Bonds of Earth, The (11 page)

T
HERE WERE S
O
many customers at the inn that Goran and the old man were forced to sit on a wooden bench outside, amidst a constantly changing crowd of noisy and hard-drinking fair-goers.

Goran ordered a tankard of ale for his companion and a lemonade for himself from an overworked and harassed serving-girl. The non-alcoholic drink was a treat, one rarely enjoyed on the farm and it meant he would have a clear head for their conversation.

When introductions were exchanged, Goran learned the old man's name was Horace Rundle and it transpired that as a young man he had courted Agnes Roach – or Coumbe, as she then was – but had been jilted in favour of the man who eventually became her husband.

‘It was probably just as well,' Horace reminisced, ‘Agnes was always a strong-willed girl, determined to get her own way about most things, although I don't remember her ever doing anyone a bad turn if she could do a good one.'

‘She hasn't changed,' Goran said. ‘She still likes to have her own way and is sometimes so positive she frightens the life out of folk who don't know her, but she's the kindest person I've ever met.'

‘That's pretty much how I remember Agnes, and she thought the world of that husband of hers. Mind you, I got married and had a happy life too, even though, like Agnes and her man, we never had any children of our own.'

The ale and lemonade had arrived and, with the pewter tankard to his lips, Horace seemed lost in his memories, until Goran prompted him with, ‘When was the last time you saw Agnes?'

‘Eh? … Oh, it was years and years ago. It must be more than twenty years since the present Sir John inherited the title and returned from the wars to take over at Spurre and I hadn't seen her for some years before that … but what's happened to her brother Elworthy, whose farm you've taken on, is he dead?'

‘No, he's gone to live with Agnes at Roach.…'

The conversation about Agnes, and Horace's reminiscences of his days working at the Spurre estate in the ‘old days' lasted for another ale before Goran said, reluctantly ‘It's been good meeting you, Horace, and I've really enjoyed talking to you, but there's a storm to the west that will be here within the hour. I came here to buy a plough and I must get on with it.…'

‘Don't be in such a hurry, boy, you just listen to what I have to say before you make up your mind about anything.'

Raising the tankard to his lips and looking over the rim thoughtfully for the length of a long draught, Horace eventually lowered the drinking vessel. Speaking seriously, he said, ‘You came to Liskeard Fair to buy a plough because you want to grow crops at Elworthy, but there's more to arable farming than owning a plough. A whole lot more, especially if you want to show a profit at the end of the farming year. After being a ploughman for almost all my life I've not given it up because I want to, but because rheumatics won't allow me to work the way I need to and I can no longer put in a full day's work. Mind you, that doesn't mean I can't show anyone who wants to learn the way it
should
be done. I wouldn't do it for anyone mind. In fact there are very few I'd even try to teach the right way to go about it, but you have a head start on most all of 'em. You're starting out on a farming life at a much younger age and, most important of all to me, you've spent years working for Agnes Roach. I'm living out near Callington right now and although I can't do a full day's work I still have the plough and harrow I used to work with and own two of the finest plough horses you'll find anywhere. They'd almost plough a field without having anyone to drive 'em. If we can reach some agreement I'm willing to bring them to Elworthy with the plough and harrow, show you how to use 'em and set you on your way to arable farming.'

It was a remarkable offer and far more than Goran could possibly have anticipated, but Horace had earned a living as a ploughman and would expect to be paid for his services.

‘That's very good of you, Horace. Having you teach me what to do would be just what I need, but I'd still have to buy horses, a plough and a harrow. How much would it cost me? Agnes has been more generous than I could ever have hoped, and I can't ask her for more. There
will
be money coming in if the Wheal Hope extends its workings beneath Elworthy – and the mine captain is fairly certain they will – but that's not likely to happen for a while yet. Until then money is going to be tight.'

‘I don't think I've mentioned money, boy! Mind you, I'm so forgetful these days I can't remember what I've said more than half an hour after I've said it. How much land do you reckon on ploughing?'

Making a rapid mental calculation, Goran replied, ‘I'm hoping to get about five acres ploughed and put in at least an acre of potatoes. If I could manage more, so much the better. There are rumours of a rich copper strike at Caradon. If they're true it will mean more mines and a lot more miners, so there should be a market for as much as I can grow.'

‘I've heard the same talk, so your thinking is sound and potatoes are a good cleaning crop for ground that's never been ploughed before. Mind you, there's a lot of work to be done before you put them in but if you have turnips and mangelwurzels growing along with 'em you'll be able to feed your animals through the winter too.'

Repeating his earlier question, Goran asked, ‘If I was to hire you to do the ploughing and harrowing how much would it cost me?'

Horace shook his head. ‘I told you, I'm not up to that much work, boy, but I'll put an offer to you. It's costing me good money to keep my two horses idle and there's a plough in my barn that's better than any I've seen offered for sale today – even those newfangled ones that'll need so many horses to pull 'em that whoever buys one will never see his money back. I've also got a harrow I had a blacksmith make specially for me and it'll still be working the ground when both you and me are underneath it. I'll bring the lot over to you at Elworthy and spend a couple of days showing you the right way to plough and harrow then let you get on with doing it for yourself. When you've got the ground fit and ready, you plant not one acre of potatoes, but two, one for you and one for me, and I'll see you get the right potatoes for planting and show you how they should be cut to get the best from 'em.'

‘Are you saying you'll let me have the horses, plough and harrow for nothing? You don't want actual money for them?'

‘I'm not saying that. Potatoes for planting are going to cost you money, although I'll get them at a price a sight cheaper than you'd be charged for the amount you're going to need. Then, you'll be feeding the horses through the winter months and I'd expect you to keep 'em as fit and healthy as they've always been with me. As for actual money changing hands … Well, we'll talk about that when we see what sort of a crop of potatoes you grow for me and when you've got money coming in from this mine that's started up. I'd expect you to settle up something with me then, but I won't be robbing you, boy. I'll take into account the money I get from the potatoes and the money you'll have spent on them.'

It needed very little time for Goran to realize that Horace was offering him a great deal more than he had expected to return home with when he left Elworthy Farm that morning. Extending his hand to the old man, he said, ‘We have a deal, Horace. You show me what it is I need to do and it won't be my fault if we don't produce the best crop of potatoes to be found anywhere in Cornwall.'

‘I hope you're right boy, but …' – pointing up to the heavens Horace added – ‘never forget there's someone up there who has far more to do with the success of farming than you or me and it's not going to be long before He's sending us a reminder.'

W
ALKING BACK THROUGH
the fair with Horace, Goran saw the stall where he had seen jewellery on display. In the excitement of all he and the old man had been talking about he had forgotten it, but now he stopped to look at what was being offered for sale.

His eye was caught immediately by a bracelet which reminded him of the one he had seen Morwenna wearing and which Nessa had given to her in exchange for the dictionary Morwenna had brought to the farm for him. Picking it up he examined it carefully before deciding it was cheap and ill-made and replacing it on the stall.

‘Doesn't it suit you, young sir? It would look very nice on the wrist of your young lady, I'm quite sure.'

Goran shook his head, ‘It's not what I'm looking for.'

‘And what
are
you looking for, something cheaper, or something of
real
value?'

‘I'm looking for a bracelet that's a little better than anything you have here.'

‘Ah! Then the young lady must be someone who's very special and nothing's too good for the true love in your life…. No, don't go away. I have a few items here that I don't show to everyone. I keep them hidden away and only show them to discerning customers like yourself.'

The stall was covered by a heavy and rather threadbare green chenille cloth, which reached to the ground on all sides. Lifting the edge closest to him, the stallholder lifted out a small, stiff leather case.

He opened the lid to reveal a number of compartments, each filled with differing varieties of jewellery, necklaces, rings, bracelets and more.

‘Now, if it's a special bracelet you're looking for, here's the best in the box – and you'll not find a more precious one anywhere, it's solid gold.'

‘I don't want a gold bracelet. I'm looking for a silver one with jewels in it. Purple jewels.'

‘Purple? You don't mean blue … sapphires?'

‘No,
purple
!'

‘Ah! Then you must mean amethysts, and they're
very
expensive.'

‘Oh well, that means I won't be able to buy her an amethyst bracelet then.'

‘Don't be quite so hasty, young sir. I just happen to have an amethyst bracelet – but only one. Mind you, I wouldn't still have it had I showed it to every young man who wanted something special. It would have been bought by the very first one to see it, but I was waiting for someone to come along I felt would appreciate it, and I think you might be that very young man. Just look at this, ain't it the most beautiful bracelet you've ever seen? Not only that, I know the young lady you want it for will never have seen another like it because I doubt very much whether there
is
one.'

It
was
a very beautiful silver bracelet, set with a number of finely cut amethysts, but Goran realized immediately it would probably cost far more than he could afford, however much he wished to find something with which to impress Nessa.

‘How much is it?'

‘Ah, well may you ask! If I was to wait until I got back to London I could name my own price for it. There's gentlemen around Covent Garden as would happily pay fifteen – or even twenty guineas for it.'

‘Then you'd better keep it until you get back there because I can't afford that sort of money.'

‘And I wouldn't dream of asking such a price from
you
, young sir. No, for someone like yourself who wants to buy it for a young lady he thinks a whole lot of, I'd let it go for, say …
ten
pounds?'

‘Even that's too much. I'm just a tenant farmer who hasn't even reaped his first crop yet.'

‘I understand what you're saying, young sir, and I realize times is hard, here in the countryside, so I'll tell you what I'll do – and I wouldn't do it for anyone else – you can take it away with you for five guineas! Now that's being more than generous, as I'm sure you'll agree.'

‘I'm sorry, I don't even have
that
much in my pocket.'

Frowning, the stallholder asked, ‘Well, how much were you thinking to spend on this very special girl of yours?'

Rapidly calculating how much of his own money he had and what he thought he might be able to afford, Goran said, ‘I think I could just about afford to give you two pounds for it.'

‘
Two pounds
? That's less than I paid for it. I might just as well
give
it away to the first pretty girl who walks past my stall! Can you read?'

Goran nodded.

‘Well, just look here then, see what it says on the inside? “Silver” it says, that's real silver on that bracelet, silver and jewels – and for
two pounds
?' He shook his head in exaggerated disbelief.

Goran was disappointed. He felt Nessa would have really appreciated such a gift, but he could not afford the five pounds the stallholder was asking. He turned to walk away, but the man reached out and took hold of his arm.

‘I'll tell you what I'll do. I can see you've set your heart on having this bracelet, and it shows you to be a young man of uncommon discernment, so it's yours for three pounds, young sir. How does that sound to you?'

‘It sounds good, but two pounds is all I can afford – more, in fact.'

‘Make it two pounds ten shillings and the bracelet is yours.'

‘I'll go to two guineas, but I daren't part with a penny more.'

Holding out his arms in a gesture of mock despair, the stall-holder said, ‘You're wasted as a farmer, young sir, give it up and I'll employ you right here, on my stall. I've never known anyone strike such a hard bargain. All right, it's yours for two guineas – and may I never meet with another young man like you!'

Horace had been observing the keen bargaining with considerable interest, but he said nothing until the deal was completed and Goran had the bracelet, then, addressing the stallholder, he said, ‘Seeing as how you're in a benevolent mood, how much is that bracelet you have on your stall – the plain silver one?'

Switching his interest immediately to Horace, the stallholder said, ‘For you, sir, ten shillings … no, as you're with this business-minded young man I won't even attempt to make a profit. It's yours for eight!'

Chortling, Horace said, ‘I may be with my young friend but I'm older and seen many more fairs than the both of you, so you'll need to do a whole lot better than that!'

Throwing up his hands in a mock gesture of resignation, the stallholder said, ‘Oh no, not another one! All right then, for you I'll make it five shillings. After all, what right have I to come all this way and expect to make any profit?'

‘Now if you'd said two and sixpence I'd have bought it from you as a present for my grand-niece's birthday, but I couldn't spare a penny more than that on her … good as she's been to me.'

‘Two-shillings-and-sixpence? That's not hard bargaining, it's downright robbery! That's solid silver, that bracelet is … but I've no doubt she's a pretty young thing and as she's been so good to an old man who's very careful with his money, it's yours for
four
shillings.'

Horace put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a number of coins. Counting them slowly and carefully, he put them back into his pocket and, shaking his head, said, ‘I could go no higher than three shillings, so as we're not going to reach agreement I'll bid you good day and be on my way before the rain comes and you need to pack up your stall.'

Casting a quick glance up at the heavy clouds gathering above the fair, as Horace turned away, the stallholder said quickly, ‘All right, it's yours for three shillings – and I must remember to give Liskeard Fair a miss next year or I'll end up in Newgate debtors' prison.'

Chuckling as they walked away, Horace said to Goran, ‘I think I'm going to enjoy working with you, Goran. You and I make a good pair – too good for the likes of that London stallholder, for all that he thinks he's so clever!'

Goran said nothing, but he gripped the boxed bracelet that was safely ensconced in his pocket, thrilled with the gift he had bought for Nessa, impatient to see her delight when he gave it to her.