His pulse quickening, Stephen took the invoice. Running his eye down the neatly laid out quantities, he did some mental calculations.
“I see what you mean, Mister Whippell; curious, indeed.” He looked at the headline on the invoice. “I see my churchwarden is the supplier. I think a word with him might be productive.” He nodded. “Yes, I think Mister Byward might be able to explain the discrepancy.”
“I may, of course, be mistaken, but, if you’ll forgive my interference, Reverend, you will recall that I kept a private record of the provision requisitions and issues for the captain on Inflexible.” The clerk shrugged. “Our purser was not the most efficient of bookkeepers.”
Stephen nodded, an idea forming in his mind.
“Then you will be able to clarify something that has been bothering me.” H
