When the worldwide
financial meltdown occurred, the Peverell sisters found themselves left high
and dry by events far outside of their control, the architect of their dire situation
was not the greed of bankers or the ineptitude of politicians or the financial
recession, but the stupidity of the Peverell men.
Trevelyan, the patriarch
of the family and his brother Kenwyn had over invested in high-risk stocks and shares
and lost virtually everything, and if that wasn’t bad enough, they then
proceeded to commit fraud in an attempt to recover their losses.
As a result, along
with the family silver, Trevelyan lost his mind and was committed to the asylum
while Uncle Kenwyn took all the remaining cash, he could lay his hands on and disappeared,
and the girls believed it highly unlikely he’d ever be seen again.
The Peverell family
had been Cornish landowners for centuries, but Peverell Hall, and the majority
of the land it sat on, had to be sold to pay off the huge debts resulting from
the brother’s dubious stock market speculations and criminality.
Trevelyan’s eldest
daughter, Morwenna Singleton, was the hardest hit by events, because following
the premature death of her husband, Leonard, in a riding accident when she was
30, she had made running the Hall and the Estate her entire life.
Also displaced by the enforced
sale of the Hall was Talwyn, who along with her husband, Chris Patterson, ran
the Estate farm.
Karensa also derived
her livelihood from the Estate as she was the jack-of-all-trades, hands on general
maintenance handywoman.
The youngest sister,
Demelza, was the only one that lived and worked away from home as a partner in
a firm of accountants, but she planned her return immediately the Peverell’s
began circling the wagons.
Under the
circumstance’s no one would have blamed them if they had all gone mad
themselves or for signing themselves into the local funny farm, but the sisters
were made of sterner stuff than the inept Peverell men.
The family was not
entirely impoverished, they still owned several properties and small farms in
the village of Peverell St Just, in fact they owned the whole village and its
environs.
However, the only
reason the unscrupulous brothers didn’t sell their holdings in St Just was that
they were unable to do so.
It was because of a
clause in their great-grandfather, Perran’s, will which, prohibited the sale of
any of the land or properties, however they were able to derive an income from
them.
Perran Peverell was
very ill when he made the unusual stipulation in a codicil, which was to
prevent his brother Yestin, who was of unscrupulous character, from plundering
the inheritance of Perran’s children who were at the time not of an age to
manage their own affairs.
It had come to Perran’s
attention that Yestin was planning to sell the village lock stock and barrel
the moment his brother was in the ground.
The story in the
family was that Yestin flew into such a rage when the will was read that he had
to be physically restrained from throttling the solicitor.
It was a stroke of
genius on the old man’s part, it was just a shame that the Estate proper eventually
ended up in the hands of Trevelyan and Kenwyn, who turned out to be as bad as
Yestin.
So, it was through
Peverell St Just that matriarchal Morwenna now saw her family’s salvation and
her sisters rallied around her.
Peverell St Just
wasn’t a large village and it and its environs consisted of 42 cottages, 3
houses, 2 large farms and a smaller one, a pub, a church, a rectory, a village shop,
and a railway station, but it would have to be enough.
The Rector of St
Just’s church was Howel Peverell, who was Morwenna’s cousin, and it was at the
Rectory, with him, his wife Jane and their 3-year-old son, Talan, that she
initially directed operations, as apart from being the Rector of the parish,
Howel was also the rent collector and de facto Estate manager.
“Are you going to take
over?” Howel asked
“Yes” she replied
“Thank God for that”
he said
“Don’t you like the
job?” Morwenna asked
“Absolutely not” he confessed
“I know my true vocation”
After that they spent
half a day going over the books and the list of outstanding repairs and the
vacant properties.
“I think the girls and
I will take that one” Morwenna said pointing at a spot on a map of the village.
“It needs some work”
Howel said “In fact it needs a lot of work”
“Karensa will soon get
it ship shape” she replied “and then we’ll get out of your hair”
The detached Dolcoath
house, Morwenna had chosen, was originally built for one of the mine managers
along with its neighbour, another detached property called Hingston House, both
names after two Peverell mines nearby, and the two houses, along with the
Rectory were set apart from the old miner’s cottages.
Karensa arrived the
next day and quickly got down to work on Dolcoath House and two weeks later she
had made the house habitable enough for her and Morwenna to take up residence.
Simultaneously Talwyn
and husband Chris started work on the much-neglected Poldark Farm and lived in
a caravan on site while Karensa continued to work on the house.
The youngest sister
Demelza was the last to arrive in the village, 12 weeks later than the others
as she had been working abroad, in Devon, she was the only one who had a job in
the real world, so she needed to work her notice and settle her affairs.
Karensa was still
working on the house aided and abetted by a local lad called Alan Amos so as a
result of the ongoing work Demelza had to stay at the Rectory and it was there
that they had the first big family meeting.
When all the Peverell’s
were gathered, it was Demelza who kicked off the meeting.
“Well, I’ve gone over
the books with a fine toothcomb and it could be worse” she began
“As of this moment we
have more money coming in than we have going out”
“I sense a “but”
coming” Morwenna said
“But there isn’t
enough to support us all” Demelza said “not for long anyway”
“So, what do we do?”
Pongo asked, Pongo was Chris Patterson’s nickname, well-earned due to his
propensity to deliver rancid foul-smelling silent farts.
“Well, you and Tal can
concentrate on Poldark Farm and growing produce to feed us”
Morwenna said
“That won’t save us
much” Karensa pointed out
“No, but every little
helps” Demelza said
“But what will make a
difference is maximising our rental income on the vacant properties”
“How many vacant properties
are there?” Karensa asked
“There are 14 empty
cottages and the railway buildings” Demelza replied
“The problem is we
don’t have the money to fix them up” Karensa explained “not even to a basic
standard and we don’t even have enough to finish the work on Dolcoath House”
“Well, I can help with
that” Demelza said
“How?” asked Morwenna
“I’ve just sold my
house in Plymouth” she replied “And my share of the firm”
“No, we can’t let you
do that Dem” Morwenna said
“Nonsense Wen” she
responded “it was bought with Peverell money, so it’s only right it comes back
to the Peverell’s”
Demelza brooked no
more discussion on the matter and as a result the money was put to good use.
All that year and all
of the next the Peverell’s worked hard to get the family finances back in
shape.
Karensa, Alan and a
handful of local tradesmen completed the work on the 8-bedroom Dolcoath House
before refurbishing the farmhouse at Poldark farm, they then moved on to complete
the vacant cottages and were well on the
way to doing the same to the railway station.
With Talwyn and Pongo living
in the farmhouse and the remaining Peverell’s moved in under one roof, Morwenna
was ready to take in paying guests in the remaining rooms with the help of
Demelza, because it was Dem who set up the website and managed the advertising
and the resulting bookings.
Meanwhile Talwyn and
Pongo worked all the hours God sent to get the small Poldark farm producing enough
food for the family.
Howel, the Rector and
his wife Jane also mucked in, in-between church duties, and showing formidable
resilience the Peverell’s rose phoenix like from the ashes of financial
disaster.
The village of
Peverell St Just was first built in the 18th Century to house the
tin miners of the area and the railway was built a hundred years later
primarily to transport the tin Orr out of Cornwall for processing.
The last local mine
closed in 1934 and the railway soon followed, and the rails were all removed for
scrap metal to be used in the war effort at the start of World War Two.
The buildings survived
and over the following years were used for storage, mainly for the adjacent Poldark
Farm as the station property backed onto it, and the village itself suffered
with the decline of mining and many residents moved away.
Those who stayed
turned to farming or fishing to earn a living and hung on by their finger ends.
More moved away with
the start of the war, but others moved in to replace them as the RAF built a
radar station on the headland two miles from the village and the operators were
billeted in Peverell St Just.
Farming and fishing
thrived in the post war years and the RAF’s presence remained in the area until
the late 50’s when tourists arrived in force to replace them and the fortunes of
the village changed again.
Of course, it was due
to changing fortunes that led to the Peverell girls having to relocate
themselves to Peverell St Just, where they set about to, if not reverse them, then
at least improve them.
The only means at
their disposal to do this, as they were unable to sell any of the properties,
was to maximise the rental income by renovating the empty properties, this was
not however a speedy process with their limited resources.
By the Spring of the
third year in St Just, Karensa and co had already finished the railway station,
the adjacent pump house and had just started converting the signal boxes into
small holiday lets, they would be followed by the workshops, engine sheds and
ancillary buildings which would all be converted to accommodations where possible.
It was fortunate for
the girls that the railway was already defunct by the time the rail network was
nationalized after the war and was not as a result part of the general
compulsory purchase.
Chiefly it meant they
had more properties to rent or let, which was the task of baby of the family,
Demelza, to manage.
Demelza Miller was 30
years old and recently returned from abroad, namely Plymouth where she was a partner
in a firm of accountants, one of the other partners being her ex-husband.
She married Gary
straight after University and they were married for two years and divorced for
five before she returned to Cornwall.
It was the sale of her
house in Plymouth and her share of the firm that filled the Peverell’s War
chest.
She had remained
single after the divorce, which hurt her more than she would admit, and she had
loved Gary and thought he was the one, so she was in no hurry to repeat her
mistakes.
Demelza was the same
stature as her oldest sister Morwenna but was a slimmer version of her.
She also had the
tell-tale red hair of the Peverell’s and the striking Celtic blue eyes.
With everyone in the
family doing their bit, her role was for the most part far removed from her former
professional life, although she did do the family accounts.
In addition to the bookkeeping,
she also set up and maintained the website, did the advertising, the bookings
and where necessary she worked with a local girl, Verity Small, doing the
housekeeping.
It was quite fortuitous
that the majority of the cottage lets were long term, which meant there was 100
percent yield on them.
The holiday lets,
though good, were by their very nature seasonal.
Not that they had no
tourists out of season, there were always the hardy types, ramblers, climbers, twitchers,
or the fishing fraternity.
She had done rather
well with the web site, with virtual tours of the village, the lets and the
surrounding countryside.
But even so, a large
number of properties were unoccupied for more than a third of the year.
Demelza was doing her
best to address that shortfall which was why she was particularly pleased that
she had let the railway station within a week of its completion for a minimum
of 12 months.
The tenant to be, was
a writer of crime fiction, famous by all accounts, though she’d never heard of
him, who wanted a change of scene to somewhere quiet and out of the way.
It was the end of May
when Demelza saw, through her office window, an unfamiliar yellow car pull up
outside Dolcoath House.
She opened the desk
draw and picked up some keys and then went outside.
“Mr Burrell?” she
called as he got out of the car.
“That’s me” he replied,
and he walked towards her and offered his hand and said
“Nathan Burrell”
“Demelza Miller” she
said taking his hand
“Everything is ready
for you”
“Excellent” he said
“You can leave your
car there for the minute, it will be quicker to walk from here”
“Fine” he agreed “I
could do with stretching my legs”
Demelza led the way
and Nathan Burrell followed and after a few minutes she asked
“So, are you a famous
writer?”
“Fairly” he replied
“If you happen to like crime novels”
“I see” she said
“You don’t like crime
novels then?” he said
“Not really my thing”
she confessed
“I’m surprised you
didn’t Google me then” Nathan said sensing a purpose to her line of questioning
“Well, I did actually”
she confessed “And I was wondering if I might ask a favour”
“Ask away” he said
congenially
“Well, it would be a
feather in our cap if we could mention you on the website” Demelza said
hopefully “But I would quite understand it if you were hoping to keep a low
profile”
He laughed heartily in
response and said
“I think if I wanted
to be inconspicuous, I probably wouldn’t drive a yellow car”
Demelza giggled in
response to his comment just as they reached the converted railway station.
The rails had long
since gone and had been replaced by a private lane that ran from the village
road up as far as the North signal box.
“Here we are” she said
and walked up on to the platform and unlocked the front door.
The door would have
originally opened into a storeroom, but it was now the hall and everything else
inside had changed too.
The “Ladies” and
“Gents” toilets had been knocked through into one bathroom, the ticket office
was now the kitchen and the vestibule had French doors at each end and was now
the dining room.
“This is perfect” he
said when she showed him the waiting room that had been converted into a small
lounge.
“It’s a bit snug” she
said apologetically
“Exactly, that’s just what
it is the “Snug”” Nathan said “this is where I’ll spend most of my time”
Demelza then showed
him, what was once the station masters office, which was now the bedroom.
“There is only the one
bedroom” She said “but if you have guests then the pump house on the opposite
side of the lane is available to let, or we do B&B at Dolcoath House”
“Ok that’s good to
know” Nathan replied
“Are you likely to
have guests to stay?” she asked
“More than likely” he
replied “My publisher Richard will probably come down to make sure I’m working
hard”
“Oh, he’s a tough task
master then?” asked Demelza
“He’s relentless”
Nathan replied
“I see”
“And of course, Ruth
will come down” he added
“It that your wife?”
She asked
“No” he replied and
laughed
“Girlfriend then?” she
said
“No, Ruth is my
sister” he explained “she’ll definitely be down to check up on me”
Demelza unlocked the
doors onto a small patio and beyond it where the old station car park used to
be, was the semi-formal back garden full of spring flowers with raised beds
made from old railway sleepers.
“Wow that’s lovely”
Nathan said, “Did you do this?”
“No way” She replied
and laughed “I am useless with plants”
“What even house
plants?” he asked
“Yes” she answered “I
kill them all, they no nothing but drought or flood and then they die”
“Oh dear, so who does
have green fingers?” he asked
“My sister Talwyn”
Demelza replied “and my other sister Karensa did the conversion”
“Another sister?”
Nathan asked
“Yes” she replied
“How many of you are
there?” He asked
“Just the four” she
replied
About a week after
Nathan had moved in Demelza had just finished showing a birdwatcher to the newly
completed North Signal box and was on her way back to Dolcoath House, this took
her past the station, so she decided to call in and see if Mr Burrell was
settling in ok.
She hadn’t seen him
since the day he arrived, and she was surprised to find that she was
disappointed about it.
It surprised Demelza
firstly because she didn’t believe in instant attraction and secondly because
he wasn’t really her type.
She liked tall,
well-made men, big and cuddly, and Nathan was about her height and a bit
scrawny.
He wasn’t bad looking
though, he had a good sense of humour and he was the same age as her.
She knocked on the
door and waited a moment and suddenly felt a little foolish and decided to go, but
just as turned away the door opened.
“Mrs Miller! Come in” Nathan
said “Just in time, the kettle has just boiled”
“Call me Demelza” she
said “Thank you, I was just passing so I thought I’d see if you’d settled in
ok”
“Fine, fine” he said
“come and have a cuppa, you’re just in time for elevenses”
“Oh ok” Demelza said
“Elevenses at 10 o’clock, how very decadent”
“I like to be
flexible” Nathan said
“Unfortunately,
Morwenna runs a very tight ship and doesn’t allow impromptu refreshment breaks”
Demelza said
“Who is Morwenna?”
Nathan asked as he poured the hot water
“She’s my big sister
and she’s very regimented” Demelza replied
“She’s lovely though
and she’s a brilliant cook”
“What about you?” he
asked as he put a mug in front of her
“What do you mean?”
“Are you a good cook?”
he asked
“Me? No, I burn water”
she replied
Nathan smiled as he sat
down opposite her and said
“So, if you can’t cook
and you kill plants, what can you do?”
“I’m an accountant”
she said proudly “so my forte is bookkeeping and now I do all the accounts for
the business”
“So, your skill is
that you can count?” said Nathan and laughed
“No, my skill is that
I can use a calculator” she said and laughed herself.
A few days later it was
Demelza’s day off and as was her habit on such days she spent it walking through
the woodland down to the coastal path and then along the coast to Port Just and
then back to the village, it was a well-worn route from her childhood that she
had reacquainted herself with since her return.
It was also her escape
from the family, the business and the mundane.
As she walked back
through the village she was really looking forward to a coffee, she checked her
watch, and it was only half past two.
Morwenna didn’t serve
afternoon refreshment until four, so she decided to go and see Nathan and avail
herself of the station buffet.
She walked up the
slope on to what used to be the platform that was now the front porch, then Demelza
knocked the door and it opened almost immediately
“Hello Demelza” he said,
“Come in, do you want coffee?”
“I thought you’d never
ask” she said
“Well, you’re in luck”
he said “the kettle has just boiled”
“Your kettle has
always just boiled” Demelza said and laughed
After Nathan had made
the drinks, he suggested they sit out on the patio and after they settled
themselves Dem asked
“So how are you getting
on with the writing?”
“It’s going well” he
replied
“Not too quiet for
you?” she quizzed
“No, I wanted
somewhere quiet” Nathan replied “I’m easily distracted you see”
“I know” she said,
“but why here?”
“I’ve always been fond
of Cornwall” he replied somewhat unconvincingly “And I’ve also always had a
hankering to live in a railway station”
“That’s all very well
but why not somewhere like California?” she asked
“Well, I like the four-season
climate” Nathan replied
“Waking up to the same
weather day after day would be a distraction in itself”
“California isn’t
reflective of the whole country” she persisted “There are other places to go,
quiet places, that even have disused railway stations”
“I just didn’t fancy
it” he said
“Don’t you like
travel?” she asked, “or is it something else?”
She noticed his
discomfiture at her questions and thought for a moment to when she had googled
him, she had seen pictures of him on his website in New York City at a literary
awards event and she also recollected a picture of Nathan Burrell on board a
ship with the Statue of Liberty in the background.
“You travelled to New
York on a Liner, didn’t you?” she asked
“Yes, I did” he admitted
“A couple of times”
“But you did it
because you’re scared to fly” she announced triumphantly
“I wouldn’t say scared
exactly” he responded in some discomfort
“You wuss” she said
and disintegrated into laughter
Later, after she had
calmed down, as she finished her third mug of coffee Nathan asked
“So how come you’re
not in a hurry today?”
“It’s my day off” she
replied
“And this is the most
exciting thing you could find to do on such a lovely day” he asked
“Well, I’ve been
walking” she said
“You can come with me
next time; I promise it’s not scary”
Nathan realised he was
not going to easily live down his fear of flying and he similarly realised that
it mattered to him what she thought of him.
Over the next month
Nathan was increasingly distracted by the fact that Dem hadn’t been around for
coffee.
He had thought on
their last meeting they had made a connection and had even made a date of sorts,
and Nathan tried to put it out of his mind and put it down to his innate inability
to read women.
One thing he was sure
of was that his writing was suffering, what little there was of it.
Nathan needn’t have
worried, the reason she hadn’t been around was nothing to do with him, her
father Trevelyan had been rushed into hospital after he had suffered a
suspected heart attack, so the sisters all rushed to his bedside in Truro, his
condition was serious but stable, but the prognosis was uncertain.
Despite what he had
done he was still their father, so they took it in turns to stay with him.
So Morwenna and Talwyn
did the first week and Karensa and Demelza took the second and so on, and as a
result of being short-handed and bookings at an all-time high, things had been
so busy that Demelza had not only been unable to visit Nathan for coffee but
had even had to forgo her days off and her walks of freedom.
By the middle of July,
Nathan had given up trying to figure out why he hadn’t seen Demelza, twice he
had been to the office looking for her and on both occasions his trip proved
fruitless.
“Maybe she’s gone on
holiday” he said to himself as he closed the front door on a rainy Thursday
morning when he was on his way to the office for a third time in as many weeks.
He walked briskly up
the lane towards Dolcoath House and as he walked up the steps to the front door,
he caught sight of Demelza through the window and he suddenly got butterflies in
his stomach and he chastised himself for his foolishness.
“You’re a grown man
for goodness sake” he said to himself and opened the door.
As soon as he stepped
over the threshold Demelza turned to see who it was, and her face lit up in
recognition.
“Hi Nathan” she said
and beamed a glorious smile at him
“Hello stranger” He responded,
“Have you been on your hols?”
“No” she replied
wanting to tell him the whole story but said instead
“My Dad was taken ill”
“Oh God I’m so sorry”
He gushed “Is he ok?”
“As he ever will be”
she replied again, still holding back and then quickly changed the subject
“So, what brings you
to my inner sanctum?” She asked “You’re way too early for coffee, our habits
aren’t as liberal as you arty types”
“I was hoping to rent
the old pump house for a week” Nathan said
“Oh ok” she said “this
is where I get to show you that I can do more than just take impromptu coffee
breaks”
She turned her attention
to her monitor and tapped something on the keyboard.
“When did you have in
mind?” she asked “We are pretty well booked at the moment”
“Sometime in the next
few weeks”
“I can do the first
week of August, if that’s any good” she offered
“Perfect” he replied
“And what name?”
Demelza asked
“Ruth Bunyon” He
replied
“Oh, your sister?” she
said
“Yes, she’s coming to
check up on me and to make sure I’m eating properly and having regular bowel
movements” Nathan replied and they both laughed
“Is she older or younger?”
Dem asked
“10 years older” he
replied “When our mum died Ruth took on the roll even though she was only 16”
“She’s very special to
you, isn’t she?” Dem asked
“Absolutely, she’s an
amazing person, and she still mothers me even though she has a family of her
own”
“I look forward to
meeting her” she said genuinely
“Thank you” he said “perhaps the three of us
go out for a meal together”
“That would be lovely” Demelza said “but the
nearest restaurant is 30 miles away”
“Oh well come to mine then and I’ll cook” Nathan
suggested
“You can cook?” she said in total surprise
“Come to dinner and find out” he said
“Ok that would be lovely” she said and meant
it.
Nathan was on his way out the door when he
turned back and said
“Oh, and while I remember, could I also book
a room here for the week after next, for one night, any day is fine, in the
name of Richard Pruitt?”
“More family?” she
asked
“Publisher” he replied
“coming to jolly me along”
“Oh, I see too many
coffee breaks” Dem said
“Talking of which will
you be popping in?” he asked hopefully
“No not this week I’m
afraid, I have so much to catch up on” she replied with true regret
“Next week then” he
suggested
“Definitely, it’s a
date” Demelza replied and blushed a little at her Freudian slip, which Nathan
noticed and set his butterflies off again.
For the rest of the
week Nathan knuckled down and made some significant progress on his writing and
by the end of it he said to himself
“That should take the
wind out of Richards sails”
On Friday Morning he
was just contemplating a coffee break when there was a knock on the door and to
his surprise and delight it was Demelza
“Good Morning” she
said brightly
“Hi, I didn’t think
I’d be seeing you this week”
“I got my head down
and by burning the midnight oil, I caught up”
She said “So I have
earned a day off and as it’s such a lovely day, I thought you might like to
join me on my walk”
“Well, as I too have
been working hard, and have produced my quota of chapters to keep Richard
happy, I have also earned a day off, so I’d love to, am I alright as I am?”
He asked as he was
wearing shorts and a polo shirt
“Apart from the
slippers” she replied and laughed
Demelza had felt
guilty about not telling Nathan the whole story about her father’s illness, so on
the walk down to the coastal path she finally unburdened herself.
Dem told him of
Trevelyan and Kenwyn’s mismanagement of the family funds, the fraud and the
formers committal and the latter’s absconding and the consequences to the Peverell
sisters.
Each uncomfortable word
came harder than the one preceding it as she drew them out into loose painful
sentences.
Demelza got to the
part about having to give up her job, her house and her life to return to the
village of her childhood, at which point her voice faltered so Nathan took her
hand and then kissed her as the Atlantic waves broke over the rocks below the
coastal path.
When they continued on
their way Demelza gripped his hand tightly and the words flowed easily from her.
Like her sisters she had the tell-tale red hair of the
Peverell’s and the striking Celtic blue eyes.
Where they differed however was that Karrie was always
a tomboy and Tally was a girlie girl.
When her sisters were all playing with dolls Karrie
was playing football, climbing trees, and riding her BMX and she spent her
teenage years covered in bruises and sporting grazed knees while Tally had perfect
hair and painted nails.
But apart from not wearing frocks and dressing like a
teenage boy she was also blessed with the ability to work with her hands.
She built herself a
tree house when she was eleven, without any adult help at all, but if there was
something, she didn’t know how to do she wasn’t afraid to ask, and she was a
quick learner.
By the time she was 18
she could turn her hand to practically anything and she made a niche for
herself working on the Estate.
But as competent as
she was, Karensa was inside a protective bubble on the Estate that kept her
safely in her comfort zone, so for Karrie the financial collapse of the family
had actually been the best thing that could ever have happened to her.
She had been protected
from the world but in truth Karensa was the best suited to cope with adversity,
it actually made her stronger.
When Morwenna had
first spoken to her about making Dolcoath House habitable she found that she
revelled in the challenge and after the first full family meeting and she was
given carte blanch to renovate the vacant stock, as well as the station, signal
boxes and press on with the outbuilding conversions, she was in her element.
The first thing
Karensa did before starting work on the Dolcoath House was to persuade a local
lad called Alan Amos to work with her.
She had worked with
him a couple of times in the past on Estate jobs and she knew that between them
they had all the necessary skills to get the job done no matter what problems
might arise, and besides that she fancied the pants off him.
He was a couple of
years younger than her, six-foot-tall with dark curly hair and crystal blue
eyes and she thought he was “well buff”.
Apart from being fit
he also knew about the local labour, who was good, who was bad and who was honest
and who couldn’t be trusted, he also had a contact he could get cheap materials
from, which was an added bonus as Demelza held the purse strings quite firmly.
Alan and Karensa
worked well as a team, she was a great planner and time manager, and Alan knew
how to get the best out of the labourers but they both got their hands dirty.
Once Dolcoath House
was completed Alan said he was off to Bristol for a few months on a shop
fitting job.
This was worse news
than when she found out her father had lost his marbles.
“It’s three months
guaranteed work and its good money too,” he said
“Well, I know I can’t
match the money, but I can guarantee a year’s work at least” Karrie said
“Only if you and your
sisters can make a go of it,” Alan said
“We will,” she said resolutely
The truth was he didn’t
want to go to Bristol any more than she wanted him to, but he had to know that
she wanted him to stay, he really liked her, but he’d been hurt before and he
wasn’t keen for it to happen again, but he looked at her and the earnest
expression on her face.
“Ok, I’ll give you a
year and we’ll see how it goes” he said, and her expression changed instantly,
and he had his answer.
Over the next 12
months they saw each other at their best and their worst as they tackled first
the cottage renovations and then the very tricky conversions.
But as each problem
presented itself, with their combined grit they solved them one by one, but the
one problem neither of them could solve was how to make the transition from
work mates to lovers.
Everyone else knew the
disposition of their hearts, even Howel, the Rector, who was the least worldly
person in the south west of England, knew they were a couple in waiting.
Alan had tried to ask
her out countless times but always bottled out at the last minute, because there
was always that niggling doubt in the back of his mind that if he asked her out
and she said no, then it would make things awkward between them and he might
even have to leave.
The same thought had
crossed her mind on many occasions as well, but she had decided it was worth
the risk but every time she was about to broach the subject, they were
interrupted either by one of her sisters or a labourer or the phone.
As a result, things
were getting desperate, it was obvious to her that he was never going to ask her,
and it seemed that fate was conspiring to prevent her from asking him.
It all came to a head
at the progress meeting at Dolcoath House in the March, two years after they
had returned to Peverell St Just and were just starting their third.
Morwenna gave a matriarchal
speech praising everyone’s efforts,
Talwyn and Pongo gave
a status report on Poldark farm and its expected yield for the coming year,
Karensa and Alan updated everyone on the timetable for the remaining renovation
work, Howel spoke at length on their spiritual wellbeing and Demelza gave a
statement on the finances and pronounced them to be solvent.
There were mutterings
of approval and then under any other business Morwenna stood up and said.
“I would like to say
in addition how proud I am of everyone here for pulling together, and I don’t
want to single out anyone for special treatment, but I have two tickets here
for the multiplex in Truro, and the lucky recipient is” She paused briefly for
effect
“Karensa”
A round of applause
rippled around the room
“Um thanks” she said
bemusedly
“Alan” Morwenna said
in her most fearsome voice
“Yyyes” he stammered
“Are you free Saturday
night?” she asked, and he was a little afraid, and unsure of how to answer, as
he was terrified that Morwenna was going to ask him out
“Yes” he replied
“Good” she said “You
are now going to the pictures”
“Ok” he said and gave
Karensa a sideways glance to which she shrugged in response
“Ok everyone Karensa
and Alan are going out on Saturday night” Wen announced “Together!”
“Hooray” Tally said as
Alan smiled at Karrie who returned his smile and blushed
“Halleluiah” Demelza said
as she looked on
“The Lord be praised”
Howel added
-------------------------------------------------------
Trevelyan’s eldest
daughter Morwenna Singleton was the hardest hit by the events that had displaced
them from their ancestral home.
She had been alone
since the premature death of her husband, Leonard, in a riding accident when
she was 30, and she had subsequently made running the Hall her entire
life.
Morwenna was still an
attractive woman though fast approaching 40.
Like her sisters she
had the tell-tale red hair of the Peverell’s and the striking Celtic blue eyes.
She had a fuller
figure than her sister Demelza, who she most resembled, but she carried it
well.
She had been a widow
for almost 10 years, and she was lonely, she had her family all around her and
she loved them dearly but that wasn’t the same as having someone to snuggle up
to at the end of the day, someone to share the mundane minutiae of the day with.
She had loved Leonard
and she hadn’t felt whole since his death and she still missed him terribly.
However, despite her
loneliness, she couldn’t think of herself, not yet Wen was the matriarch of the
family and had to be strong for everyone else.
She ran a tight ship,
the B&B, the cottages, and the holiday lets, the whole enterprise and she
was a tough taskmaster, but beneath the strong unbreechable veneer, her sisters
knew she was a warm loving person.
Morwenna had been
pleased and proud in equal measure at how everyone had rallied around and helped
to forge new lives for themselves.
It had been hard for
everyone, Demelza gave up her job and sold her house to give them a war chest,
but she had been rewarded in the most special way as she had met and fallen in
love with a writer called Nathan Burrell, though not one of Wen’s favourite crime
authors.
Tally and her husband Chris
were just at the point where they were considering a family when the rug was
pulled from under them, but they still had each other.
Karensa had bloomed
since they had been in the village, she was a stronger, more resilient, and
happier person, even more so, since her and Alan finally became an item, with
Wen’s help.
Only she was alone,
she was immensely happy for her siblings though.
It was 10.05am on a
glorious July morning and Morwenna was sat on the patio taking a rare coffee
break.
She was in melancholic
mood as she had just seen Demelza and Nathan walk down the lane and although
they had only been together for just over a week it was oblivious, even to a
blind man that they were in love, they looked so happy that she found she was
quite envious of Dem and she felt lonelier than ever.
She chastised herself for
her selfishness and consoled herself with the knowledge that she was not
without her admirers, that was if one of the regular guests, a 55-year-old
fisherman with halitosis counted as an admirer.
However, before she
could dwell too much on her circumstances she was stirred from her torpor.
“Is that an
unscheduled coffee Mrs Singleton?” Nathan asked “I heard that you ran a tight
ship”
“I do” She replied,
“have you never heard of “don’t do as I do, do as I say”?”
“Oh, I see” he said
“So, you’re the famous
crime novelist?” Morwenna said “I’m more of an Agatha Christie fan myself”
“Behave Wen” Demelza
said “We are here to ask a favour”
“What kind of favour?”
she asked suspiciously
“It’s an invitation
really” he said
“My publisher is
booked in here tomorrow night and I’m cooking dinner and we wondered if you’d
make up the four”
“Can he cook?” she
asked Demelza
“Yes, he can” Dem
replied
“Better than he writes
I hope” Morwenna added
“We’ll see you at 8” Demelza
said
Although she didn’t
show it, she was pleased to be invited to dinner, she didn’t get to go out much
and the reason Morwenna was able to go to the Station for dinner that Thursday
was also the reason that Nathan was cooking dinner for a guest at Dolcoath
House, it was her day off and the B&B didn’t serve Dinner on her day off and
it would remain that way until they could afford to employ another cook.
Richard Pruitt wasn’t
just Nathan’s publisher he was also one of his closest friends, even though he
was 10 years older, they had met when Nat was at University and Richard was a
visiting lecturer, they hit it off immediately and their friendship had become
a very profitable one.
He dressed like a
successful man, in hand made suits, but he still managed to look like a
comprehensive school Geography teacher.
Richard and Nathan had
spent much of the day going over his latest chapters and discussing the
timetable for publication as well as the artwork for the cover.
The latter was a no
brainer as Nathan had always used the same artist who was always bang on the money
with her interpretation.
They continued
chatting in the kitchen while Nathan got on with the dinner, he’d done most of
the preparation before Richard arrived.
“So, what’s this
Morgana like then?” Richard asked
“Morwenna” Nathan
corrected him “And she’s quite terrifying”
“And you invited her,
why?” he asked
“Because Demelza says
she has a heart of gold” Nathan replied
“And does she?”
Richard asked
“If she does, she
certainly keeps it well hidden” Nat replied and laughed
Demelza and Morwenna
left the house together, both wearing cocktail dresses and made up to the nines,
and they both looked stunning with the evening sun setting their red hair on
fire.
To the casual observer
they couldn’t have been anything other than sisters, Wen was just a curvier version
of Demelza.
“Are you sure we needed
to dress up?” Wen asked
“Of course,” Dem
replied
“How often do we get
the chance to dress up?”
“Well, I understand
why you want to look your best” Morwenna said “But why can’t I just wear jeans?”
“Because it will look
like I’m trying to hard” Demelza replied
“Why does life have to
be so complicated?” Wen retorted
As they approached the
Station Morwenna thought what a wonderful job Karensa and Alan had done on the
exterior, she had been looking forward to seeing inside since it was finished
but didn’t get a chance as Demelza had let it to Nathan almost as soon as it
was completed.
When they reached the
door Demelza knocked lightly on the frame and went straight in
“Hello” she called
“Who’s that?” Nathan
called back
“It’s the talent” Dem
we replied
“Well make yourself
comfortable but I can’t give you long as my girlfriend will be here any minute”
Nathan said and then appeared from the kitchen
“Cheek” she said and
glowed, she liked it when he called her his girlfriend, and then she kissed
him.
“Wow you two look
stunning” he said and kissed Morwenna’s cheek
“Thank you” Morwenna
said taken aback by the compliment
“Can you do drinks on
the patio Hon?” He said to Demelza and added “Richard will be through in a
minute he’s just changing”
Dem followed him into
the kitchen, she knew that he’d already have the wine ready and what he really
wanted was a snog and she was more than happy to oblige.
After a satisfying
kiss Demelza returned from the kitchen carrying a tray with a chilled bottle of
wine in a bucket and the glasses.
She set down the tray
and poured the wine just as Nathan and Richard stepped through the French
doors.
“Hi Richard” Demelza
said and kissed his cheek “This is my sister Morwenna”
Richard was tall and
skinny and Morwenna thought he looked in need of a good meal.
He brushed his sandy
hair off his forehead, and she shook his hand.
“Pleased to meet you
Richard”
“Likewise,” he replied
As the two sisters
settled down in their seats Richard whispered
“I thought you said
she was an ogre; I think she’s lovely”
“Really?” Nathan said
During the course of
the meal, with an Author and a Publisher at the table the subject naturally turned
to writing.
“Morwenna prefers
Agatha Christie to modern crime fiction” Nathan said
“Me too” Richard agreed
“Charming” said Nat “You’re
my publisher you at least should be bigging me up”
“Sorry my boy” Richard
said
“I still think you’re
wonderful darling” Demelza said
“That doesn’t count
because you don’t like my books either”
“Who does exactly?”
Richard said unhelpfully
“Well, you need to
find out who they are and then keep them away from the Peverell’s” Nathan
suggested
“Well, if it’s any
consolation you cook better than Agatha Christie at least” said Morwenna
“High praise indeed”
Demelza commented
“Well thank you”
Nathan said “For that you can have desert”
As Nathan and Richard
were clearing dishes to the kitchen Wen whispered to Demelza
“You’ve got a keeper
there Dem, but don’t tell him I said that I have my reputation to protect”
Coffee and liqueurs
followed desert and the conversation got onto birthdays or to be more precise Morwenna’s
birthday.
“It’s Wen’s birthday
next week” Demelza said “A significant birthday”
“Oh really?” Richard
said “And might I be indelicate by asking which one”
“The big four zero”
Morwenna confessed
“Don’t look at it that
you’re going to be 40, think of it more as turning 30 – 10” Richard said kindly
and touched her hand
“I myself am 30 – 11” he
added and Morwenna smiled
Demelza and Nathan
meanwhile began clearing the table and looking back from the kitchen door
Nathan said
“I think Richard is
smitten”
“I think it’s mutual”
Dem replied and smiled
It wasn’t their
intention to match-make, they just wanted to make up a pleasant foursome.
The fact that Richard
and Morwenna were attracted to each other was an unexpected bonus.
“We must breathe
lightly on the embers” Nathan said enigmatically
“What does that mean
Mr GCSE English?” Demelza slurred
“We have to play
cupid” he replied
“I can do that”
Richard helped
Morwenna up and Demelza said
“Wait for me while I
find my bag”
“No rush” Richard said
“I can walk Morwenna home if you want to stay a bit longer”
“Oh ok” Demelza said “Thank
you”
The next morning at
first light Demelza crept into her room and slipped into her bed and slept a
guilt free sleep.
There had been no such
impropriety between Wen and Richard, but she still felt more alive than she had
for years.
When Demelza went down
for breakfast she found Morwenna in the kitchen, singing and the reason she was
so happy was that Richard had just told her he was staying on for another day.
“You’re in a good
mood” Dem said
Morwenna didn’t share
the reason for her good mood with Demelza but replied
“Yes, I am”
“Do you want eggs
honey?” Morwenna asked
“Yes please” she
replied taking full advantage of her good humour
“Take the toast
through then and keep Richard company” Wen instructed and Demelza duly obliged
“Morning Richard” she
said
“Good morning dear
girl” he responded, “and how are you this fine morning?”
“Very well” Dem
answered “I hear you’re staying another day”
“Yes, just the one more
unfortunately, I have a meeting tomorrow afternoon that I can’t get out of” he
replied sounding genuinely disappointed
“So, what are you and
Nat up to today? It’s your day off today isn’t it?” He asked
“Well, this morning
I’m going to give him the guided tour” she replied “This afternoon we’re driving
into Truro”
“We could join you”
Morwenna said as she appeared from the kitchen “couldn’t we, Richard?”
“Yes, that would be
lovely” he said
“For this morning
anyway” Morwenna qualified, she had a full house of guests to cater for in the
afternoon “I can’t go into Truro”
Morwenna was
disappointed, she liked Truro and it would have been nice to go there with
someone rather than on her own as usual.
After breakfast was
done and dusted Demelza helped Morwenna clear away and then they joined the men
outside, so the Peverell sisters could show them the delights of the village
and its environs.
The walk began on the
familiar path Demelza and Nathan had taken down to the coastal path on the day
they got together.
But instead of turning
east towards Port Just they turned west and followed the path as it climbed
high above the cliffs.
After about an hour
following the twisting path, they reached a high wooded hilltop.
They followed the path
into the wood and welcomed the coolness beneath the leafy canopy and when they
emerged on the other side, they were rewarded with the view of the valley below
and Peverell Hall on the opposite hill.
“Wow” Nathan said
“That’s impressive”
Richard added
“Distance lends
enchantment to the view” Nathan said
The girls said
nothing, it was the first time they had seen it since they had to sell,
Morwenna wiped a tear from her eye and Demelza took hold of her arm and steered
her away before anyone noticed.
Nathan had noticed
however and decided to hang back, to restrain Richard as well he slipped off
his backpack and broke out the water.
By the time they re-joined
the girls Morwenna had composed herself and was grateful for the water.
“Thanks Hon” Demelza
said and gave him a smile that said she knew what he’d done, and she was
grateful.
After that, the walk
was a gentle meander back down towards sea level into the next valley in which
Peverell St Just nestled.
They spotted the
church spire first and then Dolcoath House.
The loose rows of cottages
appeared next and then finally the woods that hid the old railway station.
But the group didn’t
head straight for the village instead they were headed towards Poldark Farm,
the small holding where Talwyn and Chris lived and worked.
The pair of them had
worked hard to bring the farm back from the brink and it showed.
They walked along the
lane and through the gate heading for the farmhouse.
When they were halfway
across the farmyard Talwyn came out of the barn holding a chicken
“Wen?” “is that you?” Talwyn
said and the sisters kissed
“What are you doing out
in the daylight?”
“Very funny” Wen
replied with a smile “we thought it was time to come and see what you’ve both
been up to”
“You’ve done a lot”
she added genuinely impressed
“Hi Tally” Demelza said,
she had been to the farm before at least twice a month.
The sister’s kissed
and the Dem added
“This is Nathan”
“Ah I’ve heard a lot
about you” Talwyn said and kissed him too
“All good I hope” Nat
said
“Absolutely not” she
replied
“Well not wishing to be
left out and as nobody else has introduced me, I’m Richard” he said and kissed Tally’s
cheek
“Hello Richard” she
said a little confused
“He’s my Publisher”
Nathan said
“That explains it” Tal
said
“Do you want tea or
coffee?”
Everyone answered in
the positive and they went into the kitchen, Morwenna looked around and found
herself impressed again by Karensa’s renovation work.
While they were sat at
the huge kitchen table drinking Talwyn’s husband Chris appeared.
“Oh hello” he said “I
didn’t realise we had guests”
Introductions were
made again although as Chris had been in the muck pile there was no repeat of
the kissing scenario.
“It’s nice to see you
out and about Wen” he said as he sat down next to his wife.
“Honestly, anyone
would think I never leave home” she said and an awkward few seconds of silence
followed until Demelza changed the subject.
“I noticed the
tomatoes are coming on”
As they left the farm,
Demelza said
“It’s amazing how
quickly they’ve turned the farm around”
“Yes, I’m really proud
of them, Tally and Pongo have really worked hard” Morwenna said
“Pongo?” Richard asked
“Yes, we call Chris
Pongo because he farts a lot” Demelza clarified
“Is that what that
foul smell was?” Nathan said “I thought it was manure”
That afternoon while
Demelza and Nathan went into Truro, Richard kept Morwenna company in the
kitchen while she prepared for the evening meal.
“It’s a shame we
couldn’t go into Truro with the others” He said
“I know” she agreed
“There’s a Noel Coward review on at the Hall”
“Perhaps we could go
another time” he suggested
“That would be nice”
Morwenna said
“For your birthday”
Richard continued “and we could get dinner afterwards”
“We can’t” she replied
“I have to work on my birthday, another day though perhaps”
“Can’t you swap days?”
he asked
“No, it’s not that
simple” she said sadly
Richard said no more
and thought he might need reinforcements to persuade her, so he bided his time.
The next morning sat
around the same table, he Nathan and Demelza ganged up on Morwenna.
“Why can’t you go?”
Demelza asked
“It will mess up the
rota” She replied stubbornly
“Oh, hang the rota”
Dem persisted “I don’t mind swapping days with you”
“Well, that’s all very
well but who will cook dinner for the guests?” Wen said
“You hadn’t thought of
that had you? You can’t even boil an egg”
“I will” Nathan said
“You will what?” she
asked
“I will cook the
lunch, evening meal and breakfast next morning if necessary”
He replied
“But...” she began
“You know I can cook”
he said
“But...” she began
again
“In fact, in your own
words I cook better than Agatha Christie”
“Ok I give in” she
submitted
Next week on her
birthday Morwenna was pacing up and down in the kitchen nervously
“I’m not sure about
staying overnight” she said to her sister
“Relax, Richard has
booked two rooms at the Alverton Manor” Dem said “Nothing has to happen unless
you want it too”
“Demelza!!” she
scolded
Dem just gave her a
look and Morwenna sat down hard on the chair.
“I wouldn’t know what
to do anyway” she said “There hasn’t been anyone since Leonard, in fact there
wasn’t anyone before Leonard”
“You’ll be fine”
Demelza said reassuringly
“I’m not sure I should
go at all” she said “I’ll call him and cancel”
“Nonsense” Dem said
sternly “Richard really likes you, and I mean “really” likes you”
“Ok” Morwenna said
meekly
“Just relax and enjoy
your birthday treat” Demelza said and hugged her sister “Then if you feel like
a special birthday treat you will know what to do when the time comes”
They were both
laughing as they hugged when Nathan walked in
“Your carriage has
arrived madam”
“Oh ok” she said and
took a deep breath “Ready”
Morwenna reached out
to take her case and Demelza stopped her.
“We have men for that
kind of thing”
And Morwenna laughed
“Hey peasant” she called
to Nathan “Take the ladies bag”
“Yes em” he replied
and tugged his forelock and then followed a respectable distance behind.
As Wen left the front
door of Dolcoath House she got her first look at the transportation.
“Oh my God” Wen said,
“is that for me?”
It was a gleaming
Vintage Rolls Royce Silver Cloud complete with chauffeur.
“Happy birthday”
Richard said as he stood by the open door, Wen ran towards him and hugged and
kissed him to within an inch of his life.
“There will definitely
be a special treat” Demelza said
“What was that Hon?”
Nathan said
“Nothing darling just
a family joke”
Although three years
apart, Thirty-six-year-old Talwyn Peverell and her younger sister Karensa, could
easily have passed for twins and they were smaller than their other siblings,
leaner and wiry.
Like her sisters she
had the tell-tale red hair of the Peverell’s and the striking Celtic blue eyes.
Where they differed
however was Tally was a girlie girl and
Karrie had always been
a tomboy.
When they were younger
Tally would be playing with dolls, Karrie was playing football, climbing trees,
and riding her BMX.
Throughout her teens Tally
had perfect hair and painted nails, while Karrie spent hers covered in bruises
with grazed knees.
But despite her being
a girlie girl, she surprised herself and everyone else when she took to the
farming life like a duck to water.
For Talwyn the
financial collapse of the family had been the most devastating, because her and
her husband Chris had worked hard for years and were finally safe and secure
and began trying for a child to complete the circle.
She loved Chris,
despite his propensity to emit the foulest farts imaginable and the fact he was
rather odd looking, as he was tall and scrawny with huge feet and straw-coloured
hair, not unlike a scarecrow.
They had a lovely
house on the Estate and staff to help on the farm whereas now they had a more
modest home and had to do everything themselves.
When her father Trevelyan
and Uncle Kenwyn gambled away their inheritance the bottom fell out of their
world and a rosy future suddenly looked very bleak indeed.
When they came down to
earth they were given Poldark Farm and it was in such a mess, the house was
uninhabitable, the barn roofs leaked, and the outbuildings were little more
than ruins.
For the first few months
they had to live in a second-hand caravan but Karensa soon put that right.
She and Alan did a
brilliant job on the farmhouse and worked seven days a week to get the house
finished for them.
Once they had a proper
roof over their heads Talwyn and Chris could concentrate on the farm itself.
There was a section of
the farm that ran adjacent to the old railway and that part of the parcel of
railway land was added to the farm.
The old coal bunkers
had been converted to compost bins and where the stack of sleepers used to
stand there was now a row of greenhouses and cold frames.
They were all second
hand of course, Demelza found them on eBay and Karensa put them together and
replaced the broken pains, and they were growing seedlings before the summer
even began.
By the time Morwenna
made her surprise visit to Poldark Farm, two years later, just before her 40th
birthday, the Peverell’s were completely self-sufficient.
No mean feat when the
land had been so ill used, decades of neglect meant much of it had been reclaimed
by nature and the parts that hadn’t were used as a dumping ground.
It would have been
soul destroying to lesser mortals but Talwyn and Chris were driven, by a desire
that would not be extinguished.
They wanted a family
and every tree root they dug out and every piece of junk removed took them a
step closer to their goal.
Nathan left the Station
and ran through the August rain to Dolcoath House to see Demelza and he found
her in the kitchen talking with Wen.
“Blimey has Pongo been
in here?” he said
“Yes, he dropped off
the produce and something else” Demelza replied “Can you still smell it?”
“Smell it I can taste
it” Nathan said because Pongo’s fart still lingered in the room, it was like
napalm it seemed to stick to everything it came into contact with.
Demelza made them all
coffee and they went and drank it in the lounge.
“So, what brings you
out in the rain Nathan?” Morwenna asked
“Well to be honest I’m here to ask a favour” he said
“Ask away” Wen said
“Look I really enjoyed cooking for the guests when you went to Truro
with Richard” He said “And I would quite like to do it every week on your day
off”
“Well, that’s a no brainer” Morwenna said “in fact I have a favour to
ask you”
“What’s that?” he asked
“Would you cover for me for a whole week?” she asked
Richard had asked her to go away with him for a week to Europe she
hadn’t been able to say yes even though she was desperate too.
“Of course, it’s a yes” he said
The next day it was Talwyn who made the produce delivery, and it was a
fiercely hot day.
“God it’s so hot” she
said
“Sit down and have a
drink” Wen said “you look done in”
“I’m fine” she said “But I’ll take a cold drink”
Morwenna went to the fridge and got out a bottle of water but when she
turned around Talwyn had collapsed to the floor.
“DEM! DEM!” she shouted and rushed to her sister
“Whats all the shouting about?” Demelza asked and then she appeared in the
doorway
“Call an ambulance”
Wen snapped
Demelza knelt down on
the floor next to her stricken sister
“No time for that” she
said “I’ll call Nat”
She phoned Nathan and
he was there in under five minutes by which time Tally was sitting upright and
taking a little water.
“Let’s get her in the
car” He said
“I’ll be fine now” she
insisted
“Nonsense” Demelza
said “You need to get checked out”
“What about Chris?”
she asked
“He’s on his way” Wen
replied
They got Talwyn in the
back of Nathan’s car just as Chris arrived
“We can’t all go”
Morwenna said “someone needs to stay here”
Demelza and Wen looked
at each other neither of them wanting to volunteer.
“I’ll stay” Nathan
said and threw the keys to Demelza
“I can’t drive” she
said
“It’s alright it’s an
automatic” he said
“No, I mean I can’t
drive” she said “I never learned”
“Really?” Nat asked
“I’ll drive” said
Karensa who suddenly appeared from nowhere
“Good, so get going”
he said and watched as the Peverell girls and Pongo headed off to the hospital,
as the car disappeared from view, he just hoped Pongo wouldn’t live up to his
name on the journey.
“It could be lethal in
the confines of a car”
Still, that wasn’t
something he would have to worry about.
When he volunteered to
hold the fort, Nathan didn’t quite comprehend just how much work was involved in
catering for 16 guests when you had to do absolutely everything on your own and
by the time, he was halfway through serving dinner he began to think that being
trapped in a car with one of Pongo’s farts looked the more attractive option.
The end of the night
when the last dirty plate was loaded in the dishwasher he sat down in an armchair
and put his feet up and then promptly fell asleep.
It was about an hour
later when he was woken from his slumber by loud laughter as the Peverell girls
burst into the room.
“Aw look at my little
tired soldier” Demelza said and walked over and kissed him.
“Have some respect for
the dead” Nathan said sleepily
“Obviously, no stamina,
these literary types” Morwenna added
“I’ll put the kettle
on” Karrie offered
“Just remember to put
water in first” Wen said “it’s a kitchen appliance not one of your work tools”
“Very funny” Karensa
said
“So, how’s Talwyn?” Nathan
asked
“They kept her in”
Morwenna said “Just as a precaution”
Nathan was curious why
he detected no concern in her voice there was even the faintest hint of a
smile.
“So, what’s wrong?” He
asked Demelza
“Nothing’s wrong” she
replied
“Then why have they
kept her in?” he quizzed
Karensa returned from
the kitchen and the three sisters stood in the centre of the room and linked
arms
“She’s pregnant” they
all chorused
“What?” he exclaimed
“She’s four months
pregnant” Morwenna said proudly
“Everything is
fine” Demelza said “they really did just keep her in as a precaution”
“We’re all going to be
aunties” Karrie said
“Then we should have
something a little stronger than coffee” Nat said
---------------------------------------------------------------
The birth of Talwyn
and Chris’s daughter Cordelia in the January of the families fourth year in the
village of Peverell St Just, was the first of many such happy events to bless
them over the following three years but the arrival of little Cordelia marked the
turning point for the Peverell family, and she was the first of the cousins
that would eventually rebuild the families fortunes in the not-too-distant
future.
Cordelia’s birth also
prompted the first family occasion at St Just’s Church since their return to
the village where the rector, Howel baptised the new addition into the family
of Christ.
The Patterson’s went
on to spend their entire married life at Poldark farm and then Cordelia took
over the running of it when they retired.
Later that same year,
in June, Morwenna married Richard and took the name of Peverell-Pruitt.
Richard opened an
office in Truro and divided his time equally between there and Dolcoath House
which in time became their family home.
Two months after Wen and
Richard tied the knot, Howel was in action once again when he performed the
ceremony at Demelza and Nathans wedding.
However, she thought
that Peverell-Burrell was too much of a mouthful, so she settled for plain old
Demelza Burrell.
They made their home
together at the station and raised a family together where Nathan continued
churning out Crime novels and Morwenna continued ridiculing him about them.
Karensa was the final
Peverell sister to wed, in December, on the same day that Morwenna found out
she was pregnant, she kept the news to herself though until the following day,
not wanting to deflect attention from Karrie on her big day.
In the year that
followed she and Alan embarked on their most ambitious renovation to date, when
they resurrected the old village schoolhouse that had been destroyed by fire
twenty earlier, it took them two years, Karensa was pregnant by the time it was
completed, and they moved in and never lived anywhere else.
When the family’s
fortunes began to change, they were all wary that it might just be a false dawn
but as year on year they continued to prosper they all became believers and inevitably
as they consolidated their fortunes a figure from the past contacted then out
of the blue.
It was just before Morwenna
and Richards 10th wedding anniversary and Wen received a phone call from
Uncle Kenwyn.
No one in the family
had heard word one from the old rogue since he absconded with what remained of
the Peverell money, with the police hot on his heels.
It was quite a shock for
her to hear from him after all the years that had passed, though perhaps it was
not really a surprise.
He deserted the family
when they were on their uppers now when things were on the up and up, he
resurfaced with his hand out.
From whatever rock
he’d been hiding under he had obviously got to hear that they were prospering.
“Dolcoath House” Wen
said
“Morwenna darling” the
voice said
“Uncle Kenwyn” she
said flatly “Long time no hear”
“Well, you know how it
is, time flies when you’re having fun” he said
“So, to what do we owe
the pleasure?” She asked
“Well, I don’t like be
indelicate” he said “but I’m a little short on funds”
“So?” She responded
unsympathetically
“Well, I hear on the
grapevine that you are doing well now”
“Yes, we are doing
well” she snapped
“Bloods thicker than
water Wen” he said
“Well Uncle Kenwyn
give me an address and I’ll send you a cheque” she said
“No need” he said “I’m
putting into Port Just on Friday; I’ll pick up the cash personally”
“Ok then” she said “after
all just like you say blood is thicker than water”
Since the family’s
financial crash Morwenna had been the driving force in their recovery and the
reason they were where they were was due in no small part to her fortitude.
On Friday, Morwenna
was on the quayside in Port Just when a small yacht tied up alongside called
“The Slippery Eel”
“How apt” she thought
to herself
Kenwyn walked along
the quay in white shirt and shorts, his skin deeply tanned, and he was smoking
a large cigar.
“Morwenna darling” he
said and moved to embrace her “it’s so lovely to see you again”
“I wish I could say
its mutual” she said and evaded his embrace
“Well just give me my
fair share and I’ll be on my way” he said
“I don’t think so” she
retorted
“Don’t play games
Morwenna” he snapped “Isn’t that why you’re here?”
That may have been the
premise of meeting, but she was not about to let a thieving cheating bastard like
Kenwyn take another penny from them, family, or no family.
“I’m here to ensure
you get what you deserve” she said
Which was when the
police arrived behind him and a tirade of ungentlemanly language followed as he
was taken into custody.
She felt no more
remorse for him as the police took him away than he had shown over what he had
done to her and her sisters.
Morwenna felt even
less when she refused his request to pay his legal fees and left him to apply
for legal aid.
Morwenna’s only
feelings regarding her Uncle were those of justice being served when he was
sentenced to 7 years in Prison.
On his release he made
no further attempt to contact anyone in the family.
In total there were
nine children born to the Peverell sisters, all girls obviously and all
redheads and within a generation of the fall of the Peverell’s, due to
Trevelyan and Kenwyn’s financially fraudulent mismanagement, they returned to
Peverell Hall, their ancestral home.
When Morwenna’s eldest
daughter Delen took up residence.
