arrangements left everything to be desired and the food was awful, but, for the most part, the crew were friendly and cheerful, and Captain Falco was not only an entertaining host but was also a talented singer with a beautiful tenor voice that could move Essie to tears. Lady Alice was frequently at loggerheads with him, but even she had to resort to her crumpled handkerchief when the captain came to the end of a particularly passionate rendition of a love song.
The voyage had ended now and it was good to step onto dry land at last. Essie breathed in the scents of Italy. The tantalising aroma of cooking floated on the gentle breeze, mingling with the scent of wild thyme and marjoram from the surrounding countryside, and Essie’s mouth watered at the thought of good food. The air was surprisingly sweet and clean, even allowing for the fact that they were still in the docks and vast catches of fish were being landed nearby, but the heat was stifling, and Essie was in desperate need of a change of clothes. Lady Alice looked pale and tired, probably due to the fact that she had never stopped moaning about her lack of wardrobe and the insanitary conditions on board ship, where fresh water was too precious a commodity to waste on laundering clothes.
‘Find us a hotel, Raven.’ Lady Alice stood on the quay wall, refusing to move. She glanced round, shaking her head. ‘I doubt if they have any decent shops in a place like this, but I must have new garments. We’re all in desperate need of a bath, including you.’
‘I look a hundred times worse than any of you ladies,’ Raven said gallantly. ‘Hooper tried to get the blood out of my jacket, but nothing can disguise the damage.’
‘Yes, you look quite disreputable, so please go and find somewhere for us to stay.’
‘But we are supposed to be looking for the monastery, Alice. The sooner we find Freddie, the better.’
Essie laid her hand on Raven’s sleeve. ‘Another day or two isn’t going to make any difference, and we do look like a band of didicoys.’
A reluctant smile curved his lips. ‘You’re right, of course. I’ll make enquiries in the dock office. They’re bound to know everything. Wait here and I’ll be as quick as I can.’
‘I’m hungry.’ Sadie clutched her belly, which was rumbling loud enough for all to hear.
‘I’m sure we’ll eat soon,’ Essie said vaguely as she watched Raven stride off with a feeling of relief. Her most pressing need was to have food that wasn’t boiled to a pulp or mouldy, and then the luxury of a tin tub filled with warm water and a bar of soap seemed like heaven on earth. Worries about her father and what was happening at home had long since taken second place to the act of survival, but relief was within her grasp and she experienced a surge of optimism. How she was going to get home was another matter, and one that she pushed to the back of her mind. Damp, cloudy London seemed a million miles away from the brilliant sunlight and blue skies of Italy.
Minutes later Raven returned with news that he had found an inn that could cater for their immediate needs and it was only a short walk from the harbour. Lady Alice fanned herself with her hand. ‘Aren’t there any cabs in this place? It’s far too hot to walk any distance.’
‘It’s half a mile at most, Alice. Surely you can manage that?’
‘Just think how nice it will be when we get there,’ Essie said with an encouraging smile. ‘Maybe we could find someone to wash our clothes. They’ll dry quickly in this heat.’
Lady Alice seemed about to argue when Captain Falco joined them. ‘How may I help you, my lady? You look a little perplexed.’
‘My cousin wants me to walk to the inn.’
Captain Falco’s dark eyes gleamed with amusement, but he put his head on one side, giving her a sympathetic smile. ‘Perhaps it would help if you took my arm, my lady. I have business with the landlord. I will make sure that you are given the respect due to an English lady.’
Essie held her breath, half expecting Lady Alice to brush his offer aside, but she seemed to revive a little and she laid her hand on his arm.
‘Thank you, Captain. You are a gentleman.’ Lady Alice shot a resentful look at Raven. ‘Captain Falco understands a lady’s sensibilities.’
Raven shrugged and walked on. ‘Come along, Essie. You too, Sadie. Or do I have to carry you both?’
Essie and Sadie fell into step behind him, leaving Captain Falco to assist Lady Alice.
The inn was a squat, square building, whitewashed and cool-looking beneath a terracotta-tiled roof. Hens pecked busily in the dust and goats roamed around freely, looking for anything remotely edible. The cockerel stalked about, fixing his beady eye on each of them in turn, and it seemed to Essie that he was eyeing the feathers on Lady Alice’s bonnet with suspicion, perhaps seeing them as a possible rival. Lady Alice herself was visibly wilting in the unaccustomed heat, but Captain Falco was being very solicitous, and his undivided attention seemed to please her. They were met in the doorway by the landlord, who bowed and smiled, welcoming them with gestures as if he were performing in a pantomime. He then embraced Captain Falco, speaking to him in rapid Italian. Essie had picked up a few words from the crew, but not enough to understand what he was saying.
Captain Falco slapped their host on the back. ‘Giacomo welcomes you all to his humble hostelry,’ he said grandly. ‘Unfortunately he does not speak English, but you will find him very accommodating.’
Lady Alice was suddenly all smiles. ‘Thank you so much, Capitano. You’ve been very kind, but we must not detain you. I’m sure you have much more important things to do than looking after us.’
‘There is nothing more important than taking care of a beautiful lady,’ Captain Falco said, taking her hand and raising it to his lips. ‘We will be in port for several days and I hope to see you again.’
Essie glanced at Sadie, who was watching open-mouthed. ‘Perhaps we ought to see our rooms,’ she suggested tentatively. Raven was looking bored and frankly sceptical and she was afraid he might say something to offend the captain, and then they would lose the help of the only person who spoke English fluently. She tapped Lady Alice on the shoulder. ‘You should go inside, my lady. The sun will ruin your complexion.’
‘Indeed it will.’ Lady Alice clicked her fingers to attract the landlord’s attention. ‘I want a bath tub filled with hot water, my good man. And I need the services of a dressmaker who can work quickly.’
The landlord turned to the captain, shrugging and holding his hands palm upwards with a bemused look on his plump face. Captain Falco drew him aside and after a brief conversation the landlord went indoors shouting orders to his employees.
‘Come along Alice,’ Raven said impatiently. ‘You’ve caused enough of a stir amongst these good people. Let’s go inside and I’ll order a meal.’
‘Bath first, food later.’ Lady Alice marched into the inn, her fatigue apparently forgotten, and Essie hurried after her with Sadie following close behind.
The interior was dark but surprisingly cool, and a flustered maid led them up a narrow wooden staircase to the first floor. The rooms were small, clean and sparsely furnished but after enduring the confines of a tiny cabin for over a week it seemed like heaven to Essie, even though she still had to share with Sadie. There were two beds, set against opposite walls with a chest of drawers beneath a window that overlooked the harbour. A rag rug was the only splash of colour in the room where everything was white, including the bedspreads.
‘I
