Sophie and Charles had ridden to a farm several miles beyond Port Felec. The farmer had taken them to the stables and led the pony out. He was small, almost black, with a white blaze on his nose and bright, intelligent eyes. Looking him over, they both agreed that he would be perfect for AliceAnne to learn on. As Charles was in the yard negotiating the price with the farmer, Sophie stood holding their two horses and watched him. She had been surprised how quickly Charles had moved, once he’d decided that he would teach AliceAnne to ride, but she was delighted when he’d asked her to come and look at the pony with him. Watching Charles haggling over the price of the pony, she felt a rush of affection for him.
It must be hard being left with a daughter to bring up, she thought, even though he had his mother there beside him. It was clear that he found it very difficult to express his love for the little girl, but buying the pony and promising he’d teach her to ride was, Sophie decided, a very practical expression of that love.
Money changed hands and the pony was led out to where Sophie waited. The farmer held it on a leading rein while Charles, in the absence of a mounting block, put his hands round Sophie’s waist and tossed her up into the saddle. The action took Sophie’s breath away, and she could still feel the strength of his hands as they’d lifted her, long after he’d mounted himself, taken the pony’s leading rein, and led them out into the lane.
When they returned to Trescadinnick, and AliceAnne saw what her father had brought her, nothing could curb her joy. When he’d dismounted and helped Sophie from Millie’s back, Charles turned to AliceAnne, and smiled.
‘He’s called Oscar,’ he told her, ‘and he’s hoping you’ll look after him.’
Impulsively AliceAnne flung her arms round her father’s waist. ‘Oh thank you, thank you, Papa,’ she cried into his waistcoat. And Charles, unused to such displays, slipped his arms round her and held her tightly to him.
Nothing would do for her but that she should start her lessons now this very minute. Charles had bought Oscar’s tack as well as Oscar, and so, with a smile, he lifted his daughter and placed her gently in the saddle.
‘We’ll have to get you a proper riding habit,’ Sophie said, as Charles, still holding AliceAnne firmly in place with one hand, led Oscar slowly round the yard.
And this was how Matty found them when she arrived, being driven by Timothy in her pony and trap. As Paxton ran to take the pony’s head, Timothy helped his mistress out of the trap.
‘Hello,’ she cried, looking at them gathered round the pony. ‘What’s happening here?’
‘Oh, Aunt Matty,’ cried AliceAnne from her perch on Oscar’s back. ‘Look what Papa has given me. Isn’t he beautiful?’
‘He certainly is,’ agreed Matty, surprise showing for a moment upon her face. ‘What a lucky girl you are!’ She turned to Charles and Sophie and said, ‘Good afternoon, Sophie, Charles. I believe you’re expecting me for dinner.’
Louisa had told Sophie that Matty was coming over for dinner and staying the night, but with the excitement of the pony she had forgotten. ‘Good afternoon, Aunt,’ she said with a smile. ‘You see what excitement there is here. But it’s getting cold. Do let me bring you indoors where you can get warm after your journey.’
If Matty wondered at her niece taking on the role of hostess, she didn’t show it, but tucked her hand through Sophie’s arm and allowed herself to be led into the house. ‘How is Papa?’ she asked Louisa, who’d met them in the hall. ‘Is he in good spirits?’
‘He seems so today,’ she said. ‘Dr Bryan came this afternoon to see how he was doing, and while he was here Mr Staunton came from Truro.’
‘Mr Staunton?’ said Matty, taking off her bonnet and cloak and handing them to the waiting Edith.
‘Yes, apparently my father sent Paxton to his office with a letter last week, and Mr Staunton came by appointment this afternoon.’ Louisa sighed. ‘I wish when Papa invites his lawyer to visit, he’d let me know in advance. I would have stayed at home to greet him and I would certainly have sent the doctor away.’
Sophie had been listening to this exchange with growing alarm. ‘Is this Mr Staunton my grandfather’s lawyer?’ she asked.
Louisa looked at her sharply. ‘He is,’ she said brusquely, ‘if that’s any of your business, miss.’
Matty placed a hand on her sister’s arm. ‘I’m sure the child intended no rudeness, Louisa,’ she said soothingly.
‘No, Aunt, I did not,’ Sophie agreed. ‘But neither am I a child.’ She dipped a bob to her aunts and went on, ‘If you’ll excuse me, I must go up and change after my ride.’
‘And I must go and see my father,’ said Matty, apparently unmoved by Sophie’s outburst. ‘How does Dr Bryan find him?’
‘I saw him just as he was leaving,’ Sophie heard Louisa say as the two sisters followed her up the stairs. ‘He’s worried about him. He says he has a congestion of the lungs, and certainly Papa seems to have trouble breathing at times.’
‘And what does he prescribe?’
‘He says Papa must rest more. He said Papa should take the powders he left before, but he doesn’t like them and makes a dreadful fuss. Says they taste bitter and make him feel sick. But as you know only too well, Matty, he’s not an easy patient at the best of times.’
Sophie heard the knock on Thomas’s bedroom door, and Louisa announcing, ‘Here’s Matty to see you, Papa.’
She heard no more after that, but later before dinner in the drawing room, Matty confided, ‘I was really shaken when I saw him, Sophie. It’s only ten days since I was here, but the change in him is quite startling.’
‘He’s not good today,’ Sophie agreed, ‘but he has been better lately. Most days he gets up for lunch and stays up until after dinner.’
‘Well, I’m glad he isn’t coming down to dinner tonight,’ said Matty. ‘He looked completely exhausted and must certainly rest.’
‘Perhaps the visit from his lawyer tired him,’ suggested Sophie.
‘Perhaps,’ agreed Matty noncommittally, looking up as the door opened and Louisa came in.
‘Ah, Sophie,’ she said. ‘Your grandfather would like you to go up and sit with him after dinner.’
‘Yes, Aunt Louisa,’ Sophie replied, but her mind was racing. Her grandfather’s lawyer had been. Did that mean he had done as he’d said and changed his will, making her his heir?
As soon as the meal was over, Sophie excused herself and went up to her grandfather’s room. When he answered her knock and she went into the room, she was assailed by a sickroom smell that she hadn’t noticed before. Her grandfather was propped up in bed and his gaunt face seemed scarcely less white than his pillows. It was as if, since she’d been with him in the morning, he’d been attacked by some new disease. His breathing was laboured, but his eyes, when he turned them on Sophie, were bright and piercing.
‘There you are,’ he said, his voice impatient.
‘I came as soon as dinner was over, Grandfather,’ Sophie said, pulling up a chair to the bedside. ‘I see you haven’t eaten any of yours.’ She nodded to the tray that sat on a table by the bed.
‘Not hungry,’ grumbled Thomas.
‘But you must eat, sir,’ Sophie said. ‘You must keep up your strength.’
‘Oh, so you’re a doctor now, are you?’ snapped the old man. ‘One doctor a day is enough for any man. Sit down. I want to talk to you.’
Sophie did as she was bidden, and reached for the old man’s hand. It lay bony and thin in her own and she had a sudden vision of her mother’s hand as she’d held it just before she had died. She looked up sharply into her grandfather’s face. Matty was right; he looked extremely ill.
‘Mr Staunton came to see me today,’ Thomas said without preamble. ‘He’s my solicitor. He brought my new will in which you are named as my heir.’
‘Oh, Grandpapa, you can’t—’ began Sophie, but he silenced her with a scowl.
‘Don’t you tell me what I can and can’t do, young lady,’ retorted the old man. ‘I’ve made my will and there’s an end to it.’
‘You’ve made it today?’
‘Sent Staunton a letter last week, telling him what I wanted,’ Thomas told her. ‘He drew it up and brought it here today for me to sign.’
‘And you signed it?’ whispered Sophie.
‘Of course I signed it,’ said her grandfather. ‘That’s why he came. All signed and sealed. Called in Paxton to witness my signature, and that doctor was here, so he witnessed it as well. All done, right and tight, and Staunton’s taken it safely back to his office. When I die, that’s where you’ll find it, safe and sound, and Trescadinnick will be yours.’
Sophie didn’t know what to say. She gazed, unseeing, at the floor. He had done it. He had left Trescadinnick to her. ‘I can’t believe you’ve cut Charles out,’ she said at last.
‘Charles was never in,’ snapped Thomas. ‘He’s not a Penvarrow.’
‘He’s a Penvarrow in everything except the blood in his veins,’ cried Sophie.
‘And it’s the blood in his veins that matters,’ answered Thomas. He closed his eyes and was instantly asleep, his rasping breath becoming rhythmical, his hand lying relaxed in Sophie’s own. Gently, she replaced it under the covers and turning down the lamp till it was no more than a glimmer, stole quietly out of the room.