War (42 page)

The most difficult letter he wrote in this period was to Hugh’s father, Garnet Kenrick. In it, he confessed without guilt his role in Roger Tallmadge’s death at Charlestown — an action that had made Alice, Hugh’s beloved sister, a widow — and explained in detail why Hugh had died on the
Sparrowhawk
. “We agreed that the
Sparrowhawk
must be destroyed. We completed halves of that task, but Hugh paid the higher price.” He sent the letter on, expecting neither a reply nor ever to be welcome in the Kenrick household.

It was a reasonable assumption. It was one of the very few things about which he was wrong.