Hannah was very concerned about Sophie’s engagement to Nicholas, especially since she had been publicly named as Thomas Penvarrow’s heir. The news circulated Port Felec very quickly, so Will Shaw had told her, and was currently the chief topic of conversation.
‘Everyone’s surprised he cut Mr Charles out,’ Will said. ‘Obvious bloke to inherit, he was.’
‘But not a true Penvarrow,’ sighed Hannah. ‘The thing is, Will, if I’m honest with you and it goes no further, I don’t trust Dr Bryan. There’s something about him that’s not right. He’s too charming.’
‘How can anyone be too charming?’ asked Will with a grin.
‘What are they saying in the village, Will? About the engagement? You say that’s all round the place now too.’
‘It is,’ admitted Will. ‘Thing like that spreads like wildfire.’
‘And what’re they saying?’
‘They’re saying that he’s fallen on his feet. Most folks like him and wish him good luck, but there are one or two who think he’s a fortune-hunter.’
‘That’s it,’ cried Hannah. ‘That’s what I’m afraid of. Ever since the will was read he’s changed. He’s been coming into the house like he owned the place, marching in the front door before Edith’s had time to answer the bell.’
‘Well, if he’s marrying Miss Sophie, he almost does,’ Will pointed out.
‘But that’s what I’m saying, Will. I think he’s only marrying her for her money. Ordering the servants about, almost rude to Mrs Leroy. Telling Miss Sophie what she can and can’t do.’
‘So, not so charming any more,’ teased Will. But he took Hannah’s hand, as he could see she was truly worried. ‘Listen, love, Miss Sophie’s not stupid—’
‘She is about him,’ cried Hannah
‘If he’s after her money,’ Will went on, ‘well, he can’t get it, can he? Didn’t you say there was some sort of Trust that was looking after it for her until she’s thirty?’
‘Yes,’ replied Hannah, ‘but that’s not for people to know about. Miss Sophie told me and I told you, but I told you too that it mustn’t go no further.’
‘It hasn’t and it won’t,’ Will assured her.
‘The thing is I feel so helpless.’ Hannah sighed. ‘There’s nothing I can do.’
‘Well, when they get married, you and I can do the same,’ Will said cheerfully. ‘It’s time you told Miss Sophie we’re getting married. You’ve looked after her as you promised her ma, but when she’s safely wed, it’s up to her husband to look after her and provide for her.’
‘But, Will, what I’m afraid of is that it’ll be the other way round; that she’ll be providing for him.’
‘But you said Mr Charles is a trustee or some such, and if she can’t have her money yet without his say-so, Dr Bryan won’t be able to have it either.’
‘I suppose.’ Hannah clearly wasn’t convinced.
‘Tell you what,’ Will said, ‘why don’t you speak to Mr Charles about it? See what he says.’
‘Do you think I can? I mean, it’s not for me to interfere. I’m just so worried, that’s all.’
‘And that’s what you tell him, love. He’ll understand.’
‘If she was marrying Mr Charles, I’d have no fears about us getting married and leaving her.’
Will shrugged. ‘Well, she isn’t, and there’s nothing you can do about that. Even so, you should talk to him. He knows you got Miss Sophie’s best interests at heart. He won’t think you’re interfering.’
‘All right,’ Hannah agreed reluctantly. ‘I’ll think about it.’
‘An’ while you’re at it, Ma says to ask him if Miss AliceAnne can come over to the farm, Saturday. Maggie’s coming over with the kiddies and they were asking if AliceAnne would be there to play.’
‘Tell your mother I’ll bring her in the afternoon,’ Hannah said. ‘I can’t see Mr Charles objecting to that.’
Later the same day Hannah took her courage in her hands and knocked on Charles’s study door.
‘Hannah?’ he said when she entered. ‘What can I do for you? Is there a problem with AliceAnne?’
‘No, sir, Miss AliceAnne is fine. I came to say that she’s been invited back to the home farm for a visit on Saturday and I took the liberty of accepting the invitation for her.’
‘Did you indeed?’ But Charles was smiling and Hannah knew he wasn’t angry that she’d acted without asking him. ‘Well, I assume you’ll be going with her.’
‘Yes, sir. Of course I will.’
‘Then I have no objection at all,’ he said. Seeing Hannah hesitate, he added, ‘And so I shall tell anyone who asks me, so don’t worry about that.’
‘Thank you, sir.’
Still Hannah hovered in the room and he asked, ‘Was there something else?’
‘Well, sir...’
‘Come on, Hannah, tell me what you want?’
‘It’s Miss Sophie, sir.’
Immediately alert, Charles said, ‘Miss Sophie? What about her?’
‘I’m worried about her, sir, and...’ Hannah hesitated again.
‘Just tell me, Hannah,’ Charles said gently. ‘What is it that worries you?’
‘It’s her engagement to Dr Bryan, sir. It’s all so quick and to me it don’t feel right.’
‘In what way not right?’
‘I don’t know, sir,’ Hannah answered miserably. ‘If I’m honest...’
‘You can be, Hannah. I’d like you to tell me exactly what it is that’s worrying you.’
Charles listened in silence to what she had to say. He wanted to tell her he was as worried as she was, but that would not have been proper, and he did his best to reassure her that he and Mr Staunton were well able to manage Sophie’s affairs so that her inheritance was safe.
‘But have you heard anything specific?’ he asked, thinking as he did so that Hannah might know something about Nicholas Bryan that could be passed on to Jeremiah Hawke.
‘Nothing in particular,’ admitted Hannah. ‘It’s just a feeling I get. You know AliceAnne don’t like him.’
‘So I gathered, but, Hannah, she’s only a child.’
‘But not a stupid one,’ replied Hannah. ‘I don’t dismiss her feelings about him.’
‘My mother said it was because he gave her some foul-tasting medicine when she had that cough.’
‘She did. But I don’t think she’d asked AliceAnne if that was why.’
‘And have you? Asked AliceAnne, I mean?’
‘No, sir, not directly, but I’ve seen the way she shrinks away from him, and that’s enough for me. The child is afraid of him.’
Charles got to his feet. ‘I’m glad you came and told me, Hannah. I’ll be watching as well, so don’t worry.’
It was her dismissal and she left, but as she said to Will the next time she saw him, ‘He listened and didn’t tell me it wasn’t any of my business. He and that lawyer, Mr Staunton, will be taking good care of Miss Sophie’s money.’
‘Then you don’t have to worry any more, love,’ soothed Will. ‘They’ll know what they’re doing.’
‘But it won’t stop her marrying him,’ Hannah said miserably. ‘Will it?’
‘Maybe he feels about her as I do about you,’ Will said gently and took Hannah in his arms. Hannah looked up into his face and his expression made the colour flood her cheeks. He kissed her tenderly and added, ‘Or as I hope you feel about me.’
‘Ah, go on now, Will,’ said Hannah, before she kissed him back.
While Hannah and Will were sitting comfortably before the fire in the home farm parlour, Sophie and Nicholas sat together in the drawing room at Trescadinnick. Louisa had taken to sitting in the morning room whatever time of day it was, and though Matty had suggested that perhaps it wasn’t proper for the happy couple to be allowed such freedom, Louisa remarked that she had no intention of acting as chaperone.
‘Sophie’s mistress in her own house now, Matty,’ she’d said bitterly, ‘and how she behaves with her so-called fiancé is none of my business.’
This afternoon there was no question of improper behaviour. Nicholas was determined to get down to business, business relating to Sophie and her Trust. ‘We ought to know exactly how things stand with the estate,’ he said. ‘We need to be sure that your cousin’s managing your affairs properly.’
‘I agree,’ began Sophie, but Nicholas went on, ‘We need to know the state of your finances and how your money is being spent; whether it is wisely invested and what your cousin is doing about replacing income that was lost when the mines closed.’
‘I think that’s an excellent idea, Nicholas,’ Sophie replied, ‘and so does Charles. He’s already suggested that we get together with Mr Staunton to discuss the terms of the Trust and the best way to carry them out.’
‘Good,’ Nicholas said briskly. ‘The sooner we have it out with them the better.’
Sophie smiled at him a little awkwardly and said, ‘Nicholas, dearest, I really do appreciate your care for me, but I think the first time I meet with my trustees I should do it alone. There are several points on which I want clarification and I should feel freer to discuss them on my own.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ snapped Nicholas. ‘What can you possibly know about the affairs of the estate?’
‘Nothing at present,’ replied Sophie calmly. ‘That’s why I need to learn about them. Charles has promised to explain—’
‘I’ll bet he has,’ interrupted Nicholas.
‘And when he has,’ continued Sophie, ‘I shall at least have some idea of what needs to be done.’
‘Your cousin could spin you any line and you’d believe him,’ Nicholas said. ‘He’s out to get his hands on the Trescadinnick estate one way or another.’
‘Now it’s you who’s being ridiculous,’ Sophie countered. ‘Charles has had the running of the estate for nearly ten years, but always with his hands tied. He never had full knowledge of what money was available for investment.’
‘And you believe this because...?’
‘Because I asked him about it and he told me so. That’s when he suggested that we, he and I, should meet with Mr Staunton and discuss everything.’
‘And now he has access to the capital,’ scoffed Nicholas, ‘do you really think he’s going to take direction from you, a chit scarce out of the schoolroom?’
‘Is that how you think of me, Nicholas?’ Sophie’s voice was icy.
‘No, of course not, my darling girl,’ Nicholas said hastily. ‘But you may be sure it’s how he thinks of you.’
Sophie had no answer to that because she could remember Charles using those very words when Thomas had explained his plans for them. However, she simply said, ‘I shan’t expect him to. I shall respect his experience and leave the daily running of the estate to him, but that doesn’t mean I shan’t be interested in things.’
‘But, my darling girl,’ Nicholas changed tack, ‘I only want to protect you.’
‘Protect me from Charles?’ Sophie laughed, but her laughter died as she saw the expression on Nicholas’s face. ‘I’m sorry, Nicholas,’ she said quickly. ‘I’m sure you do and I love you for it, but I’m not one to be coddled. I shall listen to Charles, and if I disagree with anything he suggests I shall tell him so. And of course I shall definitely discuss it with you, so we can decide what we want to do.’
‘I’m disappointed, Sophie, that you don’t trust me,’ Nicholas said coldly. ‘Indeed, that you appear to have far greater faith in your cousin, than you have in me.’ He paused and then said, ‘Perhaps you should be marrying him instead of me.’ He rose abruptly and walked to the door. Jumping up, Sophie caught his arm and he paused without turning.
‘Nicholas,’ she said, almost pleading, ‘you know it’s you I want to marry, not Charles.’
‘You have a strange way of showing it.’ Nicholas still didn’t turn round and Sophie slipped her arms round him from behind.
‘Please, Nicholas, don’t be like this. You know I love you, but Charles is my cousin and I’m fond of him too. But not,’ she insisted vehemently, ‘like I love you!’ When Nicholas still didn’t respond she sighed and said, ‘If you feel so strongly about it, of course you can be there when we discuss the Trust. I’m sure Mr Staunton and Charles will understand why you should want to.’
Sophie felt Nicholas’s rigid shoulders relax and he turned at last, to face her. ‘You know I only want what’s best for you,’ he said, his eyes bright with sincerity. ‘I’m sure your cousin is competent enough, but he has to understand that Trescadinnick was left to you.’
‘It was,’ Sophie agreed as his arms tightened round her, ‘but in a way it was left to both of us. Grandfather assumed Charles would continue to manage the estate.’
‘I’m sure he did,’ Nicholas murmured into her hair, ‘but it’s not an assumption we have to make too.’
‘Mr Staunton is coming on Friday next week,’ Sophie told him, ‘so we can discuss everything then.’
‘I see,’ replied Nicholas coolly. ‘It’s already arranged, is it?’
‘Charles arranged it with Mr Staunton,’ explained Sophie. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll tell them you’ll be there as well.’
When Nicholas had gone Sophie was left with a feeling of dejection. She had suggested that he stay for dinner but he’d refused quite brusquely, saying that he had things to attend to at home. They hadn’t quarrelled exactly, but there had been a definite coolness in Nicholas’s manner when he’d said goodbye with no more than a handshake. Sophie knew that he’d been disappointed when she’d suggested that she meet with Charles and Mr Staunton on her own, and he’d not tried to hide his annoyance.
She called for a pot of tea and when Edith had brought it, sat alone in the sitting room sipping her tea and reliving their conversation. It would be better in some ways, she thought, if Nicholas was involved in the discussion about the Trust, but there were questions she had wanted to ask with regard to his position after they were married, questions to which she wanted answers before she broached the subject with him herself. When she had finished her tea she went upstairs to her room. As she passed Jocelyn’s room she touched the door handle; it had become a sort of ritual, as if she were assuring him he wasn’t forgotten.
I’ll get Paxton to take old Nan Slater some logs, she thought, and I’ll go with him and have another chat with her whilst he’s unloading them.
With this planned, she changed for dinner and then went up to say goodnight to AliceAnne. She found the little girl full of excitement about the afternoon she’d spent at the home farm. Alison and Tommy had been there and they’d played hide-and-seek in the farmyard and the barn. AliceAnne had never played it before and thought it was the most wonderful game. She was in the middle of explaining to an attentive Sophie just how you played, when Charles came in and she began the whole story all over again. Sophie could see the child’s delight at her father’s visit and she got up to leave them together, but AliceAnne caught her hand.
‘Don’t go, Aunt Sophie,’ she begged. ‘I haven’t finished telling you everything yet. When we’d finished hide-and-seek we went in for tea and we all had it together, even Hannah and Mr Shaw. And we had ham and eggs and a jammy pudding. It was such fun and Mrs Shaw says I can come again next Saturday if I want to. Alison’ll be there again and she’s my best friend and I do want to, Papa, so can I?’
‘I expect so,’ Charles agreed, with a smile at her enthusiasm, ‘if Hannah will take you.’
‘Oh, she will,’ said AliceAnne with confidence. ‘She likes going to the farm like I do. I think Mr Shaw is her best friend.’
Sophie left Charles saying goodnight to his daughter and went slowly downstairs for dinner. Was AliceAnne right? she wondered. Were Hannah and Will Shaw ‘best friends’? For some reason the thought made her a little sad.