Authors: Jane Jackson
The Master's Wife
THE MASTER’S WIFE
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Jane Jackson
The Masters Wife (The Captain's Honour Series, #2)
Book One in | The Captain's Honour Series
The sequel to The Consul’s Daughter, RNA Novel of the Year Finalist 2016.
Cornwall, 1882. Now owner of her late father’s shipyard, Caseley has drifted apart from her husband, Captain Jago Barata. Following the loss and heartbreak they have recently suffered, and unable to express their true feelings to one another, their marriage is at risk of collapse. When Jago is commissioned to undertake a voyage to turbulent Egypt – a mission of the utmost importance – Caseley, convinced she is about to lose him for good, risks everything by deciding to go with him. Will their marriage survive the dangers they are sailing into – and will they ever make it back to England?
The second in The Captain’s Honour series by Jane Jackson, The Master’s Wife is a powerful and impeccably crafted novel by one of the most popular historical novelists around.
Cornwall, 1882
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aseley Barata kept her gaze lowered as she walked along the pavement towards Market Strand. She had come only because Rosina insisted, and she lacked the energy to argue.
She was perfectly capable of walking unaided. But when Rosina had taken her arm she welcomed the support. Now all she wanted was to get back home again without being stopped and asked how she was.
Horse-drawn delivery wagons rumbled along the street. Ragged urchins dodged between them, shouting to each other. Women bustled in and out of shops. Barrow-pushing tradesmen whistled, and nesting seagulls screamed from the rooftops. The air was warm and a gentle breeze blew puffs of white cloud across a cornflower sky.
‘’Twas only right and proper you stayed in your black over the winter,’ Rosina said. ‘But ’tis May now. Soon be a twelvemonth since –’
As Caseley tensed, the housekeeper left the sentence unfinished. ‘Time you was thinking of going into grey or mauve. No one would think any the worse –’
‘Do you think I care for anyone else’s opinion?’
‘I should hope you don’t. I’m just saying now the weather is getting warmer you could start thinking about it. It’ll be a year by the time you’ve had dresses made up. That’s long enough, my bird. You was never one for drawing attention to yourself. Not like your Aunt Margaret. Remember how she carried on after your dear father died? I never seen the like. Drooping around the place in head-to-toe black for a full year. Dear life, it was ridic’lous. She was his sister-in-law, not his widow.’
‘That wasn’t grief, Rosina. It was guilt. If Uncle Thomas hadn’t nearly bankrupted the company, Father might not have died –’
‘Yes, he would. He was sick long before that. ’Twas you that kept him going. Some proud of you he was.’ Rosina patted Caseley’s hand. ‘But that’s water under the bridge now. What I’m saying –’
‘I hear you. Maybe you’re right. It’s just –’
‘You won’t never forget, my sweetheart.’ Rosina’s voice was gentle. ‘But ’tis time you stopped punishing yourself.’
‘And new dresses will help?’
Rosina met Caseley’s stormy gaze placidly. ‘I’ve looked after you since you was born. Dear to me as my own child you are and I’d cut my arm off sooner than hurt you.’
‘I know that –’
‘Then hark to what I’m saying. Leave them go, my ’andsome. You can’t change the past. Time you was looking to the future. How don’t we go and see what Mr Gedney have had come in? Liza-Jane showed me a notice in last week’s paper about him taking a new delivery of watered silks, taffetas and satins.’ She steered Caseley towards the double doors of Gedney’s Drapery Emporium.
‘You and Liza-Jane –’
‘Think the world of you as you well know. So –’ Rosina suddenly changed direction. ‘I tell you what, let’s go and have a cup of tea first.’
‘No, this was your idea. Besides, we’re here now. So why –’
‘I’m sorry, bird,’ Rosina murmured, looking towards the shop door.
Caseley followed her gaze. Shock jolted through her as a dark-suited male attendant held it open for a departing customer and Caseley came face to face with her husband’s former mistress.
A small wicker basket swung from one gloved hand as Louise Downing emerged, wearing a close-fitting emerald jacket that emphasised a full bosom and rounded hips. Across the front of a narrow skirt adorned with tiers of ruffles, a swathe of purple taffeta was drawn into a puffed and fluted bustle. Her small hat, decorated with emerald and purple rosettes, perched on frizzy hair the colour of marmalade.
All this Caseley absorbed as she turned in response to Rosina directing her attention to something in the display. Looking at Louise and herself reflected in the shop window, Caseley saw a thin, sad crow and a plump, self-satisfied peacock.
‘’Afternoon, Mrs Barata.’
As her housekeeper’s grip tightened on her arm, Caseley glanced around, pride keeping her spine straight as she inclined her head in a brief nod. ‘Good day, Mrs Downing.’
Louise paused long enough for Caseley to read the triumph in her smirk then sauntered out onto the street, head high, basket swinging.
Realisation was followed by a jagged knife-thrust of pain. He wouldn’t – he
couldn’t.
Yet there was no denying what she had seen. Louise Downing had been gloating. She turned to the woman who was her surrogate mother.
‘Did you know? Don’t lie to me, Rosina.’
‘I don’t believe it.’ Caseley noticed Rosina didn’t answer her question. ‘You know what this town is like for gossip.’
‘People are talking about Jago and Louise Downing?’
Rosina made a dismissive gesture. ‘There’s always rumours and nothing loses in the telling. It don’t mean nothing, bird. A man as ’andsome as Mister Downing will always attract talk. But whatever went on there was years ago and over before you wed. So don’t you go upsetting yourself over the likes of her, you hear me? Come on, now.’
Gossip and rumour meant people would be whispering, claiming there was no smoke without fire. Caseley let Rosina draw her into the shop. Mr Gedney himself came forward to serve them, pulling down bolts of watered silk in delicate shades of pearl grey, oyster, lavender and violet. He and Rosina discussed colours, design and occasion. Caseley feigned interest but her thoughts were with her husband.
She had missed sailing with him. But with two boisterous young boys who needed her it hadn’t been possible. She had continued doing translation work for her Uncle Richard, who managed the shipping office, but this rarely took more than a couple of hours each week.
A woman’s role in life was to be a wife and mother. So she had poured her energy and devotion into caring for her family, finding her happiness in their welfare. Until both her sons had succumbed to putrid throat.
Fighting the fever with every remedy she knew, she had watched helplessly as the infection reached their lungs. Philip and James had died within hours of each other, aged just five and three, their short lives ending before they had properly begun.
Ten months on, raw-edged grief had numbed to a deep, endless ache.
Jago had been at sea when the epidemic broke out. For three weeks she and Rosina scarcely slept. While she nursed them, watching them grow weaker, she prayed he was on his way home, that he would arrive that day, or the next. But he hadn’t. Her grief and his guilt at not being with her had driven a wedge between them. Within weeks he had returned to sea. She was glad to see him go, but missed him terribly and hated him for abandoning her.
Her life as a mother was over. After James’s birth Dr Vigurs had told her it was unlikely she would be able to bear another child. So what now? What was the point of her life?
‘What do you think?’ Rosina nudged her gently. ‘I like that pearl grey, and the lavender.’
Aware they were watching her, Caseley made an effort. ‘They are both very nice.’
‘Mrs Roskilly will be pleased to make the gowns up for you,’ Mr Gedney said. ‘I believe she has your measurements.’ His hesitation was brief and he continued smoothly. ‘Should alterations be required they will easily be accommodated at the fitting.’
‘No bustle or train,’ Caseley said, glancing at Rosina whose mouth opened to argue. ‘No,’ she repeated softly. Rosina’s mouth closed.
‘As you wish, Mrs Barata,’ Mr Gedney bowed. ‘May I suggest a plain bodice split at the back to allow a cascade of frills and a matching frill on the hem?’
‘That would be acceptable, thank you.’
They walked up the High Street towards Greenbank and home.
‘You never was one to follow every fashion,’ Rosina said. ‘Truth is, I never did see the sense in having all that there material dragging along behind. Only thing that’s good for is to save Liza-Jane sweeping the floor.’
Letting her rattle on, Caseley kept seeing Louise Downing’s sneering, triumphant smile. Was it not enough that she had lost her beloved sons? Had she lost her husband as well?
Jago Barata walked up wide granite steps and through the open door. William Broad & Sons, cargo brokers, occupied offices a short distance from Bonython’s, proximity that had proved beneficial to both companies.
‘Good afternoon, Captain Barata,’ a black-suited clerk said, moving from his desk to the counter as Jago walked in.
‘I received a letter from Mr Broad asking me to call?’
‘If you will come this way, sir, Mr Broad is expecting you.’
They crossed the passage. The clerk knocked, announced him, then withdrew, closing the door quietly. William Broad’s dove grey tailcoat and dark trousers were expertly tailored to flatter his stocky figure. Over an upright collar a maroon cravat was fastened with a pearl pin and tucked into his waistcoat.
Aware of his sun-faded navy reefer jacket and blue trousers tucked into salt-stained leather boots, Jago shook the proffered hand. ‘Forgive my appearance, but your letter said the matter was urgent.’
‘So it is, Captain Barata. So it is. I take it kindly that you have come by so quickly. Please,’ indicating the visitor’s chair, Broad resumed his seat behind a plain kneehole desk of burr walnut. ‘See, what it is, this here trouble in Egypt is growing worse by the week. You don’t need me to tell you how much trade we do there, not just buying cotton, but all the goods coming through the Suez Canal. Mr Gladstone don’t have no choice but to do whatever’s necessary to protect Britain’s interests as the major shareholder in the Canal. I b’lieve in the past you done secret work for the government. Am I right?’
Jago gave a brief nod.
‘In that there safe,’ Broad pointed, ‘I got £20,000 in gold. Came this morning it did, from the Treasury. I’m to ask you to take it to Egypt.’
‘Why me?’
‘You got a reputation for making fast passages. This business is urgent. And, like I said, you’ve done this kind of work before.’
‘Who is this gold for?’
‘Far as I can make out, it’s a gift to the Bedouins so they’ll take our side against this here Egyptian who’s causing so much trouble.’
‘In other words, it’s a bribe.’
Tapping the tips of his fingers together, William Broad shrugged. ‘You catch more flies with jam than vinegar.’
‘What guarantee do we have that the Bedouins will honour the agreement?’
‘None. But the gold is here, so the government must think it’s worth the risk. Word is that these Bedouins do govern theirselves. They don’t owe loyalty to no one, not Egypt nor the Ottomans. Once word reaches this Colonel Arabi that the Bedouins are on our side, he will see his nationalist ambitions haven’t a hope of success. That’s the plan, anyway. Last thing Mr Gladstone wants is a costly war. I wish I could say go home and think about it. But there isn’t time, not if –’
‘I’ll go.’ As the words left his lips, Jago visualised Caseley’s face, the shock and disappointment she would try hard to hide. But if she didn’t want him to go, why didn’t she offer him more reason to stay? As shame suffused him he shoved it away.
Relief spread across Broad’s face. ‘That’s ’andsome. I wasn’t sure you’d want to take it on; what with ... How is your good lady? Been some terrible time –’
‘As well as can be expected,’ Jago interrupted.
Everyone’s concern was for her. Of course it was. How could he begrudge a moment’s sympathy to a mother who had lost both her children? He didn’t. He wouldn’t. But it was his loss too...
‘Hammer and Jimbo Caddy will be here at 7.30 in the morning to collect the gold. I assume it’s in a strongbox?’