The Lost Years (13 page)

Since she and her two daughters had departed from the great house the routine had become far more relaxed. The servants were still deferential towards Perys, but there was not such a sharp divide between them as there had been when Maude and the girls were present.

Perys was not, and never could be accepted as ‘one of themselves’ by the servants, but they were aware that he was also less than a fully accepted member of their employer's family. It was not the easiest of situations for either side, but at least Polly was more relaxed in his presence than had been the case when they first met. Walking along together in the dusk, she pleaded with Perys to persuade Martin not to leave Heligan and enlist in the army.

‘I’ll do my best, Polly,’ Perys promised her, ‘but I know how Martin must feel. Many of the men who work on the estate have already gone - some from the house too, as you well know. There must be many others from the surrounding area who are known to Martin. He won’t want people pointing at him and wondering why he is staying behind.’

‘I know he’ll probably need to go sometime,’ Polly replied, unhappily, ‘but the thought of it horrifies me. I . . . I would like us to be married before he goes away. I want to be his wife and be able to show him how much I love him.’

It was a plea from the heart and Perys felt desperately sorry for her. ‘He is a very lucky man to have someone love him as much as that, Polly.’

‘I’m a servant, so is Martin. I doubt if we’ll ever be anything else. The only thing that can make either of us special in any way is to find someone to love so much that what we are to the rest of the world doesn’t matter.’

There was silence for a while before Perys said, ‘You are a very special girl, Polly.’

‘When you love someone - really love them - and you know they love you, you become special, no matter who you are.’

While Perys was digesting this heartfelt sentiment, Polly said quietly, ‘Annie is a very special girl as well. I hope you won’t hurt her too much.’

Looking at Polly sharply, Perys said, ‘Hurting Annie is the very last thing I want to do.’

‘I’m glad.’ Polly was relieved he was not angry with her for making such an outspoken remark. In spite of Perys’s position as a fringe member of the family who employed her, he was still a Tremayne, and she was not fully at ease talking so frankly with him.

Because of this, she hesitated for a moment before saying, ‘You know that your cousin Edward tried his luck with her?’

‘No, I didn't know. Are you sure of this, Polly? Annie has never said anything to me about it.’

‘She wouldn’t, but I’m sure that’s why Master Edward behaved the way he did towards Martin on the day you arrived. It would have been his way of spiting her for having nothing to do with him.’

Perys found he was angry. The more he heard of second cousin Edward, the less he liked him. He sounded thoroughly obnoxious and well deserved the bloody nose he had given him, but Polly had more to say.

‘You’ve heard that he took up with Eliza Dunn, the daughter of the man you and Martin saved?’

‘I have heard rumours, yes.’

‘Oh, it was more than just rumour.’ Now Polly had decided to confide in Perys there seemed to be no stopping her. ‘Some of us servants saw them together so did one of the woodsmen. He saw a lot more than Master Edward would have wished him to see.’ When Perys did not reply, Polly added, ‘I used to be friends with Eliza when we were growing up. She was always one for the boys. Not like me. Once I’d found Martin I never wanted anyone else. I thought Eliza was after him at one time, but when I confronted her with it she told me she’d never get involved with someone who was just a servant. I got cross with her for talking about Martin like that and asked her what sort of man she thought she’d find for herself. She said she didn’t care what he was like. That she’d give herself to the highest bidder!’

Perys thought that in Eliza’s eyes second cousin Edward would undoubtedly rank high on her list of ‘bidders’. However, he was convinced that in the end she would find herself paying a far higher price than he.

Chapter 20

Perys’s visit to Tregassick Farm that evening was pleasant enough, even though he was unable to spend any time alone with Annie. Much of the time was spent talking with Martin about the young coachman’s wish to enlist in the army.

An added poignancy had been lent to the subject in the few hours since Perys had paid his earlier visit to the farm. Two telegrams had been delivered to homes in Mevagissey. Each informed the next-of-kin of regular soldiers of the First Battalion of the Duke of Cornwall Light Infantry, that the son of the house had been killed in action in a hard-fought battle in France.

Similar telegrams had been delivered to almost a hundred and fifty other homes throughout the county.

The news sent shockwaves through the small community centred upon Mevagissey. Suddenly war was no longer a game being played by soldiers in some far-away country. Cornish husbands, sons and fathers were dying violent deaths on foreign soil, far from their homeland.

It was a story that was being repeated in thousands of homes across the land. The grim spectre of war reached out and touched even the most remote villages and hamlets with an indelible grief that would be repeated ten thousandfold before the growing conflict was finally brought to an end.

Martin had attended school with one of the dead soldiers and he was shaken by the news. It did not lessen his resolve to enlist but he was ready to listen to what Perys had to say to him.

When Perys questioned Martin about the things he most enjoyed doing, he was surprised to learn that Hugh Tremayne, his great-uncle and the owner of Heligan, had bought a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost motor-car in 1910. Martin had been on a training course to qualify as a Rolls-Royce chauffeur and mechanic. He had driven the magnificent motor-car until 1913, when the Heligan owner decided he preferred to travel by horse and carriage when in his home county. The Rolls-Royce was still garaged in one of the Heligan stable buildings and Martin kept it in sound mechanical order.

The disclosure of Martin’s hitherto unknown skill prompted Perys to suggest that he too should apply to join the Royal Flying Corps. He declared that Martin’s driving and mechanical skills could be put to good use in the new service.

Martin was not as immediately enthusiastic as Perys had thought he might have been. His reason for wanting to enlist was in order to fight the enemy, not maintain motor vehicles, or even aeroplanes.

‘Someone has to do it,’ Perys pointed out, ‘and the safety of the fliers depends upon the skills of those who look after their aeroplanes.’ Aware that he had failed to impress Martin, he added, ‘Rupert told me that many of those on maintenance and other work often transfer to flying duties as observers - they are the men who fire the guns carried by the aeroplanes. That should be exciting enough for anyone. He also said that many observers eventually go on to qualify as pilots.’

Martin had been one of the Heligan employees who had gone to look at Rupert’s aeroplane and expressed envy of those who flew in such machines.

‘Do you really think I might become a flier if I joined the RFC?’ Martin suddenly sounded interested in Perys’s suggestion.

‘I’m sure you could, if you decided that was what you wanted,’ Perys replied confidently. He pushed to the back of his mind the fact that he was putting his own interpretation on what had been said to him when he and Rupert had discussed his own enlistment.

He was also aware that Martin was determined to enlist, whatever anyone said to him. If he could be persuaded to join the Royal Flying Corps in some form of maintenance capacity, he might enjoy the work and remain on the ground. By so doing he would be much safer than if he were an infantryman caught up in heavy fighting, such as that currently taking place in France and Belgium.

Perys hoped that Polly, Annie and her mother would appreciate this when they learned he had encouraged rather than discouraged Martin to enlist.

* * *

Annie was not convinced by his argument. She said so as she and Perys walked together along the lane towards Heligan, later that evening.

Although Walter Bray had ensured that Perys and Annie were never together while Perys was at Tregassick Farm, he had gone outside to deal with a cow that was having a difficult labour.

His departure was the signal for Polly to look at the clock and announce that she would need to leave. The Heligan housekeeper put a ten-thirty curfew on live-in servants. It was now almost ten o’clock. Perys said he too needed to leave as he had much to do before travelling to London the following morning, and Martin announced his intention of walking to the house with them.

Unaware of her husband’s recently acquired doubts about Perys, Maude Bray did not object when Annie said she would go too. She believed there would be no opportunity for mischief if they walked through the night as a foursome.

However, once away from the farm the couples soon parted company. Martin walked on ahead with Polly, who had no wish to be locked out of the house. Time permitting, they would be able to kiss and embrace outside the servants’ entrance before the others caught up with them.

Once they were out of sight and sound, Perys and Annie discussed Martin. Annie only accepted that the advice Perys had given to her brother might be sound when he told her that sooner or later the country would need to conscript men for the armed services. If this happened Martin would be given no choice of how best he might serve his country.

Changing the subject, Annie asked, ‘Are you excited about going off to learn to fly, Perys?’

‘Very,’ he replied, honestly. ‘It’s what I want to do more than anything else in the world. But I’m sorry to be leaving Heligan. I’ve had a very happy time here.’

‘You won’t be leaving for ever? You’ll come back? You said so ’

‘I hope I will, Annie, but a great deal depends on my Great-Uncle Hugh. He allowed me to stay here because he thought I would be joining the county regiment. Whether he’ll allow me to treat Heligan as a place in which to spend my leave once I’m in the RFC is another matter.’

‘If he doesn’t, I’m sure you’d be welcome at Tregassick,’ Annie said.

‘Would you like to have me staying at the farm, Annie?’

‘We’d all make you welcome.’ Annie tried to evade his question, but Perys persisted.

‘That isn’t what I asked you, Annie.’

‘What do you want me to say, Perys?’ While she had no doubts at all about her own feelings, common sense told her nothing could possibly come of such a relationship. Their backgrounds differed too much.

‘I hoped you might say you want me to come back to Cornwall, because you really want to see me again.’

‘I didn’t think I needed to put that into words.’ Annie was glad it was dark. It meant Perys could not see the stupid, unwanted tears that had sprung into her eyes.

‘I need you to tell me.’ he continued. ‘I . . . you matter to me more than anyone I’ve ever known, Annie. I want you to tell me that if I come back, you’ll be here . . . waiting for me.’

Annie tried desperately hard to be sensible. ‘You’ll always be a very special friend, Perys, but you’ve told me yourself that you haven’t known many girls. You’ve also never known what it is to have a home, or a family. Since you came to Cornwall you’ve met me and been welcomed into my family. You’ve found a way of life you think you want - and I’m sure you do want it . . . at this moment. But tomorrow you’re going off to London. You’ll meet up with all the friends of your cousins, and when you’re a pilot they’ll all want to know and entertain you. It will be a very different life to the one you’ve had up to now. Totally different to the quiet life we lead at Tregassick. Once that happens you won’t want to be tied to anything, or anyone, here.’

‘That isn’t so, Annie,’ Perys argued. ‘You are right in what you say about my never having had a home life, or knowing many girls, but I’ve known enough to realise that what I feel about you is different.’

Annie desperately wanted to tell Perys that she felt the same way about him, but she held back. Her mother was aware of her feelings for him and had discussed the situation with her. Harriet had pointed out the many - the very many - difficulties that stood in the way of such a relationship.

Although Annie had strenuously disputed the point with her mother, she had absorbed sufficient of her arguments to make her cautious when speaking to Perys.

‘I don’t think either of us should commit ourselves, Perys, but I have no plans to go out with anyone in the foreseeable future. I’ll still be here when you next visit Cornwall. We can talk about it again then, if you still want to. If you don’t . . . well, I would like us to remain friends.’

She hoped she sounded far more nonchalant than she felt inside.

‘We’ll always be friends, Annie, but I hope that one day we’ll be a whole lot more.’

In the darkness his hand found hers and she did not pull away from him.

* * *

When Perys set off to ride the motor-cycle to St Austell railway station the next morning, he found Annie waiting for him at the end of the Heligan driveway. She was carrying a bag containing a couple of pasties, some home-produced cheese and a few freshly baked scones.

‘Ma thought you would like these.’ She passed over the bag, trying to avoid meeting his eyes. She was far more upset at the thought of him going away, perhaps never to return to Cornwall, than she wanted him to realise.

Perys too was at a temporary loss for words as he carefully tucked the food inside the motor-cycle’s pannier-bag. Finally securing the buckle, he said, ‘Thank your mother for me, Annie. It’s very thoughtful and kind of her.’

‘She got up early this morning especially to make the scones for you.’ Annie pointed out ‘I’m glad because it’s given me the opportunity to come and say goodbye to you properly.’

It was a reference to the previous evening they approached Heligan House they had met up with Martin, who had just left Polly. He walked a discreet distance along the driveway, in order to give them a degree of privacy to say their farewells. However, when they reached the main door, Perys heard the butler pushing home the bolts on the inside, unaware that he was not in the house. Perys had to bang on the door hard before the butler began to draw the bolts once more.