“Of course.”
“He came, and well one has to acknowledge that he is a fine man, and little Elizabeth has been much influenced. Her father naturally encourages it. So that is the way of it. Gertrude at loggerheads with my sister. I with my brother. He with my father. Oh, I tell you, it is a picture of a united family that I draw for you, Maugan! “
“And in all this,” I said, “why did Sue Farnaby leave?”
“Her aunt at Malpas was ill, and she went to nurse her. But I think she wasn’t happy here. Who would be?”
“And she is there now?”
“I don’t know. Maugan, things have come to the boil this week. Thomas has become more and more restive, and yesterday he made some discoveries which set him blazing. He stormed off to Uncle Francis with the idea of having Sir AnthQny put under restraint. It’s an impossible position for us all, Maugan! In a manner I agree that Thomas is acting in the best interests of the family; yet it is not his place to do it! Neither mother nor I will move; but Thomas has no love or respect for anyone except himself. Sometimes I feel I would rather go to prison with my father than prosper in Thomas’s company …”
A servant came in. “There are horses coming, sir.”
“It will be them, I imagine. Stay here, Maugan, I’ll go and greet my uncle.”
I had not seen Sir Francis Godolphin since he came to Arwenack with Mr Trefusis. With him was Thomas, grown almost as tall as I and half as broad again, Thomas of the round soft face and the bland eyes and the hard mouth. They exclaimed at sight of me, and then when the ladies came downstairs there were more cries of surprise and pleasure. At least, give Thomas his due, he put on no presence of being pleased to see me; I think he had no feelings either way; there was other business on hand.
All the women looked haggard. Gertrude was still not with child: it was going to be perhaps as Thomas had predicted. Elizabeth’s eyes were red, and her mother’s too. Lady Arundell, although she must have borne the brunt of all this trouble, greeted her brother with composure, indeed rather coolly. It became clear that Sir Francis was here at his young nephew’s invitation not at hers. After their first congratulations to me there was an awkward silence which was broken by an offer of food and wine, which Sir Francis refused until he had seen his brotherin-law.
“Oh, Anthony?” said Lady Arundell, as if her husband had been far from her thoughts; “He is upstairs. He’s well, though he was not quite in the best of spirits when my my son rode for you yesterday. Yes, he’s well enough. You shall see him presently.”
“Thomas brings me sombre tales. It is true, is it that Godfrey Brett is still here? He must be taken, Anne. It’s no longer safe to house such creatures, as you must know …”
He stopped at the sound of a foot on the stairs. Sir Anthony in a long blue silk housecoat led the way, and behind him, stepping on his shadow, was a tall thin man of about forty in the correct black milan fustian of a secretary. Sir Anthony walked with a stick now and in some obvious difficulty, but he would accept no help and greeted his brotherin-law in a composed and controlled way.
“Maugan, too? But I thought you were lost to us. Well, happy that you’re not. Let Thomas take your cloak, Francis; you must be tired after so long a ride. I trust all’s well with you.” To a servant: “Cover the table, Banbury, and bring food and wine, and water for washing.”
We talked a few minutes, and they all found some outlet in questioning me, until two servants returned with a basin and ewer and towels. In this Sir Francis washed, and after him Thomas and I, while the table was set. Presently we sat down to eat, while the others stayed at the table talking to us. In all this Godfrey Brett sat politely at Sir Anthony’s elbow, not speaking but discreetly present.
It was not until I mentioned that I had met Thomas Arundell in Madrid and had a message for his sister that Sir Anthony showed any signs of stress.
“Ah, so Thomas is well. We parted in anger many years ago. Perhaps now we should see things more as one.”
“It is on that subject that I come to talk to you, brother,” Sir Francis said. “Later when the meal is over we should retire together and talk it over.”
“Talk now if you wish,” said Sir Anthony. “I have no secrets from my family. Maugan Killigrew is the grandson of my guardian. Godfrey Brett is my close confidant.”
“Too close,” Thomas muttered, but Godfrey Brett, though N he must have heard, did not even raise his eyes.
“Thomas,” said Sir Anthony, “though yet 18, thinks to grasp the reins I hold though if they were to drop from my hands they would go to Jonathan. Thomas affects to believe that the stresses I have been under have affected my judgment. Oh, do not deny it. boy, I’m not blind yet, nor deaf.”
“I don’t deny it, father,” said Thomas grimly. “It is why I went for Uncle Francis.”
Sir Francis Godolphin stroked his grey beard. “I think, Anthony, in spite of what you say, that we would do better to talk of this in private.”
“It will not be without Brett, that I can tell you.”
The servants had gone from the room. Elizabeth was breathing sharply as if she had been running.
“Then so be it,” Sir Francis acknowledged patiently. “But since it must be in front of Brett, then I have to tell you that for the sake of your family you must be rid of him.”
“You presume to dictate whom I shall employ as my secretary? “
“Oh, come, brother. You know he is more than that.”
I saw Sir Anthony’s hand begin to tremble on the stick he still held. “What passes between Brett and me is the concern only of ourselves.”
“There you err. In these days it cannot be. To rid yourself and your household of his his tutelage must be the first step.”
“A first step to what? To eternal damnation?”
“I’m not expert at theological argument; but I know, as you do, the laws of this land. We know what happened to Tregian when he was found harbouring a papist priest.”
“Whom I helped to condemn,” said Sir Anthony.
“All the more reason why you should not condemn yourself.”
“All the more reason why I should, if that’s what you call condemnation.”
Sir Francis gave a slight shrug, and glanced round the table. Is this, his glance said, a man incapable of ordering his own affairs?
“Father,” Thomas said, “you’ve no right to imperil the inheritance of your children. We have our own lives to live. Look at the Tregians, the Beckets, the Tremaynes and all the rest beggared and imprisoned, their estates seized and their prospects ruined. That’s well enough if they’re all of one mind. We are not.”