‘But you said Mr Charles is a trustee or some such, and if she can’t have her money yet without his say-so, Dr Bryan won’t be able to have it either.’
‘I suppose.’ Hannah clearly wasn’t convinced.
‘Tell you what,’ Will said, ‘why don’t you speak to Mr Charles about it? See what he says.’
‘Do you think I can? I mean, it’s not for me to interfere. I’m just so worried, that’s all.’
‘And that’s what you tell him, love. He’ll understand.’
‘If she was marrying Mr Charles, I’d have no fears about us getting married and leaving her.’
Will shrugged. ‘Well, she isn’t, and there’s nothing you can do about that. Even so, you should talk to him. He knows you got Miss Sophie’s best interests at heart. He won’t think you’re interfering.’
‘All right,’ Hannah agreed reluctantly. ‘I’ll think about it.’
‘An’ while you’re at it, Ma says to ask him if Miss AliceAnne can come over to the farm, Saturday. Maggie’s coming over with the kiddies and they were asking if AliceAnne would be there to play.’
‘Tell your mother I’ll bring her in the afternoon,’ Hannah said. ‘I can’t see Mr Charles objecting to that.’
Later the same day Hannah took her courage in her hands and knocked on Charles’s study door.
‘Hannah?’ he said when she entered. ‘What can I do for you? Is there a problem with AliceAnne?’
‘No, sir, Miss AliceAnne is fine. I came to say that she’s been invited back to the home farm for a visit on Saturday and I took the liberty of accepting the invitation for her.’
‘Did you indeed?’ But Charles was smiling and Hannah knew he wasn’t angry that she’d acted without asking him. ‘Well, I assume you’ll be going with her.’
‘Yes, sir. Of course I will.’
‘Then I have no objection at all,’ he said. Seeing Hannah hesitate, he added, ‘And so I shall tell anyone who asks me, so don’t worry about that.’
‘Thank you, sir.’
Still Hannah hovered in the room and he asked, ‘Was there something else?’
‘Well, sir...’
‘Come on, Hannah, tell me what you want?’
‘It’s Miss Sophie, sir.’
Immediately alert, Charles said, ‘Miss Sophie? What about her?’
‘I’m worried about her, sir, and...’ Hannah hesitated again.
‘Just tell me, Hannah,’ Charles said gently. ‘What is it that worries you?’
‘It’s her engagement to Dr Bryan, sir. It’s all so quick and to me it don’t feel right.’
‘In what way not right?’
‘I don’t know, sir,’ Hannah answered miserably. ‘If I’m honest...’
‘You can be, Hannah. I’d like you to tell me exactly what it is that’s worrying you.’
Charles listened in silence to what she had to say. He wanted to tell her he was as worried as she was, but that would not have been proper, and he did his best to reassure her that he and Mr Staunton were well able to manage Sophie’s affairs so that her inheritance was safe.
‘But have you heard anything specific?’ he asked, thinking as he did so that Hannah might know something about Nicholas Bryan that could be passed on to Jeremiah Hawke.
‘Nothing in particular,’ admitted Hannah. ‘It’s just a feeling I get. You know AliceAnne don’t like him.’
‘So I gathered, but, Hannah, she’s only a child.’
‘But not a stupid one,’ replied Hannah. ‘I don’t dismiss her feelings about him.’
‘My mother said it was because he gave her some foul-tasting medicine when she had that cough.’
‘She did. But I don’t think she’d asked AliceAnne if that was why.’
‘And have you? Asked AliceAnne, I mean?’
‘No, sir, not directly, but I’ve seen the way she shrinks away from him, and that’s enough for me. The child is afraid of him.’
Charles got to his feet. ‘I’m glad you came and told me, Hannah. I’ll be watching as well, so don’t worry.’
It was her dismissal and she left, but as she said to Will the next time she saw him, ‘He listened and didn’t tell me it wasn’t any of my business. He and that lawyer, Mr Staunton, will be taking good care of Miss Sophie’s money.’
‘Then you don’t have to worry any more, love,’ soothed Will. ‘They’ll know what they’re doing.’
‘But it won’t stop her marrying him,’ Hannah said miserably. ‘Will it?’
‘Maybe he feels about her as I do about you,’ Will said gently and took Hannah in his arms. Hannah looked up into his face and his expression made the colour flood her cheeks. He kissed her tenderly and added, ‘Or as I hope you feel about me.’
‘Ah, go on now, Will,’ said Hannah, before she kissed him back.
While Hannah and Will were sitting comfortably before the fire in the home farm parlour, Sophie and Nicholas sat together in the drawing room at Trescadinnick. Louisa had taken to sitting in the morning room whatever time of day it was, and though Matty had suggested that perhaps it wasn’t proper for the happy couple to be allowed such freedom, Louisa remarked that she had no intention of acting as chaperone.
‘Sophie’s mistress in her own house now, Matty,’ she’d said bitterly, ‘and how she behaves with her so-called fiancé is none of my business.’
This afternoon there was no question of improper behaviour. Nicholas was determined to get down to business, business relating to Sophie and her Trust. ‘We ought to know exactly how things stand with the estate,’ he said. ‘We need to be sure that your cousin’s managing your affairs properly.’
‘I agree,’ began Sophie, but Nicholas went on, ‘We need to know the state of your finances and how your money is being spent; whether it is wisely invested and what your cousin is doing about replacing income that was lost when the mines closed.’
‘I think that’s an excellent idea, Nicholas,’ Sophie replied, ‘and so does Charles. He’s already suggested that we get together with Mr Staunton to discuss the terms of the Trust and the best way to carry them out.’
‘Good,’ Nicholas said briskly. ‘The sooner we have it out with them the better.’
Sophie smiled at him a little awkwardly and said, ‘Nicholas, dearest, I really do appreciate your care for me, but I think the first time I meet with my trustees I should do it alone. There are several points on which I want clarification and I should feel freer to discuss them on my own.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ snapped Nicholas. ‘What can you possibly know about the affairs of the estate?’
‘Nothing at present,’ replied Sophie calmly. ‘That’s why I need to learn about them. Charles has promised to explain—’
‘I’ll bet he has,’ interrupted Nicholas.
‘And when he has,’ continued Sophie, ‘I shall at least have some idea of what needs to be done.’
‘Your cousin could spin you any line and you’d believe him,’ Nicholas said. ‘He’s out to get his hands on the Trescadinnick estate one way or another.’
‘Now it’s you who’s being ridiculous,’ Sophie countered. ‘Charles has had the running of the estate for nearly ten years, but always with his hands tied. He never had full knowledge of what money was available for investment.’
‘And you believe this because...?’
‘Because I asked him about it and he told me so. That’s when he suggested that we, he and I, should meet with Mr Staunton and discuss everything.’
‘And now he has access to the capital,’ scoffed Nicholas, ‘do you really think he’s going to take direction from you, a chit scarce out of the schoolroom?’
‘Is that how you think of me, Nicholas?’ Sophie’s voice was icy.
‘No, of course not, my darling girl,’ Nicholas said hastily. ‘But you may be sure it’s how he thinks of you.’
Sophie had no answer to that because she could remember Charles using those very words when Thomas had explained his plans for them
. However, she simply said, ‘I shan’t expect him to. I shall respect his experience and leave the daily running of the estate to him, but that doesn’t mean I shan’t be interested in things.’
‘But, my darling girl,’ Nicholas changed tack, ‘I only want to protect you.’
‘Protect me from Charles?’ Sophie laughed, but her laughter died as she saw the expression on Nicholas’s face. ‘I’m sorry, Nicholas,’ she said quickly. ‘I’m sure you do and I love you for it, but I’m not one to be coddled. I shall listen to Charles, and if I disagree with anything he suggests I shall tell him so. And of course I shall definitely discuss it with you, so we can decide what we want to do.’
‘I’m disappointed, Sophie, that you don’t trust me,’ Nicholas said coldly. ‘Indeed, that you appear to have far greater faith in your cousin, than you have in me.’ He paused and then said, ‘Perhaps you should be marrying him instead of me.’ He rose abruptly and walked to the door. Jumping up, Sophie caught his arm and he paused without turning.
‘Nicholas,’ she said, almost pleading, ‘you know it’s you I want to marry, not Charles.’
‘You have a strange way of showing it.’ Nicholas still didn’t turn round and Sophie slipped her arms round him from behind.
‘Please, Nicholas, don’t be like this. You know I love you, but Charles is my cousin and I’m fond of him too. But not,’ she insisted vehemently, ‘like I love you!’ When Nicholas still didn’t respond she sighed and said, ‘If you feel so strongly about it, of course you can be there when we discuss the Trust. I’m sure Mr Staunton and Charles will understand why you should want to.’
Sophie felt Nicholas’s rigid shoulders relax and he turned at last, to face her. ‘You know I only want what’s best for you,’ he said, his eyes bright with sincerity. ‘I’m sure your cousin is competent enough, but he has to understand that Trescadinnick was left to you.’
‘It was,’ Sophie agreed as his arms tightened round her, ‘but in a way it was left to both of us. Grandfather assumed Charles would continue to manage the estate.’
‘I’m sure he did,’ Nicholas murmured into her hair, ‘but it’s not an assumption we have to make too.’
‘Mr Staunton is coming on Friday next week,’ Sophie told him, ‘so we can discuss everything then.’
‘I see,’ replied Nicholas coolly. ‘It’s already arranged, is it?’
‘Charles arranged it with Mr Staunton,’ explained Sophie. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll tell them you’ll be there as well.’
When Nicholas had gone Sophie was left with a feeling of dejection. She had suggested that he stay for dinner but he’d refused quite brusquely, saying that he had things to attend to at home. They hadn’t quarrelled exactly, but there had been a definite coolness in Nicholas’s manner when he’d said goodbye with no more than a handshake. Sophie knew that he’d been disappointed when she’d suggested that she meet with Charles and Mr Staunton on her own, and he’d not tried to hide his annoyance.
She called for a pot of tea and when Edith had brought it, sat alone in the sitting room sipping her tea and reliving their conversation. It would be better in some ways, she thought, if Nicholas was involved in the discussion about the Trust, but there were questions she had wanted to ask with regard to his position after they were married, questions to which she wanted answers before she broached the subject with him herself. When she had finished her tea she went upstairs to her room. As she passed Jocelyn’s room she touched the door handle; it had become a sort of ritual, as if she were assuring him he wasn’t forgotten.
I’ll get Paxton to take old Nan Slater some logs, she thought, and I’ll go with him and have another chat with her whilst he’s unloading them.
With this planned, she changed for dinner and then went up to say goodnight to AliceAnne. She found the little girl full of excitement about the afternoon she’d spent at the home farm. Alison and Tommy had been there and they’d played hide-and-seek in the farmyard and the barn. AliceAnne had never played it before and thought it was the most wonderful game. She was in the middle of explaining to an attentive Sophie just how you played, when Charles came in and she began the whole story all over again. Sophie could see the child’s delight at her father’s visit and she got up to leave them together, but AliceAnne caught her hand.
‘Don’t go, Aunt Sophie,’ she begged. ‘I haven’t finished telling you everything yet. When we’d finished hide-and-seek we went in for tea and we all had it together, even Hannah and Mr Shaw. And we had ham and eggs and a jammy pudding. It was such fun and Mrs Shaw says I can come again next Saturday if I want to. Alison’ll be there again and she’s my best friend and I do want to, Papa, so can I?’
‘I expect so,’ Charles agreed, with a smile at her enthusiasm, ‘if Hannah will take you.’
‘Oh, she will,’ said AliceAnne with confidence. ‘She likes going to the farm like I do. I think Mr Shaw is her best friend.’
Sophie left Charles saying goodnight to his daughter and went slowly downstairs for dinner. Was AliceAnne right? she wondered. Were Hannah and Will Shaw ‘best friends’? For some reason the thought made her a little sad.
33
Monday morning saw Sophie out in the stable yard with Paxton as he loaded logs into the back of the farm waggon.
‘Does Mr Charles know where we’re going, Miss Sophie?’ he asked. ‘Does he know you’m taking firewood to some cottage in Tremose?’
‘I told him I intended to do so,’ Sophie replied. ‘He’s already gone out, but there’s no reason to wait.’
Paxton was clearly not happy with the situation, but he sighed and muttering to himself, clambered onto the waggon and picked up the reins. He looked astonished when Sophie climbed up beside him.
‘Are you coming on the cart with me, Miss Sophie?’
‘I certainly am, Paxton. I promised Mrs Slater I’d call again.’
The farm waggon was not like the pony and trap, and they made slow progress as it lumbered up the lane. Sophie was beginning to wish she’d had Millie saddled and ridden on ahead, but because she was already going against Nicholas’s express wishes by visiting Nan at all, she had decided not to arouse his anger further by riding alone. At least she was travelling with a trusted retainer from the house and there could surely be no impropriety in that.
As they rumbled along the lanes, Sophie thought back to the previous day. It had not been an easy one and had left her feeling despondent. The family had gone to Sunday service for the first time since Thomas’s funeral and Sophie had been very aware that the buzz of conversation in the church ceased as the Trescadinnick party walked in through the door. Nicholas had been waiting outside and she was on his arm as they walked down the aisle to the Trescadinnick pew. Charles was escorting his mother, who looked neither left nor right as she walked straight-backed at his side. She knew everyone would have been discussing the remarkable news that had seeped out of Trescadinnick over the past two weeks. Everyone would be watching Charles to see if he minded being disinherited; watching Sophie, the new heiress, with the local doctor at her side, whispering behind their hands.
At the end of the service they paused for a few minutes outside the church to pass the time of day with the rector and Miss Sandra, but it was very cold with a chill wind blowing in from the sea, and was not a morning to linger. Sophie had seen the mixture of jealousy and despair in Miss Osell’s eyes and knew it was because she’d had hopes of Nicholas and now they were destroyed.
‘Good morning, Miss Ross. I trust I see you well.’ She held out her hand to Sophie, but the misery in her eyes belied her words of greeting.
Sophie had shaken her hand and replied in kind, but she felt uncomfortable and was relieved to move away.
The Trescadinnick party hadn’t remained there long. It was too cold, and as they walked back up the lane to the warmth awaiting them at Trescadinnick, Sophie had determined that it would be tomorrow and not a day later that she and Paxton took the logs to Nan Slater.
Nicholas
was invited to join the family for luncheon, and he accepted, but it did not make for a comfortable dining table. Louisa spoke to neither Sophie nor Nicholas. Charles had made an effort to include everyone, but managed only stiff and formal conversation, and AliceAnne sat in complete silence. They were all relieved when the meal was over and they could escape, each to a refuge of their own.
‘You notice how warmly they welcomed me to their table,’ mocked Nicholas as he and Sophie returned to the drawing room. ‘I hope you can see now, Sophie, that I’m right. It would be quite impossible for us to share a house with them. When we meet with Mr Staunton on Friday it is the first thing we have to agree upon, that the Leroys must find somewhere else and move out. The house should become yours and yours alone on the day you come of age: the day before we are married.’
They had chosen a date for their wedding once Nicholas had reluctantly agreed that it would be improper of Sophie even to consider marriage before three months’ mourning for her grandfather were over. After that, he had convinced her, a quiet wedding would be acceptable even to the sternest critic, and so the date had been set.
Now he was angry at the cool reception he’d been given that day. ‘I can’t stay here any longer today,’ he said as he paced the room. ‘You must talk to them, Sophie, about their manners. I’ll call again to see you in a day or two.’
It had been a brusque farewell and when he’d gone Sophie felt let down. She knew the lunch had been difficult for him, for them all, but there was no need to speak to her like that. It was hardly her fault. Perhaps, she thought sadly, it would be better all round if he did visit Trescadinnick less often for a while. Everyone there had to get used to the change of circumstances.
When they reached Tremose, Paxton climbed from the waggon and handed Sophie down. She thanked him and told him to wait while she asked Mrs Slater where they should put the logs.
At her knock the old woman called to come in, and as Sophie opened the door she said, ‘Good morning, Mrs Slater. I’ve brought you some firewood. Where shall I ask Paxton to put it?’
Miss Mary’s Daughter Page 32