Sophie took a deep breath and a firm hold on her temper and said, ‘Thank you, Hannah. You can go now. I don’t need you at the moment. I am perfectly able to change my dress.’
‘Mrs Paxton would like to know when you’ll be down for luncheon,’ Hannah said. ‘I come up to ask.’
‘Hasn’t she served lunch yet?’ Sophie was surprised.
‘As you had not said you’d be out for luncheon, she was waiting for you to get home. And Mr Charles, of course.’
‘Tell her I’m just changing my dress and that I shall be down in ten minutes,’ Sophie said, ‘and say I’m sorry I’m late.’
‘I think you can apologize for that yourself,’ Hannah said. ‘To her and to the others what’ve been kept waiting.’
When Hannah closed the door behind her, Sophie found tears of anger pricking her eyes. How dare Hannah speak to her like that? She hadn’t the right. No one had the right. She fought back the tears and started to strip off her riding clothes. She knew, if she were honest, she had been relieved when she heard Charles’s voice through the mist. He had come out to find her and bring her safely home. Afraid to seem weak, she had been less than grateful, and now she felt a stab of remorse. Ever since the reading of the will there had been such undercurrents in the house and Sophie had felt isolated. Charles had withdrawn from the easy friendship they’d enjoyed earlier in the year and Sophie found she missed it.
Never mind, she assured herself as she tidied her hair and went downstairs, Nicholas will be back soon and then everything can be sorted out.
Charles was just going into the dining room and, seeing him, she called his name. He turned back and waited for her.
‘Charles, I...’ She hesitated and started again, ‘Charles, I just wanted to thank you for coming to look for me. I remembered what you said and was letting Millie bring me home, but it was a relief to hear you calling me. Thank you for coming.’ She held out her hand. ‘Don’t be cross with me. Pax?’
Charles took her hand and with a rueful shake of his head, said, ‘I’m not cross, Sophie. Pax it is.’
31
It was three days after that, in the late afternoon, when Nicholas came up the drive to Trescadinnick. Edith opened the door to him and showed him into the drawing room where Sophie was playing the piano. As she saw him come into the room she jumped to her feet and ran to him. Edith retired hurriedly as he pulled her in his arms and kissed her.
‘Ever so romantic it was,’ she told Lizzie Shaw in the kitchen. ‘He’s such a handsome man. I wish someone’d kiss me like that!’
‘Someone’ll give you a clip round the ear, miss, if you don’t get on with that silver,’ snapped Mrs Paxton. ‘We need it for the dinner table.’
Edith returned to the cutlery she had been cleaning, only sticking her tongue out once Mrs Paxton’s back was turned.
Hannah had seen Nicholas arrive from the schoolroom window and Charles from the study. Neither of them was pleased to see him, but neither of them could say so, to Sophie or to each other. Hannah had decided that Matty’s plan was the best. Opposition would almost certainly be counterproductive, making Sophie even more determined. It was better simply to accept the engagement and hope that Sophie came to her senses before her birthday. Charles felt sure he couldn’t change Sophie’s mind, and simply accepted that all he could do was to protect her and her inheritance to the best of his ability.
Nicholas knew he would be less than welcome at Trescadinnick, but that, he’d decided, was something they’d have to put up with. He had come prepared this time. When he got off the train in Truro, he’d visited Mr Berg, the pawnbroker, and spending the last of his ready cash, bought an engagement ring, a slim band of gold set with a single small diamond. There should be no further comments about the lack of a ring, and once it was on Sophie’s finger it would show the engagement was official and she was his.
‘I’ve got something for you,’ he said as he released her, and putting his hand into his pocket, he pulled out a small jeweller’s box. He opened it showing Sophie the ring it contained, then lifting it out, placed it on the third finger of her left hand.
‘Now we are betrothed indeed,’ she whispered.
‘I wish I could buy you a finer ring,’ he murmured, ‘but when we are married, my dearest girl, everything that I have will be yours.’
‘And everything that I have will be yours,’ Sophie replied as she turned up her face to his kiss.
Charles, about to enter the drawing room to greet their guest, heard these words and went cold. He drew back and crossing the hall silently, returned to his office. Sophie’s promise was exactly what they’d feared. He looked at his watch. It was nearly half past four, but if he left now he might just catch the solicitor before he left his office.
Back in the drawing room, unaware that they had been overheard, Sophie led Nicholas to the couch, and sitting beside him she asked, ‘Was your business successful in London?’
‘Yes, indeed,’ Nicholas said, though it hadn’t been. Edwin had refused to lend so much cash, calling him a fool for killing Thomas before he was certain of Sophie. They’d had a row, Edwin saying that Nicholas should have stuck to his original plan of bringing the Penvarrows down one by one, and Nicholas calling Edwin too old and a busted flush, afraid to seize the offered opportunity. They had parted in anger and Nicholas had come home empty-handed.
Suddenly realizing that Sophie was looking at him expectantly, Nicholas continued, ‘I have an elderly uncle there. He has need of me from time to time, and of course I have to go.’
Sophie nodded. How like Nicholas to drop everything and go to his uncle’s aid. ‘I shall look forward to meeting him,’ she said.
‘Oh, I don’t think that will be possible,’ Nicholas replied easily. ‘Uncle Edwin’s very much a recluse now, I’m afraid.’ Then changing the subject he said, ‘Now, tell me what you’ve been doing. How are things in the house? Has your aunt handed over the reins?’
‘No,’ laughed Sophie. ‘Why should she? She’s been running the household here for the last thirty years. It’s her life.’
‘But it’s your house now, not hers,’ Nicholas pointed out. ‘You’re mistress of Trescadinnick and she should defer to you.’
‘I can’t see her doing that in a hurry,’ smiled Sophie. ‘And I don’t want her to.’
‘But she and her family will have to move out when we’re married,’ said Nicholas firmly. ‘We can’t share our first married home with all your relations.’
‘No,’ agreed Sophie, ‘but as I said to you the other day, we shall be living in your house, won’t we? At first anyway. I’m in no hurry to move into Trescadinnick.’
‘I’ve given that some thought, Sophie,’ Nicholas said coolly, ‘and I think we should start as we mean to go on. Trescadinnick is yours and I think it quite reasonable to tell your trustees that we want the place to ourselves. I don’t think either of them could quarrel with that, even though it directly affects one of them.’ He took her hand in his and turning it over placed a kiss on its palm. ‘When we are married, Sophie, I shall expect you to respect my wishes in such things.’
‘And I will,’ replied Sophie, ‘but there will surely be occasions when we have to agree to differ. All married couples have their differences from time to time, you know.’ She glanced up into his face and for an instant saw an expression of anger, before it was smoothed away and he said, ‘We shall both have to learn what to expect from each other. Once that is decided upon, I’m sure our life together will be quite harmonious.’
‘Well,’ said Sophie turning the conversation again, ‘I did behave like the mistress of the estate the other day.’
Nicholas smiled. ‘I’m very glad to hear it,’ he said. ‘What did you do?’
‘I visited one of our tenants. I went to see Mrs Slater and took her some—’
‘Nan Slater!’ interrupted Nicholas. ‘Why did you go there?’
‘Because, when you took me to meet her, she asked me to visit her agai
n.’
‘You went on your own?’
‘Yes, of course,’ answered Sophie. ‘I rode over on Millie.’ Seeing the look on his face, she asked defensively, ‘Why shouldn’t I?’
‘It’s not wise for you to go into the cottages of the poor,’ he said.
‘For goodness’ sake, Nicholas, you took me there yourself.’ Sophie sounded exasperated.
‘Please don’t speak to me like that, Sophie,’ he said tartly. ‘When I took you there I knew there was no infection in the house, but I haven’t seen her for more than a week and the situation might well have changed.’
‘She seemed well enough,’ Sophie said, ‘but cold. I’m going to send Paxton over with some logs for her fire.’ She glanced up at Nicholas with a challenging eye. ‘I may go with him.’
‘No, Sophie, you will not. I forbid you to visit her, or any other of my patients without consulting me first.’
‘You forbid?’ Sophie’s voice was ominously calm.
‘That is what I’m trying to explain to you, Sophie.’ Nicholas tried to keep his tone reasonable. ‘My first responsibility now is to keep you safe. In future I hope you will listen to my advice.’
Sophie looked up at him from under her long lashes and said, ‘I will if it’s sensible advice, Nicholas, I promise.’
For a moment he made no reply, but then he smiled and said, ‘Now you’re teasing me, Sophie. Come along,’ he said rising to his feet. ‘I should make my compliments to your aunt and cousin.’
Sophie allowed him to lead her from the drawing room into the hall, where she found Hannah waiting to speak to her.
‘Mr Charles has ridden into Truro,’ she said. ‘He asked me to present his apologies, but he won’t be home for dinner.’
‘Oh!’ said Sophie, surprised. ‘Well, never mind. Please would you tell Mrs Paxton that Dr Bryan will be joining us this evening and to set another place at the table.’ She turned suddenly to Nicholas. ‘You will stay for dinner, won’t you?’
‘Yes, of course,’ he replied. ‘Thank you.’
‘And will you be served in the dining room or the morning room?’ Hannah asked.
‘The morning room. The dining room is very cold and with just the three of us huddled at one end of the table, rather depressing.’
‘That’s more like it,’ Nicholas approved when Hannah had gone back to Mrs Paxton. ‘You were definitely acting as mistress of the house then.’
‘No, I was just following what we’ve been doing the last few nights. It was my Aunt Louisa’s idea not to eat in the dining room at night; and not only because of the cold. I think she misses seeing my grandfather sitting at the head of the table.’
‘You’re too soft, Sophie,’ Nicholas chided gently.
But Sophie answered seriously. ‘No, I’m not, not really. Since coming to Trescadinnick I’ve discovered that I have a strong streak of Penvarrow in me. Do you know, Mrs Slater used to know my Uncle Jocelyn and she says I look very like him. My grandfather said I looked like my grandmother, and I can see that likeness in the portrait in the library, but he didn’t mention Uncle Jocelyn. There isn’t a portrait of him anywhere except a charcoal drawing of him as a child, in the schoolroom. No picture of him as an adult. Perhaps there wasn’t an opportunity to have one painted before he died. That’s sad, isn’t it?’
‘And what else did that batty old woman have to tell you, eh?’ asked Nicholas. ‘I would take everything she told you with a pinch of salt, I’ve noticed recently that she’s become quite childish in her ways.’
‘Oh, Nicholas, don’t speak of her in that way. It’s not fair. She lives on her own with her son away at sea. She’s lonely, and I promised to go and see her again.’
‘I hope you were listening, Sophie, when I said I would prefer you did not visit her again.’
Ignoring the chill in his tone, Sophie said, ‘I was, but as I have already given my promise, I am bound by that. Don’t look so fierce, Nicholas, I shall come to no harm.’
At that moment Louisa came down from her room, and when she saw Nicholas standing with Sophie in the hall she turned back up the stairs.
‘Aunt,’ called Sophie, and Louisa stopped, but didn’t turn round. ‘Aunt,’ repeated Sophie, ‘I have invited Dr Bryan to join us for dinner. We shall not dress, and we’ll eat in the morning room, as we have been.’
‘Charles is out,’ Louisa said.
‘Yes, he left me a message to say so.’
‘Let us hope he told Mrs Paxton as well,’ Louisa said thinly. ‘I will join you in the drawing room before the gong.’
Charles reached Truro just as Mr Staunton was leaving his office. Seeing Charles’s serious expression, the lawyer turned round and led the way inside.
Charles did not hesitate. ‘I am extremely worried about Dr Bryan’s intentions,’ he said. ‘I was about to enter the drawing room where he and Sophie were together, when I heard her promise that when they were married all that she had would be his.’
‘We can prevent that for the time being,’ Staunton told him. ‘Even when they are married she won’t have access to her capital without our agreement.’
‘Yes, I know that,’ said Charles. ‘But I don’t want her even to marry the man, at least until we find out a bit more about him.’ He looked across at the solicitor. ‘I don’t trust him. We know nothing about him, where he came from, who his family are, what means of his own he has.’ Charles gave a sudden bark of laughter and said, ‘I’m beginning to sound like my grandfather!’
‘Well, they aren’t planning to marry until Miss Ross is of age, are they? March, isn’t it?’
‘Yes,’ agreed Charles, ‘as a mark of respect to my grandfather.’
‘Then we have time to make some enquiries,’ Mr Staunton said.
‘What sort of enquiries?’
‘The sort that answer the questions you have just asked.’
‘But how?’ wondered Charles.
‘We employ an enquiry agent.’
‘An enquiry agent?
‘Certainly,’ replied Mr Staunton, ‘and I know just the man. Jeremiah Hawke.’
‘But what can he do, this Jeremiah Hawke?’
‘He’s a man of great experience in such matters,’ replied Staunton. ‘I have used him before, several times. He will know how to find out what there is to find, about Dr Bryan. I leave such matters to him, but once he finds a trail he’ll follow it to the end. Of course, we must supply him with as much information as we can. Have you any idea where Dr Bryan was born? Where he did his medical training?’
‘I’m not sure,’ answered Charles, ‘but I believe he told my Aunt Matty that he was born in Truro but brought up in Plymouth. I don’t know about where he trained.’
‘Well, those are threads worth following,’ Staunton said. ‘I’m sure Hawke can take things from there. And I’ll suggest he visits Dr Marshall’s daughter and find out how he came by the old doctor’s practice. If you’re in agreement I shall instruct Hawke to start some enquiries at once.’
‘Yes, do,’ Charles agreed. ‘The sooner the better.’
‘Indeed. They may take some time, but we shall have to be patient. Even if the marriage goes ahead as planned, we shall have some knowledge to inform any future decisions we need to make with regard to the Trust.’
By the time Charles left the solicitor’s office he felt slightly more sanguine. At least they were doing something that might protect Sophie. But what if this Jeremiah Hawke could find nothing?
32
Hannah was very concerned about Sophie’s engagement to Nicholas, especially since she had been publicly named as Thomas Penvarrow’s heir. The news circulated Port Felec very quickly, so Will Shaw had told her, and was currently the chief topic of conversation.
‘Everyone’s surprised he cut Mr Charles out,’ Will said. ‘Obvious bloke to inherit, he was.’
‘But not a true Penvarrow,’ sighed Hannah. ‘The thing is, Will, if I’m honest with you and it goes no further, I don’t trust Dr
Bryan. There’s something about him that’s not right. He’s too charming.’
‘How can anyone be too charming?’ asked Will with a grin.
‘What are they saying in the village, Will? About the engagement? You say that’s all round the place now too.’
‘It is,’ admitted Will. ‘Thing like that spreads like wildfire.’
‘And what’re they saying?’
‘They’re saying that he’s fallen on his feet. Most folks like him and wish him good luck, but there are one or two who think he’s a fortune-hunter.’
‘That’s it,’ cried Hannah. ‘That’s what I’m afraid of. Ever since the will was read he’s changed. He’s been coming into the house like he owned the place, marching in the front door before Edith’s had time to answer the bell.’
‘Well, if he’s marrying Miss Sophie, he almost does,’ Will pointed out.
‘But that’s what I’m saying, Will. I think he’s only marrying her for her money. Ordering the servants about, almost rude to Mrs Leroy. Telling Miss Sophie what she can and can’t do.’
‘So, not so charming any more,’ teased Will. But he took Hannah’s hand, as he could see she was truly worried. ‘Listen, love, Miss Sophie’s not stupid—’
‘She is about him,’ cried Hannah
‘If he’s after her money,’ Will went on, ‘well, he can’t get it, can he? Didn’t you say there was some sort of Trust that was looking after it for her until she’s thirty?’
‘Yes,’ replied Hannah, ‘but that’s not for people to know about. Miss Sophie told me and I told you, but I told you too that it mustn’t go no further.’
‘It hasn’t and it won’t,’ Will assured her.
‘The thing is I feel so helpless.’ Hannah sighed. ‘There’s nothing I can do.’
‘Well, when they get married, you and I can do the same,’ Will said cheerfully. ‘It’s time you told Miss Sophie we’re getting married. You’ve looked after her as you promised her ma, but when she’s safely wed, it’s up to her husband to look after her and provide for her.’
‘But, Will, what I’m afraid of is that it’ll be the other way round; that she’ll be providing for him.’
Miss Mary’s Daughter Page 31
