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The Twisted Sword

Page 54

by Winston Graham


  Ross said: ‘Why have you brought that?’

  ‘Cuby carried me a little note from Jeremy. It said—’

  ‘You never told me—’

  ‘’Twas only a few words.’

  ‘You never told me. He did mention – in Belgium he did mention something that he had written to you.’

  ‘’Twas only a note, Ross. It seems he had a sort of superstition about this cup. I cannot explain it any other way. I found it on the beach, you’ll remember; it had been washed up by the sea. Jeremy thought it was an omen for him. If he came back from France he would take it as his own. If he did not I was to throw it back, give it back to the sea.’

  Ross frowned. ‘I don’t understand. It was never his, was it? It doesn’t make sense to me.’

  ‘It is not easy to understand how he felt, Ross. But we talked about it once, when he was home last December. He didn’t say as much then, but when Cuby came she brought this little note.’

  ‘I’d like to see the note.’

  ‘I have burned it, Ross.’

  Ross thought this so outrageous a lie that he could not dispute it. Demelza destroying any letter of Jeremy’s . . .

  ‘And now what are you going to do with this cup?’

  ‘Drop it down the well.’

  ‘That is not the sea.’

  ‘To me it is better than the sea. And the well is quite deep. No one will ever find it.’

  ‘Is that important?’

  ‘No. Oh no, not at all. But – this is a wishing well. I thought – I really thought it would be most fitty, most suitable.’

  ‘Well, it perplexes me, but have it as you will. Perhaps you have some Celtic perceptions that I lack.’

  ‘You are no less Cornish than I am, Ross.’

  ‘Maybe not. But sophistication has bred it out of me. Or your old Meggy Dawes taught you things only witches should know.’

  She smiled brilliantly at him, but there was no laughter in her eyes. She knelt on the stone beside the wall, rolled up her sleeve and put the cup slowly into the water. The cup filled, sent bubbles hurrying to the surface. She closed her eyes as if praying, opened her fingers. The cup sank out of sight. A few last bubbles rose and then it was gone.

  It was as if with this symbolic action the ironic tragedy of Jeremy’s life and death, which even she could only partly perceive, had come full circle, had played itself out.

  She remained kneeling for about a minute staring into the well. Then she got up, careful not to wipe her arm but to let the fresh water dry. When it had done so she pulled down her sleeve, buttoned it, and drew on her glove. Only then she looked up at her husband with eyes as dark as he had ever seen them.

  ‘Dearest Ross, let us go home now. There is a baby to see to.’

  THE TWISTED SWORD

  The eleventh Poldark novel

  Winston Graham was the author of forty novels, including The Walking Stick, Angell, Pearl and Little God, Stephanie and Tremor. His books have been widely translated and his famous Poldark series has been developed into two television series shown in twenty-four countries. A special two-hour television programme has been made of his eighth Poldark novel, The Stranger from the Sea, whilst a five-part television serial of his early novel The Forgotten Story won a silver medal at the New York Film Festival. Six of Winston Graham’s books have been filmed for the big screen, the most notable being Marnie, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Winston Graham was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and in 1983 was awarded the OBE. He died in July 2003.

  ALSO BY WINSTON GRAHAM

  The Poldark series

  Ross Poldark • Demelza • Jeremy Poldark • Warleggan •

  The Black Moon • The Four Swans • The Angry Tide •

  The Stranger from the Sea • The Miller’s Dance •

  The Loving Cup • Bella Poldark

  Night Journey • Cordelia • The Forgotten Story •

  The Merciless Ladies • Night Without Stars • Take My Life •

  Fortune Is a Woman • The Little Walls • The Sleeping Partner •

  Greek Fire • The Tumbled House • Marnie • The Grove of Eagles •

  After the Act • The Walking Stick • Angell, Pearl and Little God •

  The Japanese Girl (short stories) • Woman in the Mirror •

  The Green Flash • Cameo • Stephanie • Tremor

  The Spanish Armada • Poldark’s Cornwall •

  Memoirs of a Private Man

  First published 1990 by Chapmans

  This edition published 2008 by Pan Books

  This electronic edition published 2011 by Pan Books

  an imprint of Pan Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited

  Pan Macmillan, 20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR

  Basingstoke and Oxford

  Associated companies throughout the world

  www.panmacmillan.com

  ISBN 978-0-330-52417-9 EPUB

  Copyright © Winston Graham 1990

  The right of Winston Graham to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

  Visit www.panmacmillan.com to read more about all our books and to buy them. You will also find features, author interviews and news of any author events, and you can sign up for e-newsletters so that you’re always first to hear about our new releases.

 

 

 


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