He glanced up snaring her with his serious look. "In that case it was from you that I require information."
         "Me! What can I possibly know that is relevant?"
         "You know, and can tell me a great deal." Graham bent back to his work selecting a tiny triangular rasp which, much to Ness's annoyance, he sharpened a point on the Queen's crown. But he gave Ness a quick glance as his hands continued their delicate task and stated matter-of-factly, "one of my more recent house guests, like you, thought he knew nothing of importance and it nearly got him killed. It is never wise to assume, everyone knows what you know, or even that what you know, is of little importance."
         "Such as?"
         "Such as the connection between Bligh and Christian for a start. Then the connection between Bligh's wife Betsy her family the Bethams her uncle Duncan Campbell and your own family the Heywoods. All families from the Isle of Man. Am I correct?"
         Ness frowned but her attention sharpened. "Mmm ... so what?" Suddenly she was a little taken aback. Maybe for the first time she took his point; what was common knowledge to her may be rare to others. Still, she didn't quite understand its relevance.

         Graham pressed on ignoring her confusion, "and since the isle is such a small place and Douglas being such a small town I imagine families need live there for generations to be declared local?"
         "Yes, I suppose."
         "And changes in the affairs of one family became breakfast table gossip for the rest and secrets, like beautiful field-butterflies, are born one day dead the next?"
         "Perhaps not quite the next—but I appreciate your poetry."
         "From an outsiders view I would say that certain aspects of this whole affair have about them the air of a village feud."
         She screwed up her face, "Perhaps to you, but to me and my family it is anything but! My brother Peter was an innocent boy of sixteen when he left on HMS Bounty. "
         Graham smiled. "My observation was not intended to be gratuitous. So tell me, as a long-time resident of the island, did you know, or meet, Fletcher Christian or William Bligh?"
         "I met Fletcher many times, but Bligh—only once."
         "Then tell me, how would you assess their characters?
         "Is this important, what does it have to do with my brother?"
         "No of course not, shall we forget it? It was an excellent day for a sail on the harbour." He controlled his impatience looked up and saw the intent of the offer was not lost on his visitor.
         Her eyes glowed outraged by his attitude but it was short lived and she needed him. After a while she said, "to answer your question, our island is a very popular with Naval officers on leave, particularly when they are discharged at Liverpool—as you well know." She gazed into the distance and tossed her head back."Let me see, about twelve years ago, in the summer, William Bligh came over on leave and met Betsy Betham. Betsy was a rather plain girl but warm hearted and popular. She was a friend of mine. At the time Bligh arrived there were very few eligible local suitors for girls Betsy's age."
         "Bligh was handsome?"
         Ness ignored the interruption. "So—o," she extended the vowel with a rising accent as if to parody island gossip, "when the dashing, young, naval lieutenant arrived on the scene Betsy fell in love. Malicious local gossip had it that Bligh married her because of her family connections but ...who knows?" Ness shrugged her shoulders indicating she also was not irrevocably joined to that proposition.
         "The connection being that Duncan Campbell was Betsy's uncle?" Graham began to file the eighth point on the chess piece's tiny crown.
         For Ness the file seemed to make tiny scream as it gnawed across the ivory and she winced at the sound. "Yes, they were married the following year, in February I think, at Kirk Onchan just outside Douglas. Although mid-winter, it was still a great social occasion with all the prominent families invited. That wedding was the one and only time I met William Bligh. I remember his stay was short—as was Betsy's honeymoon—Bligh was called back to duty after ten days."
         "Did he ever return to the Island?"
         "Yes, only for short visits I believe. Betsy was soon with child and they moved to the mainland."
         "Did Christian know or meet Bligh on the island at that time?"
         "Yes, he must have. It was common knowledge Duncan Campbell gave Bligh the command of one of his West Indian trading ships and later we heard Fletcher approached Bligh for a berth. All this was only gossip, you understand?"
         "Yes go on."
         "They sailed two or three trips together working for Mr Campbell. Then Bligh was appointed to Captain the Bounty."
         "And he took Christian with him."
         "Yes he took Fletcher. Every young man on the island was desperate to go, my brother Peter included."
         "So the Benthams and Campbells selected the midshipmen, Betsy's relatives?"
         "They were friendly with the Hallets, the Haywards, and managed to get them appointed. My father was a good friend of Richard Betham, Betsy's father, and Duncan's brother, and it was his influence that finally secured Peter his berth. I know Duncan Campbell also arranged for some other local men to be included.
         "Who specifically?"
         "Some of his employees, Tom Ellison for one. I do not remember the other names."
         "The cabin boy?"
         "Yes, something like that ... an orphan in the employ of Campbell."
         "I imagine under the present circumstances the families are not quite so friendly. When did William and Betsy Bligh leave the island?"
         "When he was appointed to the Bounty they moved to Portsmouth. Betsy has since moved to London."
         Graham released his work from the vice, brushed and blew away specks of dust, and placed it on the bench. He examined it by tilting his head this way and that then drew it closer for a more detailed assessment. He appeared to speak as an afterthought. "From the records it appears Fletcher Christian was born to Charles and Ann Christian, nee Dixon, on September 25, 1764, at Moorland Close near Cockermouth in Cumberland on the north-west coast of England. The family had estates both on the Isle of Man and in Cumberland. Fletcher was the seventh of ten children four of who died before reaching adulthood. His father died when he was three and a half years of age. His mother Anne moved to Douglas twelve years ago."
         He looked at Ness. "What do you know of the family from that time on?"
         Ness looked peeved. "You seem to know more than me, why ask?"
         "Just answer."
         "She came with her daughter and her two youngest, Fletcher and Humphrey. I remember Fletcher was tall for his age, with black curly hair and large brown eyes. He was also strong, athletic, good at sports and grew to be very handsome. He was cheerful and had many friends his own age and older." Her eyes narrowed, "and unlike some he was prepared to commit himself to a relationship." Graham was about to object but she waved a careless hand. "For a while Fletcher had a romantic interest in Isabella Curwen, a very beautiful and rich heiress. Fletcher was always very popular with the girls and often very foolish. It did not last and Isabella married Fletcher's second cousin John Christian. Every time he sailed away Christian left some broken heart."
         "Not yours?"
         "He was much younger than me," she snapped.
         Graham smiled, "Barely, he was eighteen when he left to join the navy."
         Ness ignored the jibe. "Regardless of that Mrs.Anne Christian was a good and caring mother, and despite financial difficulties, she saw to it that all her children got an fitting education."
         "Did Miss Betsy Betham ever have a romantic interest in Fletcher Christian?"
         "Never! Betsy was very properly behaved—anyway she was older than him."
         What a pity thought Graham, things would be made much simpler if she did. Instead he shrugged and asked, "Duncan Campbell—what do you know of Campbell?"
         Ness did not hesitate, "Mr Campbell is rich, handsome, powerful with friends in Edinburgh and London. He has built an infirmary and a school in Douglas and is one of the most influential men on the whole island."
         "He is also a contractor of appalling prison hulks." muttered Graham.
         "I beg your pardon?"
         Graham shook his head.
         "He is well respected and has always behaved like a gentleman. To some he is considered a fair man who unfortunately became involved with Bligh. If Bligh had not married his niece I am certain Duncan Campbell would never have employed him and none of this would have occurred," she added in a tone thick with fatalistic regret.
         "How did Campbell come by all this wealth?"
         "He imports sugar from Jamaica."
         "Did you ever meet Sir Joseph Banks on the Island or see him with Campbell?"
         She shook her head, "No."