Witch from the Sea

Edwina talked of herbs then; for she had built up a big herb garden at Trewynd. She was very interested in the uses of the plants and whenever we were not well we always first asked Edwina if she knew of a cure before consulting apothecaries or doctors.

She had just learned that woodruff was good for the liver and she was working a cure on one of the grooms at Trewynd. Fennimore became quite interested then—far more than he had over the chatter of Leicester’s affairs. In fact I feared he was a little bored by all that.

He said: “You must find something that will cure sailors of their ills on long voyages. Food is a great problem and also keeping sailors healthy. They suffer from terrible diseases—scurvy is one of them. If you could grow a herb that would cure that you would be performing a great service.”

Edwina said she would study the matter, but her herbs were of the simple sort and she merely picked up information here and there.

“It may be the cure is simple,” he answered.

Then he began to talk again of sea and the trade he hoped would come to England.

I watched from my window the rowing-boat take Fennimore Landor out to his ship. As I stood there I heard someone come into my room and, turning, saw that it was my mother.

She came over to the window and together we looked at the carrack out there on the faintly moonlit waters.

“A fine ship,” said my mother. “What did you think of her captain?”

“I thought he was a man with a purpose.”

“There was no doubt of that. It sounded very sensible to me.”

I was pleased and showed it; she looked at me intently.

“I liked him,” she said. “I liked his earnestness. He’s an idealist. And that’s a good thing for a young man to be.”

“This idea of trading,” I said, “how much better than fighting!”

“There will doubtless be fighting involved in it,” replied my mother grimly. “Men never seem to be able to get along without that.”

“Do you think he wants some sort of partnership?”

“I gathered he wanted your father’s help.”

“Do you think he will give it?”

My mother was thoughtful. Then she said: “He might. As a Captain who has been accustomed to see a prize and take it, he will find it a little difficult to adjust himself to legitimate trading, I doubt not. But I fancied he was less sceptical as the hours passed than he had been in the beginning.”

“Shall you persuade him?”

“My dear Linnet, do you think anyone could do that?”

“I think you could.”

“Why, the very fact that I thought it a good idea would make him try to prove it wasn’t. So you liked the captain, Linnet?”

“I thought as you did that he was earnest … serious and dedicated to his plan.”

“If your father joined him in some enterprise doubtless we should see a good deal of him. I discovered where he comes from. Farther along the coast towards Falmouth.”

“Not so very far from here then.”

“No.” There was a slight pause. Then she said: “Edwina had some good news she whispered to me. What do you think? She is going to have a child.”

“I’m so glad. She has long wanted that to happen. I thought there was something different about her tonight. Now I come to think of it, she seemed to be hugging some secret.”

“It won’t be a secret for long. Of course it’s early days yet. But I’m so happy for her. She and Carlos have been married … why, it must be seven years.”

“It’s a long time,” I agreed.

“I know exactly how they feel.” Her eyes had that glazed look which they had when she looked back into the past. Then she was right back in the present looking straight at me. “The greatest happiness, Linnet, is to hold your own child in your arms. I remember …”

Suddenly she put her arms about me and held me close to her for a few moments. I knew she was thinking that I should marry soon and have children of my own.

And the thought had been put into her head by the arrival of Captain Fennimore Landor. It meant that she liked him; that she would persuade my father to help him in his venture; and that from now on the young man might well be a frequent visitor at Lyon Court.

By the time Trade Winds sailed out of the Sound, my father had arranged that there should be a further meeting with the Landors. Whether my mother had persuaded him or whether he had been impressed by Fennimore’s earnestness I was not sure, but the fact remained that he was interested in his ideas and had said in a few weeks’ time he would visit them for further talks.

I was delighted and I believed my mother was too when an invitation came for us to join the party.

“What women have to do with trade, I fail to see,” growled my father.

My mother retorted: “Of course a woman should know what kind of business her husband is involved in. In any case the invitation is for me and I shall accept it on behalf of Linnet and myself.”

My father had gone off on a short trip and Jacko was with him, so it was arranged that my mother and I, accompanied by her maid Jennet and two grooms, should make the journey to Trystan Priory, the Landor’s home, by road.