Hardly had we arrived than a message came overland from Ralegh to Captain Crosse that he could not hope to be at Plymouth with the rearguard for two weeks yet. Half the victuallers were still unready, and stores could not be brought to the dockside and loaded in time. He would, he promised, sail from Gravesend on the 16th with every ship in his charge, if he had to hang the captains and sail with farmers’ boys.
“The Generals will not like it,” said Crosse. “There are murmurings against him already that he does not make sufficient haste. When they stop quarrelling among themselves they see Sir Walter in the background, not yet arrived, the great eccentric, and they use him as a convenient peg for their grievances.” In the same bag came a letter from my father which had reached Sherborne after I left.
“Son Maugan,
This is to advertise you that your grandmother is likely to be gone from us ere this reaches you. She journeyed to London early in the year and was seized with heart cramps on making her return to us last month. The condition has continued and worsened since: I do not think she can survive another seizure. She has been a noble woman and will take her place with the blest above.
I trust you are finding profit in your employ. It is a fine opportunity for any young man; especially for one such as you.
We have lost eight lambs of the murrain and I fancy there is an evil eye upon the house. Trudy, the bay mare, is ill of the bolts. We have sown the castle fields with oats this year. Pray God they do well, for we are sore put. Your affectionate
Father.”
I had received a small monthly wage at Sherborne. It would pay for a horse. I asked Captain Crosse and he said: “I have nothing for you here. If you are back by the 18th you should be in safe time.”
When I reached Arwenack it was the afternoon of the 10th and sunny and warm; after being away for a few months the beauty of the land and bay caught at my breath: the chestnut trees in the drive were almost out and lifting their candles towards a blue sky innocent and remote. A yellow-sailed troy was luffing out into the bay; seagulls were crying their lonely lament; the sea was a glistening mirror which the distance breathed on and made hazy.
The first person I saw was my grandmother sitting out on a chair on the front lawn.
My father said:
“She’s better, yes, she’s better, though for how long … I truly believe her ailment was brought on not by shortness of breath but by shortage of money. For her return home from London she wished to hire a coach, but your Uncle Henry being in Holland and William refusing, she was constrained to attempt the hire herself, whereupon her great debts and mine too all but prevented her. For a man and five horses she was asked 6s. a day so prices go ever up and she engaged one Foster to have them for a quarter of a year your grandmother was never one to pare her cheeses but it was all but lost because Foster demanded a surety for their return and there was much to do your grandmother weeping tears of rage, she says before Mr Atkinson stood surety for her. By then anger had so taken hold of her that the first of many seizures came on before she reached Basingstoke.”
My father hunched his shoulders as if cold. The year had not dealt favourably with him. In a face grown fleshier his eyes looked smaller, little prominent blue stones with pink under-rims. The life had gone out of his fine hair; it might have been gathered from some thrashing floor.
“Have you news of the Fermors, Father?”
“Ah, yes, I’m advanced in that direction. When I was set free of prison I went to see Sir George and had it out with him very straight. Either a date was appointed, I said, or he must look elsewhere for a sire for his grandchildren. So he has stated October next. The eighth will be the day, God helping. Hearing this, and determined that there should be no other delay, I stayed on at Easton Neston until the marriage contract was drawn up and signed.”
… And Lady Killigrew said: “They can have taught you no manners at Sherborne, or you would have come straight to me on arrival, knowing how mortal sick I’ve been. Is there opportunity for advancement there? Whom do you meet? Is Lady Ralegh following this new fashion in French hoods? … Your stepmother, you will observe, is enceinte again. You would have thought we had enough brats to feed. You must look to no further help from this house, boy; I never thought we would have come to these straits. A Wolverstone in penuryl Times have changed for the worse when a man may not make use of his authority to some purpose … The Queen has lived too long: government has become oppressive and parsimonious though God knows who will come after her not, I pray, that pole-shanked drivelling Stuart: if so I shall be glad to die before her.”
… “So you’re home for a visit, Master Maugan,” Meg said. “I thought you’d funned away for good. Do not be scared o’ me; I’ve never asked nothin’ but what I thought was freely given. Indeed, twas th’other way round most of the time as I trust you’ve not forgot. Have you found some nice wench at your new home who’ll just be at your beck and call when you d’ want her and no other time?”
… “Sometimes I wish I could go in the church,” young John Killigrew said as he unloosed his shoes in the bedroom that night. “Have you ever thought of it, Maugan? No, well, it might not suit you, but I should not dislike it. I have small interest in my father’s life here it is not a godly life nor one I’d willingly copy. I believe I should be happier if you were my full brother and could inherit in my place …”
… And Belemus said: “Dolphin was here last week, with your old friends aboard. But they were all but caught. It was a great to-do.”
“Caught?”
“By Jonas in Crane. Elliot had barely time to slip his anchor and take the tide up river.”
Crane was a crompster, a type of vessel fairly new to the navy, a ship of some 180 tons: three massed and low built, with speed and an armament of 2 eighteen pounders and fourteen smaller cannon, so that she could catch and kill all but the biggest. She was the terror of the Elliots and the Burleys of the coast.
“The difficulty,” said Belemus, “was that the man aloft aboard Crane reported a suspicious vessel slipping away in the dusk. Captain Jonas, of course, has received many favours in this house; but this was altogether a trifle well, blatant. Other people would know of a ship sheltering in Mylar Pool. Your father could do nothing personal so I was sent aboard Crane. After some delicate negotiation œ100 changed hands God knows how your father found it and Crane went off to investigate a report that there was a pirate ship in the Helford River.”
I whistled.
Belemus went on: “By the way, d’you still hanker after little Mistress Reskymer, for I hear her spouse is sick…”
… All yesterday I had been resisting a desire to go to Paul. I knew it must end in frustration, yet, now the excuse existed, I had to go.
When I got to the church Philip Reskymer was from home and only Sue was there with a black-browed hairy man who topped her by a foot. She changed at sight of me.
“Do you know each other? This is Maugan Killigrew, Mr Arundell, Mr John Killigrew’s son from Arwenack. Mr Henry Arundell of Truthall, Maugan.”
“Formerly of Tolverne, sir?”
“Formerly of Tolverne.” Mr Arundell let breath escape from between thick lips indecently red by contrast with his black beard. “I know of you, boy. I’m told you saw my brother in Spain.”