I watched my father’s face when he went past. The easy contours had temporarily gone; he looked self-wiHed and preoccupied. Rosewarne carried a book, and a bag was slung over his saddle.
As I came up to the great gate Penruddock was just shooting the last bolt home. He raised his grey eyebrows. “Was you with your father, Master Maugan?”
When I slid in there was the usual noise and confusion attending my father’s return. Dogs barking, servants scurrying, a man to pull off his boots, another to bring a dry linen shirt, and a third to give account of work that had been on hand during the afternoon. But today a new voice could be heard.
It was another cousin and neighbour of ours, Digby Bonython, son of John Bonython of Carclew, a small estate seven miles distant. Digby was on his way home from Exeter. He was a quiet spoken man of twenty-five or six, so it was unusual to hear his voice raised.
“It was Ralegh’s ship that made the capture. His second squadron under Borough has taken a Portuguese carrack on its way to San Lucar, and they brought her in to Dartmouth early last week. Nothing is more unbelievable than the scenes since she have been brought in. It was half market and half riot. Pearls, diamonds, vessels of China “
“How was she taken?”
“Only after a desperate battle. But this carrackl In Dartmouth she towers over the town. Seven decks she has, five times the tonnage of her captor; thirty-two guns, upwards of seven hundred men aboard. They say every trader for miles around has converged on the port. And over a thousand buyers and merchants from London! One has to fight one’s way along the streets and fight is the word. I wished I’d been there two days before. Cecil has been sent down himself, but you could not stop it then “
“What name did you call her?”
“Madre de Dies and she has all the riches of the Mother of God. Cinnamon, spices, cloth of gold, twisted silks, Turkey carpets, musk and ambergris, jewels of all shape and size. I saw a sailor selling fine porcelain at a shilling a piece “
“Is it still going on?”
“No, it has stopped or I should not have come away when I did. Ralegh stopped it.”
“Ralegh? But he is in the Tower.”
“So he was, but when it was found no one could control the men, he was released and sent post to Dartmouth in company with a gaoler called Blount who is to watch over his return. I was there when he came and you would not believe with what pleasure and joy he was greeted. In the end he took control, and from then on, aided by Cecil’s men and others order and discipline was brought.”
Henry Knyvett shuffled across and pulled the lattice window to and resumed his seat, brushed some dog hairs off his dusty black coat, crossed his knock knees. Everyone watched him but no one spoke.
Dorothy Killigrew, my stepmother, who had baby Peter on her knee and was eating her favouritesugar-coated caraway seeds, said in her mild voice: “You will lie with us tonight, Digby?“
“Thank you, no, cousin, I’m bound home and am two days late. I must hurry on if you can favour me and my man with a couple of nags. I would have come post but was short of money. Seven of the Plymouth fishing fleet were just leaving for the Newfoundland banks, and two were putting in here on their way west, so I thought to cheapen my journey and at the same time bring you the latest news.”
“You must sup with us, then. It would be a cold ride on an empty belly.”
She got up, handing Peter to a nurse, and went out dropping her kerchief as she left. She was scarcely two months from her eighth confinement. My grandmother watched her
“And you came away from such a feast empty handed?” said my father, puckering his brows. The bitter mood in which he had returned from his ride had not lifted; the world was persecuting him. “Why, in God’s name? If there were pickings …”
“Well, not quite empty handed, cousin, as I’ll show you.”
Digby fumbled in his pouch and took out a necklace. It was of pearls, three fold, interspersed with gold buttons, each button being set with a diamond. My father took it and one of the spaniels, Mayflower, thinking it was something to eat, nosed up but Mr Killigrew shoved him impatiently away.
‘And what did you pay for that?”
“Ten pounds. It cannot be worth less than a hundred.”
There was no sound then except for the spaniels scratching.
Lady Killigrew passed the necklace to her sister, Mistress Wolverstone. “And what else?”
“All I had money for. No, no more jewels. But I have a parcel at the door of fine taffetas and some unwrought china silk that will delight them at home. I wished I’d had a fortune to spend. Much of it had been already snapped up, but you could still find sailors who were uncomfortable with their loads and willing to lighten them at a cheap rate.”
So then he was persuaded to have the package brought in and unrolled on the table, and we gathered round staring and exclaiming. Presently he gave a small piece of silk to my stepmother but none of the family was very gracious, except Dorothy on receiving the gift. I could see they were all picturing the scene Digby had spoken of and eating out their hearts because they had heard nothing until too late, though it had happened less than ninety miles distant.
After supper, Digby went off together with his servant and one of our men whom my father, pressed by Dorothy, grudgingly lent him for extra safety, since the way they must travel though short was hazardous in the bends of the river beyond Penryn. At the gate where they mounted my father said:
“D’you know if Raleghis to remain free?”
“He says he is the Queen’s captive, and Mr Blount’s presence would seem to confirm it. But I would not put it beyond him to use his enlargement in such a way that it will continue.”
“Neither would I. What has he done? Sometimes it is a touchy business having a woman on the throne.”
“He changed his allegiance from one Elizabeth to another,” said Digby. “That was his crime. And unless we know how inward he was with the first we can’t estimate the degree of the offense.””
Someone laughed. My grandmother, who had come to the door with us, was staring across the harbour. The wind, which was rising and chill, blew her ochre silk gown about her tall thin figure. She coughed harshly.
“That was the vessel you came in?” She pointed towards Trefusis Point.
“No, that is the other, the Buckfast. The captain of the Totrzes who brought me had a commission in Penryn which he discharged at once and left by the same tide, following the others while the wind was fair. I have my own thoughts about Buckf ass.”
My father laid a hand on the saddle. “Which are, cousin?”
“Which are that some of Ralegh’s fleet put into Plymouth and that they all had had their pickings of Madre de Dios while she was at sea. Not all the rich booty was confined to Dartmouth. So my supposition is that the captain of the Buckfast most probably has by barter laid hold of some of the spoils for himself, and not wanting to face the hazards of a long voyage to Newfoundland with fragile things in his hold, he chooses to dispose of them where prices are still unaffected by the glut of riches, before he leaves England.”
“You think that, do you, Digby?”
“Yes, I think that. Otherwise his delaying here would be unaccountable … Well, I must be off. Good-bye.”
Mr Killigrew relaxed his grip. “My loving thoughts to your father and mother.”
We waved until the three were out of sight, which was soon, for the night was lowering and the moon not yet up. When I turned, my grandmother’s eyes were on the river again. My father followed her gaze.