Mistress of Mellyn (17 page)

” You are not our relations,” Alvean reminded him.

” Now is that not strange? One would have thought that, living side by side for generations, the two families would have mingled and become one. There must have been charming TreMellyn girls and charming Nansellock men. How odd that they did not join up and become relations! I suppose the mighty TreMellyns always looked down their arrogant noses at the poor Nansellocks and went farther afield to make

their marriages. But now there is the fair Alvean. How maddening n that we have no boy of your age to marry you, Alvean. J shall have to wait for you. There is nothing for it but that.”

Alvean laughed delightedly. I could see that she was quite fascinated by him; and I thought. Perhaps he is more serious than he pretends.

Perhaps he has already begun courting Alvean in a subtle way.

Alvean began to talk about the show and he listened attentively. I occasionally joined in, and so the time passed until tea was brought to us.

” Miss Leigh, will you honour us by pouring out?” Peter asked me.

I said I should be happy to do so, and I placed myself at the head of the tea table.

Peter watched me with attention which I found faintly embarrassing because, not only was it admiring, but contented.

” How glad I am that we met,” he murmured as Alvean handed him his cup of tea. ” To think that, if I had been five minutes earlier or five minutes later, our paths might not have crossed. What a great part chance plays in our lives.”

” Possibly we should have met at some other time.”

” There may not be much more time left to us.”

” You sound morbid. Do you think that something is going to happen to one of us?”

He looked at me very seriously. ” Miss Leigh,” he said, ” I am going away.”

” Where,” Uncle Peter? ” demanded Alvean.

” Far away, my child, to the other side of the world.”

” Soon?” I asked.

” Possibly with the New Year.”

” But where are you going?” cried Alvean in dismay.

” My dearest child, I believe you are a little hurt at the thought of my departure.”

” Uncle, where?” she demanded imperiously.

“To seek my fortune.”

” You’re teasing. You’re always teasing.”

” Not this time. I have heard from a friend who was at Cambridge with me. He is in Australia, and there he has made a fortune. Gold! Think of it, Alvean. You too, Miss Leigh. Lovely gold … gold which can make a man … or woman … rich . And all one has to do is pluck it out of the ground.”

” Many go in the hope of making fortunes,” I said, ” but are they all successful?”

” There speaks the practical woman. No, Miss Leigh, they are not all successful; but there is something named hope which, I believe, springs eternal in the human breast. All may not have gold but they can ‘all have hope.”

” Of what use is hope if it is proved to be false?”

” Until she is proved false she can give so much pleasure, Miss Leigh.”

” Then I wish that your hopes may not prove false.”

” Thank you.”

” But I don’t want you to go, Uncle Peter.”

” Thank you, my dear. But I shall come back a rich man. Imagine it.

Then I shall build a new wing on Mount Widden. I will make the house as grand as no, grander than Mount Mellyn. And in the years to come people will say it was Peter Nansellock who saved the family fortunes.

For, my dear young ladies, someone has to save them . soon. “

He then began to talk of his friend who had gone to Australia a penniless young man and who, he was sure, was now a millionaire, or almost.

He began planning how he would rebuild the house, and we both joined in. It was a pleasant game building a house in the mind, to one’s own desires.

I felt exhilarated by his company. He at least, I thought, has never made me feel my position. The very fact of his poverty or what to him seemed poverty endeared him to me.

It was an enjoyable tea time.

Afterwards he took us out to the stables and both he and Alvean insisted on my mounting Jacinth, and showing them what I could do with her. My saddle was put on her, and I galloped her and jumped with her, and she responded to my lightest touch. She was a delicious creature and I envied him his possession of her.

” Why,” he said, ” she has taken to you. Miss Leigh. Not a single protest at finding a new rider on her back.”

I patted her fondly and said : ” She’s a beauty.”

And the sensitive creature seemed to understand.

We then mounted our horses, and Peter came to the gates of Mount Mellyn with us, riding Jacinth.

As we went up to our rooms I decided that it had indeed been a very enjoyable afternoon.

Alvean came to my room and stood for a while, her head on one side.

She said: ” He likes you, I think. Miss.”

” He is merely polite towards me,” I replied.

” No, I think he likes you rather specially … in the way he liked Miss Jansen.”

” Did Miss Jansen go to tea at Mount Widden?”

” Oh yes. I didn’t have riding lessons with her, but we used to walk over there. And one day we had tea just as we did this afternoon. He’d just bought Jacinth then and he showed her to us. He said he was going to change her name to make her entirely his. Then he said her name was to be Jacinth. That was Miss Jansen’s name.”

I felt foolishly deflated. Then I said: ” He must have been very sorry when she left so suddenly.”

Alvean was thoughtful. ” Yes, I think he was. But he soon forgot all about her. After all” — I finished the sentence for her: “She was only the governess, of course.”

It was later that day when Kitty came up to my room to tell me that there was a message for me from Mount Widden.

“And something more too. Miss,” she said; it was dearly something which exdted her, but I refrained from questioning her since I should soon discover what this was. ” Well,” I said, ” where is the message?”

” In the stables. Miss.” She giggled. ” Come and see.” I went to the stables, and Kitty followed at a distance.

When I arrived there I saw Dick, The Mount Widden houseboy; and, to my astonishment, he had the mare. Jacinth, with him.

He handed me a note. I saw that Daisy, her father, and Billy Trehay were all watching me with amused and knowing eyes. I opened the note and read it. It said:

Dear Miss Leigb, You could not hide from me your admiration for Jacinth. I believe she reciprocates your feelings. That is why I am making you a present of her. I could not bear to see such a fine and graceful rider as yourself on poor old Dion. So pray accept this gift.

Your admiring neighbour, Peter Nansellock

In spite of efforts to control myself I felt the hot colour rising from my neck to my forehead. I knew that Tapperty found it hard to repress a snigger.

How could Peter be so foolish! Was he laughing at me? How could I possibly accept such a gift, even if I wanted to? Horses have to be fed and stabled. It was almost as though be had forgotten this was not my home.

” Is there an answer. Miss?” asked Dick.

” Indeed there is,” I said. ” I will go to my loom at once, and you may take it back with you.”

I went with as much dignity as I could muster in front of such an array of spectators back to the house, and in my room I wrote briefly’ Dear Mr. Nansellock, Thank you for your magnificent gift which I am, of course, quite unable to accept. I have no means of keeping a horse here. It may have escaped you that I am employed in this house as a governess. I could not possibly afford the upkeep of Jacinth. Thank you for the kind thought.

Yours truly, Martha Leigh

I went straight back to the stables. I could hear them all laughing and talking excitedly as I approached.

” Here you are, Dick,” I said. ” Please take this note to your master with Jacinth.”

” But …” stammered Dick. ” I was to leave her here.”

I looked straight into Tapperty’s lewd old face.

“Mr. Nansellock,” I said, ” is fond of playing jokes.” Then I went back to the house.

The next day was Saturday and Alvean said that, as it was a half holiday, could we not take the morning off and go to the’ moors. Her Great-Aunt Clara had a house there, and she would be pleased to see us.

I considered this. I thought it would be rather pleasant to get away from the house for a few hours. I knew that they must all be talking about me and Peter Nansellock.

I guessed that he had behaved with Miss Jansen as he was behaving with me, and it amused them all to see the story of one governess turning out so much like another.

I wondered about Miss Jansen. Had she perhaps been a little frivolous?

I pictured her stealing, whatever she was supposed to have stolen, that she might buy herself fine clothes to appear beautiful in the sight of her admirer.

And he had not cared when she was dismissed. A fine friend he would be!

We set out after breakfast. It was a beautiful day for riding for the October sun was not fierce and there was a soft southwest wind. Alvean was in high spirits, and I thought this would be a good exercise in staying power. If she could manage the long ride to her great aunt’s house and back without fatigue I should be delighted.

I felt it was pleasant to get away from the watchful eyes of the servants, and it was delightful to be in the moorland country.

I found the great tracts of moor fitted my mood. I was enchanted by the low stone walls, the grey boulders and the gay little streams which trickled over them.

I warned Alvean to be watchful of boulders, but she was sure-seated and alert now, so I did not feel greatly concerned.

We studied the map which would guide us to Great-Aunt Clara’s house—a few miles south of Bodmin. Alvean had travelled there in a carriage once or twice and she thought she would know the road; but the moor was the easiest place in the world in which to lose oneself, and I thought that we could profit by the occasion to learn a little map-reading.

But I had left a great deal of my severity behind and I found myself laughing with Alvean when we took the wrong road and had to retrace our steps.

But at length we reached The House on the Moors which was the picturseque name of Great-Aunt Clara’s home.

And a charming house it was, set there on the outskirts of a moorland village. There was the church, the little inn, the few houses and The House on the Moors which was like a small manor house.

Great-Aunt Clara lived here with three servants to minister to her wants, and when we arrived there was great excitement as we were quite unexpected.

” Why, bless my soul if it b’aint Miss Alvean!” cried an elderly housekeeper. ” And who be this you have brought with ‘ee, my dear?”

” It is Miss Leigh, my governess,” said Alvean.

” Well now! And be there just the two on you? And b’aint your papa here?”

” No. Papa has gone to Penzance.”

I wondered then whether I had been wrong in acceding to Alvean’s wishes, and had forgotten my position by imposing myself on Great-Aunt Clara without first asking permission.

I wondered if I should be banished to the kitchen to eat with the servants. Such a procedure did not greatly disturb me and I would rather have done that than sit down with a haughty, disapproving old woman.

But I was soon reassured. We were taken into a drawing room and there was Great-Aunt Clara, a charming old lady seated in an armchair, whitehaired, pink-cheeked with bright friendly eyes. There was an ebony stick beside her, so I guessed she had difficulty in walking.

Alvean ran to her and she was warmly embraced.

Then the lively blue eyes were on me.

” So you are Alvean’s governess, my dear,” she said. ” Well, that is nice. And how thoughtful of you to bring her to see me. It is

particularly fortunate, for I have my grandson staying with n me and I fear he grows a little weary of having no playmates of his own age. When he hears Alvean has arrived he’ll be quite excited.”

I did not believe that the grandson could be any more excited than Great-Aunt Clara herself. She was certainly charming to me, so much so that I forgot my diffidence and I really did feel like a friend calling on a friend, rather than a governess bringing her charge to see a relative, Dandelion wine was brought out and we were pressed to take a glass.

There were wine cakes with it and I must say I found the wine delicious. I allowed Alvean to take a very small glass of it but when I had taken mine I wondered whether I had been wise, for it was certainly potent.

Great-Aunt Clara wished to hear all the news of Mount Mellyn; she was indeed a garrulous lady, and I guessed it was due to the fact that she lived a somewhat lonely life in her house on the moors.

The grandson appeared a handsome boy a little younger than Alvean and the pair of them went off to play, although I warned Alvean not to go too far away as we must be home before dark.

As soon as Alvean had left us I saw that Great-Aunt Clara was eager for a real gossip; and whether it was due to the fact that I had taken her potent dandelion wine or whether I believed her to be a link with Alice, I am not sure; but I found her conversation fascinating.

She spoke of Alice as I had not until now heard her spoken of with complete candour; and I quickly realised that from this gossipy lady I was going to discover a great deal more than I could from anyone else.

As soon as we were alone she said: ” And now tell me how things really are at Mount Mellyn.”

I raised my eyebrows as though I did not fully comprehend her meaning.

She went on: ” It was such a shock when poor Alice died. It was so sudden. Such a tragic thing to happen to such a young girl for she was little more than a girl.”

” Is that so?”

” Don’t tell me you haven’t heard what happened.”

j “I know very little about it.”

” Alice and Geoffry Nansellock, you know. They went off together ..

eloped. And then this terrible accident. “

” I have heard that there was an accident.”

” I think of them—those two young people—quite often, in the dead of the night. And then I blame myself.”

I was astonished. I did not understand how this gentle talkative old lady could blame herself for Alice’s infidelity to her husband.