drive. In the lead by a few paces on an elderly mare was a thin dark man; behind him on two ponies a dark woman in a long grey linen riding cloak and a girl of about twelve, hair in pigtails, bare legs showing under a dimity skirt.
Geoffrey Charles had been linking his wife, but he lifted both hands to squint into the sun - then he let out a whoop.
'My love, forgive me, it is Drake!'
He leapt across a narrow angle of the pool, splashed through a few feet of shallow mud and ran towards the convoy. As he neared it, the dark man saw him, called to his ladies and slid out of the saddle.
The men met equidistant from their respective wives. They stopped a few feet apart, then grasped hands. After a moment Geoffrey Charles took the other by the biceps, laughed, and kissed him on both cheeks.
'Drake, Drake, Drake, Drake, Drake!' he said, his voice breaking and tears in his eyes. 'So-o .. .-After all these years! I can scarcely believe it!'
'Geoffrey Charles! I can scarce believe it neither! Indeed I can hardly think tis you, though, you're looking brave an' happy. My dear, you sent for me!'
'Indeed.' They broke from their affectionate clasp and Geoffrey Charles took a dozen giant strides to help the lady as she dismounted. 'Morwenna. Ma foi! Ma petite!’ He took her in his arms and gave her a smacking kiss which knocked her glasses askew. 'And how is my governess? Blooming, it seems! What pleasure to see you again! And Loveday ...' He went to the second pony and kissed the girl as he lifted her down. 'My dear, you have grown so much -grown so much!' Drake Carne said: in wisdom and in stature and in God's esteem.' But he said it with a little smile that took the starch out of it.
'You still pursue that outl andish Methodism?' 'After a fashion. But we take in small doses - not like Sam.'
'All things should be taken in small doses,' said Geoffrey Charles, 'except friendship and love. Come, Amadora, don't hang back, come and meet my dear friends. Drake, Morwenna, this is my wife, my dearly loved and honoured wife, whom I have brought to Cornwall specially to meet you.'
They shook hands, Drake bowing over th e hand, Love day dropping a curtsy. All was conversation, laughter, chatter as they walked the horses slowly towards the front door. Drake had put on weight; one could not see the bones of his shoulder blades through his jacket any more; his hair had thinned but was still raven black; his face had more colour, but perhaps that was just the zest of the arrival. Morwenna seemed unchanged; short-sighted, shy, withdrawn, just as he remembered her seven years ago when he called in at Looe, just as he remembered her when she first came as his governess nineteen years ago. Loveday had the fine skin and dark hair of both her parents, but was of an age when child charm had gone and the looks of adolescence were yet a little way off.
At the front door Geoffrey Charles produced a whistle. Its shrilling brought a young man trotting round from the back, who raised his eyebrows and grinned at Drake.
'Well, I'll be darned,' said Drake. 'Tis young Tredinnick! But gracious knows whether tis Jack or Paul.'
'Jack, sur. Paul's still wi'your brother, sur.'
‘I do not have servants as such,' Geoffrey Charles explained, ‘ as yet; I have helpers to whom I pay what they consider a reasonable fee. Jack is here to help.'
'Aye, sur; that we all do, sur. Glad to see ee, Mr Carne . An' Mrs Carne too. And Miss Carne , I s'pose.'
'Please to come in,' said Amadora, to Morwenna. 'Geoffrey Charles have so often spoke. This is the way. But you have known this house. You shall remember it well.'
'I am so happy for you, Mrs Poldark,' Morwenna said. 'For you both.' She looked round the small entrance hall as she entered it. She gave a little shiver.
'You feel cold? When you shall have ridden so far?'
'No, no. Far from cold,' said Morwenna. ‘ Very far from cold.'
They ate together in the winter parlour, which the young Poldarks were at present
Geoffrey Charles had been linking his wife, but he lifted both hands to squint into the sun - then he let out a whoop.
'My love, forgive me, it is Drake!'
He leapt across a narrow angle of the pool, splashed through a few feet of shallow mud and ran towards the convoy. As he neared it, the dark man saw him, called to his ladies and slid out of the saddle.
The men met equidistant from their respective wives. They stopped a few feet apart, then grasped hands. After a moment Geoffrey Charles took the other by the biceps, laughed, and kissed him on both cheeks.
'Drake, Drake, Drake, Drake, Drake!' he said, his voice breaking and tears in his eyes. 'So-o .. .-After all these years! I can scarcely believe it!'
'Geoffrey Charles! I can scarce believe it neither! Indeed I can hardly think tis you, though, you're looking brave an' happy. My dear, you sent for me!'
'Indeed.' They broke from their affectionate clasp and Geoffrey Charles took a dozen giant strides to help the lady as she dismounted. 'Morwenna. Ma foi! Ma petite!’ He took her in his arms and gave her a smacking kiss which knocked her glasses askew. 'And how is my governess? Blooming, it seems! What pleasure to see you again! And Loveday ...' He went to the second pony and kissed the girl as he lifted her down. 'My dear, you have grown so much -grown so much!' Drake Carne said: in wisdom and in stature and in God's esteem.' But he said it with a little smile that took the starch out of it.
'You still pursue that outl andish Methodism?' 'After a fashion. But we take in small doses - not like Sam.'
'All things should be taken in small doses,' said Geoffrey Charles, 'except friendship and love. Come, Amadora, don't hang back, come and meet my dear friends. Drake, Morwenna, this is my wife, my dearly loved and honoured wife, whom I have brought to Cornwall specially to meet you.'
They shook hands, Drake bowing over th e hand, Love day dropping a curtsy. All was conversation, laughter, chatter as they walked the horses slowly towards the front door. Drake had put on weight; one could not see the bones of his shoulder blades through his jacket any more; his hair had thinned but was still raven black; his face had more colour, but perhaps that was just the zest of the arrival. Morwenna seemed unchanged; short-sighted, shy, withdrawn, just as he remembered her seven years ago when he called in at Looe, just as he remembered her when she first came as his governess nineteen years ago. Loveday had the fine skin and dark hair of both her parents, but was of an age when child charm had gone and the looks of adolescence were yet a little way off.
At the front door Geoffrey Charles produced a whistle. Its shrilling brought a young man trotting round from the back, who raised his eyebrows and grinned at Drake.
'Well, I'll be darned,' said Drake. 'Tis young Tredinnick! But gracious knows whether tis Jack or Paul.'
'Jack, sur. Paul's still wi'your brother, sur.'
‘I do not have servants as such,' Geoffrey Charles explained, ‘ as yet; I have helpers to whom I pay what they consider a reasonable fee. Jack is here to help.'
'Aye, sur; that we all do, sur. Glad to see ee, Mr Carne . An' Mrs Carne too. And Miss Carne , I s'pose.'
'Please to come in,' said Amadora, to Morwenna. 'Geoffrey Charles have so often spoke. This is the way. But you have known this house. You shall remember it well.'
'I am so happy for you, Mrs Poldark,' Morwenna said. 'For you both.' She looked round the small entrance hall as she entered it. She gave a little shiver.
'You feel cold? When you shall have ridden so far?'
'No, no. Far from cold,' said Morwenna. ‘ Very far from cold.'
They ate together in the winter parlour, which the young Poldarks were at present
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