Lament for a lost lover

The children were fascinated by Uncle Toby. Being a great talker-fond, Charlotte commented, of his own voice-there was nothing he liked more than an appreciative audience. In the morning his talk was fascinating; in the evenings it was likely to get a little slurred; but of course it was in the mornings when the children heard him. They would desert their kites and their popguns and trumpets to sit at his feet and listen to his tales. I would join them too. He was always talking about Captain Smith who was his hero and whom he called the founder of Virginia. “Named, my hearties, after the Virgin Queen by a man named Walter Raleigh.” Then he would tell them about Walter Raleigh and how he became the Queen’s favourite by spreading his cloak over the mud when she stepped from her carriage, thus preventing her from getting her pretty shoes dirty.

Raleigh brought tobacco to England, and tobacco was what grew in Virginia and it was tobacco that had made him a rich man.

I can see them now, their little faces alight with interest, and every now and then if the adventures grew horrific they would squeal with delight. Chastity came to join them. She was as fervent an admirer of Uncle Toby as the boys were. What tales he had to tell of Captain John Smith who knew when he was a boy that he was going to be a great adventurer.

“I’m going to be a great adventurer,” cried Leigh jumping up, his eyes shining so that he looked remarkably like his mother. I remembered what she had said about having to adventure for the good things of life if they did not fall naturally into one’s lap.

Edwin said that he was, too, but he would have to stay at home most of the time to look after Eversleigh.

So he knew already. He must have listened to talk.

Uncle Toby patted his head. “Ah, yes, boy,” he said. “You’ll keep this place as it should be, and that’s another kind of adventure.”

“I shall go out to Virginia,” boasted Leigh. “Then I’ll come back and ... and ... I’ll tell you all about it.”

“In the meantime,” I said, “let’s listen to Uncle Toby.”

That was what everyone wanted to do, so we heard how Captain Smith joined the Christian army and went out to fight the Turks and defeated three of them in single combat and how later he became the prisoner of a wicked Timor and had a heavy iron yoke about his neck; how he slew the Timor and escaped, overcoming every difficulty, and how finally he landed up in Virginia where his life was saved by the beautiful Indian Princess Pocahontas. So many stories he had to tell that the children were completely entranced. They played new games now. Leigh wanted to be John Smith but so did Edwin. Edwin, I noticed, almost always gave way and played the Timor. Then in the Pocahontas story Chastity was Pocahontas, Leigh, John Smith and Edwin, the Indian chief who was going to kill John.

I said to Edwin: “You should not let Leigh always play the best parts.” Edwin looked at me with his serene and beautiful smile and explained: “But, Mama, he wouldn’t play unless he could have them and I like to play.” I kissed him, but I did think Leigh was growing more and more like his mother. It was not to be expected that Toby, who had lived so adventurously, would stay all the time at Eversleigh Court. He wanted to know what was happening in the country, and therefore he must go to Court. There were many people there who would be interested to hear his accounts of his travels and his brother said he must be presented to the King and Queen.

Carleton came to Eversleigh. I wished I had been present when he was confronted by Uncle Toby. I wondered what his immediate reactions were. When I saw them together he had had time to overcome his surprise and, I imagine, chagrin. Once when we were riding Carleton was beside me and I asked him how he felt about his uncle’s return.

“It is always interesting to discover members of the family.”

“It’s odd that I never heard him mentioned.”

“We thought he was dead. The ship we presumed he had sailed in floundered. Uncle Toby has always had amazing luck. He took another ship right at the last moment so his doting family were under the impression that he was gone forever.”

“So all those years, until you reached your tenth birthday, you were strutting around imagining yourself to be the heir of Eversleigh, when the real heir was making his fortune in Virginia!”

“In absolute innocence! But what did it matter? Edwin was soon there to step in front of Tobias, and now you have provided us with another Edwin to do the same.”

“Uncle Toby comes before you though.”

“Neither of us comes anywhere while we have precious Edwin.”

“Toby is very fond of him.”

“Who would not be fond of that perfect child?”

“And you?”

He looked at me sardonically.

“Fond of Edwin? What a question. You know I dote on him. Mind you, I think at the moment he is inclined to cower behind Mama’s skirts and those of his nurse, while he allows young Master Leigh to be lord of the nursery. That should be changed.”

“How?”