Authors: E.V. Thompson
A
LICE AND ELIZA
left Helynn Manor via the kitchen door the next morning when dawn was ushering in the new day, brushing away the last scattering of stars from the waking sky.
Harnessing the pony to the trap took longer than they would have wished but after only a few initial errors it was done and they led pony and trap from the stables, keeping on grass as much as possible until they felt they were out of hearing of those in the house.
Once in the trap they hurriedly left Helynn behind, driving the pony at a sharp trot, relying upon memory of the previous day’s journey to guide them back to Trethevy. Although neither woman spoke their thoughts aloud, they were constantly in fear of hearing the sound of Captain Hugo Trevelyan coming in pursuit of them.
Much to the relief of both women, their memories served them well and they chose the correct roads and lanes, helped by the occasional granite signpost erected at major highway junctions.
They arrived at the rectory mid-morning, to find Tristram alone there. Reverend David had taken Percy with him intending to visit the poorhouse after the service, where the oldest resident, a friend of Percy, was dying.
In her mistress’s room as Eliza was unpacking clothes, Alice said, ‘It is such a relief to be home again safely, Eliza, it was the
most dreadful night I have ever experienced in the whole of my life. Quite unbelievable!’
Putting unwanted thoughts aside of the nightmares she still occasionally had about some of the nights spent in prison and on the hulk in her ‘other life’, Eliza replied, ‘Are you going to tell Reverend David about what happened there?’
‘No,’ Alice replied firmly. ‘Certainly not immediately. He would only fuss about it. I will say that Captain Hugo’s father was unwell and we felt we were giving them unnecessary extra work. It will mean leaving a great deal unsaid, but I will not be telling an untruth.’
Eliza accepted that it was the best way to deal with the matter, but she asked, ‘What will you tell him of the rumours we heard about Lieutenant Jory?’
Alice had been brushing her hair but, lowering the brush to the dressing table, she said unhappily, ‘I don’t know. He will have to be told something to explain why I am no longer welcoming Lieutenant Jory to the rectory – and I really do feel I could not face him again. He has behaved in a deceitful manner that I find truly hurtful. He allowed me to become very fond of him. Perhaps I read too much into his attentions to me but he must have realised my feelings towards him, and actually encouraged them at a time when he would have been courting poor Isabella Trevelyan. It is quite unforgivable.’
‘I think you should listen to
his
side of the story, Miss Alice, I wouldn’t take the word of
anyone
at Helynn about
anything,
there wasn’t one of them right in the head!’
Giving her maid a fleeting wan smile, Alice said, ‘I agree with your assessment of the occupants of Helynn, Eliza, it must be one of the most bizarre households in the land, but they
all
had the same story to tell about Lieutenant Jory and poor Isabella Trevelyan. I found that quite as upsetting as anything else that happened during our visit to Helynn.’
Eliza still refused to believe what had been said at Helynn about Jory Kendall, but she knew Alice was genuinely upset by what she had been told and did not pursue the matter. Nevertheless, her mistress’s change of attitude towards the naval lieutenant might affect her and Tristram.
‘If Lieutenant Jory is no longer welcome at Trethevy does it mean Tristram and me won’t be able to go to the Camelford fair? Reverend David said he could stay here for the nights both before and afterwards if he was going to take us to the fair and bring us back again in his carriage. Will he not be coming now?’
Alice was aware that although Eliza was careful not to reveal her true feelings towards Tristram to her employers, she was very much in love with him in her quiet but intense manner and it was a romance which met with the approval of both Alice and her brother.
‘The arrangement has been made and we will not change it. When is the fair?’
‘This week, on Saturday.’
‘So soon? It would be difficult to change anything now, even if I wished to, but I will need to find somewhere to go for that weekend, I really do not wish to meet with him again.’
‘Perhaps … perhaps me and Tristram ought to change our minds about going to the fair if it’s going to make things difficult for you.’
‘No. You and Tristram have both been looking forward to Camelford fair for months, you must go. I will think of something. Now, if you have finished unpacking, I think I will have a little rest. You must do the same too, neither of us had any sleep last night. Check that all is tidy for Reverend David’s return, then take a rest in your room. You were a tower of strength at Helynn in very difficult circumstances, I
do
appreciate it, thank you.’
*
Reverend Kilpeck did not return with Percy until that evening. Tintagel poorhouse’s oldest resident had died during the afternoon and David had spent some time discussing with the churchwardens a funeral befitting a centenarian who had long been the oldest inhabitant of the parish.
By the time the two men reached Trethevy Alice and Eliza were up and about and, after expressing surprise that Alice had returned from Helynn after such a short visit and hearing the story she and Eliza had agreed together for their unexpected return, David said, ‘I have some news for you too, both good and bad.’
‘Tell me the good news first,’ Alice replied, ‘I am not in the mood for bad news right away.’
‘After you left yesterday we had a visit from Dean Fitzjohn and his daughter Ursula …’ – Edgar Fitzjohn, Dean of Windsor, was the distant relative who had been instrumental in appointing David to the living of Trethevy – ‘… It seems he was at University with Reverend Wallis, vicar of Bodmin and both he and Ursula are holidaying with him for a couple of weeks. They came here yesterday evening and were most disappointed you were not here, but their host, Reverend Wallis, would like us to have dinner with him on Tuesday, at Bodmin vicarage.’
Showing the pleasure he felt at having received such an invitation, David beamed at Alice. ‘Bodmin is one of the most important and lucrative livings in Cornwall and Reverend Wallis is an important churchman. He could be a considerable influence in my future, I accepted the invitation, of course, trusting you would be home by then. I hope you approve?’
‘I am absolutely delighted, Ursula and I were childhood friends, as you know, how is she?’
Alice was grateful for the opportunity to move away from the subject of Hugo Trevelyan and her visit to Helynn, but she was taken aback by the enthusiasm with which David answered her question.
‘Ursula has grown into a beautiful girl, very beautiful, she is intelligent too and well-informed on Church affairs. I found her most enjoyable company.’
Aware that David had been attracted to a girl for possibly the first time, Alice was thrilled for him. ‘What a pity I wasn’t at home when they called, but I look forward to meeting with Ursula again after all these years.’
‘Well, you will have your opportunity on Tuesday, I said you would be very disappointed at missing her – at missing both of them – but as I was quite certain you would be home by then, I agreed we would both spend the whole day with them, remaining until after dinner. It will be the first time we have been away from the Trethevy rectory together for a long time.’
‘I look forward to that very much, David. Very much indeed.’
She meant it, not only for the prospect of a day out with her brother. David had never before shown such enthusiasm at meeting a girl. Indeed, he had rarely shown enthusiasm for
anything
outside his calling. She thought that Ursula, who had always been a plain, rather serious girl, must have grown into someone rather special to have this effect upon him, but David was talking again.
‘Now, you must prepare yourself for the bad news. I am afraid this is not good. Eval Moyle has returned from America and is back on his farm.’
‘I
THOUGHT THERE
was a warrant out for Eval Moyle’s arrest?’
Eliza had been thinking about the news given to her by Alice the day before. Today was a Saint’s day and a local holiday and she was returning to the rectory with her employer after an early morning service, conducted by Reverend David at the tiny Trethevy church. She had thought they had seen the last of the vindictive preacher when he left for America in a hurry after the Truro ‘riots’ and was unhappy to know he had come back into their lives.
‘The warrant was cancelled with all the others, when it was realised there was no case to answer in respect of the riot charges. Even had it not been, I am not sure it would still be valid after all these years. No doubt Moyle went into the matter before returning to Cornwall. We will just have to hope America has changed the man he once was.’
Eliza had her doubts about Moyle being a changed man, but there was nothing that could be done about him and she had other matters to think about. The fair at Camelford was only a few days away now, and that afternoon she would be walking out with Tristram. She had no doubt their visit to the fair would be the main topic of conversation.
She was wrong.
They certainly spoke of the fair, wondering what would be
there to enjoy. Neither had been to any of the country fairs before, but old Percy had and when telling them about his experiences he had been fulsome about the delights they would discover.
‘What are you most looking forward to seeing?’ Eliza put the question to Tristram as they followed a path that led along the cliff-top towards the nearby tiny fishing village of Boscastle, nestling in a coastal valley.
‘I don’t know, the wrestling and boxing might be fun.’
‘Fun for you, perhaps, I don’t see anything enjoyable about two grown men doing their best to kill one another!’
‘We don’t
have
to watch them,’ Tristram replied hurriedly. ‘There’ll be lots of other things to see. Old Percy said the last fair he was at had all sorts of animals like he’d never seen before and there’ll most likely be a dancing bear, a Punch and Judy, jugglers – and even someone able to swallow a poker!’
‘Ugh! I don’t think I’d like to do that.’
‘You won’t have to but there’s going to be lots of things you’ll enjoy eating.’
‘Now that’s something I
can
look forward to,’ Eliza said, happily. ‘Eating something I haven’t had to prepare and cook myself. It’s going to be worth going all that way just for that.’
‘It’s going to be worth it for me to spend the whole day with you.’
It was said so seriously that Eliza looked at him in surprise, but she replied, ‘I’ll enjoy being with you for the day too.’
‘Will you? I mean,
really
enjoy it?’
‘Of course, I wouldn’t be going with you otherwise.’
At that moment their arms brushed against each other and it seemed somehow right that they should link hands, hers small and light, his strong and calloused from hours spent splitting logs with an axe the previous day.
‘I’m glad,’ he said happily, adding, ‘We do like being together, don’t we?’
‘Of course we do, we’re together now, aren’t we?’
‘I wish we could be
really
together, Eliza.’
‘What do you mean,
really
together?’
Eliza thought she
knew
what he meant. It was something other couples did when they had been walking out together for far less time than she and Tristram, but she had always put off thinking about it. Mainly, as she had to admit to herself, because she did not know what her reaction would be to him. They had been coming out like this whenever possible for some three years, but for the most part it had been along the open cliff top, or other places where they might be seen by others. They had kissed frequently and recently she felt his kisses were becoming more demanding. She had felt a strong urge to respond to them, but remembered the promise she had made to Alice about her behaviour when she was with Tristram. Besides, should she become pregnant it would reflect badly on her employers, Reverend David in particular. It would also bring to an end the happy life she had so unexpectedly been able to enjoy for the past three years.
‘You must know what I’m talking about, Eliza.’
‘I might, but why don’t you say it right out so I can be sure?’
She was playing for time, not only in order to put her own confused thoughts in order but also in the hope that he might be too embarrassed to say what it was he wanted them to do together.
Taking her by surprise, he said, ‘All right then.’ Releasing her hand and taking her arm, he brought her to a halt, ‘Why don’t we get married?’
‘Get married? Us? You and me?’
‘That’s right, you and me.’
‘But you hardly know anything about me?
‘We’ve worked in the same household for three years and been walking out for much of that time, what don’t I know about you?’
Eliza’s thoughts were in turmoil. There was so
much
Tristram did not know about her – but did it really matter? Tristram
wanted to marry her for what she was now, not for what society, the law, had once declared her to be – a convicted thief, sentenced to transportation.
‘You haven’t given me an answer, Eliza.’
Tristram felt a sense of disappointment that bordered on despair. He had been mentally building up to this moment for weeks and had decided he would propose to her at Camelford fair, the first whole day they would ever have spent together. But, walking along the cliff-top, holding her hand, his feelings had overcome him and he could delay the proposal no longer.
He had not
seriously
considered that she would refuse him. In truth, in his mind it had never been a question of whether or not they
should
get married, more a question of when it would be.
‘Why do you want to marry me?’ She needed to ask the question twice before he responded.
‘Why? Why
do
people get married?’
‘Because they love each other and want to be together, always.’
‘Well, I want
us
to be together always.’
‘What for, just so you can do things to me, have your children and someone to look after you in your old age? Is that why you want us to be married?’
‘Yes … No! Not just for that.’
Tristram was confused, aware this was going all wrong.
‘Then what else?’
‘Because … well, because you’re
special
.’
‘That’s getting better, but you still haven’t said how you
feel
about me. The way two people should feel about each other if they are going to get married.’
‘You must know how I feel about you, Eliza. I wouldn’t have asked you to marry me otherwise.’
‘But you
haven’t
asked me, you’ve just
suggested
we should get married. You could have been talking about buying a pig, a horse, or a dog. Anything!’
Bewildered, Tristram said, ‘It’s nothing like buying a pig, or any other animal, Eliza. I want you to marry me because I love you, you must know that.’
‘I
didn’t
know it, Tristram, and I’m no good at guessing.’
Suddenly gripping his arm in both her hands, she added, happily, ‘But I know it now, and that’s what I wanted to hear you say.’
‘So you
will
marry me?’
Eliza was far more excited than she dared to show him, but she still needed time to think of the implications of marrying Tristram and what she would need to tell him of her past – and she did not believe she could keep such an important secret from the man to whom she was married.
‘I’ll let you know on the day of the fair.’
When he looked bewildered, she explained, ‘I know what it is
I
want, Tristram, but I need to talk to Miss Alice and Reverend David and … oh, there are lots and lots of things I need to think about, but you can kiss me now if you want to. I mean,
really
kiss me so I tingle all over….’