Daughters of Cornwall Page 16

  Wiping my sticky fingers on my napkin, I carefully opened the envelope.

  I cleared my throat, unfolded the pages inside and began to read aloud. It was dated six weeks earlier.

  Dear Edward and Hannah,

  I hope this letter gets to you before your birthday, Hannah. And we are very sorry not to be with you. Daddy send you all his love. He is very busy with the rubber trees and also at work.

  You’ll never believe it but we have had a plague of frogs on the plantation and I have been out with the workers catching them and collecting them in buckets. Some of them are very big and they are so quick, jumping so high and far. We don’t know why there are so many or where they have come from, but they seem to have brought the snakes with them. Sadly one of the plantation stray dogs was bitten by one. A very dangerous cobra. You remember me telling you about the little family of monkeys that I have adopted? Well, Mrs Monkey fought the cobra off and almost saved the dog, but it was too late. It wasn’t all sad, though, because that dog had had three puppies who were ready to leave her anyway, so now I am training them to live with us. They are so sweet and clever. Two boys and one girl. I have called them Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail. Flopsy is black, Mopsy is black with a white blaze and Cottontail (the little girl) is golden. Even Daddy likes them!

  How are Grandfather, Cook and Dora? Be sure to send them my love and tell Cook I am missing her good cooking. Are Grandfather’s knees feeling any better? Daddy uses Tiger Balm for his aches and pains. It’s a kind of ointment that seems to cure everything.

  Our house boy, Ngai, does his best and is very good at curries, but the mystery of a good roast and Yorkshire pudding is still unsolved by him. I dug out a recipe for pasties for Daddy’s birthday, but Ngai managed to produce something between a scone and a savoury Eccles cake.

  How is school for you both? Edward, I am so glad to hear you are doing well in all your subjects. Daddy says that you should be a doctor because your grades for maths and sciences are so high. He is also very proud that you have made the school first XI rugger team.

  Hannah, your last report was very promising indeed. Have you managed to stop talking and start concentrating more?

  Now, I have some very big news! I am coming home! And not just for a visit. I am coming back to live in Cornwall. Daddy can’t come because he has to help with the government here, but – and this is the big surprise – I shall not be travelling alone! I am bringing a special person with me. A small person who is very keen to meet you!

  As soon as our travel arrangements are confirmed, I shall telegram Grandfather to let you know the date.

  All my love,

  Mummy x

  ‘Oh my gosh!’ I jumped up and showed the letter to Edward. ‘She’s coming home!’ I danced a little jig on the spot while my brother read the letter for himself.

  I was full of questions. ‘Who is she bringing with her? Could it be the puppies? The monkey? All of them? This is the best birthday ever!’

  Chapter Eighteen

  Hannah, Callyzion

  Late summer 1936

  Mummy’s train was due into Bodmin Road station at teatime. Edward and I loved our rare trips out of Callyzion, and the station was always a favourite destination. Once, we actually got on a train and went to Plymouth, crossing the big iron bridge that Edward was fascinated by. I looked down at the sparkling river far below and the naval boats tethered at anchor and the small yachts sailing along like breezy toys. Grandfather had hired a taxi that had two rows of seats behind the driver, giving us plenty of room for Mummy, her surprise visitor and their luggage.

  I had been longing for this day ever since my birthday but, now that it was here, I was filled with anxiety. Would she recognise me? Would I recognise her? Would she still love me as much as she ever did? I dreamt that I had pushed my way through the crowds to find her, and I introduced myself just in case she didn’t know it was me. It would save her embarrassment. Then I’d introduce her to Edward and all would be well. Would I be allowed to hug her now that I was twelve? Did parents hug a child over the age of five? I would take her lead. If she wanted to put her arms around me then I would do the same. I talked to Edward about it. I think he had missed Mummy even more than me; after all, he had been nine when she left us to return to Penang with Daddy. He had loved her for four years longer than me.

  ‘Edward?’ I had asked that morning in his room.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Do you think you will have to shake hands with Mummy at the station? Now that you are almost grown up? I mean, you are sixteen now.’

  Sixteen and over six foot tall. He towered over Grandfather now.

  ‘I shall shake her hand, kiss her on the cheek and carry her bag to the taxi,’ Edward said. It only occurred to me years later that he must have thought hard about his plan.

  On the day itself I looked at myself in the long mirror inside his wardrobe door. I had on a red checked summer dress, socks and sandals. My long hair was in neat plaits done by Dora. ‘Do you think she’ll see me?’ I asked Edward. ‘I shall stand in front of her and see if she wants to kiss me.’

  The platform was shimmering in the afternoon heat. The station looked so pretty. There were flowerbeds edged with railway sleepers, overflowing with pink roses, scarlet geraniums, and saffron marigolds bordered with little tufts of blue and white flowers. I skipped up and down the empty platform, humming to myself and burning off the nervous energy that was building in my stomach.

  When I hopped past Edward, he put out a restraining arm. ‘Stop it.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘You are too noisy for Grandfather.’

  Grandfather was sitting in the shade on a bench beneath the black and white signal box. He must have been very hot in his trousers, waistcoat and jacket. He had at least taken his hat off and was blotting his brow with his handkerchief.

  ‘Sorry,’ I said, going to sit next to him.

  He winked at me. ‘I don’t know where you get your energy from.’

  The stationmaster came out of his office holding his flag and whistle.

  Grandfather looked at the big station clock above us. ‘Train should be here any minute. If you listen quietly, you’ll hear the tracks singing before it arrives.’

  This was the magic of trains. Edward came and joined us on the bench and we all listened. I heard it first but Edward said he had. Grandfather didn’t hear it until the train appeared around the corner and was coming down the track.

  Nothing more was said until the huge engine broke the peace of the afternoon, thundering slowly, hissing and squealing its way to a stop.

  As steam and smoke billowed around us, we could hear doors being opened and voices calling. The stationmaster and two porters who had appeared began to help the passengers and their luggage out of the carriages. The platform was now a noisy crowd of people giving orders and identifying bags.

  I tugged my grandfather’s arm, ‘Can I go and look for Mummy?’

  ‘We shall stay here.’ He touched my shoulder. ‘She will find us.’

  A sense of shyness hit me. I took Edward’s arm and half buried my face in his sleeve. ‘What are you doing? Get off me.’ He shook me off.

  Grandfather shakily got to his feet. ‘I think I see her,’ he said.

  Edward and I stood too. I saw he was clenching his jaw. His teeth seemed locked together.

  I put my eyes down and squeezed them shut briefly. ‘Please God, let her like us.’

  ‘Hello!’ A half-remembered voice was calling to us. I opened my eyes.

  ‘Mummy!’ I ran to her and into her open arms.

  ‘You’ve grown, darling.’ She hugged me tightly. Over my shoulder she must have seen Edward. Not letting me go she opened her right hand and hauled him into her embrace. ‘My boy, my boy. How I have missed you both.’

  I stood like that for a few more seconds until she saw Grandfather.

  ‘Hugh, dear.’ She stepped towards him and kissed his cheek. ‘Thank you for coming.’

/>   He returned the kiss. ‘Good to see you back home, Clara.’

  ‘Ernest sends his regards. He is so sorry he couldn’t get home this time.’

  ‘He’s busy, I know. The world is a precarious place.’ He sighed. ‘But at least you are home and safe.’

  Mummy touched his arm with fondness and then quickly looked behind her. ‘Oh, my goodness! David, come and meet your family.’ A skinny boy with tanned skin and very dark eyes stepped forward. He looked very scared. ‘David, this is your grandfather, and Hannah is your sister and Edward is your brother. Say hello.’

  His bottom lip quivered and tears welled in his eyes but, to my eternal respect, he held out his tiny hand and said, ‘Hello. I’m David.’

  We each shook hands with him, not knowing what to say. I was brimming with questions but Edward held me back with a silent look.

  Grandfather called a porter over and Mummy’s luggage was transported out of the station, with Mummy holding David’s hand, Grandfather next to her and Edward and me bringing up the rear.

  In the taxi, Mummy insisted that David sit in between Edward and me on the back seat so that we could get to know each other.

  I began to chatter nervously. I told him about our school, and the beach nearby which we didn’t go to very often because we had jobs to do in the house and church and homework. I told him that Edward was in his last year at school and was going to be a doctor. David listened to this with his huge brown eyes but said nothing.

  Edward had been silent all this time. He told me later that he had been working over in his mind why Mummy and Daddy hadn’t told us about David before. It had shocked him and also, he slowly admitted, made him feel resentful that this small boy had had our mother to himself all these years while we hadn’t. However, during the taxi ride he managed to push all of that to one side with one huge mental shove, and show David his one magic trick. He took a penny, and his handkerchief, from his pocket, wrapped the coin in the hanky, blew on it, said some magic words, unwrapped the hanky and the coin had disappeared. I never knew how it was done and was incredibly proud of Edward for doing it. My friends all loved it too, which gave me an increased layer of respect for him.

  When he did it for David, I clapped and smiled. David smiled shyly.

  When we got home, David was handed to Dora with instructions to look after him while the rest of the family caught up with all our news. I was delighted because now I could have Mummy to myself. To be honest, I didn’t like David much. His face was sallow and moody and I didn’t like the way he clung to my mother and hid his face in her skirts.

  Cook had decided to serve a grand tea in the newly aired parlour.

  Mummy stopped in the hall to hang her coat and parasol on the stand. I took her hand and said, ‘This way, Mummy.’

  ‘I know the way, darling.’ She smiled at me but I saw her falter slightly at the doorway as her eyes swept the room. ‘Nothing has changed,’ she said almost to herself.

  I was delighted to see that the table was groaning with small sandwiches, bread and butter, scones, a fruitcake and a Victoria sponge. I headed for one of the ancient, uncomfortable sofas. ‘Mummy, you sit here and I’ll sit next to you.’ Again, I sensed a reluctance in her to join me, but as Edward and Grandfather were settling themselves on the opposite sofa, she had no choice but to take the seat nearest the empty fireplace.

  Grandfather opened the conversation. ‘How was the ship?’

  ‘It was a banana boat actually.’ She looked down at her hands and laced them. ‘Much less expensive than the scheduled passages. I played a lot of bridge.’

  ‘Did you? Any luck?’ replied Grandfather.

  Mummy smiled. ‘Yes, actually. Enough to pay for the little extras.’

  Grandfather smiled. ‘Well done. And how about David? How did he find life on board ship?’

  She smiled fondly. ‘He suffered a little from seasickness but the crew were very sweet to him. By the time we got to the Bay of Biscay, he had truly found his sea legs.’

  I was getting sick of all this attention on David. I tugged Mummy’s arm.

  ‘Were Edward and I good sailors when you and Daddy brought us to England?’ I asked.

  Mummy put her hand on mine. ‘You were both very good indeed.’

  ‘I remember it being rather rough at times,’ said Edward. ‘I think I was sick.’

  Mummy laughed. ‘A bit, yes, but you got better quickly. And now look at you! As tall as Daddy nearly. How is the rugger going?’

  ‘Not too bad.’ Edward was very good at rugby but he always liked to play it down whereas I liked to play my achievements up.

  Grandfather said, ‘He’s being modest. He’s very good. Last weekend he scored two of the winning tries.’

  Edward beamed shyly. ‘Team game,’ he said.

  Rugby bored me, I wanted to know more about David, my rival to Mummy’s affection. ‘How old is David?’ I asked Mummy.

  ‘Five.’

  I remembered being five. It was when I’d left Penang and Mummy and Daddy had gone back without me. I felt the first stirrings of jealousy.

  ‘Why didn’t you tell us we had a little brother?’

  ‘Well, I—’

  Grandfather interrupted. ‘I think your mother might be hungry. Hannah, why don’t you tell Cook we are ready for a nice cup of tea and then we can make a start on her wonderful feast. Eat this up and she won’t have to make you any supper before bed, will she.’

  Unwillingly I left the room.

  A sullen David joined us for cake and sandwiches. He still hadn’t spoken to me but did look a little happier having spent some time with Dora.

  ‘And has he been a good boy?’ Mummy asked her as she pulled David onto her lap.

  ‘Yes, Mrs Bolitho. Very good indeed,’ said Dora. ‘He liked the old swing. We even had a smile.’ She directed the last bit to David who buried his face in Mummy’s neck.

  ‘Gosh.’ Mummy turned to the window looking onto the garden with a sad look in her eye. ‘The swing under the apple tree? Is it still there?’

  ‘It nearly wasn’t but I fixed it,’ Edward told her. ‘Grandfather made it when Dad was a boy. Did you know that Dad had a brother called Bertie?’ Edward added. ‘His real name was Herbert and he died fighting the First World War.’

  Mummy stopped stroking David’s hair and looked, to me anyway, as if she hadn’t really heard what Edward had just said.

  Grandfather replied. ‘Yes, indeed, your mother did know Bertie. They were friends. It is how she met your father.’

  My eyes widened in excitement. ‘How lovely. What was he like, Mummy? Did he look like Daddy?’

  ‘Yes,’ she said slowly. ‘Very similar. When I first saw Daddy it was in this room, and I thought he was Bertie.’

  I laughed. ‘Oh, that’s funny. They could have played a trick on you and pretended to be each other! You might have married the wrong one!’

  ‘Yes. I might have.’

  ‘Oh my word, look at the time,’ exclaimed Grandfather. ‘Would you like to see your room, Clara? Dora has put you in Louisa’s old room with a little bed next to it for David.’

  ‘That’s very kind of you. David is tired.’ She got up, still carrying David, who was indeed looking very sleepy.

  ‘Can I help you put David to bed?’ I asked, jumping up. I was going to make Mummy love me more than David by being the helpful child.

  ‘No, no darling. You stay here. I won’t be long.’

  I sat down and waited. Edward and Grandfather were talking together and barely noticed me, so I got up again and walked around the room, running my hands over the familiar books and ornaments. I had an idea, I would count how many times I could go round the room before Mummy came back, without David.

  On my sixth lap, Dora returned. ‘Mrs Bolitho sends her apologies. The journey was rather tiring and she is having an early night.’

  ‘Quite understood,’ said Grandfather.

  I was heartbroken. ‘Can I go and kiss her goodnight?’


  Grandfather saw how close I was to tears and distracted me. ‘You can have the whole day with her tomorrow. Why don’t you and I have a game of Scrabble before you go to bed, eh?’ He always knew how to make things better.

  I couldn’t wait to get down for breakfast the next morning. I cleaned my teeth and, as the weather was so warm, I chose to wear my shorts and a white broderie-anglaise cotton blouse. My legs and feet were bare.

  In the kitchen, Cook was spooning kedgeree out of a pan and into a special dish I hadn’t seen for a long time.

  ‘Shall I lay the table?’ I asked her.

  ‘Dora is laying the table in the parlour.’

  ‘But we always have breakfast in the kitchen.’

  ‘Not today.’ She passed me a milk jug and sugar bowl. ‘Take these in to her, would you?’

  Dora had made the table look so pretty. The best china and cutlery were laid out with the best napkins.

  ‘That looks lovely, Dora.’

  ‘Thank you. Would you like to pick some special flowers for the centre?’

  ‘Yes, please!’ I skipped off out into the garden, thrilled to be given such an important job. I walked all around the small flowerbeds, taking my time to decide on what Mummy would like. In the end I picked some yellow-scented roses with lavender and some mint. In the kitchen, Cook helped me choose one of Grandmother’s silver vases. It was just right.

  Carrying it carefully, I met Grandfather and Edward coming down the stairs. ‘Is Mummy up yet?’ I asked.

  ‘She’s on her way.’ Grandfather shooed me towards the parlour.

  As I put the vase on the table I heard her.

  ‘Good morning everyone.’

  She was wearing a grey dress with a pleated skirt and a white collar. She had a cardigan over her shoulders and wore thick stockings. She looked me up and down. ‘Aren’t you cold in those shorts?’

  ‘Oh no. It’s going to be a hot day,’ I told her.

  She pulled her cardigan closer to her. ‘Maybe my blood has been thinned by the tropics.’

  David clung to her side. ‘I’m cold,’ he said.