The Chocolatier's Wife (52 page)

Shortly before
noon
several boxes
marked
with
a
blue
and
red insignia
will
be
moved
from
Angel
Street
Vista
warehouse
to
a
cart, to be
taken
ou
t
side the
town,
where
they
will be
sold to a
trader to take
them
west.
One
thinks
one
might
find their
way
there
after the cart
is
loaded,
to
demand
payment
for
their
goods,
if
not
their return.

A
Friend

Lovely, more questions, he thought as he studied the letter again. A Friend
was
not
the
most
imaginative
way
of
signing
the
letter,
but
he
knew
that he
would
be
inf
i
nitely grateful
if
this
was
in
earnest
and
not
a
joke.
The note
had
brought
with
it
the
hope
of
some
small
recovery.
I
am
not
in
the doldrums
yet
,
he
thought,
walking
swiftly
along
the
cobbles.
As
he
walked, he began to piece a
picture together that was not a
l
together pleasing.

William seated
himself
in
a
small
tea
shop
where
he
used
to
go
after working
all
morning
in
the
warehouse,
and
bought
himself
a
round
of
apple cake
to
munch
while
he
watched
the
cart
being
pulled
up
to
the
doors.
Soon, familiar
boxes
were,
indeed,
loaded
onto
it,
and
he
almost
bit
his
tongue to
keep
himself
from
cursing
aloud
.
My
family truly
are
wholeheartedly intent
on
scuppering
my
shop
.
Which,
he
thought
as
he
dusted
his
fingers and
wandered
across the
street,
rather made
one
feel
a
bit
as
if
the
whole world was against one.

There
were
three
men,
one
in
the
back
securing
the
load,
whom
William recognized immediately, another
who
had
been lounging against
the side of
the
wagon
but
straightened
quickly, and
a
third
who
left
the
second William came
into
view,
doub
t
less
told
to
go
and
fetch
Philip
if
William showed up.

“Good
day,
men.
Ah,
glad
I
am
to
see
that
you
have
recovered
my
goods for
me.
I
was
quite
vexed,
for
as
we
know, when
I
ran
this
warehouse
we had a
reputation for
never
losing anything.”

The
two
men
looked
at
each
other,
confused.
And,
with
their
jobs
on
the line,
conf
u
sion
led
easily
to
upset,
so
he
kept
cheerful
and
certain. Ayers, who
had
served
under
William
on
the
Tregaurde
, jumped
off
the
back
of the
cart.
“Begging
your
pardon, sir,
but
these
here
boxes
are
going
out
of town.
I
don’t
think
they are
yours,
sir.”

“Nonsense.
They
have
the
mark
of
the
cocoa
plantation
I
order
supplies from.
I
dare say that it is not possible that anyone else would have
ordered cocoa
in
such
large
amounts
from
them,
so
they
must
be
mine. I
came
for them yesterday but they couldn’t be found, despite my brother reassuring me that they were here.”

“Sir...
”
Ayers
looked
torn,
and William
understood
that
the
man knew precisely what was going on.

He
looked
at
the
remaining man.
“I
thought
Philip
would
have
been here by now.”

“He
is.”
Phillip
came
out
the
main
door,
looking
red-faced
and
sounding
breathless. “Mister Almsley, please, this has gone quite far
enough.”

Philip
looked
scared
out
of
his
wits,
and
William almost
relented.
But he
knew
what
his
account
book looked
like
and
knew
that
ruin
loomed
for him
if he allowed this.

“Does
anyone
not
recognize
me
as
William Almsley,
formerly
your employer?
The
one
who
engaged
most
of
you
to
work
here?”
He
waited for
their
response,
and
when
none
arrived
said,
“Take
your
concerns
to
my brother,
or
my
father.
Tell
them
you
had
no
choice.
And
if
they
release
you, tell
them
that
I
am
no
fool
...
simply
that,
and
I
doubt
you
will
suffer
for my
actions
today.”
He
got
up
on
the
cart,
hoping
he
reme
m
bered
enough of
this
sort
of
thing
so
as
not
to
kill
anyone.
“If
they
still
try
to
punish
you, come
and
see
me,
and
I shall
make
amends.”
He
pushed
off
the
brake,
and then
slapped
the
reins,
lightly,
on
the
horses’
sides.
The
drays
were
not impressed.

“I’ll
go
with
him,
bring
the
cart
back,”
Ayers
said,
and
leapt
up
onto
the bench
next
to
him. “You
were
always
fair
to
me,
sir,” he
whispered,
taking the
reins.
“Even
before
we
was
on
the
Pandora
Chase
together.
I
won’t
let you down now.”

The
Pandora
Chase. Everything came back
to the
Pandora
Chase.

Chapter
1
6

Setemerio eleventh,
Scarlet
Moon
Quarter 1789

William,

It
could be
that
the
captain
of
the
Pandora
has
some sort
of
weather
charm
that
is making
it possible for him to keep
the winds in his favor.
Do not,
I
beg,
ask
a
weather-witch
for help against
this.
Though
some are
good and
have
dedicated
their lives to pr
o
tect towns that
might otherwise be
destroyed by
the cruelty
of
the
sea,
some are,
like all men
and
women,
cruel in their hearts,
and
the
price they
will ask
of
you
will be
greater than
you
can
bear.
Instead
I
send
what
charms
I
can,
and
hope that
if
you
encounter
her,
it will be
enough.