‘I THOUGHT THERE was a warrant out for Eval Moyle’s arrest?’
Eliza had been thinking about the news given to her by Alice the day before. Today was a Saint’s day and a local holiday and she was returning to the rectory with her employer after an early morning service, conducted by Reverend David at the tiny Trethevy church. She had thought they had seen the last of the vindictive preacher when he left for America in a hurry after the Truro ‘riots’ and was unhappy to know he had come back into their lives.
‘The warrant was cancelled with all the others, when it was realised there was no case to answer in respect of the riot charges. Even had it not been, I am not sure it would still be valid after all these years. No doubt Moyle went into the matter before returning to Cornwall. We will just have to hope America has changed the man he once was.’
Eliza had her doubts about Moyle being a changed man, but there was nothing that could be done about him and she had other matters to think about. The fair at Camelford was only a few days away now, and that afternoon she would be walking out with Tristram. She had no doubt their visit to the fair would be the main topic of conversation.
She was wrong.
They certainly spoke of the fair, wondering what would be there to enjoy. Neither had been to any of the country fairs before, but old Percy had and when telling them about his experiences he had been fulsome about the delights they would discover.
‘What are you most looking forward to seeing?’ Eliza put the question to Tristram as they followed a path that led along the cliff-top towards the nearby tiny fishing village of Boscastle, nestling in a coastal valley.
‘I don’t know, the wrestling and boxing might be fun.’
‘Fun for you, perhaps, I don’t see anything enjoyable about two grown men doing their best to kill one another!’
‘We don’t have to watch them,’ Tristram replied hurriedly. ‘There’ll be lots of other things to see. Old Percy said the last fair he was at had all sorts of animals like he’d never seen before and there’ll most likely be a dancing bear, a Punch and Judy, jugglers – and even someone able to swallow a poker!’
‘Ugh! I don’t think I’d like to do that.’
‘You won’t have to but there’s going to be lots of things you’ll enjoy eating.’
‘Now that’s something I can look forward to,’ Eliza said, happily. ‘Eating something I haven’t had to prepare and cook myself. It’s going to be worth going all that way just for that.’
‘It’s going to be worth it for me to spend the whole day with you.’
It was said so seriously that Eliza looked at him in surprise, but she replied, ‘I’ll enjoy being with you for the day too.’
‘Will you? I mean, really enjoy it?’
‘Of course, I wouldn’t be going with you otherwise.’
At that moment their arms brushed against each other and it seemed somehow right that they should link hands, hers small and light, his strong and calloused from hours spent splitting logs with an axe the previous day.
‘I’m glad,’ he said happily, adding, ‘We do like being together, don’t we?’
‘Of course we do, we’re together now, aren’t we?’
‘I wish we could be really together, Eliza.’
‘What do you mean, really together?’
Eliza thought she knew what he meant. It was something other couples did when they had been walking out together for far less time than she and Tristram, but she had always put off thinking about it. Mainly, as she had to admit to herself, because she did not know what her reaction would be to him. They had been coming out like this whenever possible for some three years, but for the most part it had been along the open cliff top, or other places where they might be seen by others. They had kissed frequently and recently she felt his kisses were becoming more demanding. She had felt a strong urge to respond to them, but remembered the promise she had made to Alice about her behaviour when she was with Tristram. Besides, should she become pregnant it would reflect badly on her employers, Reverend David in particular. It would also bring to an end the happy life she had so unexpectedly been able to enjoy for the past three years.
‘You must know what I’m talking about, Eliza.’
‘I might, but why don’t you say it right out so I can be sure?’
She was playing for time, not only in order to put her own confused thoughts in order but also in the hope that he might be too embarrassed to say what it was he wanted them to do together.
Taking her by surprise, he said, ‘All right then.’ Releasing her hand and taking her arm, he brought her to a halt, ‘Why don’t we get married?’
‘Get married? Us? You and me?’
‘That’s right, you and me.’
‘But you hardly know anything about me?
‘We’ve worked in the same household for three years and been walking out for much of that time, what don’t I know about you?’
Eliza’s thoughts were in turmoil. There was so much Tristram did not know about her – but did it really matter? Tristram wanted to marry her for what she was now, not for what society, the law, had once declared her to be – a convicted thief, sentenced to transportation.
‘You haven’t given me an answer, Eliza.’
Tristram felt a sense of disappointment that bordered on despair. He had been mentally building up to this moment for weeks and had decided he would propose to her at Camelford fair, the first whole day they would ever have spent together. But, walking along the cliff-top, holding her hand, his feelings had overcome him and he could delay the proposal no longer.
He had not seriously considered that she would refuse him. In truth, in his mind it had never been a question of whether or not they should get married, more a question of when it would be.
‘Why do you want to marry me?’ She needed to ask the question twice before he responded.
‘Why? Why do people get married?’
‘Because they love each other and want to be together, always.’
‘Well, I want us to be together always.’
‘What for, just so you can do things to me, have your children and someone to look after you in your old age? Is that why you want us to be married?’
‘Yes … No! Not just for that.’
Tristram was confused, aware this was going all wrong.
‘Then what else?’
‘Because … well, because you’re special.’
‘That’s getting better, but you still haven’t said how you feel about me. The way two people should feel about each other if they are going to get married.’
‘You must know how I feel about you, Eliza. I wouldn’t have asked you to marry me otherwise.’
‘But you haven’t asked me, you’ve just suggested we should get married. You could have been talking about buying a pig, a horse, or a dog. Anything!’
Bewildered, Tristram said, ‘It’s nothing like buying a pig, or any other animal, Eliza. I want you to marry me because I love you, you must know that.’
‘I didn’t know it, Tristram, and I’m no good at guessing.’
Suddenly gripping his arm in both her hands, she added, happily, ‘But I know it now, and that’s what I wanted to hear you say.’
‘So you will marry me?’
Eliza was far more excited than she dared to show him, but she still needed time to think of the implications of marrying Tristram and what she would need to tell him of her past – and she did not believe she could keep such an important secret from the man to whom she was married.
‘I’ll let you know on the day of the fair.’
When he looked bewildered, she explained, ‘I know what it is I want, Tristram, but I need to talk to Miss Alice and Reverend David and … oh, there are lots and lots of things I need to think about, but you can kiss me now if you want to. I mean, really kiss me so I tingle all over….’