Gossamer Cord

“How is she?”

“Very well, but she still gets a little tired.”

“And the baby?”

“He’s delightful.”

“And you’ve got your old nanny.”

“So you have already heard of her.”

“She seems to be a person of some standing. But she is not Cornish and that is a black mark against her.”

“I can assure you Nanny Crabtree is a match for any.”

“That is what I gathered.”

“You are so well informed.”

“The subject is of particular interest to me.”

I felt light-hearted, as always, with him.

His last words were: “Tomorrow. Two thirty. I shall wait your coming with pleasure.”

When I arrived back I went straight to Dorabella. She was lying on her bed and when she saw me she cried: “Where have you been? What’s happened? You look different.”

“What do you mean…different?”

“Something exciting has happened. I know what it is. You’ve seen that Jermyn man.”

“Well…”

She laughed. “You have…then?”

“Yes…”

“I always know. He must be fascinating. You ought to bring him here.”

“Well, as a matter of fact, I am going to visit him tomorrow.”

She was overcome with amusement.

“I can’t wait to hear the outcome.”

“Oh, it’s nothing much.”

“Nothing much! Right into the enemy’s camp. We won’t say anything about it here. You never know how they’d take it.”

I wondered if they would care. I had seen very little animosity to the Jermyns here and I knew Jowan felt none toward them. The feud was something which was kept going because the families were too indifferent to change it; it was the people around who liked to create a drama where it did not exist.

The next afternoon when I was setting out for the appointment, I encountered Seth in the stables.

“You be wanting Starlight, Miss?” he asked.

I told him I did. He looked at me strangely. I wondered if he had heard where I was going. He could not have done so yet. So far it was between Jowan and myself. It would be after I had visited his home that the gossip would start.

Seth was trying to say something. He stammered: “Don’t ’ee go there, Miss. Don’t ’ee go.”

I was amazed. I thought, Can he really know where I am going?

“ ’Ee don’t want to see ’er again, Miss. It might not be…”

“Go where, Seth?” I asked.

He pointed toward the sea.

“You mean the beach? No, no, I shan’t be going there. I wouldn’t dream of taking Starlight down to the beach.”

“There’s some of them take the horses there. They go along the beach at a gallop.”

“I don’t plan to do that.”

He gave me a sly smile. “Don’t want to tempt ’un, Miss.”

I really wasn’t sure who was to be tempted. I guessed it was the Jermyn ghost who he believed had lured the first Mrs. Tregarland into the sea.

Poor Seth. I was sorry for him. And it was kind of him to be concerned for me.

He patted Starlight’s flank lovingly, and I rode out of the stables.

It was another warmish day, ideal for riding. There was scarcely any wind and inland I could see a faint blue mist settling over the trees.

I turned my horse and rode toward the Jermyn estate. This time I should go straight to the house.

I rode along for about half a mile and there was the house. It was not as ancient as Tregarland’s but impressive. It was built in that silver gray stone which they call Elvan and with which I had become familiar since my arrival in Cornwall.

I went through a gate into a turfed forecourt and facing me was a heavy iron-studded door. I was wondering whether to dismount when the door opened and Jowan stood there.

“I was waiting for you,” he said. “Punctual as usual.”

He patted Starlight as he smiled at me. Then he held me to dismount.

“Charlie,” he shouted, and a man hurried out.

“Yes, sir.”

“Take the lady’s horse.”

He turned to me and took my arm.

“So this is your home,” I said.

“Yes. Do you like it?”

“From what I have seen, it is magnificent.”

“I like it,” he said. “I’m looking forward to showing it to you.”

I stood in the hall and looked around. It was not unlike all such halls. It had a plaster ceiling, the main ribs of which were set on corbels decorated with oak leaves. On one of the walls were the entwined initials J and S.

My eyes rested on it and he said: “Jowan and Sarah. They built the house three hundred years ago, and it was the custom to have such entwined initials. It could become embarrassing if the marriage didn’t work out and there was a second wife, and she had to spend her married life with the constant reminder of her predecessor. I can tell you that is not the only spot where you will find those initials.”

He pointed out the minstrels’ gallery.

“I plan to use that one day for its original purpose, out of respect for old customs. Some of them are worth preserving. Now let me show you the rest of the house and you can tell me what you think of it.”

“It is beautiful,” I said. “You must be proud of it.”