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reluctant to face her father, but entered the house quickly to get out of the storm.
    Her brother, Nick, was in the library, seated by a roaring fire, and he looked up at her entrance and watched her silently as she advanced towards him. She met his gaze, and saw nothing but trouble in his expression.
    ‘Where’s Father?’ she asked.
    ‘He’s gone for a ride. The stallion needs exercise. At least, that was Father’s excuse. Jeremy Traherne was on the point of leaving when I came home, and there was some bitterness in their conversation. I couldn’t catch the drift of what they were discussing because they both shut up the instant they saw me, but Father was angry. I managed a few words with him before he set out, and he had a look of desperation about him.’
    ‘In which direction did he ride?’ Beth asked, instantly alarmed. ‘You shouldn’t have let him ride off alone, Nick. He’s in a poor state of mind.’
    ‘I couldn’t stop him! And I certainly wasn’t going to ride with him in that weather. Only a maniac would willingly go out in such a storm.’
    ‘Where did he go? Do you know?’
    ‘He looked to be riding towards Needle Point, and you should be worried because it’s all your fault. You hurt him badly by refusing to marry Peake. You’re the only one who can help the family now. You’ve got to see sense.’
    ‘I don’t want to talk about it now,’ she responded. ‘Can I borrow your horse? I left my mare at Traherne Court when I went with Adam in the coach to Polgarron.’
    ‘Jeremy brought your mare back. It’s in the stable. I’ll need my horse. I’m going out again shortly. I saw Jonah Peake in town earlier. He offered me a job and I’ve decided to take it. I need to get on his right side if we’re going to lose the estate to him.’
    ‘You would work for Peake?’ Beth was shocked. ‘How could you, Nick? Adam offered you a job last night and you turned him down.’
    ‘Don’t go on about it, Beth,’ he said wearily. ‘I’ve got to look out for myself, for you’ll surely do the same. We’ve got to be sensible about this. Father has ruined us all, and we have to save what we can. The Farrell family is facing a crash, and if we don’t protect our own interests then we’ll go down with Father.’
    ‘You’re deserting the ship like a rat!’ she accused. ‘Did you tell Father about your plans?’
    ‘I didn’t get the chance to,’ he responded.
    ‘I’ll talk to you again when I’ve found Father.’
    Beth turned and departed hurriedly. She went to the stable, fetched her mare, and rode out on the cliff path towards Needle Point, a local landmark on the eastern edge of Polgarron Bay. The mare was buffeted by the gale, and staggered when the more powerful gusts struck her. Visibility was poor. But Beth ignored the discomfort and went on, afraid for her father.
    Presently a riderless horse came galloping towards her from along the cliff, and she recognised her father’s black stallion as it passed her. Stabbed with fear, she stood up in the stirrups, peering ahead for sight of her father. She rode on, tense, worried, and eventually sighted a figure sprawling inertly on the short grass of the cliff top. She reined in beside it and dismounted quickly, aware that it was her father, and Henry Farrell was unconscious.
    Beth trailed her reins and dropped to her knees beside her father, but was unable to rouse him. He seemed to be deeply unconscious. She sat back on her heels and looked around, the wind howling incessantly in her ears. Then she saw a small figure coming towards her, riding a young horse, and recognised the stable boy.
    ‘Master Nick sent me to keep you company, mistress,’ the boy said, sliding out of the saddle and crouching at Beth’s side. ‘Is the master hurt?’
    ‘You’d better ride back to the stable and tell Tom to bring a cart,’ Beth instructed him. ‘Can you do that?’
    ‘Yes, I’ll be as quick as I can.’
    He swarmed into the saddle of his