Chapter 13
Dear Lord, look at the grime!” Mrs. Laws declared as they tried to pass the parlor to reach the stairs. She softened as she noticed their grim expressions, then herded them toward the chairs by the hearth. “Whatever calamity has struck ye, the world will be brighter tomorrow,” she insisted. “And meanwhile there’s tea!” She headed toward the kitchen, her peg leg rhythmically tapping the floor.
Duncan and Ishmael were too drained to resist when she summoned them into the kitchen to apply towels and a basin of hot water. With matronly chuckles, interspersed with mild nautical curses, she wiped the dirt from their faces. By the time Lizzie arrived with a tray of tea, Captain Rhys had descended the stairs.
“Why the long faces?” the Welshman asked. “The bosun says all went as plann
