Bonds of Earth, The (7 page)

A
FTER TAKING
A
GNES
home Goran returned to Elworthy Farm to find his mother unsettled and in a state of nervous excitement. She had been planning what furniture she would take from their cottage to the much larger farmhouse and where she would place it.

‘We won't know ourselves,' she said happily, ‘Our furniture's going to be lost in a house that size.'

‘On the way back to her farm Agnes said she'll only let Elworthy take a few of the bits and pieces he's particularly fond of. We can either keep the remainder, or throw it out. She says the choice is ours.'

‘She said that? There's some good stuff in the farmhouse, Goran, her parents must have been worth a bit of money in their time and they didn't stint on what they spent making themselves comfortable. I can hardly believe this is happening to us, you a tenant farmer and us living in a farmhouse that's nigh as big as a mansion! Your pa would have been so proud of you, as I am.'

‘Don't get too carried away, Ma, I'm going to have to work hard to make a success of it, and you, too. Agnes expects you to work for her over at Roach as well as helping here and I've got so many ideas about what I want to do with the farm that I feel my head's likely to burst!'

‘Ideas are all right as long as you don't get carried away by 'em and try to do too much too soon. If you work yourself too hard and become ill that'll be the end of everything. We won't be able to take anyone on to help you for a while.'

‘Ah! That's something I want to talk about to you. I've already mentioned it to Agnes and she's quite agreeable, but said I should discuss it with you first as it will probably affect you more than me.'

‘What's likely to affect me?' Mabel asked, guardedly.

‘It concerns this cottage, Ma. When we move into the farm we won't want it to remain empty. Agnes has already agreed to take on young Jenken Bolitho, the son of the man caught in Sir John's mantrap, to help out with the haymaking. He and his family are living in abject poverty up on the moor. Jenken has four brothers, two are still babies and although the other two aren't much more than that, they are old enough to put in a couple of hours a day weeding or chasing birds away from the crops I'm hoping to put in, and it wouldn't cost us more than a few pence.'

Aware of his mother's uncertainty about the idea, Goran said hurriedly, ‘Agnes has never let me sow any kind of crop, Ma, but I'm convinced it would bring us in a good deal of money and I'd like to prove it.'

‘You know more about farming than I do, but I'm not sure about having someone living so close to us on the farm, especially a woman with an invalid husband and five young boys. They could prove more of a nuisance than a help and I don't think Agnes would approve of that any more than I would.'

‘I don't think they'd bother us too much, but when I mentioned it to Agnes she said that once I take over Elworthy Farm I can do whatever I want with it, but she also said I should be sure you agree, for the very reason you've just mentioned, that of having a family of boys living so close to us. Mind you, I think the cottage is far enough away not to prove a nuisance to us.'

‘I'm not so sure,' Mabel said, dubiously. ‘It depends very much on the family – and I've never even met any of them.'

‘I'll tell you what, Agnes wants me to go up to the mine right away and ask Captain Pyne to go to Roach Farm and talk to her about mining rights. Why don't you come with me? We can take a few eggs and some of that bread you baked yesterday to the Bolithos, then you can see the family for yourself and decide whether or not you could live with them as our neighbours. I wouldn't want them living on Elworthy if you weren't going to get along … but they
could
be a help.'

Mabel thought about his suggestion for a long while before eventually saying, ‘All right, I'll come up there with you to meet them, but don't expect me to make up my mind right away. It's a big decision, one likely to affect us for a very long time.'

‘True,' Goran nodded agreement, ‘but it's fairly certain Albert Bolitho will want to get back to mining as soon as he's fit again and he's likely to have his own plans for his family.'

‘It seems a very long time since I last came up here. I'd forgotten just how beautiful and open it all is.'

Mabel made the observation when she and Goran paused for a brief rest after passing through a gate from the highest field on Elworthy Farm and came out onto open moorland. Above them a buzzard glided in a wide circle, its plaintive call vying with the distant thud of a mine stamp engine, carried on the wind from the mine complex at Caradon, out of sight beyond the near horizon of the moor.

‘We have grazing rights up here,' Goran commented, ‘Elworthy never made much use of it but I intend to, especially when I have crops in some of the lower fields.'

Unlike his mother, Goran was viewing the moor through a farmer's eyes and it made her feel very proud of him, but she voiced a cautionary warning.

‘Just as long as you don't try to run before you've learned to walk. But where's this mine, I'm not used to all this exercise?'

They continued on their way in silence until the incomplete Wheal Hope engine-house came into view. It had only been a few days since Goran was last here but the building was almost ready for the massively heavy iron rocking beam to be lifted into place on the stout granite wall needed to support its considerable weight.

In answer to Goran's knock on the closed door of the office, a voice called, ‘Come in,' and Goran and his mother entered the room. Two men were seated at the desk on which a number of papers were spread out. One of the men was Captain Pyne, the other's style of dress was that of a townsman and not a mining man.

Both men stood when they saw Mabel and, apologizing for the interruption, Goran explained the purpose of his visit and said he was being accompanied by Mabel because she had a few things to take to Harriet Bolitho.

Nodding approvingly, Captain Pyne said, ‘The Bolithos will be pleased to accept anything you have to give them. My wife said she was going up there some time today, so if we go to the cottage now she'll take you up there with her. But why does Mrs Roach want to see me so urgently?'

‘It's to do with mining rights and dues. She thinks Sir John Spurre may have given you wrong information about them – and matters have come to a head. He was down at Elworthy Farm with his solicitor yesterday, expecting to buy the farm and all the dues that go with it. Agnes Roach put a stop to the sale and Sir John was very angry.'

Nodding in the direction of the man who had been seated at the desk with him, Captain Pyne said, ‘You've arrived at an opportune time, this is Mr Foster, the lawyer employed by the Wheal Hope adventurers. We have just been discussing the various rights that need to be taken into consideration when we begin bringing ore to surface. He and I will go together to see Mrs Roach, but we'll go to the cottage first and introduce your mother to my wife. I have no doubt you would appreciate a cup of tea, Mrs Trebartha, it's a warm day to be climbing up here to the mine.'

Accompanied by the solicitor, Captain Pyne led Mabel and Goran to the cottage. On the way he said, ‘Do I take it that Sir John Spurre and Mrs Roach had a falling out when they met yesterday?'

‘Yes. Sir John thought he'd succeeded in bullying Elworthy Coumbe into selling the farm to him and all the rights that go with it, but it turns out that Agnes – who is Elworthy's sister – is the actual owner of the farm. Her father left both farms to her because Elworthy is a simple soul and not capable of thinking things out for himself.'

‘Do you believe Sir John is aware of Elworthy Coumbe's condition?' The question came from the solicitor.

‘Oh yes, everyone knows.'

‘I see.'

There was an exchange of glances between the solicitor and Captain Pyne and although no words were spoken both had grasped the situation.

When the mine-captain's cottage was reached they were met by Annie Pyne. After cursory introductions and a brief explanation of why they had all come to the house, the mine captain and solicitor set off for Roach Farm leaving Goran and his mother with Annie Pyne and young Jennifer.

‘Nessa will be very disappointed to have missed you,' Annie said to Goran, ‘She and Morwenna have both gone to Caradon where the father of friends of theirs from down west has recently been taken on as a shift captain and he brought his family here with him. It would seem a great many of the more experienced mine workers believe there are more prospects for them in this part of Cornwall.'

Goran had been looking forward to introducing Nessa to his mother and Mabel was aware of his disappointment. Although he had said little to her about the Pynes' middle daughter, a mother's intuition told her he had met someone he regarded highly.

Her suspicion was strengthened when Annie Pyne said, ‘She is particularly hoping to see you because I believe she has a book to give to you, one that belonged to Morwenna. I overheard her offering to exchange a bracelet she has for it. I could probably find the book, but I think I'd better leave it to Nessa to give it to you.'

She gave Goran a knowing glance and her meaning was so apparent that Goran coloured up, embarrassed. Jennifer added to his discomfort when she said in all innocence, ‘It was Nessa's favourite bracelet! She let me wear it once … but only for a little while.'

‘I expect Nessa will bring the book down to you at the farm. I believe you've suggested she brings Jennifer down there to see some piglets you have there – that's if the farmer has no objection, of course.'

The remark was an opportunity for Mabel to tell Annie Pyne, with considerable pride, that there could be no objection because
Goran
was now the farmer at Elworthy.

The mine captain's wife was impressed. She already realized that Nessa was strongly attracted to Goran and although she herself liked him, she had hoped it was merely a passing fancy on the part of her daughter, no more than a phase of growing up.

Unfortunately, Nessa was a strong-minded girl who took life a little too seriously and the ambitions Annie and her husband had for her were aimed higher than a young farm labourer husband, albeit a very likeable one. However, a
farmer
was a far more acceptable prospect!

A
NNIE
P
YNE AND
Jennifer accompanied Goran and Mabel to the mean structure on the moor that was the Bolithos' home and, much to Goran's surprise, they found Albert Bolitho seated outside on a rock that had been rolled to the spot, a pair of crudely constructed crutches propped beside him.

With the aid of the crutches he struggled awkwardly to his feet when he saw the visitors approaching, ignoring their pleas for him to remain seated. Finally succeeding, he balanced precariously upon the crutches, a triumphant expression on his face as he faced the visitors.

When Annie Pyne introduced Mabel as Goran's mother, the injured man beamed, ‘I'm very pleased to meet you, ma'am. Your son saved my life and I'd be honoured to shake your hand if I was just a little bit more sure of myself on these crutches that young Jenken made for me. It's the first time I've used them and I'm not too steady just yet, but I soon will be, I promise you.'

While he was talking, Harriet Bolitho had come from the moorland shelter, the youngest of their boys in her arms. The child looked pale and undernourished and while introductions were being made he had a coughing fit that left him gasping for breath.

Harriet, whom Goran thought looked only a little less strained than when he had last seen her, apologized for her son's condition, saying there had been a cold wind blowing across the moor for the past forty-eight hours and it was something that always seemed to affect the child's chest.

‘I've brought some milk from the farm with me; it might help build him up a little. It's in a can here in the basket, together with a few other things I thought might be welcome.' Mabel lifted the milk can from the basket as she spoke.

Albert Bolitho frowned and Goran, remembering what had once been said about the miner being too proud to accept charity, sought to divert his attention by asking, ‘Where's Jenken? I was hoping I might find him here today.'

‘He's gone off to Caradon to see if he can find a day's work on one of the mines there. Sometimes a bal maiden goes sick and they might take him on until they can find another. Being a maid's pay it doesn't amount to much and the work seldom lasts longer than a day but it's better than nothing while I'm like this. Why were you hoping to find him? You're not thinking of starting haymaking earlier than expected?'

There was an eagerness in Albert's question that Goran recognized and, although the course of action he was about to propose had been little more than a vague idea, thought up on the way here, he suddenly made up his mind and said, ‘It's not
quite
time yet, although it won't be long now, but there have been changes at Elworthy Farm. The man I've been working for isn't up to managing the farm any longer and has gone to live with his sister on the neighbouring farm. She actually owns both farms and has asked me to take over the tenancy of Elworthy. I've agreed, but I'm going to need help. The problem is that for much of this first year I'm not going to be able to pay a man's wages. If you'd let Jenken come and work for me for a boy's wages he'd be fed at the farm and I'd try to add to his pay with eggs, the occasional chicken and bits and pieces like pork and mutton – potatoes too when I'm able to get some into the ground.'

Mabel and the food she had brought from the farm forgotten, Albert was genuinely excited by Goran's proposal. ‘You mean you're offering Jenken a permanent job on a farm?'

‘That's right, but as I said, I'll only be able to pay him a boy's wages to begin with, say three-and-six, or thereabouts, a week. Although, if things go the way I hope they will, I'll raise it before too long and if ever Agnes Roach wants work done at her farm I'll let him go there to earn a little extra – and there'll be more from both of us come haymaking.'

Suddenly doubtful, Albert Bolitho said, ‘You're a bit young to be taking on the tenancy of a farm. Do you really think you'll be able to make a go of it?'

‘I wouldn't be taking it on if I thought otherwise, and I'll do my damnedest to make it work.'

Looking at Goran seriously, Albert said, ‘Yes, boy, I think you will and I'd like to see our Jenken learn to do something more than mining for a living. So would his mother. She'd help on farms down west when we were first married and always said working on a farm was far better for a man than spending his life burrowing underground like a mole, which isn't what God intended for us. I've been mining for too long to change now, but it's time
something
went the way she wants, I've not been able to do very much to make her life any easier these last few months. Having our Jenken working on a farm would be a dream come true for her.'

‘Then send him down to me as soon as he feels able to start and I'll take him on.'

While he was speaking, Albert had been looking to where his wife was feeding milk to their sick child who was taking it greedily from a handle-less cup and Goran realized from his expression that the miner genuinely loved his wife.

Mabel had already come to the same conclusion about Harriet Bolitho's feelings towards Albert. Aware of the impression Mabel must have been given by the conditions in which her family were living on the inhospitable moor, Harriet had insisted her husband was not to blame for their situation, declaring vehemently, ‘He's a good worker … a good miner. Captain Pyne knows it and it's why he said he'll take Albert on when Wheal Hope begins working and it's why we came here in the first place. Albert's just had bad luck this last year, that's all. Three of the mines he worked for closed down, putting hundreds of miners out of work. Many of the other miners declared Cornish mining was too uncertain and went to foreign lands like Australia, America and such places. Albert would have liked to go, I know he would, but he wouldn't leave me and the boys here to fend for ourselves never knowing where he was or what he was doing.

‘Besides, we haven't always lived like this,' she had added, defensively. ‘When we were first married we had a little cottage that was as nice as anyone could wish for, but the mine was played out and we needed to go to where there was work for Albert. Things have just gone from bad to worse since then and this last year in particular has been a nightmare.'

As though aware of the depressive nature of her narrative, Harriet made a conscious effort to shake off the mood, saying, ‘I'm sorry. You don't want to listen to me carrying on about something that's affecting others even worse than us. I've got a caring husband, a son to be proud of and a family who give me some very happy moments. Then there are people like you, Goran and the Pynes who couldn't be kinder.'

Despite her resolution, Harriet was close to tears when she added, ‘It's more than a lot of women ever know.'

Mabel had already decided she liked Harriet Bolitho. She had fewer material possessions than anyone Mabel had ever met with and was so weary from caring for five boys and an invalid husband it was a wonder she was able to remain on her feet, but she was not a broken woman. She had a quiet strength within her that refused to admit defeat and there appeared to be no resentment towards those who possessed things she lacked.

On her way to the moor with Goran, Mabel had entertained a number of doubts about his ideas for the Bolitho family, but now, having met Harriet, she was in full agreement with him and before leaving she obtained a firm commitment from Harriet to come and visit her at Elworthy Farm in the next day or two, pointing out that Albert had now recovered sufficiently to be left alone for a couple of hours. Mabel would put Goran's proposal to her then.

‘Have you thought any more about having the Bolithos move into our cottage once we're in the farmhouse?' Goran put the question to his mother as they were walking home from Wheal Hope after saying goodbye to Annie Pyne and Jennifer.

‘Yes.'

When nothing more was forthcoming, Goran prompted, ‘And?'

‘I think Harriet Bolitho is a remarkable woman. Not only is she raising five boys in almost impossible circumstances, but coping with an injured husband who she refuses to blame for any of her problems. She obviously loves him very much.'

‘You still haven't answered my question.'

‘I'd be perfectly happy having the Bolithos living at Elworthy. There are bound to be a few problems having a family living there who know nothing of farming ways, but I believe Harriet is someone I can talk to, so we'd be able to sort things out.'

‘Actually, Albert Bolitho was telling me that Harriet
has
worked on a farm and it's always been her dream that the boys would do the same instead of taking up mining.'

‘There you are then!' Mabel spoke triumphantly, as though the idea of having the Bolithos come to live at Elworthy had been her idea in the first place. ‘And judging by the look of her youngest, moving to a proper house can't come a moment too soon. He looks consumptive to me. Living in the way they are on the moor won't be helping him at all.'

‘Well, Elworthy should be moving in with Agnes this weekend, so if Harriet comes to see you as she's promised, the family could move into the cottage almost immediately, which will be just as well for all of them. There's cloud building up out to the west and I think there's rain on the way … but this looks like Captain Pyne heading towards us from Roach Farm and the solicitor isn't with him. I wonder how they got on with Agnes.'

When they met the mine captain he explained the absence of the solicitor, saying, ‘We took his horse with us to Roach Farm and he's returning to his office in Bodmin direct from there. We had an interesting meeting with Agnes Roach,
most
interesting. She is a very shrewd woman – as her family must have been before her. It seems it was her grandfather, or great-grandfather who obtained the mineral rights she holds. They are not only for the two farms but he somehow obtained the same rights, “in perpetuity”, for common land on the moor itself. I thought it was most unusual but Mrs Roach has the documents to prove her claim and Mr Foster confirmed they are indisputable. There is good news for you too. She tells me you have taken the tenancy of Elworthy Farm?'

When Goran nodded confirmation, adding, ‘That's right, Agnes offered me terms that made taking the tenancy easy for me.'

‘I can believe it, she would seem to be a most generous woman – and is obviously very fond of you. She also has great confidence in your ability to make a success of Elworthy Farm and the agreement we reached should ensure that you will.'

‘An agreement? You mean about the rights that are due if your mining takes you beneath Elworthy?'

‘That and more. She named you as recipient of fifty per cent of the dues for Elworthy land but said you are also to receive twenty-five per cent of any dues in respect of the common land for which she owns the rights. If the lode we've come across carries on in the direction I think it's heading, you'll end up quite a wealthy young man. It's likely to bring in more for you than farming, even in the best of years.'

Aware of his mother's delight at Pyne's words, Goran said, ‘That really is very exciting, but I'll still be working the farm as though my livelihood depends on it.'

Captain Pyne nodded his agreement, ‘I wouldn't expect a sensible man to do anything else, but now I had better be heading back to the mine. I plan to carry out some blasting but I want to check everything first. We seem to be getting more water than I expected into the workings. I need to make certain we're not going to divert the course of an underground stream and so make things difficult for ourselves.'

‘It would be easy to do,' Goran commented, ‘There are a great many springs and streams around here.'

‘So I believe.' With a knowing and amused smile, Captain Pyne added, ‘I believe you and my daughters first met when they had found one of them.'

About to stutter an embarrassed apology, Goran was saved by Mabel. Addressing the mine captain, she asked, ‘Before you go I wonder if I might speak to you about the Bolithos?'

‘Of course, you've been to see them today, how is Albert coming along?'

‘He's up on his feet with the aid of a pair of crutches, but it's the whole family I'd like to ask you about.'

Mabel proceeded to explain to the mine captain the plans she and Goran had for the destitute family's future and asked for his opinion of them.

‘It would be a wonderful thing to do!' Captain Pyne replied, sincerely. ‘Whatever Albert may say, or think, his days as an underground miner are over. I saw his leg when it was first injured and have since discussed it with the doctor. It will never be strong enough for him to negotiate ladders beneath grass so I'll need to find surface work for him … as an engine-man, perhaps. Until then Annie and I will see they never starve but unfortunately there are a great many miners without work right now and I can't afford to support all of them. If Goran is able to offer work to Jenken and a proper home to the family they'll get by and I don't think they'll let you down. Albert has always been a hard-working and honest miner and in Harriet he has a very good wife. Take them in and let me know if there is any way I might be of help to you.'

After telling Captain Pyne she had not yet discussed the proposal with Harriet Bolitho, Mabel was satisfied that their decision to house the Bolithos was a sound one, and she and Goran made their way back to the farmhouse, both proudly aware that the land over which they were walking would soon be theirs to farm.