Midsummer's Eve

"I should have thought Bob Carter would have seen to things." I wanted to ask what Rolf was doing about it, but could not bring myself to mention his name.

"Bob Carter? Oh, he's not there now.”

"Not there? Where is he then?”

"He went over to the Manor.”

"Why?”

"After the marriage, of course.”

"But I should have thought ...”

"Apparently he never got on with Luke Tregern.”

"Did he have to? Luke was at the Manor, Bob at Cador.”

They looked at me in astonishment.

"Oh, I suppose you haven't heard about the marriage.”

"I heard something in London.”

"So you know then," said Mrs. Tamblin. "You could have knocked me down with a feather.

Of course, being as she is, perhaps it fits. My goodness, it was a bad day for Cador when she took over.”

"You just can't do it," said Mr. Tamblin. "You have to be brought up to that sort of thing ... managing a place like that. You can't take everything out and put nothing back.”

"But I should have thought Mr. Hanson ...”

"He's sitting pretty, of course. The difference in those two estates! We used to say that Cador was the giant and the Manor the dwarf. It's a bit different now.”

I repeated: "But I should have thought ...”

Mr. Tamblin said: "It is clear you haven't heard. That woman, Maria Cadorson, as she claims to be, married Luke Tregern.”

Understanding dawned in me in a blinding flash. I felt suddenly deliriously happy.

"I thought ... that it was Mr. Hanson who had married her," I stammered.

"Mr. Hanson! Marry that woman! You must be joking," said Mrs. Tamblin.

"I heard it in London. Someone said it was 'the chap from the Manor' and I immediately thought ...”

Mrs. Tamblin laughed. "Not in a month of Sundays could I see that coming about. No, it was Luke Tregern for her, from the moment she got here. She just went for him.

He knew which side his bread was buttered.”

"He was always sly," said Mr. Tamblin. "He always had an eye for the main chance.”

"Mr. Hanson always said he was a good manager.”

"That was when he was managing someone else's estate. Now he's gone wild. He's mortgaged the place up to the hilt, so I heard. He doesn't work through me. I suppose he doesn't want me to know too much. I'm too near.

But these things get round. Oh, it was a sad day when that woman came to Cornwall.”

I was not listening. I was savouring the fact that Rolf had not married her.

I lay in bed that night unable to sleep. I was here, where I had begun to feel I belonged. And I had misjudged Rolf. I had thought he would do anything to get possession of Cador.

And all the time it was Luke Tregern!

How happy I was that I had come back.

I longed to see Rolf.

The next day we went to the cottage. It looked charming. The workmen had done a good job and Mrs. Tamblin had arranged some things as she thought I should like them.

There were two bedrooms and she had bought beds and put those in because she had thought I would not come alone. She had selected a few items of furniture from those stored and had put curtains up at the windows.

I thanked her warmly for all she had done.

"At least," she said, "it's habitable. I don't know how long you'll stay, but if you're going to sell the place you want to have it looking like a home. And you can sell the bits and pieces with the place if you want to.”

"You think of everything, Mrs. Tamblin.”

I felt as though I were walking on air. I thought: I shall see him again and if he really cares for me ... this time I shall not be foolish.

Kitty worked hard to get the house as I wanted it. Mrs. Tamblin hovered dispensing little scraps of gossip, little realizing how important they were to me.

Mr. Hanson was away, she told me. He was often nowadays. Mrs. Tamblin had an idea that he deplored the changes. There were conflicts between Luke Tregern and Bob Carter about the land, and it made for an uneasy situation. Mr. Hanson left all the haggling to Bob; it was as though he could not bear to deal with his ex-manager.

During the first afternoon Mrs. Penlock called. It was good to see her and she was quite emotional at our meeting.

"Well there you are, Miss Cadorson. My patience me, it is good to see 'ee. What we'm been putting up with since you left. I can't tell 'ee all of it.

It's 'ud take a book. I've never been in such a place. There be nothing a body can do. I had all them maids under control, I did. I had everything as it should be.

The polish on that dining room table ... well, it would have done for a mirror.

But there's no heart in anything now. They're drinking and gambling to past midnight . and in the morning there's all the mess to clear up. Mr. Isaacs he'd be gone in a flash if he had another place to go to. But he won't leave the Duchy. Can't say I blame him. Nor would I. Who wants to go off to foreign parts? Well, you have, Miss Cadorson, but I reckon that's different. Neither Isaacs nor me would wish to work for foreigners.”

"Oh, Mrs. Penlock," I cried, "it is good to talk to you again.”