The Lost Years (34 page)

When he had ridden out of sight, Grace did her best to keep her unhappiness hidden, but she did not deceive her parents. Putting a comforting arm about her shoulders, Sir Giles said, ‘Be brave, darling, and try not to worry. Perys is a fine pilot.’

‘That’s partly the trouble, Daddy. His very skill is going to take him into more and more danger.’

‘Not for a while, Grace. He will be in no danger from the enemy for a month or two, at least.’

‘What do you mean?’ Grace turned to look at her father as he replied.

‘Perys has brought a new aeroplane to England from France for us to look at. It will take a week or two for the experts to assess its worth. When they have done that Perys will be asked to fly one or two other new aeroplanes that are being developed, in order to compare the qualities of each of them. It makes sense for one pilot - one proven pilot - to try them all. Otherwise it would be necessary to assess both man and machine before arriving at a conclusion.’

Grace digested what her father had said before asking, ‘Is Perys aware of what he will be doing?’

Sir Giles shook his head. ‘I believe his commanding officer thought it better that he remain in the dark about what was planned for him. Otherwise, I fear that not even your charms might have persuaded him to leave his squadron for so long and take on a safe assignment in England.’

Chapter 53

The ‘safe assignment’ given to Perys was to result in the most serious accident of his flying career to date, almost two months after leaving Asthall.

He had complained bitterly about being kept at the Central Flying School while his squadron was involved in fierce fighting in France. Nevertheless, he grudgingly accepted the explanation that it would be better for a single pilot to assess the qualities of each new aeroplane being developed in an attempt to counter the German Fokker.

Even after flying a number of new aeroplanes, Perys still enjoyed flying the Spad he had brought from France more than any of the others - but it was a purely personal preference. He readily conceded that the Sopwith ‘Pup’ was highly manoeuvrable and robust and would probably suit many British pilots more than would the French aeroplane.

Then he was asked to test a monoplane that had been designed and built by a company which had manufactured bicycles prior to the war.

Perys expressed his doubts about this aircraft even before taking it up for a trial flight. He thought it appeared far too fragile for serious flight - and was proved alarmingly correct within ten minutes of taking to the air.

As he banked the aeroplane sharply to fly back above the watching officers on the airfield, he heard a sharp report from the direction of the wing on one side of the aircraft. It was swiftly followed by another. Two wire wing stays had snapped and the wing suddenly began moving in an alarming manner.

Perys levelled out as best he could and throttled back the engine, but he was having to fight hard to maintain control of the aeroplane. When he made a slow, wide turn, with the intention of returning to the Central Flying School airfield, the wing began flapping. Perys feared it was about to break away and send him plunging to the ground.

He decided he must land immediately.

A field ahead of him seemed fairly flat, but trying to land an aeroplane with one wing flapping like a bird proved well-nigh impossible.

He almost made it, but then the damaged wing tip touched the ground and the aeroplane performed a spectacular cartwheel, with pieces breaking off and flying in all directions. It finally came to rest with the now wingless fuselage broken in two and lying on its side. Hurriedly unbuckling his safety belt, Perys crawled from the cockpit, hoping the remains of the aeroplane would not burst into flames until he was clear.

He stood up to run but a fierce pain in his leg caused him to fall to the ground and he resumed his rapid crawl, this time with an increased, if painful, urgency.

When an ambulance from the Central Flying School reached him, he was seated on the ground well clear of the aeroplane which had not, in fact, caught fire.

A doctor who was with the ambulance quickly diagnosed a broken leg, the break being well below the knee. However, the doctor declared it was not too serious and assured Perys he would be flying again ‘within a couple of months’.

By this time the senior officer who had been supervising the flying trials had arrived on the scene and heard what the doctor said. Looking at the wrecked aircraft he said, drily, ‘You may be flying again soon, Tremayne, but it certainly won’t be in this aeroplane.’

‘No, sir,’ Perys agreed, ‘and I suggest you tell the company who made it to go back to making bicycles - and they can count me out as a prospective customer.’

* * *

Perys spent a month at Maude’s Knightsbridge home while his broken leg was mending. Then he received a letter from Martin Bray which had been forwarded from the Central Flying School. Martin was coming to England to undergo a course in aerial gunnery at Hythe in Kent. When it was completed he would return to a front-line squadron, instructing other observers in the use of the Lewis gun, in addition to his own operational duties.

Before the course began Martin was taking some well-deserved leave and intended using the opportunity to marry Polly by special licence. The wedding was to take place in the first week of July. In his letter he reminded Perys of the promise he had made to act as his best man.

Perys’s response was to telephone the Heligan housekeeper right away to tell her he was coming to stay. He asked her to inform Martin, through Polly, that he would be there to act as his best man.

As his leg was healing well, Perys decided to risk travelling to Cornwall on his motor-cycle. It was not the most sensible thing to do. The journey took him an entire day and he arrived at Heligan tired, stiff and with a sore leg. However, the house was now occupied by convalescent officers and the sight of them, many minus limbs, put his own injury into perspective.

The rooms retained for family use were at the rear of the house, and it was here, as he limped to his room, that Perys met with Polly. Ignoring the housekeeper’s shocked disapproval, Perys embraced the young servant girl and planted a kiss on her cheek.

Releasing her, he smiled at the housekeeper and said, ‘Martin flies with me as my favourite observer. Between us we have claimed a number of Germans and I am proud to be standing as his best man. What’s more, when he marries Polly he will be getting a lovely wife - and she a fine husband.’

Following the woman, who was muttering darkly about ‘Not knowing what things are coming to!’, Perys left the scarlet-cheeked servant girl standing in the back hall and made his way to his room.

Martin arrived home the next day and came to the house to meet with Polly when her day’s work was done. From the window of his room, Perys saw him standing outside the servants’ door and went out to greet him.

‘Martin! It’s good to see you . . .’ Suddenly observing the medal ribbon of a Military Medal on the other man’s chest, he pointed to it and said, ‘How long have you had that?’ Embarrassed, Martin said, ‘It came through last week.’

‘Does Polly know about it?’

‘No, I thought I’d keep it as a surprise for her.’

‘Haven’t you seen her yet?’ Perys was indignant. ‘We’ll have to see about that. Come to my room and I’ll send for her.’

When Martin hesitated, Perys guessed the reason. ‘You’re not a servant now, Martin. You are a sergeant observer in the Royal Flying Corps - and a damned good one. Come along.’

Self-consciously, Martin followed Perys to his room. Here, Perys poured him a drink, then rang the bell to summon a maid. When she arrived, Perys told her to find Polly and send her to his room.

When the maid had gone, Perys said to Martin, ‘I am going for a walk in the garden. I shall return in about fifteen minutes. Until then you and Polly should not be disturbed.’

Outside the room he met Polly hurrying towards his room. When she saw him she said anxiously, ‘You sent for me. It’s not . . . it’s nothing to do with Martin?’

‘Actually, it is,’ Perys said, ‘but go inside, Polly, you’ll learn more about it there.’ Perys closed the door behind her before limping away to spend the fifteen minutes he had given to the young couple in the garden.

Martin found him before the time had expired, explaining, ‘Polly still has some work to do. The servants are kept busy helping to look after the convalescents. She did not want to risk upsetting the housekeeper in case she keeps her working late.’

As they walked together on the lawn beside the house, Perys asked, ‘How are your parents - and Annie?’

‘Ma and Pa are fine,’ Martin replied. ‘I’m not so sure about Annie.’

‘Why, what’s wrong?’ Perys asked.

‘It’s Jimmy. He’s proving to be a very difficult patient. It’s hardly surprising, I suppose. If I was blind and had trouble breathing for most of the time I doubt if I’d be the happiest man in the world.’

‘How is Annie coping?’ Perys realised that Annie’s well-being still mattered to him. He found this disturbing.

‘Ma says she’s very patient with him for most of the time, but she occasionally verges on despair. Jimmy’s mother doesn’t help much, apparently. Whenever she visits she fusses over him and complains that Annie tries to make him do too much. I don’t know what the answer is, but it can’t be easy for her. Why don’t you pay her a visit up at the cottage while you’re here? She’d like that.’

‘I look forward to seeing her at the wedding,’ Perys replied, noncommittally. ‘. . . But here’s Polly. It looks as though she has got off early after all. I’ll leave you two alone, you’ll have a lot to talk about. Come up to the house and see me tomorrow, Martin. I would come to the farm, but I can’t walk very far just yet and a day on the motor-bike hasn’t helped. I want to be your support on Saturday, not have you supporting me.’

Perys spoke to Polly as he passed her by, but she had eyes only for Martin. However, as Perys was about to enter the house, she shouted after him.

‘Perys!’ When he turned to her, she called, ‘I thought you ought to know. There were a number of new convalescent arrivals today. Your cousin Edward is one of them.’

Chapter 54

Perys considered finding Edward and making an attempt at reconciliation, but the next day while he was still contemplating the matter, he met with one of the convalescent officers in the gardens of Heligan. Perys recognised him as the administration captain who had been helpful when he had tried to join the Duke of Cornwall Light Infantry at Bodmin on the outbreak of war.

He was wearing the blue jacket of a convalescent soldier.

The captain did not immediately recognise Perys, but when he was reminded, he remembered the incident. Ruefully, he added, ‘So much has happened since then I wonder I have any memory left at all. On occasions I wish I had none.’ The infantry officer had one arm bent at the elbow and strapped tightly to his chest. ‘But you have done well.’ He nodded in the direction of Perys’s medal ribbons. ‘All those, and a captain too! You should be thankful you were turned down for the regiment! But what are you doing here? You are not convalescing, yet I notice you are limping quite badly.’

Not bothering to explain that he was a brevet-captain, Perys replied, ‘I crashed an aeroplane on a test flight, but I’m well on the mend now. Heligan belongs to a great-uncle and I am staying here to attend the wedding of a member of the squadron. He was my observer.’

‘Of course, I remember now, you’re a Tremayne,’ said the captain. ‘Edward Tremayne came in yesterday. Is he a relative of yours?’

‘Yes, a second cousin. I heard he was here. Unfortunately, he and I fell out just before the war but I feel I should make my peace with him, especially as he’s been wounded.’

The captain suddenly smiled. ‘I wouldn’t say he was wounded, exactly. Perhaps ‘met with an unfortunate accident while under fire’ might be a more accurate description of what happened.’ When Perys looked blank, the captain explained, ‘Lieutenant Tremayne was on attachment to the Cyclist Battalion and had yet to see any action. When there was a German breakthrough he and his company were despatched to the front-line. While they were on their way a long-range German gun lobbed a shell across the lines. It landed close to the road on which your second cousin and his company were riding and caused him to lose control of his bicycle. He crashed in a ditch and was thrown off, damaging his elbow. He has problems moving the fingers of that hand and as a result it is feared he will be invalided out of the army.’ The captain made a gesture of mock sympathy. ‘A tragedy, really. Who knows what he might have contributed to future battles had his full potential been realised?’

‘Who knows, indeed?’

Perys knew he should have felt sympathy for his kinsman, but he found it difficult not to be amused at the thought of the haughty and arrogant Edward being injured when going into action on a bicycle.

* * *

The weather on Martin and Polly’s wedding day was as perfect as the couple could have hoped. Many of the Heligan House staff attended. So too did a number of the convalescing officers Polly was a popular housemaid.

Polly had no immediate relatives, but in the church at St Ewe were Martin’s parents - and Annie. She was seated in the pew behind Martin and Perys.

Annie looked around when Perys and Martin walked down the aisle to take their places at the front of the church, and when their eyes met, Perys experienced the same sudden thrill as when he had seen her for the first time. He had to remind himself that she was now a married woman, and he was committed to someone else.

When the service in the crowded church came to an end, he found himself walking to the door beside Annie and spoke to her for the first time since they had parted, more than a year-and-a- half before.

‘Hello, Annie, how are you?’

The mundane remark was not sufficient to bridge the gulf that had opened between them and she replied, ‘I’m fine, Perys - but how are you? I believe you broke your leg in an aeroplane crash?’

‘It’s almost fully healed now, thank you, Annie. I shall be flying again in a week or so.’ After a brief silence, he asked, ‘How is your husband? Is he here today?’