The Loving Cup (39 page)

I

A cool and unkempt summer, with scarcely enough sun to ripen the hay or enough rain to lengthen the corn. May had expended the benevolence of the year.

The war in America was increasingly bitter, a victory for American forces near Niagara in Jul
y, and the capture of a British
naval squadron on Lake Champlain in September, being sandwiched between the battle of Bladensberg which the British won and the burning of Washington in retaliation for the burning by the Americans of the capital of upper Canada a few months before. This reprisal was much deplored by the Prince Regent.

Geoffrey Charles's old regiment, the
43
rd Monmouthshires reached England on the
23
rd July, were not disbanded like many of the others but given two months' leave. On the
10
th October they e
mbarked on transports to take
part in the new conflict across the Atlantic.

American privateers were active off Bristol, capturing some ships and burning others and generally disrupting trade.
The
Times
thundered against the iniquity and perfidy of the Americans. President Madison thundered against the iniquity and perfidy of those of his own countrymen who ran the British blockade in order to continue traffic with Britain.

It was suggested at the Congress of Ghent that the
Russians should mediate between the British and the Americans in an effort to end the war.

In France two attempts on King Louis the Eighteenth's life were frustrated, and in September the French introduced a budget in which an effort was made to establish a solid public credit against 'the robberies and gross deceptions of the previous Impostor'. The English flocked to Paris and were generally shocked by its run-down appearance.

In August came the centenary of the accession of the House of Hanover. Although a large part of the population of Great Britain saw nothing about the House of Hanover to admire, everyone seized on the opportunity for another junketing. Indeed, Ross sardonically observed that in Cornwall more celebrations were held to commemorate the perpetration of an unpopular monarchy than there had been over the liberation of Europe and the deposition of a fearsome enemy.

In Truro ornamental arches were erected all the way down Boscawen Street from Coinagehall to King Street, decorated with laurel, fir, oak and red flags. Under these arches two rows of tables
300
feet long were set up for a public open-air dinner with a band of musicians, and sides of beef, legs of mutton, mountains of vegetables and an alpine range of plum puddings. Tea and cakes were distributed to
1700
children, who later took part in a Furry Dance. Among the elders there was a mock Coronation of Louis the Eighteenth, and he was drawn in triumph through the streets on a dray.

There were fireworks and balls at Callington, and at Helston a dinner for
90
at the Angel Inn, followed by a distribution of
1
5
cwt of beef and mutton and a thousand
4
lb loaves to the poor. Processions, fireworks, dinner parties continued for a week. A
t United Mines, Chacewater, 1500
people sat down to dinner, and at Fowey, after the fireworks and bonfires, two boats on makeshift wheels were drawn through the streets, one containing musicians, the other a selection of the town beauties handsomely dressed and suitably garnished with flowers.

In London huge set pieces were arranged in the Royal parks: fireworks, processions, brass bands; the celebrations went on for ten days with great drunkenness, much gambling and general immorality. In the end notices had to be posted in the parks to get the populace to move off.

The sensation of Valentine Warleggan's unexpected marriage swept mid Cornwall for a
day or two; but people quickly
accepted it. There was nothing particularly unusual about a young man marrying a woman twelve years older than himself, especially when the woman was a rich and pretty widow. That she was non-Cornish and did not come out of the top drawer were small matters, for Valentine's claim to breeding derived only from his mother's side. True he was still only an undergraduate, and he had already made for himself a reputation as a rake. Paul Kellow's comment that,
I’ll
wager it'll not be long before he tumbles his step-daughters,' may have been echoed elsewhere. But Selina Warleggan, they felt, must have known what she was about and was by no means born yesterday. It was going to be a new menage on the north coast at Trevaunance, and, if and when Geoffrey Charles returned, there would be two half-brothers with their new wives as resident neighbours. But on bad terms if their last meeting was anything to go by.

Some sympathy was felt for Cuby Trevanion, for she had missed a good match, and, although the conditions of her marriage were not known outside a restricted circle, it was generally assumed that the linking of her family with the Warleggans would have put the Trevanions on their feet again. Major Trevanion had never been a popular figure, but the sisters were well liked.

The first meeting between Sir George and the major after Valentine's marriage was also the last. Shortly after it Major Trevanion left for London, officially to take part in the celebrations, unofficially to try to raise new money to keep him out of a debtor's court. At the same time Cuby and Clemency left for a prolonged stay with their great aunt Bettesworth, relative of the Trenegloses, at Callington.

The situation was embarrassing to begin with at Place House, since the marriage had been kept as much a secret there as anywhere. Valentine arrived unexpectedly for dinner on the Tuesday, nursing a bruise on his forehead. Selina went scarlet when she heard his news, but after dinner, having recovered her composure
, she called together all her
indoor servants and announced that two months ago in Cambridge she had married Mr Warleggan. They had kept it secret undl Mr Warleggan had had an opportunity to inform his parents, which he had now done. Henceforward . they had a new master in the house, and would of course t
ake orders from him in exactl
y
the way they had formerly taken orders from Mr Pope. Selina carefully avoided meeting the eye of her parlourmaid Katie Carter, who rather less than twelve months ago had surprised her in bed with Valentine Warleggan while her husband lay empurpled on the floor of the landing. Katie, on fire with embarrassment and sweating with anxiety, simply did not know where to look. She was afraid that she might now lose her job, since the dread secret was now cloaked with respectability; but she need not have been concerned. So long as she continued to be discreet the new Mrs Warleggan would give her no extra excuse to talk of the past.

When Music was told he put a great hand in front of his mouth to stifle a guffaw; then his eyes grew round with apprehension, rather as Katie's had. A young master might be none too tolerant of one who was slow to pick up new instructions. And Saul Grieves and all, ready to say or do anything to confuse him the more. He began to fear for his job, with more reason than Katie.

When the news reached Nampara it explained a good deal about Selina Pope's call on them. Even so, she could hardly claim a relationship - at least so far as the world knew. That Ross and Demelza suspected different was something they could never speak of even between themselves.

Ross said: 'He's the strangest young man. There seems no
harm
in him. Yet there was harm enough in his bringing that boy to confront Morwenna.'

‘
I
was afraid for a time,' Demelza said, 'that he was going to become too fond of Clowance.'

'At least now he's free of George,' said Ross, it
will be strange to have another
-' he baulked at the word 'to have him so close: but he has bought his freedom with a marriage that he may find constraining in other ways. Of course not only Valentine is affected by this marriage
...'

I
was thinking the same thing’

'No doubt Miss Cuby will be seeking out some other rich young man to marry. It may not be so easy.'

'Someone will have to write and tell Jeremy,' Demelza said,
I
think perhaps you should, Ross.'

'Why me?'

‘
I
think if I wrote it I would make it seem like I was giving him good news. You would be - more detached - as is proper. The fact that she is not going to marry Valentine does not mean she is not going to seek another rich man - as you have just said. In fact when she first refused Jeremy I do not think the Warleggans had come on the scene at all!'

Ross said:
I
would willingly not tell him until he came home again, since anything to do with her seems to upset him. But if we do not write someone else will. The last thing I want is to seem to be withholding it.'

II

The following week Stephen Carrington rode into Truro and asked to see Sir George Warleggan. George saw him in the upper chamber above the bank. Stephen was wearing a b
uff nankeen jacket he had recentl
y had made for him in Falmouth, dove grey breeches and well polished riding boots. His hair had been trimmed and brushed and was tied with a piece of black ribbon into a short cue. Although never quite at home in fine clothes, he looked handsome. Even so short a period of marriage had given him a new stability.

Stephen said he had come to see Sir George about opening an account with his bank. It was, he said, more convenient to keep his money at Carne's in Falmouth and to deal with them; but in view of Sir George's gesture of friendship in inviting Clowance and himself to that party at Cardew he felt it would be opportune and timely if he moved his account to Warleggan & Willyams. To have a friend as a banker was a rare privilege that he would very much appreciate, and he hoped that in the years to come the business he would bring to the bank would be of value to them too.

George sat for a long moment on the other side of the desk, fingering his pen. What confounded impertinence, he thought, what typical impertinence from this braggart sailor that when thinking of opening a pettifogging account he should ask to see the
owner
of the bank. Not content with a clerk, not content even with Lander, the chief clerk, he had to request an interview with Sir George Warleggan. As if he were a substantial landowner proposing some big accommodation. As if he were the chief shareholder in some industrial tramway with a proposal for a company flotation. As if
...

Stephen's confidence was becoming threadbare with the long silence. Clowance of course had said,
don't
call. If you
have
to approach him, if you really feel you
must,
then write to him.

'What is the nature of your account?' The words when they came were more mildly spoken than George intended. At the very last moment he had had second thoughts.

'Oh, small to begin, Sir George. I am trying to run a few vessels, mainly in the coastal trade and with Ireland and France. So that most of me money is tied up. At the moment I have two small vessels, one built special, the other bought as a prize - fishing boats really, but adapted for carrying cargo. And I have hopes of buying a third when the right opportunity comes along. Me account, what I shall have to deposit next week, will be
£300,
but I shall hope to more than double that before the month be out.'

Through the window behind him George looked out at a mule-drawn cart unloading several glistening blocks of tin for the coinage, which would take place on Thursday of this week. These great blocks, weighing
300
lbs each, would be unguarded until the controller
and receiver arrived to deter
mine by assay if they were of a sufficient quality to receive the stamp of the Duchy arms. It was fortunate, George thought, that most of his own mines raised copper,
over which this cumbersome and ti
resom
e law did not operate. But the ti
n coinages were very us
eful to his bank, obliging as
they did the tin mines to borrow money to tide them over from one quarterly coinage to the next.

He said: 'What shall you ship?'

'Anything that's going. We run
-
we ran the blockade last summer carrying pilchards to Italy, but twill not be the same this year with all the ports open - not the same profit, I mean
. I've a promised cargo of moor
stone for Morlaix and shall bring salt back - that's for the
Chasse
Marie.
But I'll quote for anything: clay, bark, corn; or bring iron from Wales or timber from Norway. There's cargoes enough at the right price. All I need is more carrying capacity. The lads who've crewed with me are keen to go again. There's much to be done.'

'Much to be ventured?'

'Aye.' Stephen caught George's look and added: 'But legal. There's no cause to break the law when there's so much chance for honest trading.'

Damned hypocrite, thought George. But was he not also a young man who could be used?