Page 68 of Sunday's Child

‘Then you won’t need to unpack.’

Rosalind stared at her sister in disbelief. ‘It’s only a few days until Christmas. You can’t go away and leave us. The children will be heartbroken.’

‘They won’t even notice.’ Patricia reached for the coffee pot and filled a cup. ‘I am not spending Christmas without Leo. I don’t know what he’s doing at Trevenor, but I’m going to bring him home in time for the festivities.’

‘Is that wise, Patsy? Surely you should give him the chance to make his own decisions?’

‘Nonsense. When did a man ever know what was best for him? The sawmill doesn’t run itself and Robbins is only fit to look after the horses. I’m closing the mill down for a few days.’

‘But, Patsy, travelling in this weather is best avoided.’

‘Nancy got here safely, and I gather she’s deposited Gervase at Greystone Park. That will be interesting when Christina finds out that he’s stormed the battlements, so to speak.’

‘That doesn’t concern us, nor should it bother you, Patsy. You lost control of Greystone Park when Sir Michael willed it to his daughters.’

‘You don’t have to remind me of that.’

‘I think I do. Just forget Gervase. He is the least of our worries.’

‘I intend to bring Alex back to you, Rosie.’

‘Alex will come when he’s satisfied that Lady Pentelow is safe.’

Nancy buttered a slice of toast. ‘Gervase says he intends to challenge Sir Michael’s will. He thinks he is the rightful heir to Greystone.’

Patricia tossed her head. ‘That man is mad. Let him try. I don’t care.’ She turned to Nancy. ‘Are you willing to come with me to Cornwall?’

Nancy eyed Rosalind warily. She did not want to offend either of her surrogate sisters.

‘Go with her if that’s what you want,’ Rosalind said slowly. ‘Perhaps Patsy is right. Maybe we should make a stand. Lady Pentelow only shows an interest in Alex when she wants something.’

Nancy nodded. ‘I’ll come with you, Patsy. I’ve never seen Trevenor, so it will be interesting.’ She did not add that doing something active would help to heal the pain in her heart from abandoning Freddie without a word of explanation. She knew she had done the right thing, but that did not make it any easier.

Patricia took her place at the table. ‘I haven’t had any breakfast. Who knows when we’ll get a chance to eat again? Get your things, Nancy. We’ll leave as soon as I’ve eaten.’

They travelled by carriage and then train with an overnight stay in Plymouth, continuing next day by train to St Austell and then by hired carriage. It was late afternoon when they finally arrived at Trevenor, having driven past the mine entrance. All seemed to be quiet there and in the village. The gates to the estate were locked but a groundsman appeared eventually in response to the coachman tugging on the bell pull.

He seemed reluctant to let them in but Patricia insisted that they were guests of Lady Pentelow, and eventually he opened the gates and they alighted outside the main entrance. Patricia paid the coachman, leaving Nancy to gaze in wonder at the snow-covered parterre garden leading to a sweep of lawn, which seemed to disappear into nothingness. It was dark, but the moonlight illuminated the white stucco frontage of the house, and the rhythmic pounding of the waves crashing on the rocks below the cliffs was quite magical. Nancy realised then how much she had missed the sound of the sea and the tang of salt in the air.

Patricia rapped on the knocker and they waited for a minute or two until the door creaked open.

‘May I help you, ma’am?’ The butler blinked at them in the light of a lantern he held high above their heads.

‘Patterson, you might remember me as Patricia Carey. I am now Mrs Leo Wilder. I believe my husband is Lady Pentelow’s guest.’

‘He’s not here, madam.’

‘Patterson,’ Patricia said grimly, ‘we have travelled all the way from Rockwood in Devonshire, and we are cold, tired and hungry. Kindly tell your mistress that we are here.’

‘What’s going on, Patterson?’ A shabbily dressed young woman came hurrying towards them, clutching a silver candlestick. The candle flame guttered in a gust of wind but recovered to give a flickering light.

‘Aurelia?’ Patricia pushed past the startled butler to hug her. ‘What have you done to yourself?’

Aurelia’s hand flew to pat her dishevelled hair into place. ‘Patsy, what are you doing here?’

Nancy took advantage of the butler’s momentary lack of concentration and slipped past him.

‘Wait, please, miss. I have to find out if Lady Pentelow is at home to you.’