The Lost Years (44 page)

Speaking once more to Perys, Morwenna said, ‘Now you have my driving credentials I trust you will consider me a fit person to drive you to Heligan. I will call here for you on my way back to London and in the meantime make arrangements for the ward sister to have you ready for me.’

‘I haven’t said I will go to Heligan,’ Perys protested.

‘Where else would you go?’ Morwenna demanded. ‘Unless, of course, you have some particular reason for not wanting to convalesce there . . . ?’

‘Of course not,’ Perys said, hastily.

‘Good. Then it’s settled.’ Morwenna smiled at him. ‘The servants are all eager to take care of you - especially Polly. Her husband was your observer, I believe, and she tells me you were best man at their wedding. If I had not known this I would have suspected there was something going on between the pair of you. The girl is obviously very fond of you.’

‘She is a very nice girl,’ Perys commented.

‘She is an extremely nice girl,’ Morwenna agreed. ‘And she is becoming very excited at the prospect of her husband being released from his prisoner-of-war camp in the near future.’

‘Talking of nice girls,’ Rupert said, tongue-in- cheek, ‘you will remember Gabrielle, Perys - the singer from the Restaurant Eugenie? I believe she came to see you in the Amiens hospital?’

‘Yes,’ said Perys, uncomfortably aware of Morwenna’s interest in what Rupert was saying.

Continuing as though he had not noticed Perys’s embarrassment, Rupert said, ‘She has created quite a scandal in Amiens. She had a very badly wounded husband, apparently. I believe he had been in a coma for some time. He must have died of his wounds only a day or two after her visit to you, but she didn’t mourn him for very long. Six weeks later she married a captain from a Canadian regiment and is now on her way to Canada. The good folk of Amiens were scandalised.’

‘Is this the young woman you told Mother about, Perys? The one who might possibly call on her for your address?’

‘Yes. She spoke to me of coming to London. It would seem she has had a change of plan!’

‘How intriguing!’ Morwenna raised an eyebrow and added, ‘You must tell me more of this French merry widow. Perhaps on the drive to Heligan. You will be coming with me?’

Perys nodded. Trying not to think what Annie’s reaction to his return to Cornwall might be, he added, ‘I can think of no place where I am more likely to make a full recovery.’

Chapter 70

On the way from Portsmouth to Cornwall, Perys and Morwenna broke their journey on two occasions. The first time they called in to look at a small, near-derelict mansion which formed part of the Devon landholdings given to Perys by his grandfather. There they met the land agent who took care of these and other of his properties in the area.

The second stop was at the home of Rupert. Here, Morwenna was greeted warmly by her in-laws and Perys was given a hero’s welcome. They stayed there for a night, during which time they learned that the Kaiser, Germany’s ruler during the war years, had abdicated. It would appear that an armistice to end four years of unprecedented blood-letting was imminent.

In fact, the armistice was signed the next day and the sound of church bells greeted Perys and Morwenna in each of the towns and villages through which they drove on the road to Heligan.

Confirmation that the war was over was given to them when they arrived at Heligan, and Polly greeted Perys with a huge hug, even as she wept tears of joy at the thought that Martin would soon be home again.

Later, when she was more in control of herself, she spoke to Perys in his room - the room he had occupied during his recent stays at Heligan and which it had been agreed he could occupy during his convalescence.

‘Miss Morwenna told me you would be coming here until you were fully recovered from your wounds. We spoke about you often. You, Martin and Colonel Pilkington.’

After a few moments of hesitation, she added, ‘Annie was very concerned for you when she heard you had been shot down and badly hurt.’

Aware from Polly’s surprised expression that he had over-reacted to her words, Perys said quickly, ‘How is Annie - and her wounded husband?’

Polly’s mood sobered. ‘Things aren’t going very well for her right now.’

‘What’s wrong? Is her husband still as ill as when I was last here? While I’ve been in hospital I’ve met with a number of men who have been gassed. Some have been very ill, but others were well on the road to recovery. Hopefully, he may be one of those.’

‘That’s not what’s causing her problems,’ Polly exclaimed, not looking directly at him as she spoke. ‘It’s the letters you sent to her after you came here that first time. Winnie - Jimmy’s ma - found them and said some very nasty things to Annie. She finished up taking Jimmy back with her to the Rowe farm near Fowey.’

‘You mean . . . she read Annie’s private letters?’ Perys was appalled.

‘Winnie’s like that,’ Polly explained. ‘She’s a nosey busybody. The sort of mother-in-law every woman dreads having.’

‘That is inexcusable!’ Perys was perturbed at Polly’s news, but he added, ‘There was nothing in my letters to upset anyone - if they were aware of the story behind them. Do you think it would help Annie if I wrote to Jimmy’s mother and explained why, when and how old I was when I wrote them?’

‘I doubt it very much,’ Polly replied. ‘Winnie might believe you, but only if she wanted to. Besides, to be perfectly honest, Annie is a much happier person without having Winnie around telling her she’s not looking after Jimmy properly. Annie tried very hard, but Jimmy was not the easiest of patients - as I’m sure Winnie has learned by now. You’ll no doubt meet up with Annie again while you’re at Heligan. She comes in every few days to bring in food she and her ma have cooked.’

Seemingly in a mood to chat, Polly added, ‘Between you and me, I don’t think the farm has been doing too well just lately. The weather hasn’t been very good for farming. It’s rained when they wanted sun and there’s been no rain when it was most needed. When you get a year like that there’s not much a farmer - especially one with only a small farm - can do about things. Not only that, Annie’s pa has been paying her a wage he can’t really afford in order to help her and Jimmy out with things. I think the farm is in serious trouble.’

When Polly had gone, Perys thought about the troubles Walter was having with Tregassick Farm - a farm that he, Perys, owned. He also thought of the problems faced by women who had to look after husbands disabled in the war. It was something both Annie and Gabrielle had needed to face - but there the similarity ended.

* * *

During the course of the next few days, the end of the war was celebrated in every community throughout the land - and Cornwall was no exception.

The parties would continue for weeks, but the one that involved Perys was the party thrown by the Bray family to celebrate the homecoming of Martin.

Experimenting with a stick instead of the single crutch he had relied upon for support in recent days, Perys was hobbling around the outside of the house when he saw a man in Royal Flying Corps uniform standing at the edge of some bushes, close to the servants’ door of the house.

It was Martin!

Calling to him and making his way towards him as fast as he was able, Perys greeted him with genuine delight. ‘Martin! My dear chap, what are you doing here? Polly and I were talking about you only today. She said she wasn’t expecting you home for another week or so!’

Martin grinned, delighted by the warmth of Perys’s welcome. ‘When the gates of the prison camp were thrown open I ‘appropriated’ a motor-bike belonging to one of the guards. It got me most of the way to the French border. I walked for two days then came across a friendly French infantry officer. He took me to one of their airforce bases and they flew me to Saint Omer. From there I was able to cadge a lift to the Central Flying School in Wiltshire. They advanced me some money - and here I am.’

‘After all that you are standing outside Heligan, waiting for Polly to finish work?’ A sudden thought struck him. ‘Does she know you’re here?’

Martin shook his head. ‘I didn’t want to inconvenience anyone.’

‘Inconvenience anyone . . . !’ Perys shook his head in disbelief. ‘You come with me, Martin, We’ll go to my room and I’ll have Polly sent for.’

In a repetition of what had happened once before, Perys was leaving his room when he met Polly hurrying to answer his call.

‘You sent for me, Perys? Joan said she was to tell me it was urgent.’ She paused, tremulously. ‘It’s not . . . it’s nothing to do with Martin?’

‘It is, Polly, and in the nicest possible way. But the only way you’ll learn about it is to go into my room.’

Polly’s eyes widened even more, but before she could ask any more questions, Perys said, ‘In you go, Polly. I’ll find the housekeeper and tell her you’ve finished work for the day.’

* * *

Two days later, when Polly was still away from work, Martin came to Heligan to speak to Perys. His first words were to apologise to him for not asking about his wounds when they had met before.

Perys smiled at him. ‘You had far more important things on your mind as I remember, Martin. Besides, I am coming along fine. I was very lucky to be treated by a brilliant French surgeon who had time to devote to me after I was shot down. Far too many men we both know were not as fortunate.’ Suddenly serious, he said, ‘Do you know, I was the last surviving founder member of my squadron.’

‘I know how you must have felt. By the time I was shot down I was well aware I too was living on borrowed time. Thank God those days are over. But to celebrate my homecoming the family are throwing a party for me at Tregassick tomorrow. It won’t be a grand affair, only family, farming neighbours and one or two particular friends from Mevagissey. We all agreed the party wouldn’t be complete without you there.’

Perys knew that Annie would be at the party. He had not met with her since his arrival at Heligan this time. Remembering the last occasion on which they had met he felt that accepting the invitation would prove an embarrassment for both of them - and also for Martin and Polly.

‘It’s very kind of you to invite me, Martin, but I have no transport. Even if I had I would spend the whole of the party propped up against a wall somewhere. I haven’t yet mastered the art of using this stick to help me around.’

Martin was not prepared to accept Perys’s excuses. ‘We’ll find some way to get you to Tregassick - and there is no shortage of chairs there. It just wouldn’t seem right to have a party without you. Had it not been for you I would probably have gone into the infantry - and I wouldn’t have survived all those years in the trenches. There are very few men from around here who have, especially among those who joined up when I did. I’m not exaggerating when I say I probably owe my life to you. Anyway that’s what I think and it’s what Annie told Ma and Pa.’

‘Annie has said she wants me to come to your homecoming party?’ Perys was incredulous.

‘Of course.’ Martin was puzzled. ‘Is there any reason why she shouldn’t?’

‘I don’t know. I thought . . . well . . . if Jimmy’s mother has mentioned my letters to anyone, people might talk.’

‘Everyone invited to Tregassick will be well aware how hard Annie worked to take care of Jimmy. They will also know that Winnie is a very difficult woman. In fact, the reason the Rowes moved away from this area was so they could make a new start in a place where Winnie wasn’t known. Unfortunately, it didn’t change her. Annie has sent a letter to her asking that she and Rose bring Jimmy to Tregassick for the party, but I doubt if Winnie will risk losing him to Annie again.’

Perys thought for a few moments about what Martin had said, then he nodded. ‘All right, Martin, I would love to come to your party - but I am a convalescent. I’ll need Morwenna’s approval. That should be no problem . . . transport might.’

‘Don’t you worry about that.’ Martin was delighted Perys had accepted his invitation. ‘Some of the farmers will come in pony traps. I’ll have one of them collect you. We’ll make it a night to remember, I promise you!’

* * *

Perys was conveyed to Tregassick by a farmer named Wesley Pencarrow, who boasted to Perys that the Pencarrows had been farming the area for at least a hundred years before theTremaynes took up residence at Heligan, and they still lived on the farm they had owned then.

When they arrived at the Bray farm it was immediately apparent that Martin had underestimated the number of those attending his homecoming party. Perys calculated there were at least two hundred guests. Horses and conveyances of every description crowded the farmyard and stretched back half the length of the long track leading to Tregassick.

As they approached, Wesley Pencarrow shook his head reproachfully and Perys asked, ‘Don’t you approve of such a party for Martin?’

‘Martin’s a fine young man,’ said the farmer. ‘A son to be proud of - and he’s served his country well. If things were different I’d say no party would be good enough for him. But as things are . . .’

‘If what things were different?’ Perys queried.

‘Well, it’s well known that Walter Bray is going through a bad time right now, same as many farmers,’ Wesley explained. ‘Chances are he’ll have to give up Tregassick when rent time comes around.’

‘Surely things can’t be that bad?’ Perys protested.

‘I’ve never known them worse,’ was Wesley’s reply. ‘But this isn’t the time to be talking of such things. We’re here to celebrate Martin’s homecoming, and if he were my son I’d be doing exactly the same as Walter.’

The friendly farmer helped Perys down from the trap and walked with him slowly to the house, the guests along the way standing back respectfully to allow him to pass through.

Inside the house, Perys greeted Polly with an affectionate kiss and shook hands with Martin and a somewhat abashed Walter.

He did not immediately see Annie or her mother and guessed they were both busy in the kitchen.

Saying it would be quieter in the barn, close to the farmhouse, Polly and Martin took him there, found him a chair and, after providing him with food and drink, remained talking to him until Perys insisted that they circulate among their many other guests.