chimneys smoking.' 'I told you. The Harrys — that's the caretakers - live in the lodge.'
He said: 'Can I ask a favour of you?' 'It depends.'
'I'd like to see the house. Will you stay here, wait for me ten minutes while I look around?'
She was quite decided. 'No. But if you want I'll come with you.' ' 'What will Mrs Poldark say?'
'Perhaps she need not know.'
Ill
They went into Trenwith House. There was no lock or bolt on the door. The air inside was sour with damp. In the great hall wood ash from an uncleared fire had blown across the stone flags and lay thick on the table. Stephen admired the huge window with its hundreds of separate panes of glass. They moved into the winter parlour, which was also furnished. There were fewer cobwebs here, as if the Harrys had made an effort to keep one room clean.
He said: 'Where is your cousin?'
'With the army in Portugal.'
'And when it is over - if he survives - this is his inheritance ... Some people have the luck, by God!'
She had slipped off her cloak. Under it she was wearing a primrose frock, only a shade different from the colour of her hair. She sat in one of the armchairs and picked at a thorn which had got into her sandal. 'Do you - did you have no inheritance?'
'No ... Nothing. Miss Clowance ...'
'Yes?'
'You know maybe ... maybe you can guess why I took the liberty of inquiring for your feelings for Ben Carter.' 'Do I?'
'I hoped you did. It's because I have a great fondness for you meself.'
She stared at the lattice of winter sunlight falling on the worn carpet. There were still two pictures on the walls.
'You heard ... ?' he asked.
‘ Yes, I heard.'
He said: ‘ I have been telling a lie to yo ur mother.' 'In what way?'
'If I tell you me feelings for you, then I cannot do it under the shadow of a lie. I must tell you the truth. I told Mrs Poldark that I was in some way of business in Bristol, that my ship - my ship, note - was struck by a storm, that it went down and that the mate and me and Budi Halim, took to the raft and were as you found us when Jeremy picked us up. That's not true.'
'No?’
'No. It was not my ship. I'd no interest in her. I come from Bristol, sure enough, but as a seaman, see, just with an education better than most, thanks to the Elwyns, who adopted me. The Unique was not carrying a cargo to Ireland and struck by a storm. There was no storm. She were a privateer, fitted out in Bristol by a half-dozen merchants, and I was a gunner aboard her. We sailed to the French coast looking for plunder. We found some but before we could turn with it we ran foul of two French naval ships - like sloops only smaller ... We have the heels of most men-of-war. Had. Not of those. They gave chase and sunk us off the Scillies. No mercy given. We were destroyed.'
She re-fastened the buckle of her shoe.
'Why did you tell my mother different?'
He shrugged. 'I was none too proud of me trade. I sought for something more, giving the impression of being something more. That's not a thing to be proud of neither, is it? But that's the way I thought, on impulse so to say, on the spur of the first meeting. And then of course I had to keep up the story ...' He looked at her. 'I'm sorry, Clowance. I could not lie to you.'
'I'm glad.'
She stood up, trying her weight on the shoe, went to the window, frowned out at the rank weeds in the courtyard. 'I'm glad,' she said.
He came up behind her, put a hand on her arm. Her hair was hanging across her face, and he kissed her hair where it lay on her cheek. Then he turned her towards him and kissed her on the mouth. They stood together and then she quietly released herself.
'That was nice,' he said.
'Yes,' she agreed simply.
He laughed and caught her to him again, smiling as they kissed but soon losing his smile. His hands began to move up and down her frock, lightly but informingly, touching her thighs, her waist, her arms, her breasts, like someone exploring with quiet anticipation a fine and beautiful land
He said: 'Can I ask a favour of you?' 'It depends.'
'I'd like to see the house. Will you stay here, wait for me ten minutes while I look around?'
She was quite decided. 'No. But if you want I'll come with you.' ' 'What will Mrs Poldark say?'
'Perhaps she need not know.'
Ill
They went into Trenwith House. There was no lock or bolt on the door. The air inside was sour with damp. In the great hall wood ash from an uncleared fire had blown across the stone flags and lay thick on the table. Stephen admired the huge window with its hundreds of separate panes of glass. They moved into the winter parlour, which was also furnished. There were fewer cobwebs here, as if the Harrys had made an effort to keep one room clean.
He said: 'Where is your cousin?'
'With the army in Portugal.'
'And when it is over - if he survives - this is his inheritance ... Some people have the luck, by God!'
She had slipped off her cloak. Under it she was wearing a primrose frock, only a shade different from the colour of her hair. She sat in one of the armchairs and picked at a thorn which had got into her sandal. 'Do you - did you have no inheritance?'
'No ... Nothing. Miss Clowance ...'
'Yes?'
'You know maybe ... maybe you can guess why I took the liberty of inquiring for your feelings for Ben Carter.' 'Do I?'
'I hoped you did. It's because I have a great fondness for you meself.'
She stared at the lattice of winter sunlight falling on the worn carpet. There were still two pictures on the walls.
'You heard ... ?' he asked.
‘ Yes, I heard.'
He said: ‘ I have been telling a lie to yo ur mother.' 'In what way?'
'If I tell you me feelings for you, then I cannot do it under the shadow of a lie. I must tell you the truth. I told Mrs Poldark that I was in some way of business in Bristol, that my ship - my ship, note - was struck by a storm, that it went down and that the mate and me and Budi Halim, took to the raft and were as you found us when Jeremy picked us up. That's not true.'
'No?’
'No. It was not my ship. I'd no interest in her. I come from Bristol, sure enough, but as a seaman, see, just with an education better than most, thanks to the Elwyns, who adopted me. The Unique was not carrying a cargo to Ireland and struck by a storm. There was no storm. She were a privateer, fitted out in Bristol by a half-dozen merchants, and I was a gunner aboard her. We sailed to the French coast looking for plunder. We found some but before we could turn with it we ran foul of two French naval ships - like sloops only smaller ... We have the heels of most men-of-war. Had. Not of those. They gave chase and sunk us off the Scillies. No mercy given. We were destroyed.'
She re-fastened the buckle of her shoe.
'Why did you tell my mother different?'
He shrugged. 'I was none too proud of me trade. I sought for something more, giving the impression of being something more. That's not a thing to be proud of neither, is it? But that's the way I thought, on impulse so to say, on the spur of the first meeting. And then of course I had to keep up the story ...' He looked at her. 'I'm sorry, Clowance. I could not lie to you.'
'I'm glad.'
She stood up, trying her weight on the shoe, went to the window, frowned out at the rank weeds in the courtyard. 'I'm glad,' she said.
He came up behind her, put a hand on her arm. Her hair was hanging across her face, and he kissed her hair where it lay on her cheek. Then he turned her towards him and kissed her on the mouth. They stood together and then she quietly released herself.
'That was nice,' he said.
'Yes,' she agreed simply.
He laughed and caught her to him again, smiling as they kissed but soon losing his smile. His hands began to move up and down her frock, lightly but informingly, touching her thighs, her waist, her arms, her breasts, like someone exploring with quiet anticipation a fine and beautiful land
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