there; they cost about a third of what they do elsewhere. Or American cigarettes.â
While Julia stood silent in front of the radar machine, digesting this quite new idea, a seaman in shirt-sleeves came into the chart-room, bearing a dirty high-sided wooden tray with a pot of tea, some chipped cups, and a jug of the horrible condensed milkâReeder poured out a cup, which he told the seaman to take out to the helmsman; then he offered Julia one.
âOh, no, thanks, I think tea is quite too revolting, with this unutterable milkâhow you all bear it I canât imagine! But do have a go yourself; I have my thermos of
Nescafé
down below.â
Reeder laughed, and poured himself a cup of the dreadful brew. Drinking it, rather to Juliaâs surprise he reverted to the subject of Edina. âShe must be quite a considerable girl, to be earning such a huge screw. How old did you say she is?â
âI didnât say. But in fact sheâs twenty-five.â
âFormidable,â said Reeder. âAnd now sheâs running the farm?â
âWell, they have three farms in hand, actually; sheâs running those, and the saw-mill and lime-millâand of course she has to supervise the other eight farms, see to gates and fences and so on; and then the hill sheep, naturally. They simply canât afford a factor, with taxation what it is. Who can?â
âSheep, eh? What sort? Black-faced on the hill, I suppose?â
âYes, and some cross lambs on the low ground.â
âDo you winter those away?â
âNo, itâs not worth it. Why, do you know about farming in the Highlands?â
âNot there, but I was brought up on a place in Northumberland.â Julia was momentarily struck by his use of the word âplaceâ rather than âfarmâ. âGood heavens!â Mr. ReederpursuedââWhat a job for a girl! I should say being a mate is a picnic to it.â
âI couldnât agree more. I think life on this ship is one long picnicâif you leave out the food,â said Julia.
Reeder laughed again, heartily this time.
âWell, I wish you all luck in your search,â he said. âAnyhow youâll be making it in some of the most delightful places in the world. Tangier, is it, that youâre making your base? Know it?â
âNoâIâve never set foot in North Africa. Rather a thrill, really. But any hints and tips will be gratefully received,â said Julia, with a hint of her beguiling grin. She felt sure that if Mr. Reeder vouchsafed any information or suggestions about Tangier they would be on quite different lines to Geoffreyâs. She was not wrong. He stared rather hard at her, for a moment or two, in the faint reflected glow from the light over the chart-table; thenâ
âWell, I will give you one,â he said at last. âI donât suppose it would normally be given to young ladies, but then I know nothing about young ladies!â
âWell, what is it?â Julia asked with a sort of tranquil impatience. âDonât bother over-much about young ladyhood, because Iâm congenitally hard-boiled.â
âThat was rather my impression, in spite of your appearance,â Reeder said, grinning a little through his beard. âWell go sometimes when youâre in Tangier to Purcellâs Barâitâs a good place, one of the nicest there is.â
âGood drinks?â
âYes, first class: no wood-alcohol to put your eyes out. And Purcell is a most delightful typeâ
sabe todo.â
âOh, he does, does he? Might he know Colin?â
Mr. Reeder displayed panic, unexpectedly.
âOh, for Godâs sake donât go walking in to Purcellâs Bar and asking about smugglers!â he said hastily. âThat would put the lid on. Noâbut when youâve salted him, just drifting in andhaving a gin-and-something for a bit, you might throw a fly over
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