Bonds of Earth, The

by Thompson, E. V.

  ‘You did what?’

  Although Nessa’s disbelief was mixed with a very real anger Morwenna merely shrugged. ‘I felt like taking a walk so I thought I might as well go that way and take the book to him. You were so eager to get it for him I thought it must be urgent.’

  ‘It wasn’t yours to do anything with any more, I’d given you my bracelet for it.’

  Still behaving with almost insolent nonchalance, Morwenna said, ‘I thought you’d bought it because Goran needed a dictionary, I didn’t realize it was the actual giving of it that was so important. But if you want to get the dictionary back from Goran you can have your old bracelet again, I don’t care.’

  Speechless, Nessa stood staring at her sister uncertainly for a long time before turning away and hurrying from the room without uttering another word.

  Aghast at the actions of her eldest daughter, Annie said, ‘That was very mean of you, Morwenna … and quite deliberate! You knew Nessa wanted that dictionary as a special gift for Goran, giving it to him mattered a lot to her. That is probably the most spiteful thing you have ever done and it will be a long time before I forgive you for it.’

  ‘Why? What’s so special about Nessa and a boy she cares for? All she really wants is to look clever and be a teacher. Anyway, no one thought twice about how much I cared for Alan Toms when you brought me here – and he wanted to marry me.’

  ‘That isn’t true, Morwenna, and it’s no use you deluding yourself about Alan. We had to come here because your father’s work demanded it, but before we left he spoke to Alan and offered him work on Wheal Hope, even though he didn’t particularly like him, but Alan said he didn’t want to come, despite knowing he would be more secure working here. Anyway, even if he had wanted to marry you it’s no excuse for what you’ve done to Nessa, that is quite unforgivable – and I’ve no doubt your father will think so too.’

  ‘I don’t care what any of you think. If Goran likes me better than he does Nessa I’m not going to do anything to discourage him. He might want to marry me and being a farmer’s wife would be better than being here where no one cares what I think about anything, or what it is I might want.’

  With this, Morwenna rushed from the room, her footsteps loud on the new wooden staircase leading to the two upstairs rooms.

  In the bedroom shared by the three sisters Nessa was lying fully clothed on top of her bed, staring up at rough, bark-clad timbers supporting the roof, her hands clasped behind her head.

  She turned her head when Morwenna entered the room but seeing who it was immediately turned over on her side, facing away from her sister.

  The movement prompted Morwenna to say, ‘I can’t do anything right in this house, I don’t know why I even try!’

  When her statement prompted no response, Morwenna added, ‘I thought you wanted Goran to have the book, that’s why I took it.’

  For a moment Nessa wondered whether the explanation might be genuine, but then Morwenna added, ‘At least the kiss that Goran gave me showed that he was grateful.’

  Turning on the bed so that she was looking at her sister, Nessa said, with disbelief, ‘Goran kissed you?’

  ‘You mean he’s never kissed you? I don’t believe it! When he kissed me I thought it must be what he was used to doing with all the girls he knew. If it isn’t…? Well, perhaps he really meant it when he said he’d like me to come to the farm so he could show me around now he’s the farmer and can find more time to do the things he really wants to do.’

  Satisfied with the effect her words had upon her sister, Morwenna walked from the room, leaving a shaken and very unhappy Nessa behind her.

  ‘Where are the girls?’ Piran Pyne asked the question that evening as his wife put out plates for only three on the kitchen table.

  ‘Nessa is upstairs in the girls’ bedroom and says she doesn’t want anything to eat, but I don’t know where Morwenna is. I thought she was in the bedroom too, but Jennifer said she went out of the back door saying she was going for a walk.’

  Frowning, Piran asked, ‘Has anything happened to upset them?’

  ‘Yes…’ Annie told her husband of the incident involving the dictionary.

  After listening with increasing anger, Piran said, ‘That really would have upset Nessa, she was talking happily to me today at Wheal Hope about taking the book to Goran at the farm tomorrow. It’s most unthinking of Morwenna to have done that.’

  ‘Sadly, I don’t think there was any lack of thought in what she did. Morwenna is bitterly resentful about leaving Alan Toms behind when we moved here. She’s convinced herself he would have asked her to marry him if we’d stayed down west.’

  ‘We couldn’t have stayed there, she knows that. The mine was played out and I was very lucky to have been asked to start up the Wheal Hope, otherwise we could very well have been in a similar plight to the Bolithos. Besides, I offered Alan the opportunity to come here to be near her if that’s what he really wanted. Had he accepted he would have been far more secure than he is there. I’ll have serious words with Morwenna, she shouldn’t have done what she did to anyone – certainly not to her own sister.’

  ‘I’ve already made that point to her and I’ve no doubt the reason she’s gone out is because she knows what you’ll say to her about it.’

  ‘I’ll say what’s needed anyway – although she may get away with it tonight, I have to go back to the mine after supper. We’ve hit hard rock in the shaft and are falling behind so I need to get the men working nights but I’ll go upstairs and speak to Nessa before I go. I think Goran is a nice lad and a solid one, he and Nessa would be a good match. But I do have some good news to tell you. On my way home I met with young Jenken Bolitho returning from his work at the farm. He was happier than I’ve ever seen him. It seems he’s going to enjoy working on a farm. He was carrying a basket of things he’d been given to take home. I think the family will be happy too – and even happier when they learn what Goran and his mother have in mind for them….’

  Piran Pyne did not want to exacerbate the disagreement between his two daughters, so he used Jennifer’s early bedtime as an excuse for going to the shared bedroom with her in his arms. Here he found Nessa lying on her own bed, still fully clothed.

  Lying staring up at the ceiling she took no notice when he entered the room.

  ‘Hello, aren’t you feeling too well this evening?’

  ‘I just don’t feel hungry, that’s all.’

  ‘Well, I have some news that might help cheer you up. I met young Jenken Bolitho coming home from his work at the farm and he was bubbling over with delight about his work and although he doesn’t know it yet, Goran has hinted that the family could be moving into the farm cottage. Mabel Trebartha wants to talk to Harriet Bolitho about it. When it’s settled you might like to go up to the Bolithos’ place and see if there’s anything you can do to help with the children during the move. It’s high time that family had some good luck come their way.’

  ‘I’m pleased for the Bolithos, but I’m sure they’ll be able to manage without my help.’

  ‘I thought you might welcome an opportunity to go to Elworthy and congratulate Goran on taking over the farm? It’s a great achievement for such a young man.’

  ‘I think he’d rather see Morwenna than me and she no doubt passed on our family’s congratulations when she went to the farm earlier today.’

  ‘She might have done, but I’m convinced it would mean more to him coming from you – but where is Morwenna, Ma tells me she wasn’t at supper either?’

  ‘I’ve no idea … unless she’s at Elworthy Farm.’

  Realizing nothing he said to Nessa this evening would shake her out of her present despondent mood, Piran said, ‘Oh well, I’m putting Jennifer to bed now, perhaps you’ll read her one of your stories, she’d like that – and it might cheer you up a bit. I have to return to the mine for a couple of hours.’

  Chapter 15

  WHEN MORWENNA LEFT the Wheal Hope cottage she was nursing a sense of de
termined grievance, yet although fully aware she had been underhanded with her sister in respect of Goran, she had no regrets. The family had shown little sympathy to her when they insisted that she accompany them to this part of the country against her wishes, even though it meant parting her from the man she had intended marrying.

  Morwen’s resentful ambition now was to marry and move away from her family. In Goran she felt she had found someone with whom she could not only achieve that aim but who could also offer her a more comfortable life than she would have within the mining community.

  She shrugged off the knowledge that her sister was enamoured of the man she intended pursuing. Nessa had hardly had time to get to know him and would no doubt find someone else in due course.

  The fact that Goran had shown no interest in her did not worry Morwenna unduly, there were ways of making a man with principles believe he should marry a girl. It had almost worked with her previous sweetheart and she believed she could do the same with Goran.

  She did not feel the least pang of conscience about her intentions. She would keep Goran as happy as any man deserved to be and they would no doubt enjoy a comfortable life together. Besides, there were other considerations – serious ones – but Morwenna did not want to dwell on them and successfully pushed them to the back of her mind.

  Morwenna’s plans received a setback when she met up with Jenken who was on his way home from his work on Elworthy Farm. In reply to her question he informed her that Goran had left him to finish off the work at Elworthy while he went to Roach Farm to carry out some chores there.

  Morwenna thought of going to Roach Farm to find Goran but changed her mind immediately. She had never met Agnes Roach but had heard enough to think twice about annoying her by interfering with Goran’s work on her farm.

  However, she had no intention of returning home just yet, the upset she had caused within her family was still fresh enough to erupt again and she would no doubt be blamed for its cause. It would take a while for their resentment against her to subside, so in the meantime she decided to explore a part of the moor she had not yet visited, the area beyond the upper limits of the two farms owned by Agnes Roach.

  Reaching the section of Spurre land which extended on to the high moor from the large estate she followed the boundary wall until it was replaced by a recently plashed hawthorn hedge which was little more than waist-high.

  Reaching the hedge, Morwenna was startled to see a young man, perhaps three or four years older than herself, walking on the estate side of the barrier. Unseen, he must have been keeping pace with her as she walked along the other side of the wall.

  He appeared equally surprised, but was the first to speak.

  ‘Hello, what are you doing up here, and where are you from? I don’t remember seeing you around this way before.’

  ‘That’s because I haven’t been up here before – and I hope you’ve got permission to be over there. There’s a gamekeeper who’s threatened to shoot anyone he finds trespassing on the Spurre estate.’

  The young man smiled, ‘You must be talking about my uncle Marcus. His bark is far worse than his bite, I don’t think he’s ever actually shot anyone.’

  ‘That’s where you’re wrong! He shot a young dog just because it was friendly with me and my sisters – and he did it while we were watching. It upset my little sister so much she had nightmares about it, so don’t tell me he’s not a bad person!’

  ‘He must have had a reason for doing what he did and you’ve seen a side of him I haven’t, but you still haven’t told me who you are and what you’re doing up here on the moor.’

  ‘It’s none of your business, but my name is Morwenna and my pa is captain of the Wheal Hope.’

  ‘Wheal Hope? Isn’t that the name of the new mine, a little way along the edge of the moor? It means we’re almost neighbours.’

  ‘Does it?’ Morwenna shrugged, but her apparent indifference was carefully feigned. The Spurre estate gamekeeper’s nephew was quite good-looking and, unlike Goran, did not seem entirely uninterested in her.

  ‘Yes. My name is Tom, Tom Miller. I’m staying with my uncle Marcus because he’s teaching me about gamekeeping. As soon as he thinks I know enough I expect to be given a cottage on the estate. There are one or two empty at the moment. The one I particularly like isn’t far from here. It’s hidden in that clump of trees over there….’

  He pointed to where the tops of a number of deciduous trees could be seen rising above an apparent shallow hollow in the grounds of the estate, adding, ‘It was lived in by an old retired gamekeeper who died a couple of months ago. It still has all his furniture there and would suit me very well. I’ll show it to you if you’d like to see it.’

  ‘I’m sure you would but as we’ve only just met and all I know about you is what you’ve just told me, you’re not taking me anywhere!’

  There was just sufficient indignation in Morwenna’s reply to indicate to Tom Miller that she was not devoid of all morals, but the look that accompanied her words was bold enough to suggest that she did not value virtue as highly as was being implied.

  ‘I’m sorry, I was being a bit forward, wasn’t I? It’s a long time since I had anything to do with girls. I worked in a saw-mill for my father until he died only a month ago, and my mother, Marcus Grimble’s younger sister, died when I was only fifteen.’

  ‘Oh! I’m sorry to hear that.’ Morwenna’s sympathy sounded genuine. ‘Do you have any brothers or sisters?

  ‘No, the only relative I have left now is my uncle Marcus. How about your family?’

  ‘My parents are both alive and I have two sisters, both younger than me….’

  For some minutes they talked about families until, displaying apparent reluctance, Morwenna said, ‘I’d better be getting home now, before it gets dark, my ma will be wondering where I’ve got to.’

  ‘That’s a pity,’ Tom Miller said, ‘we were just beginning to get to know each other, but do you come out walking the moor very often?’

  Her mind working rapidly, Morwenna said, ‘I spend a lot of time walking because there’s not very much to do about the mine, but I’m out much earlier as a rule, usually early in the afternoon. As I said, I haven’t been up this way before so I don’t know my way around at all, but it’s nice and quiet and it’s good to get away from all the noise about the mine.’

  ‘I shall be on this part of the estate for most of tomorrow afternoon. If you’re around I could show you the gamekeeper’s cottage then. It’s in a lovely spot, I’m sure you’d like it. There’s a fishing lake close to it and usually a few geese and other water birds there. It’s beautiful, really.’

  Morwenna left Tom Miller knowing they were both aware she would be returning the following afternoon. She knew, too, she would accept his offer to see the gamekeeper’s remote cottage on the Spurre estate, fully aware of what the inevitable consequence was likely to be.

  Chapter 16

  PIRAN PYNE LEFT his eldest daughter in no doubt of his displeasure the next morning. However, his admonishment was less severe than it might have been because of his need to return to the Wheal Hope and supervise the work on the main shaft being sunk through hard rock ground.

  Only a couple of hours later Harriet Bolitho returned from a meeting at Elworthy Farm with Mabel and called in at the Pyne home to happily confirm that she and her family would be moving to the farm cottage the following day.

  Annie and Nessa immediately volunteered to go to the moorland hovel to help Harriet prepare for the move and they went from the house taking Jennifer with them, leaving Morwenna to clean and tidy-up in their absence As a result Morwenna had no need to think of an excuse to leave the house. Completing the chores to her own haphazard satisfaction, she made her way to the high moor above the Spurre estate, soon after noon, aware that upon her return any altercation would be about the manner in which she had cleaned the house and not about where she had spent the remainder of the day.

  When she arrived at the hedge which
had separated her from Tom on the last occasion they had met, the gamekeeper’s nephew was nowhere to be seen. For half an hour she walked up and down the boundary becoming increasingly agitated until, much to her relief, she spotted him coming towards her along a path that cut through the middle of the strip of Spurre land.

  Unaware of her anxiety, Tom waved gaily and, when he was closer, called cheerily, ‘Hello, I was hoping I might meet up with you again. I’ve just been to have a look around the old cottage. It’s in a far better condition than I realized, it will be a great place to live. Would you like to come and see it and tell me what you think? I would appreciate a woman’s opinion on any possible drawbacks of living in such an isolated place.’

  ‘Are you quite sure that’s the only reason you want to take me to the cottage?’

  ‘It is … unless you can think of something more exciting we might be able to do there?’

  There was a thinly disguised implication in the bold question that required no answer and Morwenna said, ‘I’ll come and give you my opinion, but I doubt whether it will make any difference, you’ve probably already made up your own mind what you want to do.’

  ‘That’s just it, I haven’t, so your opinion could make all the difference.’

  ‘Well, first of all I need to get to your side of the hedge – and I’m not going to try to climb over it.’

  ‘There’s a gate not far ahead and we can talk to each other across the hedge on the way there.’

  As they kept pace with each other on either side of the trimmed hedge their conversation was of generalities: the moor, its animals and birds, and places of interest in the area which Morwenna had not yet discovered but which Tom thought might prove of interest to her.

  They were subjects with which neither of Morwenna’s parents could have raised any objections. However, once she had passed through the gateway to the estate and they were walking together they both sensed an indefinable and unspoken change in their relationship, especially when the path occasionally narrowed and their arms brushed against each other.