cod for herself, she can. Will you tell her that?’ Lifting the fishing basket, Edward placed the strap on Richard’s shoulder. ‘Oh, and do me a favour, please, Little Fish. Ask her to please send hot tea and crumpets to the library, will you, my boy?’

      Richard nodded. ‘’Course I will, Ned.’

      The boy hurried off with the small haul of fish, walking rapidly down the corridor.

      Will and Edward followed at a slower pace, a compatible silence between them. After they went into the library Will said, ‘Once we have that information, everything can go ahead according to Neville. There’s nothing else we’re waiting for, not really.’

      Walking across the floor, going to stand in front of the roaring fire, still chilled from his sojourn on the beach, Edward nodded. ‘I’m anxious to get things moving, to be honest. The sooner the better. There’s no real reason to wait, once those telegrams are received. I don’t want John Summers and that bloody woman to do any more damage.’

      He sighed and went to sit in a chair nearby, looked across at Will. ‘There’s a lot of rebuilding to do, of that I am absolutely certain. Rob Aspen and Alfredo Oliveri, and Christopher Green as well actually, will quickly pull the mining division into shape, but the vineyards in France are in need of an overhaul, and somebody will have to look after the northern offices. Things have grown slack, in my estimation.’

      ‘Perhaps Johnny will agree to do that,’ Will suggested. ‘After all, he has a fund of knowledge about the north, after working for Neville all these years, and he has a family home in Yorkshire.’

      ‘I expect he will have to take on that burden, if only for a short while. But I’ll miss him, Will, he’s invaluable.’ Edward smiled at his friend with affection, swiftly added, ‘I certainly can’t let you work up here in the north. I need you in London with me.’

      ‘And that’s where I want to be. By the way, Ned, I spoke to Vicky while you were off fishing. And—’

      ‘Did she mention Lily?’ Ned asked eagerly, cutting across him.

      ‘She certainly did. Lily is fine, and she’s expecting you next week. If you go up to town I’ll go with you, and Johnny will have to come, too. You know Neville’s a stickler about protecting you.’

      ‘Of course, there’s no question about that. Is that all she had to say about Lily?’

      ‘She confided that your darling Lily was looking beautiful, that she was in good health, and that the baby was showing a little, and that was about it.’

      Edward grinned. ‘Can you imagine that I’m going to become a father? It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?’

      Will merely grinned, and exclaimed, ‘And Vicky might well become a mother, Ned. She and Stephen are thinking about adopting that little girl Amos found in a cart. Don’t you remember, he told us all about it at the last meeting we had. He seemed oddly touched by the child, and so is Vicky. More than that, actually, old chap. She’s gone a bit potty about her, according to Stephen. However, he’s all for the adoption because Vicky hasn’t been able to become pregnant.’

      ‘I think that’s wonderful, and such a kindness to the child,’ Edward replied. ‘From what Finnister told us, the girl is rather pretty, isn’t she?’

      ‘Yes. Still, they don’t know anything about her. Vicky told me that when they took her in at Haddon House she was sort of…well, permanently attached to a cloth bag and wouldn’t be separated from it. Eventually they did get her to show them some of the things inside. There was nothing to explain who she was. So they call her Rose.’

      ‘Can they adopt her?’ Edward wondered out loud. ‘I mean, who are they adopting her from? She was homeless, on her own, can’t they just…take her in and bring her up as theirs? It’s ludicrous to talk of adoption.’

      ‘Good Lord, I hadn’t thought about that!’ Will exclaimed. ‘Perhaps you’re correct, maybe they don’t have to do anything legal. Anyway, Fenella knows Hugh Codrill, the barrister, and he’s apparently going to advise them.’

      ‘Then they’re in good hands.’

      Before dinner that night, Edward went to his mother’s upstairs sitting room. She was alone, reading a book in front of the fire; she looked up, and put it down when he came into the small boudoir.

      ‘Yes, Ned, what is it?’ she asked, smiling at him, beckoning him to enter.

      ‘Can we talk for a few moments?’

      ‘But of course we can. Is something troubling you?’

      ‘Well, yes, as a matter of fact it is. I’m troubled about the tiaras, Mother. I don’t want you to sell them so that you can buy me a house, in order for me to create my own household.’

      ‘Ned, there’s no other way to do it!’

      ‘I think there will be and really rather soon.’

      Cecily frowned. ‘You do? Please explain, darling.’

      ‘We have an enormous amount of evidence against the Grants and their adherents,’ Ned confided. ‘It’s going to sink them once and for all. Actually, we could go ahead now, but