"Of course. Go on, don't stop," Jamie said and poured for both of them, his own glass long since empty. He noticed his fingers were shaking.

Christ, why would Tess do that, a sea burial, and what the hell is Maureen doing accepting for dinner when we've got to talk? "Go on, for Christ's sake!"

First Hoag drank, "My God, that's good!"

He took off his coat and sat down, took a deep breath and felt better. "My God I'm pleased to see you. Where was I? Oh yes! When I saw Tess the first time I was so upset for her. It was awful. I met her in Culum's old office and she said, "Ronald, tell me the bad, all the details, tell it as it happened." She was standing by the huge desk, straight as a spar, pale, never so pale, Jamie--the painting of Dirk on the wall, staring at you with that green-eyed challenge, daring you to lie.

I told her as best I could, of course she'd heard bits and pieces from Strongbow--you remember I'd told him to tell her I was on the mail ship and sorry couldn't come by Cloud because there was an operation I had to perform.

"She never wavered, she never wavered, Jamie, just listened as I told about the Tokaido, engagement, marriage and death as best I could, as gently as I could, the duel, Norbert, you and Gornt. It all came out, don't remember my exact words but I told it as it happened." He stopped a moment, less nervous now. "You know how she is, always holding back always hiding, the stiffest upper lip in Christendom, she just thanked me, told me she had the death certificate and inquest papers from Strongbow. Remarkable woman. Uncanny.

That's about all--oh yes, she thanked me for taking care of the coffin with the undertaker which went perfectly, thank God."

"Eh?"

Hoag's eyes brightened. "Naturally I didn't want the coffin opened up. I'd told Strongbow to send it directly to Blore, Christenson, Herberts, Herberts and Crink, do lots of business with them, and ordered them "for medical reasons" to put our coffin directly into one of theirs, top quality, silver handles, and to screw it tight at once, no lying in state or opening it, I recommended against that due to decomposition etc. and had advised Tess by letter to that effect in the strongest terms. Glad to say it went perfectly from our point of view, and Malcolm's." Hoag refilled his glass.

"Glad I went. Otherwise all's well that ends well."

"Did you tell her about the other, about our burial?"

"Christ no, am I that stupid? You're witless, Jamie."

Jamie said, "I just asked to make sure," not pleased to be reminded that Maureen had used the same word. I think I really am losing them.

What the hell am I going to do with her? "Did Tess say anything about Angelique?"

"What she planned to do? No, though she asked dozens of questions. How is Angelique?"

"Fine--outwardly. Calm, stays to herself, occasionally comes to dinner. Tonight she's going to Zergeyev's, at Sir William's request. Nothing like her old sparkle..."

There's that word again, he thought miserably. "... but, well, lovelier than ever. What did Tess ask?"

"Nothing much, only about the facts as I knew them, that yes I believed they were in love, that Malcolm pursued her, not the other way around, that she was a lady about him, she accepted his proposal and agreed to be married on Pearl."

"But nothing about what she plans to do?"

"No, that's the strange part. I thought she'd fume about her, ask my advice, give me a clue but she didn't, after all I'm their family doctor for years, employed by her, by Struan's, and I know her better than anyone.

She didn't comment on anything, volunteer anything, the questions were just to cover details I'd forgotten to mention. Weird."

"Yes," Jamie said. "She'll have a plan."

"I agree. Of course the story was in the press from the gutter to the Peak in lurid details, "TAI-PAN DIES ON WEDDING NIGHT," that kind of headline though she had tried to bury it, sorry no pun intended.

I've all the cuttings for you, and this." His eyes took on a different glow. He gave Jamie an envelope. Tess's handwriting. Mr.J. McFay, Personal by Hand. "Before you ask, I don't know what's in it. She just said, Please give it to Mr. McFay as soon as you arrive."

Jamie put it on the desk. "Why did you come back?"

"Before I forget, something else. Old Man Brock and his equally vile son, Sir Morgan, turned up at the funeral."

"What, uninvited?"

"Created a furore! It happened like this.

Tess arranged the funeral on China Cloud. Gun carriage to the clipper along the promenade. Forty guests invited aboard, Governor, all the nobs, Admiral Sir Vincent-Sindery, General Skaffer--the new Commander in chief Asia, very pukka and Indian Army--all tai-pans and Gordon Chen. No press. Just as China Cloud swung into wind off Shek-O place, the service about to begin, Old Man Brock and Morgan arrived in his clipper, Hunting Witch. She stood off, a few chains away, dressed overall, his flag at half mast, him and Morgan on the quarterdeck dressed in funeral finery, top hats, ruffled shirts, and when the coffin went into the sea, the bastard fired a cannonade salute and opened champagne--everyone aboard said they heard the cork go. They drank a toast, threw the glasses and bottle into the sea, raising their toppers as they sailed off noisily."

"Bastards! Bloody bastards!"

"Yes! Later they claimed "it were to honor the poor dead laddie!" The Governor was standing next to Tess. He told me she did nothing, said nothing, just stayed like a poker, except he heard her breath hiss out and the violence in it shocked him, said it made his balls jump, you know the feeling... oh, I forgot to mention, Gornt was also on Brock's quarterdeck."

"Maureen said he was taking over Brock's here."

"Yes. Even so he's a nice young man, I think. Even so. He told me he was ordered aboard Hunting Witch and... by Jove, I forgot to mention Maureen! Jamie, you're a lucky man."

"Thanks."

"Very lucky." Hoag stuck out his hand.

"Congratulations." "Thanks." Jamie shook hands and pretended to be pleased, filled with gloom. "We thought...

I thought she was Tess. Through the binoculars, the dark and being muffled up, easy to make the mistake."

"Eh? Nonsense, she's nothing like her at all!"

Aggravated Jamie said, "I know that but they're about the same height, and it's the way she stood, just like Tess, you know, stiff."

Hoag frowned, then grunted, "Never occurred to me. Now that you mention it that's true, but she's nothing like Tess to look at, she must be at least ten to fifteen years younger and that red-brown hair of hers and sparkling personality."

"Christ, give over! I know that! It was an easy mistake."

"A lucky one." Hoag felt queasy.

"Wouldn't have enjoyed the trip with Tess, my God no! Your Maureen's a smasher! She said she'd written that she was arriving."

"Yes, at Hong Kong, not here. And no arrival date there."

"Ah, obviously there was no time as Prancing Cloud was leaving imminently and she'd just arrived." Hoag chuckled. "Best watch her or you'll lose her. Gornt was quite taken."

Jamie flushed, jealous in spite of himself.

"Thanks for the tip. How're Tess's kids?

Did you see them?"

"Oh yes. They're all healthy, though Duncan had another rotten cold. They'd all been to the funeral--I heard it was so sad, young Duncan trying to be brave, Emma and Rose crying, Tess veiled, heavily veiled--everyone knowing it was the end of an era, the end of Dirk's direct line except Duncan, and he can't inherit for years, the lad's just ten. Doesn't auger well for the Noble House. The hottest rumor in Hong Kong is that Brock's have got the Noble House on the run."

"No way!" Jamie tried to sound convincing.

"The new tai-pan will come from Robb's line, Robb Struan, Dirk's stepbrother. One of his sons or grandsons will be tai-pan."