Beyond the Storm (17 page)

T
HE DRINK HELPED
but it was still a very subdued Eliza who asked, ‘Why did you spend your money on buying such a lovely necklace for me, Tristram?’

‘Because you are special and because I think we are going to look back on today as being special too. It was going to be a surprise for when you say you’ll marry me. I hope you will and that it’ll help you forget all about what happened back there.’

When Eliza made no immediate reply, Tristram showed his concern by saying, ‘You mustn’t let anything that pickpocket said upset you, Eliza. She just made up the story to take attention away from herself. Anyway, she’d had so much to drink I doubt if she’d have recognised her own mother if she saw her. The police sergeant knew that because he’d had dealings with her before, in London.’

Tristram’s words failed to have their intended result. Indeed, they actually made Eliza feel even worse and, arriving at a sudden decision, she said, ‘Can we leave the fair and go somewhere quiet for a while.’

‘Of course we can, then perhaps you’ll feel well enough to give me an answer, Eliza. It’s far more important than anything else that’s happened today. We’ll take a walk along by the river.’

They walked in silence to the river that ran through the small town and headed downstream along the river bank for a short
distance, until noise from the fair became less obtrusive. Here, in the bright moonlight, they came upon a spot where a giant elm tree had been felled close to the path and Eliza suggested they should seat themselves on the stump which had been left protruding from the ground.

When they were seated, side by side, Tristram said eagerly, ‘Are you ready to give me an answer now, Eliza?’

‘I’m ready, but I have something to tell you first. When it’s said you might not
want
to marry me.’

He began to protest, but Eliza silenced him, firmly. ‘Please, Tristram, let me tell you what needs to be said before you say anything more.’

‘If that’s what you really want, but nothing you can say will make me change my mind.’

‘Not even if I were to tell you that everything that woman said about me is true? That she
did
see me on a prison hulk and that I
was
sentenced to transportation?’

Her bald statement left Tristram speechless for a great many moments. When he had recovered sufficiently, he said in a strangled voice, ‘You’re having a joke with me, Eliza, it
can’t
be true, you’ve been working at the rectory since you were fourteen.’

‘I was only
thirteen
when I was sentenced to seven years transportation for stealing three guineas from the husband of my employer.’

Tristram found it difficult to take in what Eliza was telling him, but eventually he said, ‘
Did
you take the money?’

‘Yes, but I didn’t steal it. There were about fifteen guinea pieces on his bedside table but I only took what was due to me in wages. If it hadn’t been for the way he was behaving towards me I wouldn’t have needed to try to get away from the house, but if I hadn’t gone right away I’d have been in even worse trouble, although it wouldn’t have been with the law. I’d have probably found myself expecting his baby.’

Belatedly accepting that Eliza was not playing a joke on him, Tristram queried, ‘Didn’t you tell that to the judge, or whoever it was who tried you?’

‘I told it to the constable who arrested me. Lady Calnan, my employer, knew too, but no one mentioned it in court.’

Still finding it difficult to fully accept her story, Tristram asked, ‘But if you were sentenced to be transported how did you escape – and you must have done, or you’d be on the other side of the world now?’

‘You remember the great storm three years ago when I was found down at the cove below Trethevy?’

Eliza told Tristram how when the ship taking her to Australia foundered on the rocks of Lundy Island she had escaped with the ship’s boatswain and others in one of the ship’s boats, only to have it swamped by giant waves in the Bristol channel when the last action of the selfless boatswain had been to tie her to the broken-off mast before the boat sank beneath them.

Washed up unconscious in the cove below Trethevy, it had been assumed by everyone that she was the sole survivor of the
Balladeer
, a ship wrecked on the Lye rock, at the entrance to Bossiney Haven, one of a number of ships lost in the storms of that tempestuous night.

When she eventually recovered consciousness, in the Trethevy rectory, Eliza had encouraged their assumption, grasping the unexpected opportunity to begin a new life as Eliza
Smith
and not Eliza Brooks.

Eliza’s confession was too much for Tristram to take in immediately and he remained silent for a long time before saying, in a choked voice, ‘You’ve lived with this ever since Miss Alice found you among the rocks and had you taken to Trethevy rectory?’

‘Yes and for months I lived in constant fear that someone was going to come along and say, “You’re not Eliza Smith, sole survivor of the
Balladeer
but Eliza Brooks, convicted thief who’s
under sentence of seven years transportation.” Then, as time went by, all that had happened in the past gradually began to fade and I really began to believe I
was
Eliza Smith, trusted personal maid to Miss Alice and her brother, Reverend David Kilpeck. I never dreamed my past would come back to haunt me today, of all days. It was going to be the happiest day of my life …’

Eliza’s voice broke and her whole body shook as she took great gulps of air in a vain attempt to maintain control of herself. ‘I … I’m sorry, Tristram, truly I am.’

Pushing down against the tree stump she tried to rise to her feet, but Tristram was too quick for her. Pulling her back, he said, gruffly, ‘No, come here.’ His arms went about her and suddenly she broke down and began to weep uncontrollably, her head against his shoulder.

Eliza cried for a long time and, even when the tears ceased, great sobs racked her body for many minutes and she felt she might have fallen to pieces had Tristram not been holding her so tightly to him.

When the sobs became less violent and were occurring with less frequency she raised her head to look up at him, but the moonlight was not bright enough for her to see his expression.

‘Thank you, Tristram. Thank you so very much. I don’t know what I would have done had you not been here with me. Thrown myself in the river, probably.’

‘Now that’s silly talk, and you know it. Anyway, I
am
here with you and always will be, if that’s what you want.’

‘You mean you still want to marry me, even after what I’ve told you about me?’

‘Nothing has changed as far as I’m concerned. You’re still the same girl I fell in love with and want to marry, and none of the bad things you’ve been through would have happened if everyone had known you as well as I do. If I’d been about then you’d never have gone through what you have. I would have seen to that.’

‘I wish you had been, but I’m glad I’ve got you now, I really am.’

‘Does that mean you
will
marry me?’

‘Only if you’re really sure it’s what you want.’

‘You know it is, Eliza. Besides, I think you need me around to take care of you.’

‘I think I do, too, but you won’t ever say anything to anyone about what I’ve told you, or that my real name is Eliza Brooks and not Eliza Smith?’

‘Of course I won’t. Anyway, it won’t be
either
Smith or Brooks once we’re married, it’ll be Rowe,
Mrs
Eliza Rowe.’

‘Then the sooner we can change it the better. I
do
want to marry you, Tristram and I’ll be the best wife to you that any man has ever had, I promise.’

By the time they returned to the fair, things were beginning to quieten down. Jory Kendall’s recruitment tent had already closed and he was in the beer tent with two of the coast guards who had been helping. They had enjoyed a successful day and their happy mood was boosted by the news that Tristram and Eliza had to tell them.

It was an excuse to call for another round of drinks, this time including the newly-engaged couple, and Eliza tried very hard for Tristram’s sake to shake off the frightening shock given to her by Maudie Huggins. Yet, try as she might she felt sick deep in the pit of her stomach because, after all these years, the past she had tried so hard to forget had come back to haunt her with its grim memories.

O
N THE RIDE
back to Trethevy, Tristram felt hurt that once again he was obliged to ride on the outside of the coach, beside the coachman, while Eliza sat inside with Jory Kendall. He felt the young naval officer might have allowed him to sit with her, in view of their recent betrothal and the celebrations they had all so recently enjoyed together at the fair.

However, Jory wanted an opportunity to talk over his own problems with Eliza, although he did not broach the subject he wished to discuss immediately.

Unaware of her encounter with Maudie Huggins and Archie, he said, ‘I have no need to ask whether you and Tristram enjoyed the fair, but did it come up to your expectations?’

‘Yes.’ She was tempted to say something about the pick-pocketing incident, but felt it wiser not to mention anything about it. Instead, she remarked, ‘There didn’t seem to be any trouble between the teetotallers and miners.’

‘No, well nothing to speak of. In fact before we left I saw Moyle chatting to the police sergeant from London and they seemed to be getting along well together. Perhaps he has come back from America a changed man.’

‘I doubt it, but hopefully he won’t be here for very long. Tristram says the same as you said, that he and his brother are selling up their farm and going to America together to build a chapel where Eval can preach.’

‘I wish them luck, but I went to Moyle’s farm some years back, when his boat was caught smuggling. It is a most pleasant place, but it hasn’t been farmed well by the two brothers.’

‘I don’t know anything about it, I’ve tried to keep well away from anything to do with Eval Moyle, even though I knew he wasn’t there.’

Changing the subject completely, Jory said, ‘I think Miss Alice is going to be very surprised when she hears that you and Tristram intend to be married.’

‘Not all that surprised,’ Eliza replied, ‘We’ve been walking out for quite a while now and I’m sure she knows how much we both mean to one another. It will come as more of a shock to Reverend David. He is so wrapped up in his church and the parish that he doesn’t know much of what’s happening at the rectory.’

‘At the moment I feel very much the same way,’ Jory said, seizing upon the opening she had given to him, ‘Especially where Miss Alice is concerned. I have no chance of convincing her I had nothing to do with any one of the Trevelyan family unless I speak to her and am able to satisfy her that their insinuations, whatever they may be, are unfounded. It is very sad the Trevelyan daughter died and quite understandable that the family should grieve for her loss, but if she were alive she would be able to verify the fact that we were not even acquainted. Do you know what illness caused her death?’

‘It wasn’t an illness, sir. She committed suicide. That’s what seems to have made the family particularly bitter.’

‘You mean the family believe
I
was somehow responsible for the poor girl killing herself? Good Lord, it gets worse and worse!’

‘If you wish, sir, I’ll tell Miss Alice that you’re very upset at not seeing anything of her lately, that we spoke about the Trevelyans and you are quite certain you have never even met
any
of the family, far less had an affair with Captain Trevelyan’s late sister.’

‘Thank you, Eliza. I would write her a letter, but this is something
I need to
talk
about with her. Unfortunately, if she is determined to avoid me there is little I can do except find the proof that I am completely innocent of any wrongdoing against the Trevelyan family. It is a damnable situation. Fortunately, now I am land-based I should be able to make the necessary inquiries. Had I still been at sea the situation would have been
irredeemable
, but so as not to make a complete fool of myself, are you absolutely certain Miss Alice and this Captain Trevelyan do not have some sort of understanding?’

‘Absolutely certain, sir.’ Eliza had already told Jory she had spent the night at Helynn manor in Alice’s room, now, after a momentary hesitation she told him the whole story of the night she and her employer had spent at Helynn.

Jory was outraged. ‘It’s fortunate you never told me this before, Eliza, I would have gone after Captain Trevelyan and called him out, even if I had to go to London to find him.’

Eliza thought it was a good thing that she had not told Jory Kendall the full story of the stay at Helynn before today. Hugo Trevelyan was an army officer, a very
experienced
army officer. No doubt he would have proved far more proficient with a pistol than a naval man.

When he was less angry, Jory asked, ‘I am not surprised I have never met any of the Trevelyans socially. From all you have told me about them, it is quite apparent there
is
a problem with mental instability in the family. No doubt that is the true reason the daughter of the family committed suicide. Was there
anyone
in the household who appeared in any way normal?’

‘Yes, Miss Grimm, the housekeeper. She is stern and short-tempered, but that’s hardly surprising. She’s been responsible for running the household for many years. Without her I don’t know what would happen to Helynn and Mr Trevelyan.’

‘Thank you for telling me about this, Eliza, I am disappointed that Miss Alice did not feel able to discuss the Trevelyans’
accusations
with me, but now I understand the reasons for her apparent change in attitude towards me I intend to do something about it. I return home tomorrow but will go to Helynn the following day to find out exactly
why
they think I had something to do with the death of their daughter.’

Jory said nothing more to Eliza about the Trevelyan family but he remained deep in thought for the remainder of the journey and, after wondering whether she had been right to tell him about the visit she and Miss Alice had made to Helynn, she returned to her own unhappy thoughts about her encounter with Maudie Huggins at the Camelford fair.

Alice Kilpeck returned to the rectory early the next afternoon, brought back in the Bodmin vicar’s light carriage driven by his groom. She arrived only hours after Jory had left on his journey home and was greeted by her brother who immediately gave her the news that Tristram had proposed to Eliza at the fair and been accepted.

He, Eliza and Tristram had discussed their wedding and it had been decided that, subject to Alice’s approval, it should take place in the Spring of 1844, giving the young couple some eight or nine months to make their preparations for life together.

The betrothal came as no surprise to Alice, who had seen it coming almost from the day Tristram first came to work at the rectory, far longer than had the young couple themselves.

Upstairs, as Eliza was helping her employer to change out of her travelling clothes, Alice congratulated her and asked, ‘Have you and Tristram given any thought to where you will live once you are married?’

‘No. Although it was about a week ago when he first asked me if I would marry him I only said “yes” when we were at the fair, yesterday. We have hardly had any time to ourselves to talk about it since then. My mind is still in a whirl.’

Eliza could not explain that the distressing encounter with Maudie had pushed marriage to Tristram into second place in her mind. Lying awake in the darkness of her room, it had loomed much larger than happier thoughts of life with the man she was to marry.

‘I have seen this coming for a long time but I hope you will both stay on with us here at the rectory after you are married?’

The question took Eliza by surprise. She had never even considered that by marrying Tristram she might not continue working at the rectory. ‘Of course! I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else. I’ve been happy working here, and still am.’

‘Splendid! Then we will have to think of somewhere for you both to live together. Your present room is far too small for you both and the space above the stable is not suitable for a
newly-married
couple. I have one or two ideas – but we have plenty of time to think about them.’

Abruptly changing the subject to one that had been occupying
her
mind, Alice said, ‘You have not told me anything about the fair, did you see much of Lieutenant Jory while you were there?’

It was a casually put question, but Eliza felt the reply meant a great deal to her employer. ‘He brought a coach with the family crest on the doors to take us to the fair and it looked so impressive that everyone on the road made way for us. It made me feel very important. The fair itself was noisy, but it was a lot of fun.’

Eliza went on to tell Alice about many of the things they had seen there before giving her information about the man she believed she really wanted her to talk about.

‘Me and Tristram saw Lieutenant Jory once or twice while we were there, but for most of the time he was busy talking to men who wanted to become coast guards. Then, when things had quietened down and he’d finished for the day, Tristram and me went to him and told him we were going to be married. Lieutenant Jory and some of the men who were with him wished us “good luck”,
then made us sit down and have a drink with them before Lieutenant Jory brought us back here.’

‘Did he seem upset because I was not here when he arrived?’ Alice did her best to appear to be taking no more than a polite interest, but did not quite succeed.

Eliza nodded, ‘He thought it was because you’ve fallen for Captain Trevelyan, so don’t want anything more to do with him. He was particularly upset because he’d brought a lovely bunch of roses picked by his mother especially for you. They came with an invitation from her for you to pay a visit to the family home. You’ll see some of the roses in the living room. They smelled so lovely I was going to put some here, in your bedroom, but I felt you might not like me to do that.’

Her nonchalant manner disappearing, Alice said, ‘His mother sent me an invitation to visit … and some roses? Jory must have told her about me and made her think I meant something to him otherwise she would not have done that! Why has he not said anything to
me
about the way he really feels?’

‘I think he might have, had you been here.’ Eliza sounded more unsympathetic than she really was. She
wanted
Alice and Jory Kendall to get together, but felt that Alice had behaved very foolishly by becoming infatuated, however briefly, with Captain Hugo Trevelyan.

Vigorously brushing imaginary dust from Alice’s outdoor clothes, Eliza said, ‘I think Reverend David must have told him about your being rescued from the runaway pony and trap, and of us going to Helynn with Captain Trevelyan because he asked a lot of questions about him, and about our stay there.’

‘He had no right to ask you anything, especially as he told
me
nothing about his association with Isabella Trevelyan.’

‘I don’t think there is anything to tell. I
did
mention that the family and Miss Grimm spoke of him having known Isabella Trevelyan and he swore that he never knew her, or even
of
her,
but he’s a clever man and realised that might just be the reason you don’t want to see him – that, and your feelings for Captain Trevelyan.’

‘I have
no
feelings for Captain Trevelyan, at least, certainly not
fond
ones.’

Hastily, Eliza said, ‘I think I was able to convince him there was nothing between you and Captain Trevelyan, but he made me say more than I perhaps should have about what the family and Miss Grimm had said about him. Before he left here this morning he said he was going to Helynn manor tomorrow to sort out why it is they think he knew Isabella Trevelyan when he didn’t.’

‘He must not go to Helynn, you know that, Eliza. Captain Hugo’s father was sitting up all night with a gun, waiting for Lieutenant Jory to come to the house. If he goes there he is likely to be shot, and if he learns that it was Captain Hugo who first told me about he and Isabella there could be serious trouble between them too!’

‘Well, there’s no danger that he and Captain Trevelyan will meet because Lieutenant Jory knows he’s on his way back to India, he said so, but you’re right about Mr Trevelyan. He’s mad enough to shoot anyone.’

‘Then Lieutenant Jory has to be stopped from going to Helynn. If he goes there and gets himself hurt, or even worse, I’ll never be able to forgive myself. If I had not been foolish enough to agree to go to Helynn with Captain Trevelyan, without really knowing anything about him or his family, he would not be putting himself in such danger. Find Tristram and tell him I want him to ride to Lieutenant Jory’s home and take a letter to him from me. Hurry!’

Hastily hanging up the outdoor coat she had been brushing, Eliza had just reached the bedroom door when Alice called, ‘No … wait!’

When Eliza stopped and turned to face her employer, Alice said, ‘Have Tristram make the pony and trap ready, then come back here and help me dress again.’

Adopting a determined attitude that Eliza recognised as a sign that she was not to be argued with, Alice declared, ‘I will go to the Kendall home myself, tell Lieutenant Jory face-to-face of the danger he would be in by going to Helynn manor then ask him to explain why the Trevelyans should believe he was somehow involved with Isabella.’

‘You have only just come in from a long journey, Miss Alice, wouldn’t it be better if you sent a note by Tristram telling him of the danger of going to Helynn and asking him to come here to talk to you instead?’

‘No, Eliza, Lieutenant Jory is not a man who would be deterred from doing something because it is dangerous. He would be just as likely to decide to call in at Helynn on the way here anyway. Hurry now, it is going to take us four or five hours and I would like to be at Jory’s home before it is dark.’