Bonds of Earth, The

by Thompson, E. V.

  It was a very beautiful silver bracelet, set with a number of finely cut amethysts, but Goran realized immediately it would probably cost far more than he could afford, however much he wished to find something with which to impress Nessa.

  ‘How much is it?’

  ‘Ah, well may you ask! If I was to wait until I got back to London I could name my own price for it. There’s gentlemen around Covent Garden as would happily pay fifteen – or even twenty guineas for it.’

  ‘Then you’d better keep it until you get back there because I can’t afford that sort of money.’

  ‘And I wouldn’t dream of asking such a price from you, young sir. No, for someone like yourself who wants to buy it for a young lady he thinks a whole lot of, I’d let it go for, say … ten pounds?’

  ‘Even that’s too much. I’m just a tenant farmer who hasn’t even reaped his first crop yet.’

  ‘I understand what you’re saying, young sir, and I realize times is hard, here in the countryside, so I’ll tell you what I’ll do – and I wouldn’t do it for anyone else – you can take it away with you for five guineas! Now that’s being more than generous, as I’m sure you’ll agree.’

  ‘I’m sorry, I don’t even have that much in my pocket.’

  Frowning, the stallholder asked, ‘Well, how much were you thinking to spend on this very special girl of yours?’

  Rapidly calculating how much of his own money he had and what he thought he might be able to afford, Goran said, ‘I think I could just about afford to give you two pounds for it.’

  ‘Two pounds? That’s less than I paid for it. I might just as well give it away to the first pretty girl who walks past my stall! Can you read?’

  Goran nodded.

  ‘Well, just look here then, see what it says on the inside? “Silver” it says, that’s real silver on that bracelet, silver and jewels – and for two pounds?’ He shook his head in exaggerated disbelief.

  Goran was disappointed. He felt Nessa would have really appreciated such a gift, but he could not afford the five pounds the stallholder was asking. He turned to walk away, but the man reached out and took hold of his arm.

  ‘I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I can see you’ve set your heart on having this bracelet, and it shows you to be a young man of uncommon discernment, so it’s yours for three pounds, young sir. How does that sound to you?’

  ‘It sounds good, but two pounds is all I can afford – more, in fact.’

  ‘Make it two pounds ten shillings and the bracelet is yours.’

  ‘I’ll go to two guineas, but I daren’t part with a penny more.’

  Holding out his arms in a gesture of mock despair, the stall-holder said, ‘You’re wasted as a farmer, young sir, give it up and I’ll employ you right here, on my stall. I’ve never known anyone strike such a hard bargain. All right, it’s yours for two guineas – and may I never meet with another young man like you!’

  Horace had been observing the keen bargaining with considerable interest, but he said nothing until the deal was completed and Goran had the bracelet, then, addressing the stallholder, he said, ‘Seeing as how you’re in a benevolent mood, how much is that bracelet you have on your stall – the plain silver one?’

  Switching his interest immediately to Horace, the stallholder said, ‘For you, sir, ten shillings … no, as you’re with this business-minded young man I won’t even attempt to make a profit. It’s yours for eight!’

  Chortling, Horace said, ‘I may be with my young friend but I’m older and seen many more fairs than the both of you, so you’ll need to do a whole lot better than that!’

  Throwing up his hands in a mock gesture of resignation, the stallholder said, ‘Oh no, not another one! All right then, for you I’ll make it five shillings. After all, what right have I to come all this way and expect to make any profit?’

  ‘Now if you’d said two and sixpence I’d have bought it from you as a present for my grand-niece’s birthday, but I couldn’t spare a penny more than that on her … good as she’s been to me.’

  ‘Two-shillings-and-sixpence? That’s not hard bargaining, it’s downright robbery! That’s solid silver, that bracelet is … but I’ve no doubt she’s a pretty young thing and as she’s been so good to an old man who’s very careful with his money, it’s yours for four shillings.’

  Horace put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a number of coins. Counting them slowly and carefully, he put them back into his pocket and, shaking his head, said, ‘I could go no higher than three shillings, so as we’re not going to reach agreement I’ll bid you good day and be on my way before the rain comes and you need to pack up your stall.’

  Casting a quick glance up at the heavy clouds gathering above the fair, as Horace turned away, the stallholder said quickly, ‘All right, it’s yours for three shillings – and I must remember to give Liskeard Fair a miss next year or I’ll end up in Newgate debtors’ prison.’

  Chuckling as they walked away, Horace said to Goran, ‘I think I’m going to enjoy working with you, Goran. You and I make a good pair – too good for the likes of that London stallholder, for all that he thinks he’s so clever!’

  Goran said nothing, but he gripped the boxed bracelet that was safely ensconced in his pocket, thrilled with the gift he had bought for Nessa, impatient to see her delight when he gave it to her.

  Chapter 21

  THE STORM THAT had been threatening for much of that day broke soon after Goran and Jenken left Liskeard. Within minutes rain was falling with a ferocity that indicated it intended making up for the many weeks of drought Cornwall had experienced.

  Goran had brought along a couple of old oilskin capes that had been hanging in a farm outhouse but these, with the hats both he and Jenken wore, afforded only partial protection against such a fierce storm and they were soon soaked through.

  They had not travelled far when they came upon Marcus Grimble, battling his way on foot through the storm. He stood to one side as they came up to him and from his expression it was evident he was hoping to be offered a ride in the cart where he could gain some relief from the wind and rain that was battering him.

  His hopes vanished when he recognized who was driving the cart and he turned away to trudge after them as they passed by. Despite his intense dislike for the gamekeeper, Goran felt a twinge of conscience about leaving the man to walk home in such atrocious weather but, remembering how Jenken had reacted when they saw him at the fair, he knew he could not have taken pity on Grimble.

  The rain eased off slightly before they reached Elworthy Farm, although they were aware that the storm was still raging on the high moor, accompanied by thunder and lightning that provoked an occasional frightened whinny from the rain-sodden pony.

  Despite their soaked condition, now talk was possible, Jenken was full of all he had seen at Liskeard and it seemed he must have seen everything the fair had to offer, his experiences including fire-eaters, dancing bears and a bearded lady. Yet he had not forgotten his family. He had come away with a clay pipe for his father, an embroidered handkerchief for his mother and sweets for his younger brothers.

  While the boy was happily chattering Goran was very aware of the bracelet he carried in his pocket and he felt obliged to surreptitiously check it occasionally to satisfy himself it was still there. He also tried to tell Jenken about his own success with ploughman Horace but eventually gave up, aware his information would need to wait until his young companion was in a more retentive state of mind.

  When both he and Jenken were drying off the pony in its stall, Goran said, ‘I wonder how long it will take Marcus Grimble to reach home? I detest the man, but I couldn’t help feeling guilty about not offering him a ride in the cart.’

  ‘It’s a good job you didn’t,’ Jenken replied fiercely, ‘If you had it would have been me still walking home. I wouldn’t have stayed on the cart with him! I’ll always hate Grimble for what he’s done to Pa and if he’s caught his death of cold because of the storm it’s no more t
han he deserves.’

  Fully aware the young boy had good cause to hate the gamekeeper, Goran said, ‘You’re right; offering to be nice to Grimble wouldn’t have changed the man he is, but I wonder what happened to the young man who was with him, the one you think you saw talking to Morwenna. He probably decided to remain at the fair, it’s an event that’s more likely to appeal to someone his age. In fact I’m surprised Grimble was there at all.’

  ‘Grimble going to Liskeard had nothing at all to do with the fair. He’d gone there to see his nephew off on the Plymouth bound coach because he was going to America.’

  ‘How do you know that?’

  ‘There was an inn on the far side of the fair and it had a coach and horses standing outside. I went across to have a look at the coach because I’d never seen one before. That’s when I saw Grimble with the young man, who was riding outside on the coach. As it pulled away he called out, “Goodbye, Uncle, I’ll write to you from America,” and Grimble waved to him.’

  ‘I’m surprised that even close relations would want to stay with a man like Grimble, but perhaps he’s different with them.’

  Goran wondered how Morwenna could have met up with a man related to Grimble, but Jenken was chattering about the fair once more and how his family would be delighted with what he had bought for them and the question quickly passed from his mind.

  Goran knew there was little that could be done outside of the farmyard during the continuing wet weather and Elworthy would have carried out all the work that was needed at Roach Farm. Nevertheless he went there the following day to tell Agnes of his meeting at Liskeard Fair with Horace Rundle.

  She was delighted to learn that the ploughman was going to help Goran on Elworthy Farm. ‘He’s a good, honest man,’ she declared. ‘I came close to marrying him when I was a young girl, and could have done a lot worse, but he spoke of nothing but ploughing all the time and I’d have soon tired of that. Come to think of it, it could explain why I’ve never wanted you to start ploughing anything here! But then I met my future husband and knew right away that I didn’t want to marry Horace anyway. But if you’re going to learn about ploughing from anyone then Horace is the man to teach you. He was the top ploughman in the county in his day.’

  ‘He’s also made me a very good offer,’ Goran said, and went on to tell her what Horace had suggested.

  ‘You take him up on his offer,’ Agnes said, firmly. ‘You’ll never get a better one, and the hay has been so good this year there’s more than either of us will need, even with two working horses to feed, but if you do find yourself running short there’ll be plenty here for you to call on.’

  Waving aside his thanks, she asked, ‘How is the family of that young mining lad you took on making out?’

  ‘They are all very happy at Elworthy and I’m particularly pleased with Jenken. He’s keen and hardworking, and seems to enjoy farm work.’

  Goran went on to tell Agnes about Jenken’s day at the Liskeard Fair and of the presents he had bought for his family from the money they had given to him to spend there.

  ‘Did he buy anything for himself?’

  ‘No, although I believe he spent a few pence looking at some of the attractions they had there.’

  Agnes made a sound in her throat which might have indicated either approbation or disapproval before saying, ‘Would you have room at Elworthy for that young calf that was born to my Devon-cross cow last week? It’s only just been weaned but it should be a good milk cow when it’s grown.’

  ‘I’ll have no shortage of grazing with all the rain we’re having, but if it’s only just weaned it’s going to need a bit of extra care for a while.’

  Aware that Agnes also had ample grazing land, Goran added, ‘Wouldn’t Elworthy be happy to take care of it?’

  ‘He would, but as you say, it’s going to need a bit of tending for a while. I thought it would be good experience for the boy and that he’d take extra interest in it if it actually belonged to him.’

  ‘You’re thinking of giving the calf to Jenken? He’d be over the moon to have a calf of his own to rear, but it’s very generous of you, Agnes.’

  Embarrassed by his words, Agnes said, ‘There’s no generosity involved. Having a calf to rear would cost me both money and Elworthy’s time – and the price calves are fetching in the market today doesn’t make it worth the trouble involved in taking it there. Let this young mining lad learn what’s involved in bringing up farm animals before he gets all starry-eyed about farm work.’

  Goran knew better than to smile openly at Agnes’s attempt to pretend the gift of a calf to Jenken was an economic decision and not a philanthropic gesture.

  He left Roach Farm in a happy frame of mind, not least because talking about the Liskeard Fair had reminded him of the present he had bought there for Nessa. As soon as the weather improved he would go to the Pyne cottage and give it to her. He had become increasingly enamoured of her in the brief time they had known each other and hoped the bracelet might prove sufficient to bridge the gulf that seemed to have opened between them in recent weeks.

  Chapter 22

  ‘WHY DON’T YOU and Morwenna like each other any more?’ The unhappy question came from Jennifer when Nessa closed the book she had been reading to the young girl in their bedroom. It was the youngest Pyne girl’s bedtime and, as the rain had seemingly exhausted itself for the day, Morwenna had just come into the room to change her shoes before taking a late evening walk on the moor, a pleasure she had been unable to enjoy for a couple of days due to the severe weather.

  Morwenna had entered the room, changed her shoes and left without saying a word to anyone, carefully avoiding looking at Nessa and giving only the merest semblance of a smile when she glanced at Jennifer.

  ‘It’s nothing for you to worry about, Jen. Families don’t agree with each other all the time.’

  ‘Is it because of Goran? When I asked Morwenna whether that was the reason she wasn’t talking to you she said there was no need for you to quarrel about him any more because you can have him back any time you want.’

  ‘Morwenna said that?’

  ‘Yes, but she said she didn’t think it would make any difference because you were really only angry because of some silly old book. But you wouldn’t quarrel with her about a book, would you, ’cos we like books.’

  ‘Yes, we do.’

  It was a half-hearted reply because Nessa was wondering what was in Morwenna’s mind. She felt her sister must be planning something. She had been obsessed with the thought of marriage for almost as long as Nessa could remember and she felt the obsession had grown to the exclusion of almost everything else in recent weeks. If Morwenna believed there was even the faintest chance of Goran marrying her she would have pursued it with a vigour that was otherwise lacking in her everyday life.

  If Morwenna had declared she was no longer interested in Goran it must mean that either Goran had made it very clear there could never be anything between them – or Morwenna had found someone else.

  She dismissed the second eventuality immediately. It was most unlikely Morwenna could have got to know anyone well enough to consider him as a prospective husband without the family knowing about it – and the alternative excited her.

  When Morwenna told her mother she was going out for a walk because she had been stuck in the house for so long if she didn’t get out she felt she might suffocate, Annie Pyne commented only that she should take care where she walked because there were some notorious bogs on the moor that might prove treacherous after all the rain that had fallen in recent days.

  Weary of constant arguments with her eldest daughter about the time she spent away from the mine cottage, Annie Pyne had arrived at a compromise with her that seemed to be working. Morwenna would spend the mornings helping in the house, her duties including caring for Jennifer, the ironing and mending of the family’s clothes, tending the kitchen garden and helping with the general housework.

  If this work was carried out to Anni
e’s satisfaction Morwenna would be free to do as she pleased for the remainder of the day.

  Morwenna would take needlework with her and when her father asked her where she was going when she left the house she replied that she intended finding a quiet spot on the moor in order to carry out her needlework without interruption. However, when she left it behind one day and Annie examined it, she discovered the piece of tapestry was certainly not of a standard she would have expected from something on which so many hours had been spent.

  Annie said nothing to her daughter about the standard of her work knowing that to put her thoughts into words would have led inevitably to another of the bitter quarrels that had so disrupted the family in the past. She hoped that by showing a trust towards her daughter she sadly did not feel, Morwenna might eventually settle down once more as the loved eldest daughter of the family.

  When Morwenna returned to the mine cottage that evening, she spent some time repairing a tear to the hem of her dress that she said had been snagged on a low-lying gorse branch during her walk and, as she did not seem in a mood for conversation, Annie left her to it, busying herself by ensuring that the meal she had prepared for her husband did not spoil because he was delayed at the Wheal Hope.

  Upstairs in the darkness of the girls’ bedroom, Nessa lay in bed, hands clasped together on the pillow behind her head, wide– awake and still thinking of what Jennifer had said to her.

  When Morwenna eventually came to bed, Nessa waited while she undressed in the darkness and got into bed before speaking to her.

  ‘Morwenna?’

  All sounds of movement ceased as Morwenna, surprised at having her sister speak to her, decided whether or not to reply.