‘Then who were they?’
A moment of fear crossed Meg’s wrinkled face. ‘Yer promised to cause no trouble, mind. I’m takin’ a risk trustin’ thee an’ if thee talks it could cost me my life.’
‘I gave you my word, Meg, and I meant it,’ Kane said, rearranging the position of the remaining cat and the rabbit.
‘The woman who the sailor said wus yer mother wus really yer aunt, yer mother’s sister. Yer mother wus called Peggy Wearne. Like I said, she wus no ’arlot, never gave ’erself to any man save who got ’er with child. She said ’e wus a rover an’ never knew ’e fathered a child, went off on ’is travels an’ left the poor maid in trouble. She could ’ave bin no more than sixteen at the time. She came to the brothel beggin’ ’er sister to ’elp ’er. She were a right bitch, that one! An evil woman, ’ad ways with men like, well, I went say an animal, more like a savage. Anyway, she got the sister a job as a maid-of-all-works at the brothel. Cookin’, cleanin’, fetchin’ an’ carryin’ fer the rest of us, an’ the poor little soul ’ad t’work right up to the time of ’er labour. She had a long an’ difficult time an’ you were born.’
‘So she didn’t have much of a life,’ Kane said mournfully.
‘No, but how she loved you. You wus such a good little baby, ’ardly ’eard thee cry. She wanted t’spend every minute of the day with you but ’ad to work ’ard to keep the both of you.’
‘What did she look like, Peggy Wearne, my mother?’ Kane asked, a film of mist covering his eyes.
Meg studied him a minute. ‘You’m a lot like ’er, tall, strong-bodied, same colour hair… but not the eyes. You’m got yer father’s eyes.’
‘How do you know that?’
‘Cus she talked about yer father all the time. Said he was a fine-looking man with large brown eyes, as beautiful as velvet. She was convinced ’e’d come back t’Marazion on ’is travels an’ when ’e knew ’e ’ad a little small baby ’e’d marry ’er an’ they’d settle down together.’
‘Did she say what his name was? Did she say anything else about him?’
‘No, I’m sorry, sir. I asked ’erself more ’n’ once what the father was called but she just smiled an’ said that wus ’er secret.’
‘Meg, what was the name my mother gave me? Is my real name Kane?’
‘Ais. Dunno why she called you that either. Said she just liked the sound of it.’
‘So something in my life is really mine,’ he said softly. He concentrated on stroking the cat and rabbit and the prostitute stayed silent until he was ready to speak again. ‘How did she die?’
‘’Er ruddy sister, damn ’er!’ Meg shook her fist and got heated. ‘Wus always on to the maid about joinin’ the rest of us, said she would make more money that way. Rest of us b’lieved the sister was jealous of yer mother, she wus pretty and clean and pleasant t’talk to. Used to bathe us when we got beaten up, see to us when we got drunk. Trouble wus, the customers took a fancy to ’er and the richer ones pestered our madam to let them, as they’d say “break ’er in”. They took bets on who’d be the first among ’em, offered the madam good money, an’ the poor little soul was under some pressure. But she always refused, nursin’ this romantic notion that ’er baby’s father would come back fer ’er an’ they’d go off an’ live ’appily like they do in fairy tales. One night, though, the sister was determined to change the maid’s mind. A certain gentleman, a depraved sod ’e wus, wanted her in particular, and they worked up a scheme with the madam to make her give in.’
Kane’s face darkened. ‘What did they do?’
‘She, yer aunt, damn ’er rotten soul, took you from Peggy’s room and said she couldn’t ’ave you back until she favoured the gentleman. Told Peggy she’d be all right when she’d done it once, after all she weren’t pure no more, said she’d be grateful when she wus earnin’ well an’ could buy nice things fer ’er little boy. Peggy panicked an’ fought to grab thee back an’… an’ the gentleman gave ’er a mighty push an’ she wus sent ’eadlong down the stairs. She broke ’er neck, died at once. We all saw it, come to see what all the shoutin’ wus about. Yer aunt gave you to me, you wus frightened an’ cryin’ some loud. The gentleman cuffed you cross the face. You ’ave a scar down yer back, ’aven’t thee? Startin’ from the neck, goin’ right down?’
Kane nodded grimly.
‘The gentleman – we wus all terrified of’ im – ’e grabbed thee from my arms an’ slammed yer little body ’gainst the wall an’ let you slide down. There wus a nail on the wall, it dug into yer back all the way down.’ Meg was crying now, rocking back and forth, cradling the cat in her arms as though she was holding a baby. ‘Oh, ’ow you did cry! ’E picked you up an’ threw you into a cupboard an’ forbade us to go to you. ’E said ’e would fix it with the coroner to say Peggy died of the pox an’ if any one of us talked about what ’appened ’e would come an’ kill us. We ’ad no choice but to do what ’e said. ’E wus a wealthy an’ powerful man an’ if’e could treat a child in the way ’e did you… We wus all so scared, sir.’
‘Is he still alive, Meg?’ Kane hissed, his face white with shock and bitter memories of what he’d suffered. ‘The man who did that to my mother and me?’
Meg looked up, terrified. ‘No, sir, but ’is sons are an’ they aren’t much better. They would kill us to protect ’is memory and their family’s name. Please don’t do anythin’, sir. You promised…’
Kane put a hand on her scrawny shoulder. ‘I won’t do anything, I won’t go back on my promise to you. Would I know this family? Would I be likely to socialise with them?’
‘Not round ’ere, sir. ’E wasn’t local, ’e come a long way to spend ’is lust. One of the girls ’ad a speciality that suited ’im. I’m glad to say ’e never wanted me.’
‘And this aunt of mine, Peggy’s sister. Why did she say she was my mother?’
‘To please the gentleman, sir, an’ to spite the sailor. Not that they were married. They used to live together an’ she came to the brothel just before ’er sister did. With Peggy’s death ’ushed up, folk ’ad no reason to b’lieve the sister wusn’t yer mother.’
‘My poor mother,’ Kane said to himself. He wiped tears from his eyes and felt an aching for her, for the wretched life she had lived and the terrible death she’d suffered. And painful memories were flooding his mind and filling him with horror. ‘After Peggy’s death, why was I so badly treated, Meg? It sounds as though you cared about me.’
‘I did, an’ so did most of the girls. We may be sluts but we aren’t all cruel. The madam kept you in the cellar, told us she and yer aunt would look after you down there and take you out in the daytime. But then yer aunt died suddenly, justice saw to that, got an infection from the pox. The madam said she had given you away to some family who wanted a son but the wife wus barren. ’Ad no idea you were still kept in the cellar, never ’eard you cry, until the sailor turned up askin’ fer ’is mate. The madam kept you there hopin’ she could get money off the sailor fer what she called yer keep. Some of us cried when we saw the state you were in when she brought you up. Filthy dirty and in rags and yer large brown eyes lookin’ so deep an’ startled.’ Meg looked at him intently for a moment. ‘Some ’an’some you are now, Cap’n Pengarron, an’ that’s a wonder to me. But yer eyes still show what you went through. I was some pleased when I ’eard that the young Lady Pengarron ’ad got thee off that swine of a sailor an’ you were given a good home. It’s eased my conscience over the years.’
‘Is that the whole story?’ Kane whispered.
‘Ais, I promise thee, sir. I don’t know anythin’ else.’
‘There are a few minor details and I might as well know them all. What was my aunt called? And the sailor?’
Meg pushed a hand across her face to wipe away her tears. ‘That bitch was called Agnes, Agnes Wearne. The sailor I only know as Jake.’
‘So the man who was thought of as my father was called Jake and all you know about the real one is that he was a rover with lar
ge brown eyes.’ Kane suddenly paled. Meg sprang up and went to him.
‘Cap’n Pengarron! Are ’ee all right?’
‘Yes, yes, Meg,’ he gasped, clutching her hand. ‘It’s made me think of something, that’s all.’
‘Don’t tell me you’ve an idea who your father might be?’
‘I know of one possibility,’ he said, shaking and gently pushing away the black cat who was trying to get back onto his shoulder.
‘I’ll get ’ee a drop o’ brandy. Always keep some about the place.’
Kane accepted the spirit gratefully, drinking it straight from the bottle.
‘’Tes bin a lot fer ’ee to take in,’ Meg said understandingly. She stood behind him and stroked his hair and Kane knew it was done with maternal feeling. He handed her the money pouch.
‘There’s fifty guineas in there, Meg,’ he said, looking round at her pets. ‘You’ve earned it. It should be enough to help you make a fresh start for yourself and your family. And thank you for being good to Peggy and me when I was an infant.’
‘Thank you, sir,’ she said, in a gentle voice. ‘Will you be able to make a new start? The one you must want so badly?’
‘I’m getting there, Meg. After what you’ve told me I’ve made a big leap forward but now I will have to take time to think carefully before I decide what to do next.’
‘Don’t live in the past, sir,’ Meg said, coming round to face him. ‘I’ve done it all me life an’ look at the state of me. Tired, worn out, friendless, bitter. I ’ad a few bad knocks early on an’ instead of learnin’ a lesson an’ lettin’ it make somethin’ of me, I let it turn me into this. Look at me, Cap’n. Yer life shows in yer face. Compare mine to yer beautiful mother’s. Things ’appened years ago an’ she wus forced to marry Sir Oliver. But she didn’t brood, become spiteful an’ plot revenge. She had goodness in ’er an’ accepted it and rose above it, makin’ ’er strong. Then she an’ Sir Oliver fell in love an’ ’ad a lovely family. Even that young farmer who lost yer mother didn’t live a life of bitterness fer ever. He found a strength from somewhere to live with it. ’Ow I do envy the strong and good in character.’
‘You are a good woman, Meg,’ Kane said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.
She laughed, not the cackle he had heard outside. ‘You’ll be sayin’ next I ought to be listenin’ to they Methodist preachers.’
‘Well…’ Kane smiled. ‘One life’s better than another. I hope the money will help.’
‘It will, Cap’n, an’ you won’t see us when you ride this way again.’
‘Where will you go? I’d like to keep in touch.’
‘I’d rather not. Now you know the truth, keep the past in the past, sir.’
‘I’ll respect your right to your privacy, Meg, but I’ve still got something more to sort out and it could complicate things,’ Kane said quietly.
‘I bet it’s a maid,’ Meg said, grinning all over her ravaged face. ‘Someone you know who ’as large brown eyes, and a maid.’
* * *
Kerensa lay nestled in Oliver’s arms late that night as they talked over the day’s events.
‘It’s been an awful day,’ she said. ‘I’m glad William decided to take Rachael up to London to spend time with some of their other children. I don’t think I could’ve faced much more of her mourning.’
‘I thought Martin’s funeral would have been a dignified, poignant occasion. A good turn-out at the little chapel at Tolwithrick, a solemn burial, then a few drinks while the mourners mulled over their affectionate memories of him. He was quite a character. I shall miss him very much.’
‘Yes, so will I.’
‘I didn’t expect to see Sebastian buried beside him and have Rachael wailing throughout for her son,’ Oliver sighed irritably.
Kerensa shuddered and he held her closer. ‘I shall never forget how Sebastian died,’ she murmured.
‘Try to put that out of your mind, beloved,’ he said, kissing her brow then both cheeks. ‘I don’t like thinking about that myself – the difference in their deaths.’
‘No wonder Kane left the wake soon afterwards. I wonder where he went,’ Kerensa mused. ‘He was very quiet when he came home for supper.’
‘A woman probably,’ Oliver said, grinning.
‘Do you think so? Who could it be? He’s been rather secretive since he left the regiment. He used to tell me everything.’
‘Now don’t get jealous, my love. If Kane had been with a woman, he would hardly tell his mother about it.’
‘It’s not amusing, Oliver.’
‘I’m not suggesting it is amusing, but you’ve got to let him grow up sometime, my love.’
‘Do you think I want to keep the children as babies?’ she asked seriously.
‘Well,’ and Oliver dragged out the word. ‘Because Jack was a boy when we married, you’ve always mothered him. He’s now a man of thirty-four and I heard you yesterday telling him to make sure he puts on his coat now the evenings are getting chilly.’
‘I didn’t! Did I?’
‘You did, so that will give you some idea how you treat our children at times.’
‘Well, I don’t want them growing up and leaving home. Kelynen’s nearly fifteen and because she’s tall she looks older.’
Oliver kissed Kerensa’s lips tenderly then gazed at her steadily.
‘What?’
‘You don’t know yourself, do you, my precious one? It never ceases to amaze me.’
He rolled over onto his back, grinning in the amused way he had when he knew a secret that she should know herself. Kerensa leaned across his chest and put her arms on his broad shoulders. ‘Tell me at once or I’ll do something terrible to you.’
Pulling her down to him, he said huskily, ‘You do something terrible to me and then I’ll tell you.’
‘Oliver!’
‘All right, calm down. You become so absorbed with other people you never keep a check on yourself. This time it’s been Kane and Rachael’s grief that has kept you preoccupied.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean, my sweeting, that you don’t have to worry too much about the children growing up and leaving home because next year there will a new addition to the nursery.’
‘You mean… ?’
‘I do. You ordered me to give you more babies and apparently I’d already done it,’ he said, rather proudly.
Kerensa lay down on her side of the bed and made calculations in her head while Oliver made them out loud. ‘We were together this week, last week, and the week before and before that… I didn’t need Beatrice to tell me this time because I’ve been home for several weeks.’
Kerensa lay quietly in her thoughts. Then she was overwhelmed with joy, and the next moment crying. Oliver held her tightly in his arms. ‘Is it Joseph?’ he whispered.
‘Yes, it still hurts so much. But it’s wonderful news, Oliver, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, my love,’ he replied softly into her hair, ‘wonderful.’
A little later when they had cried out their joy and grief, Oliver said, ‘I have business in Penzance with the mayor tomorrow, my love. Why don’t you come with me? You can do some shopping and we’ll have a quiet luncheon together.’
Chapter 20
Olivia woke up early the next morning. She waited for her parents to ride off before she got out of bed, unaware that they were heading for her own intended destination a short time later in the day. She was pleased that Cordelia wanted to spend the day with Luke, supporting him in his business duties, and she sat up in bed rereading over and over again a secret note that she had been given last night.
There were only three days left before the smuggling enterprise and she had been out in the tack room trying to persuade Jack to come with them. ‘We can’t do it without you, Jack,’ she’d pleaded. ‘We need to be as quick as possible and some of the things might be too heavy for us to carry up the cliff. You must come, there is no one else we trust as we do you.’
&nbs
p; Jack had kept on with his work. ‘I’m sorry, Miss Olivia, but I’ve told you before and I’ll tell you again. I’m not going and that’s that. His lordship and her ladyship would never forgive me if it went wrong and something happened to you or Miss Cordelia, or Jessica Trenchard, come to that. ’Tis a foolhardy thing you’ve got planned and I beg you to drop it before one of you gets hurt.’
‘Don’t be like that, Jack. It’s not dangerous. We’ve got the whole operation planned to the finest detail. Nothing can possibly go wrong. Other women smuggle in goods, it’s going on all the time. We’re not bringing in very much this time, it’s only a trial run. Say yes, Jack. Just this once, please.’
Jack moved the saddles into a neater line then inspected other items of tack to see if the stable boys were doing their jobs properly. Olivia trotted behind him, passing him things, but he refused to look at her. Finally, in a quiet, no-nonsense voice, he said, ‘You know I’d do anything for you, Miss Olivia, but not this. There was a time a few years ago, just before Miss Kelynen was born, when I should have stopped her ladyship from doing something foolhardy. I didn’t and it almost cost us our lives.’
Olivia pouted and picked at a splinter of wood on a post. ‘I won’t take no for an answer, Jack. This is different to what Mama wanted you to do. Think about it. I’ll talk to you again.’
She’d flounced out of the tack room before Jack could reply and nearly walked into one of the stable boys.
‘I’m sorry, miss!’ he exclaimed and hastily pulled something out of his coat pocket. ‘I wus asked to give this to ’ee, miss.’
It was a letter but it had no seal on it. Olivia took it and turned it over curiously. ‘Who gave this to you, Conan?’
‘’Twas the parson’s stable boy, Miss Olivia. Said he wus paid well to keep quiet. I went say anything, miss.’
Olivia was cross with herself for flushing. ‘Thank you, Conan. I’ll, um, give you something for the same consideration.’
‘Eh?’
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