time if Master Geoffrey would like it, and, tis hard to find the well without someone to guide you the way.'
Geoffrey Charles went rushing off to tell the groom and the two young adults began walking slowly towards the cliffs.
`I hear tell you've not been in, this here parts much longer than brother and me, Miss Chynoweth.'
`About four months.'
`Tis almost the very same. My name' s Drake Carne, Miss Chynoweth. I hope you'll excuse the liberty of me suggesting to walk with you.’
Morwenna inclined her head.
`You've not, I s'pose, met my sister yet, Mrs Ross Poldark?'
`N o ...'
'You don't b'lieve she's my siste r?' 'Oh, yes’
`She's a rare swe et soul. Brave and clever. I'd like for you to meet her.'
`I don't often come this way, except riding with Geoffrey Charles.'
`Well, he's her nephew, like. By marriage. And she's not seen him for over three years:'
She said:' `I do not think the feeling between the two houses is of the best. As a newcomer it is not my place to, ask why. But until it improves, I cannot bring Geoffrey Charles to Nampara. Indeed, I am not sure whether his mother would approve of his walking on this beach.'
`Don't' tell her, please.'
`Why not?'
`Then I should never - we shouldn't - it is the best beach around.'
Morwenna looked at him with her dark serious eyes. It was a pity that in a man of her own class all he had said could be considered gracious and polite, whereas from such as him, it could only be an impertinence. It was a pity that he was the most beautiful young man she had ever seen. 'If you wilt show us this well, Mr Carne; that I'm sure will be a kindness.'
Geoffrey Charles caught them up, panting, and ran right past them. Then he stood, hands on hips as they caught him up. `I wish I was dressed like you, Drake. That's your name, isn't it. I wish I was dressed like you. These clothes, I'm always afraid, of soiling them, They are suitable for a party, not for a country tramp.'
`They're suitable for your station, Mr Geoffrey,' Drake said. `But if you d'take care you'll not hurt them. Tid'n more'n a short climb.'
'A climb?' said Morwenna. `You did not say that.'
`Well, tis scarce above thirty feet, and that some easy.'
Cliffs and sandhills faced the sea at intervals towards the end of Hendrawna Beach, and they passed two bluffs of rock before Drake stopped. `I'd best lead the way,' he said. `Then if Miss Chynoweth could follow me I'd be at hand to give her, a help up; wh ile Mr Geoffrey, you will be behind her to help her too if need be.'
They went up. It was, as Drake had said, an easy climb, and Morwenna could have been up like a cat, if she had not been impeded by her skirt and her determination not to lift it. So she had to take Drake's hand twice, and on co nsideration this was perhaps a worse choice, His hand was warm and hers cold. There was some frightening transmission between them.
At the top he took them across a small green platform to a cliff of overhanging rock. Raised a foot from the ground by its rocky sides was a pool of water about four feet across.
`This is it,' said Drake. `Tis fresh water taste though so near the sea, and they d'say twas consecrated by St Sawle more'n a thousand year gone and, twas used by all the early Christian pilgrims walking 'long the coast from one monaste ry to the next. Taste, tis pure water.'
`You know all this - so soon,' said Morwenna.
`Old Jope Ishbel told me - he, as works at Wheal Leisure. He d'know all there is to know. But, mind, I had to come and find 'n for myself.'
`It's lovely water,' said Geoffrey Charles. `Taste it, Wenna.' She tasted. `Um.'
'It is a wishing well-too, or so they d'say. What you must do, Jope Ishbel says, is put the first finger of your right hand deep in the water and make three crosses with it, saying "Father, Son, Holy Spirit" and then you get your wishes granted.'
`It's sacrilegious,' said Morwenna.
`Oh, no. Oh no tis not, begging your pardon, Miss Chynoweth. It's a holy place just so much as
Geoffrey Charles went rushing off to tell the groom and the two young adults began walking slowly towards the cliffs.
`I hear tell you've not been in, this here parts much longer than brother and me, Miss Chynoweth.'
`About four months.'
`Tis almost the very same. My name' s Drake Carne, Miss Chynoweth. I hope you'll excuse the liberty of me suggesting to walk with you.’
Morwenna inclined her head.
`You've not, I s'pose, met my sister yet, Mrs Ross Poldark?'
`N o ...'
'You don't b'lieve she's my siste r?' 'Oh, yes’
`She's a rare swe et soul. Brave and clever. I'd like for you to meet her.'
`I don't often come this way, except riding with Geoffrey Charles.'
`Well, he's her nephew, like. By marriage. And she's not seen him for over three years:'
She said:' `I do not think the feeling between the two houses is of the best. As a newcomer it is not my place to, ask why. But until it improves, I cannot bring Geoffrey Charles to Nampara. Indeed, I am not sure whether his mother would approve of his walking on this beach.'
`Don't' tell her, please.'
`Why not?'
`Then I should never - we shouldn't - it is the best beach around.'
Morwenna looked at him with her dark serious eyes. It was a pity that in a man of her own class all he had said could be considered gracious and polite, whereas from such as him, it could only be an impertinence. It was a pity that he was the most beautiful young man she had ever seen. 'If you wilt show us this well, Mr Carne; that I'm sure will be a kindness.'
Geoffrey Charles caught them up, panting, and ran right past them. Then he stood, hands on hips as they caught him up. `I wish I was dressed like you, Drake. That's your name, isn't it. I wish I was dressed like you. These clothes, I'm always afraid, of soiling them, They are suitable for a party, not for a country tramp.'
`They're suitable for your station, Mr Geoffrey,' Drake said. `But if you d'take care you'll not hurt them. Tid'n more'n a short climb.'
'A climb?' said Morwenna. `You did not say that.'
`Well, tis scarce above thirty feet, and that some easy.'
Cliffs and sandhills faced the sea at intervals towards the end of Hendrawna Beach, and they passed two bluffs of rock before Drake stopped. `I'd best lead the way,' he said. `Then if Miss Chynoweth could follow me I'd be at hand to give her, a help up; wh ile Mr Geoffrey, you will be behind her to help her too if need be.'
They went up. It was, as Drake had said, an easy climb, and Morwenna could have been up like a cat, if she had not been impeded by her skirt and her determination not to lift it. So she had to take Drake's hand twice, and on co nsideration this was perhaps a worse choice, His hand was warm and hers cold. There was some frightening transmission between them.
At the top he took them across a small green platform to a cliff of overhanging rock. Raised a foot from the ground by its rocky sides was a pool of water about four feet across.
`This is it,' said Drake. `Tis fresh water taste though so near the sea, and they d'say twas consecrated by St Sawle more'n a thousand year gone and, twas used by all the early Christian pilgrims walking 'long the coast from one monaste ry to the next. Taste, tis pure water.'
`You know all this - so soon,' said Morwenna.
`Old Jope Ishbel told me - he, as works at Wheal Leisure. He d'know all there is to know. But, mind, I had to come and find 'n for myself.'
`It's lovely water,' said Geoffrey Charles. `Taste it, Wenna.' She tasted. `Um.'
'It is a wishing well-too, or so they d'say. What you must do, Jope Ishbel says, is put the first finger of your right hand deep in the water and make three crosses with it, saying "Father, Son, Holy Spirit" and then you get your wishes granted.'
`It's sacrilegious,' said Morwenna.
`Oh, no. Oh no tis not, begging your pardon, Miss Chynoweth. It's a holy place just so much as
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