was right in a way.”
“I think we should have passed each other somewhere near and you would have told me that I was trespassing. So you could say in another way that she was right.”
“I am sure I should have been too polite to mention it. Ah, here is the smithy. I told you it wasn’t far.”
He took Starlight from me and led her into the blacksmith’s shop. The blacksmith was a ruddy-faced man with black hair and bright black eyes.
“Jake,” said my companion, “here’s a job for you. The mare’s cast a shoe.”
“That be so,” said Jake. “How did it ’appen, then?”
“In Three Acres. One of the trees came down suddenly in front of the horse and rider.”
“That dratted gale.”
“That dratted gale indeed!”
“ ’Twon’t be the only one, mark my words.”
“I mark them well, Jake, and endorse them. But how soon can you shoe the lady’s mare?”
“Could start on ’un right away, sir.”
The blacksmith was looking at me intently.
“You be from Tregarland’s, b’ain’t ’ee, Miss?”
Jowan Jermyn gave me an amused look. “Jake is the fount of all knowledge,” he said lightly. “The blacksmith’s shop is one of the news centers of the neighborhood.”
“Mr. Jermyn do mean I likes a bit of gossip,” Jake explained to me with a wink.
“That is a slight understatement,” commented Jowan. “But he is the best blacksmith in the Duchy. That’s so, is it not, Jake?”
“If you do say so, sir, I wouldn’t be the one to contradict ’ee.
“Now, if you will get on with the job, I am going to take the young lady into Smithy’s and give her a good strong tonic. She’s had a bit of a shock, you know.”
“I’d guess that, sir.”
I saw his chin wag and I knew it was with amusement. This would be a nice little piece of gossip. The enemy of Tregarland’s looking after Tregarland’s guest.
Now that I was beginning to recover from the shock, I was enjoying this adventure.
It occurred to me that this was the sort of thing that happened to Dorabella. If she had been with me, I believed those friendly glances would have shone in her direction rather than in mine.
The Smithy was warm and inviting. A fire was burning in the big open fireplace around which badges and ornaments had been attached. They glistened in the glow from the fire. There was no one else in the inn parlor.
“Sit down,” said my companion. Then he went to the door and called: “Tom, Tom, where are you?”
Then, as a woman appeared: “Ah, Mrs. Brodie, here you are. Jake’s shoeing this lady’s mare. She cast a shoe and there was a bit of a spill.”
“Oh, my patience me!” She was large and round, had rosy cheeks and little sparkling dark eyes which studied me with great interest. “Not hurt, I hope, Miss…?”
“No, thank you very much.”
“Fortunately,” went on Jowan. “But she needs a brandy. We’ll both have one, please, Mrs. Brodie.”
“I’ll get ’un right away, sir.” She smiled at me. “It’ll do you the world of good.”
I sat back in the armchair and smiled at my companion.
“This is extremely good of you,” I said.
“You have already mentioned that. Let me tell you that I am only too pleased to be of use.”
I went on: “It is good of you…particularly in view of…the feud.”
He laughed. I noticed his strong white teeth as he did so.
“That!” he said. “That’s only between the families, you know.”
“I was just thinking how glad I was that it did not extend to the guests.”
“My dear Miss…I am sorry, I don’t know your name.”
“It’s Denver.”
“My dear Miss Denver, even if you possessed the accursed name of Tregarland, I could never desert you in distress.”
Mrs. Brodie appeared with two glasses.
He said: “Perhaps we should have something to eat.”
Mrs. Brodie stood there, smiling from one of us to the other.
“There are those wonderful brandy cakes. Mrs. Brodie is the champion cook in Cornwall. Is that not so, Mrs.
“I think we should have passed each other somewhere near and you would have told me that I was trespassing. So you could say in another way that she was right.”
“I am sure I should have been too polite to mention it. Ah, here is the smithy. I told you it wasn’t far.”
He took Starlight from me and led her into the blacksmith’s shop. The blacksmith was a ruddy-faced man with black hair and bright black eyes.
“Jake,” said my companion, “here’s a job for you. The mare’s cast a shoe.”
“That be so,” said Jake. “How did it ’appen, then?”
“In Three Acres. One of the trees came down suddenly in front of the horse and rider.”
“That dratted gale.”
“That dratted gale indeed!”
“ ’Twon’t be the only one, mark my words.”
“I mark them well, Jake, and endorse them. But how soon can you shoe the lady’s mare?”
“Could start on ’un right away, sir.”
The blacksmith was looking at me intently.
“You be from Tregarland’s, b’ain’t ’ee, Miss?”
Jowan Jermyn gave me an amused look. “Jake is the fount of all knowledge,” he said lightly. “The blacksmith’s shop is one of the news centers of the neighborhood.”
“Mr. Jermyn do mean I likes a bit of gossip,” Jake explained to me with a wink.
“That is a slight understatement,” commented Jowan. “But he is the best blacksmith in the Duchy. That’s so, is it not, Jake?”
“If you do say so, sir, I wouldn’t be the one to contradict ’ee.
“Now, if you will get on with the job, I am going to take the young lady into Smithy’s and give her a good strong tonic. She’s had a bit of a shock, you know.”
“I’d guess that, sir.”
I saw his chin wag and I knew it was with amusement. This would be a nice little piece of gossip. The enemy of Tregarland’s looking after Tregarland’s guest.
Now that I was beginning to recover from the shock, I was enjoying this adventure.
It occurred to me that this was the sort of thing that happened to Dorabella. If she had been with me, I believed those friendly glances would have shone in her direction rather than in mine.
The Smithy was warm and inviting. A fire was burning in the big open fireplace around which badges and ornaments had been attached. They glistened in the glow from the fire. There was no one else in the inn parlor.
“Sit down,” said my companion. Then he went to the door and called: “Tom, Tom, where are you?”
Then, as a woman appeared: “Ah, Mrs. Brodie, here you are. Jake’s shoeing this lady’s mare. She cast a shoe and there was a bit of a spill.”
“Oh, my patience me!” She was large and round, had rosy cheeks and little sparkling dark eyes which studied me with great interest. “Not hurt, I hope, Miss…?”
“No, thank you very much.”
“Fortunately,” went on Jowan. “But she needs a brandy. We’ll both have one, please, Mrs. Brodie.”
“I’ll get ’un right away, sir.” She smiled at me. “It’ll do you the world of good.”
I sat back in the armchair and smiled at my companion.
“This is extremely good of you,” I said.
“You have already mentioned that. Let me tell you that I am only too pleased to be of use.”
I went on: “It is good of you…particularly in view of…the feud.”
He laughed. I noticed his strong white teeth as he did so.
“That!” he said. “That’s only between the families, you know.”
“I was just thinking how glad I was that it did not extend to the guests.”
“My dear Miss…I am sorry, I don’t know your name.”
“It’s Denver.”
“My dear Miss Denver, even if you possessed the accursed name of Tregarland, I could never desert you in distress.”
Mrs. Brodie appeared with two glasses.
He said: “Perhaps we should have something to eat.”
Mrs. Brodie stood there, smiling from one of us to the other.
“There are those wonderful brandy cakes. Mrs. Brodie is the champion cook in Cornwall. Is that not so, Mrs.
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