The change in me was obvious.
Mrs. Harlow said: “You always did get on with that Felicity. I remember the day she came and we was expecting some stuck-up madam. From the moment she stepped out of that cab I took to her … and so did you, I’d say.”
“Yes,” I said.
“She is a wonderful friend. How lucky we were that she came to us.”
“I’d say you’d got the right bull by the horns there.”
Oh yes, indeed, I owed a great deal to Felicity.
Trecorn Manor was a pleasant Queen Anne mansion built in an age noted for its elegance. It was set in well-kept grounds. I was thinking how interesting it would be to see Lucas against the background of his own home.
We were warmly welcomed by him.
“It is so good of you to come,” he said; and I felt he meant it.
We were introduced to his brother Carieton and Carleton’s wife Theresa. Carieton looked a little like Lucas, but they were of very different temperaments, I soon discovered. Carieton was bluff, easygoing, completely immersed in the running of the estate in fact the typical squire and Theresa was entirely suited to be his wife.
She was absorbed in her family, carrying out her duties on the estate with charm, tolerance and total efficiency clearly the excellent wife and mother.
There were two children, twins, a girl and a boy, Henry and Jennifer, aged four years. I knew that Carieton and his wife would be admired and respected throughout the estate, that she would work indefatigably in the affairs of the church and the general community. She was the sort of woman who would do her duty un stintingly and make a pleasure of it.
I could not quite see Lucas fitting into this environment.
When we were alone. Felicity said: “Lucas couldn’t have a better home to come back to.”
I wondered. This display of well-being might be galling to a man in his position. It was something I felt he would never have wanted before the shipwreck. Indeed he had, by his frequent absences, shown that he could not tolerate it. It was sad that such virtues as those of Carieton and his wife and Aunt Maud, so admirable in themselves, create a less than perfect atmosphere for those around them.
We planned to stay in Cornwall for about a week, which was all the time James could spare, and I knew that Felicity did not want to leave the children for longer than that.
We were given rooms on the first floor overlooking moorland. James and Felicity’s room was next to mine.
Theresa took us up.
“I hope you’ll be comfortable,” she said.
“It’s a pity you can only stay a week. We love having visitors. Unfortunately, we don’t often.
I’m so glad you came. Lucas is pleased you are here . ” She trailed off.
“We hesitated about suggesting coming,” said Felicity.
“It was rather forward of us.”
“We should have been most put out if you had come all this way without seeing us. Carleton worries about Lucas … so do I. He is so changed.”
“Well, it was a terrible ordeal,” said Felicity.
Theresa laid her hand on my arm.
“And for you, too. I heard about it.
Lucas doesn’t talk much. Carleton says it is like getting blood out of a stone to get information out of him. He was so active. And this has hit him hard. But he did cheer up quite a lot when he heard you were coming. “
“He likes to talk to Rosetta,” said Felicity.
“After all, they were together. I always think it helps people to talk.”
“It is wonderful that you both came through. We had been so worried about Lucas. And when we knew he was coming home … it was wonderful.
And then . he was so different. And Lucas being the man he is . it was never easy for him to be the younger brother. ” She shrugged her shoulders and looked faintly embarrassed, as though she thought she was saying too much.
I knew that she was right. Before the accident Lucas had been constantly preoccupied by the fact that his elder brother was head of the household when their father died. He was a man who liked to lead and it could never have been easy for him to take second place. So he had travelled widely after he left the Army and of course while he was in it. He had tried archaeology. He had written a book, inspired by his discovery, and had been on the point of lecturing about it when disaster had struck. It must have seemed then that he was making a life away from Trecorn Manor, which was what he had wanted; and then he was brought back . as he was now. I could understand that he was disillusioned with life. I looked forward to more talks with him. Perhaps I could try to make him see the future differently. Perhaps I could inspire him with a little hope. I did not think there was a very good chance of this, but I could try.
He could still ride, which was a blessing. True, he needed a little assistance in mounting and dismounting, but when he was on his horse, he was all that he had been before. He had always been an excellent horseman and I noticed at once that there was a strong relationship between him and his mount. Charger, who seemed to understand that his master had changed and that he needed to be looked after.
Theresa said: “We never worry about Lucas when he goes off for long spells. If he’s on Charger we know he will be brought home when he wants to come.”
The first night at dinner he wanted to know if I rode.
“There was little opportunity at home,” I told him.
“But when I was at school we had riding lessons. So I cannot call myself quite a novice but… somewhat inexperienced.”
“You ought to get in a bit of practice while you’re here,” suggested Carleton.
“Yes,” agreed Lucas.
“I’ll undertake to be your tutor.”
“It will be a little boring perhaps for such a practised rider,” I said.
“I know it will be a pleasure,” he replied.
Theresa beamed on us. She was such a kindly woman and I realized how happy she was that I was here because she thought it would be pleasant for Lucas, and that we were good for each other.
It had been arranged that after two days at Trecorn Manor James should go back to Truro to do his work while Felicity and I remained behind to wait for him. He would return to the Manor when his work was done and after a day or so we should all leave together.
I soon settled into a routine. Lucas and I rode together and talked a good deal, often about our adventure. We often went over the same ground, but I am sure it did us both good. As far as I was concerned, it made me all the more eager to find out something about Perrivale Court.
I found myself drawn into life in the nursery. Jennifer seemed to have taken a liking to me. I had had little to do with children and was unsure how to deal with them, but Jennifer solved that. She informed me that her name was Jennifer Lorimer and that she lived at Trecorn Manor. She was four years old. All this was told as if in great confidence and it was almost as though we shared a special confidence.
Although the girl in the twin ship she was the leader. She was vivacious and chattered a good deal. Henry was much quieter, a serious little boy; he always followed Jennifer and as she had decided that she liked me, he must do so too.
Moreover, there was Nanny Crockett another ally. I think it must have been because I got on well with the twins that she accepted me.
She was by no means young, but a power in the nursery. Ellen, the fourteen-year-old nursery maid, behaved towards her as though she were the Queen. I gathered she was in her late fifties. She had iron grey hair which was plaited and worn round her head in a rather severe manner; her grey eyes were alert and she had a way of pursing her lips if she disapproved of anything and then she could be indomitable. She was a woman of definite opinions and once they became hers she determined to stick to them.
“We were lucky to get her,” said Theresa.
