Bonds of Earth, The

by Thompson, E. V.

  ‘Your offer is very generous, Agnes, so generous that I am itching to shout “Yes!”, but I’m trying to be sensible about it. All the things you have mentioned will keep things running as they are now for a year, at least, but it leaves nothing left over for me to plan for the future of the farm. Next year I would need to pay you rent and I doubt I’ll have made enough in the first year to afford that.’

  ‘I’m sure we’ll find a way, Goran.’

  Mabel had been completely won over by the thought of her son becoming a farmer. In all the hopes she had entertained for his future she had never set her sights this high and she did not want him putting obstacles in the way of such an unexpected opportunity.

  Aware of the thoughts that prompted his mother’s optimistic plea, Goran chose to ignore it. Still questioning Agnes, he asked, ‘And what will happen about mining rights if a lode from Captain Pyne’s mine is found to run beneath Elworthy land?’

  ‘Goran!’ Dismayed that Goran had not seized on Agnes’s offer immediately, Mabel pleaded, ‘Agnes is being incredibly generous, don’t spoil everything by being greedy.’

  ‘He’s not being greedy,’ Agnes’s reply was unexpected. ‘I’m glad he’s giving my offer some sensible thought and not just grabbing it because of the idea of having people look up to him in the future. There is a lot more to farming than that. Plenty of hard work, for a start, and a successful farmer needs to plan well ahead and have something put by to cope with unexpected happenings – and there are no shortages of those on any farm.’

  Turning back to Goran, she asked, ‘What do you have in mind for these mining dues – if they should happen?’

  ‘I would think that as it’s not money you’ve been expecting to come your way you might give me something from them – for perhaps a couple of years or so, anyway – so I can make improvements to Elworthy. It will increase the value of the farm for you and mean I’ll be able to cope with any of the unexpected happenings you’ve mentioned.’

  Agnes looked at him thoughtfully for some time before saying, ‘There are improvements that need to be made at Roach too and I’ll need money for them … but, all right, I’ll give you half what I get from the mine for Elworthy’s rights for the first two years and we’ll look at the situation again then. We’ll set a date of the first of next month for you to take over here and I’ll have my solicitor draw up a tenancy agreement. We’ll tie up any loose ends then.’

  Struggling up from the sagging armchair in which she had been sitting, she nodded approvingly at Goran and said, ‘The day has turned out much better than I thought it was going to be when we set out from Roach Farm this morning, but we’re done here now so you can take me back home again.’

  Turning to Mabel who had not dared say a word for at least two minutes, Agnes said, ‘Collect together all the things Elworthy is likely to need when he comes to live with me and be firm with him. I haven’t room in my home for all the useless things he’s collected over the years. Don’t allow him to procrastinate, either, it’s not long to the end of the month and he’ll need to be out of here by then.’

  Making her way heavily towards the door, she returned her attention to Goran. ‘When you come back from Roach I want you to go up to the mine and find Captain Pyne. Tell him to come and see me before the day is out as a matter of urgency. I want to speak to him and show him the documents I hold concerning mineral rights. Tell him I think he’ll find them very interesting.’

  Chapter 11

  AFTER TAKING AGNES home Goran returned to Elworthy Farm to find his mother unsettled and in a state of nervous excitement. She had been planning what furniture she would take from their cottage to the much larger farmhouse and where she would place it.

  ‘We won’t know ourselves,’ she said happily, ‘Our furniture’s going to be lost in a house that size.’

  ‘On the way back to her farm Agnes said she’ll only let Elworthy take a few of the bits and pieces he’s particularly fond of. We can either keep the remainder, or throw it out. She says the choice is ours.’

  ‘She said that? There’s some good stuff in the farmhouse, Goran, her parents must have been worth a bit of money in their time and they didn’t stint on what they spent making themselves comfortable. I can hardly believe this is happening to us, you a tenant farmer and us living in a farmhouse that’s nigh as big as a mansion! Your pa would have been so proud of you, as I am.’

  ‘Don’t get too carried away, Ma, I’m going to have to work hard to make a success of it, and you, too. Agnes expects you to work for her over at Roach as well as helping here and I’ve got so many ideas about what I want to do with the farm that I feel my head’s likely to burst!’

  ‘Ideas are all right as long as you don’t get carried away by ’em and try to do too much too soon. If you work yourself too hard and become ill that’ll be the end of everything. We won’t be able to take anyone on to help you for a while.’

  ‘Ah! That’s something I want to talk about to you. I’ve already mentioned it to Agnes and she’s quite agreeable, but said I should discuss it with you first as it will probably affect you more than me.’

  ‘What’s likely to affect me?’ Mabel asked, guardedly.

  ‘It concerns this cottage, Ma. When we move into the farm we won’t want it to remain empty. Agnes has already agreed to take on young Jenken Bolitho, the son of the man caught in Sir John’s mantrap, to help out with the haymaking. He and his family are living in abject poverty up on the moor. Jenken has four brothers, two are still babies and although the other two aren’t much more than that, they are old enough to put in a couple of hours a day weeding or chasing birds away from the crops I’m hoping to put in, and it wouldn’t cost us more than a few pence.’

  Aware of his mother’s uncertainty about the idea, Goran said hurriedly, ‘Agnes has never let me sow any kind of crop, Ma, but I’m convinced it would bring us in a good deal of money and I’d like to prove it.’

  ‘You know more about farming than I do, but I’m not sure about having someone living so close to us on the farm, especially a woman with an invalid husband and five young boys. They could prove more of a nuisance than a help and I don’t think Agnes would approve of that any more than I would.’

  ‘I don’t think they’d bother us too much, but when I mentioned it to Agnes she said that once I take over Elworthy Farm I can do whatever I want with it, but she also said I should be sure you agree, for the very reason you’ve just mentioned, that of having a family of boys living so close to us. Mind you, I think the cottage is far enough away not to prove a nuisance to us.’

  ‘I’m not so sure,’ Mabel said, dubiously. ‘It depends very much on the family – and I’ve never even met any of them.’

  ‘I’ll tell you what, Agnes wants me to go up to the mine right away and ask Captain Pyne to go to Roach Farm and talk to her about mining rights. Why don’t you come with me? We can take a few eggs and some of that bread you baked yesterday to the Bolithos, then you can see the family for yourself and decide whether or not you could live with them as our neighbours. I wouldn’t want them living on Elworthy if you weren’t going to get along … but they could be a help.’

  Mabel thought about his suggestion for a long while before eventually saying, ‘All right, I’ll come up there with you to meet them, but don’t expect me to make up my mind right away. It’s a big decision, one likely to affect us for a very long time.’

  ‘True,’ Goran nodded agreement, ‘but it’s fairly certain Albert Bolitho will want to get back to mining as soon as he’s fit again and he’s likely to have his own plans for his family.’

  ‘It seems a very long time since I last came up here. I’d forgotten just how beautiful and open it all is.’

  Mabel made the observation when she and Goran paused for a brief rest after passing through a gate from the highest field on Elworthy Farm and came out onto open moorland. Above them a buzzard glided in a wide circle, its plaintive call vying with the distant thud of a mine stamp en
gine, carried on the wind from the mine complex at Caradon, out of sight beyond the near horizon of the moor.

  ‘We have grazing rights up here,’ Goran commented, ‘Elworthy never made much use of it but I intend to, especially when I have crops in some of the lower fields.’

  Unlike his mother, Goran was viewing the moor through a farmer’s eyes and it made her feel very proud of him, but she voiced a cautionary warning.

  ‘Just as long as you don’t try to run before you’ve learned to walk. But where’s this mine, I’m not used to all this exercise?’

  They continued on their way in silence until the incomplete Wheal Hope engine-house came into view. It had only been a few days since Goran was last here but the building was almost ready for the massively heavy iron rocking beam to be lifted into place on the stout granite wall needed to support its considerable weight.

  In answer to Goran’s knock on the closed door of the office, a voice called, ‘Come in,’ and Goran and his mother entered the room. Two men were seated at the desk on which a number of papers were spread out. One of the men was Captain Pyne, the other’s style of dress was that of a townsman and not a mining man.

  Both men stood when they saw Mabel and, apologizing for the interruption, Goran explained the purpose of his visit and said he was being accompanied by Mabel because she had a few things to take to Harriet Bolitho.

  Nodding approvingly, Captain Pyne said, ‘The Bolithos will be pleased to accept anything you have to give them. My wife said she was going up there some time today, so if we go to the cottage now she’ll take you up there with her. But why does Mrs Roach want to see me so urgently?’

  ‘It’s to do with mining rights and dues. She thinks Sir John Spurre may have given you wrong information about them – and matters have come to a head. He was down at Elworthy Farm with his solicitor yesterday, expecting to buy the farm and all the dues that go with it. Agnes Roach put a stop to the sale and Sir John was very angry.’

  Nodding in the direction of the man who had been seated at the desk with him, Captain Pyne said, ‘You’ve arrived at an opportune time, this is Mr Foster, the lawyer employed by the Wheal Hope adventurers. We have just been discussing the various rights that need to be taken into consideration when we begin bringing ore to surface. He and I will go together to see Mrs Roach, but we’ll go to the cottage first and introduce your mother to my wife. I have no doubt you would appreciate a cup of tea, Mrs Trebartha, it’s a warm day to be climbing up here to the mine.’

  Accompanied by the solicitor, Captain Pyne led Mabel and Goran to the cottage. On the way he said, ‘Do I take it that Sir John Spurre and Mrs Roach had a falling out when they met yesterday?’

  ‘Yes. Sir John thought he’d succeeded in bullying Elworthy Coumbe into selling the farm to him and all the rights that go with it, but it turns out that Agnes – who is Elworthy’s sister – is the actual owner of the farm. Her father left both farms to her because Elworthy is a simple soul and not capable of thinking things out for himself.’

  ‘Do you believe Sir John is aware of Elworthy Coumbe’s condition?’ The question came from the solicitor.

  ‘Oh yes, everyone knows.’

  ‘I see.’

  There was an exchange of glances between the solicitor and Captain Pyne and although no words were spoken both had grasped the situation.

  When the mine-captain’s cottage was reached they were met by Annie Pyne. After cursory introductions and a brief explanation of why they had all come to the house, the mine captain and solicitor set off for Roach Farm leaving Goran and his mother with Annie Pyne and young Jennifer.

  ‘Nessa will be very disappointed to have missed you,’ Annie said to Goran, ‘She and Morwenna have both gone to Caradon where the father of friends of theirs from down west has recently been taken on as a shift captain and he brought his family here with him. It would seem a great many of the more experienced mine workers believe there are more prospects for them in this part of Cornwall.’

  Goran had been looking forward to introducing Nessa to his mother and Mabel was aware of his disappointment. Although he had said little to her about the Pynes’ middle daughter, a mother’s intuition told her he had met someone he regarded highly.

  Her suspicion was strengthened when Annie Pyne said, ‘She is particularly hoping to see you because I believe she has a book to give to you, one that belonged to Morwenna. I overheard her offering to exchange a bracelet she has for it. I could probably find the book, but I think I’d better leave it to Nessa to give it to you.’

  She gave Goran a knowing glance and her meaning was so apparent that Goran coloured up, embarrassed. Jennifer added to his discomfort when she said in all innocence, ‘It was Nessa’s favourite bracelet! She let me wear it once … but only for a little while.’

  ‘I expect Nessa will bring the book down to you at the farm. I believe you’ve suggested she brings Jennifer down there to see some piglets you have there – that’s if the farmer has no objection, of course.’

  The remark was an opportunity for Mabel to tell Annie Pyne, with considerable pride, that there could be no objection because Goran was now the farmer at Elworthy.

  The mine captain’s wife was impressed. She already realized that Nessa was strongly attracted to Goran and although she herself liked him, she had hoped it was merely a passing fancy on the part of her daughter, no more than a phase of growing up.

  Unfortunately, Nessa was a strong-minded girl who took life a little too seriously and the ambitions Annie and her husband had for her were aimed higher than a young farm labourer husband, albeit a very likeable one. However, a farmer was a far more acceptable prospect!

  Chapter 12

  ANNIE PYNE AND Jennifer accompanied Goran and Mabel to the mean structure on the moor that was the Bolithos’ home and, much to Goran’s surprise, they found Albert Bolitho seated outside on a rock that had been rolled to the spot, a pair of crudely constructed crutches propped beside him.

  With the aid of the crutches he struggled awkwardly to his feet when he saw the visitors approaching, ignoring their pleas for him to remain seated. Finally succeeding, he balanced precariously upon the crutches, a triumphant expression on his face as he faced the visitors.

  When Annie Pyne introduced Mabel as Goran’s mother, the injured man beamed, ‘I’m very pleased to meet you, ma’am. Your son saved my life and I’d be honoured to shake your hand if I was just a little bit more sure of myself on these crutches that young Jenken made for me. It’s the first time I’ve used them and I’m not too steady just yet, but I soon will be, I promise you.’

  While he was talking, Harriet Bolitho had come from the moorland shelter, the youngest of their boys in her arms. The child looked pale and undernourished and while introductions were being made he had a coughing fit that left him gasping for breath.

  Harriet, whom Goran thought looked only a little less strained than when he had last seen her, apologized for her son’s condition, saying there had been a cold wind blowing across the moor for the past forty-eight hours and it was something that always seemed to affect the child’s chest.

  ‘I’ve brought some milk from the farm with me; it might help build him up a little. It’s in a can here in the basket, together with a few other things I thought might be welcome.’ Mabel lifted the milk can from the basket as she spoke.

  Albert Bolitho frowned and Goran, remembering what had once been said about the miner being too proud to accept charity, sought to divert his attention by asking, ‘Where’s Jenken? I was hoping I might find him here today.’

  ‘He’s gone off to Caradon to see if he can find a day’s work on one of the mines there. Sometimes a bal maiden goes sick and they might take him on until they can find another. Being a maid’s pay it doesn’t amount to much and the work seldom lasts longer than a day but it’s better than nothing while I’m like this. Why were you hoping to find him? You’re not thinking of starting haymaking earlier than expected?’

  There was a
n eagerness in Albert’s question that Goran recognized and, although the course of action he was about to propose had been little more than a vague idea, thought up on the way here, he suddenly made up his mind and said, ‘It’s not quite time yet, although it won’t be long now, but there have been changes at Elworthy Farm. The man I’ve been working for isn’t up to managing the farm any longer and has gone to live with his sister on the neighbouring farm. She actually owns both farms and has asked me to take over the tenancy of Elworthy. I’ve agreed, but I’m going to need help. The problem is that for much of this first year I’m not going to be able to pay a man’s wages. If you’d let Jenken come and work for me for a boy’s wages he’d be fed at the farm and I’d try to add to his pay with eggs, the occasional chicken and bits and pieces like pork and mutton – potatoes too when I’m able to get some into the ground.’

  Mabel and the food she had brought from the farm forgotten, Albert was genuinely excited by Goran’s proposal. ‘You mean you’re offering Jenken a permanent job on a farm?’

  ‘That’s right, but as I said, I’ll only be able to pay him a boy’s wages to begin with, say three-and-six, or thereabouts, a week. Although, if things go the way I hope they will, I’ll raise it before too long and if ever Agnes Roach wants work done at her farm I’ll let him go there to earn a little extra – and there’ll be more from both of us come haymaking.’

  Suddenly doubtful, Albert Bolitho said, ‘You’re a bit young to be taking on the tenancy of a farm. Do you really think you’ll be able to make a go of it?’

  ‘I wouldn’t be taking it on if I thought otherwise, and I’ll do my damnedest to make it work.’

  Looking at Goran seriously, Albert said, ‘Yes, boy, I think you will and I’d like to see our Jenken learn to do something more than mining for a living. So would his mother. She’d help on farms down west when we were first married and always said working on a farm was far better for a man than spending his life burrowing underground like a mole, which isn’t what God intended for us. I’ve been mining for too long to change now, but it’s time something went the way she wants, I’ve not been able to do very much to make her life any easier these last few months. Having our Jenken working on a farm would be a dream come true for her.’