“Now don’t you start praising witches, me dear. There’s many a woman come to grief through taking sides.”

“The only safe way I see is to take the right side, which of course is yours,” I said.

But irony was lost on Sir Penn.

We were shown the statues which had been erected, the sundials and the fountains, the yew trees cut into fantastic shapes. Sir Penn was very proud of his garden.

It was during this visit that Jake invited us all on board the Rampant Lion. I wanted to refuse to go, but that was impossible when Honey and Edward accepted the invitation.

A few days after that visit I went for my afternoon ride and when I came back Jennet was waiting for me in the stables.

“Oh, Mistress Catharine,” she said. “Something terrible have happened. The mistress has taken a fall; she hurt her foot and wants you to go to her right away. I’m to bring you to her.”

“Where is she?”

“She’s on board the Rampant Lion.”

“Of course she is not.”

“But, Mistress, she is. She went for a visit.”

“And the master?”

“He couldn’t go like. He said, ‘You go alone, my dear,’ and the mistress went.”

“Alone on the Rampant Lion!”

“Well, the Captain had asked them and was expecting them. It was all sudden like.”

“But I was to go too.”

“Well, they did say they’d go without you, Mistress. And so … the master he were called away and the mistress went.”

I felt angry suddenly. What was Honey thinking of, to go alone to a ship where such a man was in command?

“Then she tripped and hurt her leg and the Captain’s sent a messenger and I’m to take you out there without delay.”

I wondered about Honey then. I had never really understood her. I often had a notion that she harbored secrets. Could it possibly be that this swaggering buccaneer of a man had attracted her in some way and had induced her to be unfaithful to Edward?

It could not be. But if she were alone on his ship, and she had sent for me because she wished me to pretend that I had gone with her…

That made sense.

I thought of Edward’s sensitive face and a great desire to protect him from any unpleasant truth swept over me. I said: “I’ll come at once, Jennet.”

She was very relieved; and we hurried down the drive and almost ran all the way to the Hoe, where a small boat was ready to take us out to the Rampant Lion. We bobbed about on the sea, and looking landward, I could see the turret of Trewynd, where I had often sat to watch the craft on the water.

Jake Pennlyon was standing on the deck, clearly waiting for us. I clung to the rope ladder and was lifted up in his arms.

He was laughing. “I knew you’d come,” he said.

One of his men lifted Jennet on board.

“You’d better take me to my sister,” I said.

“Come this way.” He held my arm as though to pilot me across the deck.

I said to him: “Why did she come here without Edward? I don’t understand it.”

“She wanted to see my ship.”

“She should have waited until we all came. We shall have to get her ashore. It won’t be easy if she’s hurt her foot. How bad is it? Oh, dear, I do hope no bones are broken.”

He led the way up a stairway and threw open a door.

“My cabin,” he said.

It was spacious, I suppose, as ship’s cabins go. There was a tapestry on what I was to learn to call the bulkhead. There was a bookcase with books and a shelf with instruments, and on a table a revolving globe on which was depicted the earth’s surface. On the wall was a brass astrolabe, a compass, hourglasses and a long cross staff which I also learned later was an arbalist.

I noticed these things vaguely while I looked around for Honey. When I saw that she was not there I felt twinges of alarm which were half excited anticipation.

“Where is my sister?” I demanded.

He laughed; he had shut the door and was leaning against it.

“In her garden perhaps. In her stillroom … occupying herself with those tasks which are the joy and duty of every housewife.”

“In her garden! But I was led to believe…”

He laughed. “Did I not tell you that you would come aboard my ship within the week?”

“But I understood my sister was here.”

“You did not really believe that, did you?”

“But…”

“Oh, come, you wanted to accept my invitation, did you not? And I wanted you to. So why should the means of bringing about this happy conclusion worry us?”

“I am not worried,” I said.

“You should be if you are really concerned with what you pretend to be.”

“I think you’ve gone mad.”

“My sanity is something I shall never allow to desert me.”

I said: “I wish to go.”

“But I wish you to stay. I am the Captain of this ship. Here everyone obeys my orders.”

“Those poor creatures who serve you may. They, poor souls, are at your mercy.”

“And you think you are not?”

“I have had enough of this folly.”

“And I could never have enough.” He came toward me and put his arms about me, pinioning mine so that I was caught in a firm grip.

“Captain Pennlyon, there is no doubt that you are mad. Do you realize that my family will never forgive this insult?”

He laughed. I noticed that his eyes were tilted slightly at the corners and that his eyebrows followed the upward tilt; this gave him an expression that was puckish and satanic at the same time. I tried to prize myself free.

“Let me go,” I cried and tried to kick his shins; but he held me in such a way that it was impossible for me to do so. I thought, he has held many women thus and I pictured his raiding far-off hamlets and villages and the manner in which he and his men would treat the women they captured.

“You can’t escape,” he mocked, “so it’s no use trying. You are at my mercy.”

“Well, what do you want of me?”

“Surely you know that.”

“If I am right in my assumption…”

“Which I am sure you are…”

“I will tell you that I consider your manners gross; I find you boorish, quite unlike—”

“The fancy gentlemen whom it has been your ill fortune to meet in the past. Well, now, my girl, you have met a man who finds you to his liking and in spite of his lack of manners you find him irresistible.”

Then he took his arms from about me and caught my head; he pulled it back and his mouth was on mine … warm, revolting, I told myself firmly. I tried to protest, but it was useless. I could not escape from this fierce embrace.

When he at last released me I was shaking—with fury, I again reminded myself.

I said: “How dare you behave in such a way … I have never…”

“Of course you have never been kissed like that before. But don’t fret. It will not be the last time.”

I was beginning to be alarmed. I was on his ship alone. I had been tricked. There were men on board, but they were his slaves.

He guessed my thoughts.

“Exciting, eh? You are at my mercy. You can’t get away unless it is my wish that you should.”

I could only repeat: “You would not dare to touch me.”

“Now that I know that your eagerness matches my own … but I, being honest, make no secret of my desires while you, being deceitful, hide yours, feigning reluctance.”

“I never heard such nonsense! You are a loathsome, ill-mannered pirate and I hate you.”

“You protest too strongly,” he said.

“You will be hanged for this. My family…”

“Oh, yes,” he said, “you are a girl of good family. This is a matter which we have taken into consideration.”

“Who has taken it into consideration?”

“My father and I, and for what purpose you must be aware.”

“I refuse to discuss this unpleasant subject.”

“It is a fascinating subject. My father said to me: ‘It’s time you married, Jake. We want more Pennlyons. That girl will be a good breeder. Time you took her to bed. But make it legal this time. I want grandchildren.’”