The Lost Years Read Free

Cornwall. He has agreed to arrange an interview for me. If I am accepted I will become an officer in the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry.’
    Perys stated the facts without any display of enthusiasm and Annie felt a moment’s sympathy for her travelling companion. At the same time she wondered why his grandparents had apparently not wanted him to spend at least some time abroad with them.
    She did not voice the question, but was aware there must be a great deal this young man had not told her. On the other hand, there was no reason why he should have told her anything . . . but he was speaking again.
    ‘Do you mind not calling me ‘sir’, Annie? My name is Perys.’
    She was uncertain how to reply to this request, so she said, ‘It’s a very unusual name.’
    ‘It’s an old Tremayne name,’ Perys explained. ‘I believe the first recorded member of the family, some hundreds of years ago, was named Perys.’
    The carriage had reached an exposed expanse of road now, and rain, driven by a strong wind, rattled the glass in the doors.
    ‘Your brother will be getting very wet,’ commented Perys, sympathetically.
    ‘He’s wearing a stout waterproof coat,’ declared Annie. ‘He’s better off than he’d be if he was at work on the farm.’
    ‘Is your father the owner of the farm?’ Perys queried.
    ‘No, he’s a tenant farmer. The farm belongs to one of the Tremaynes, although it’s administered by the Heligan Estate. Almost all the land around Heligan belongs to one or other of the Tremaynes. They sometimes think they own the people, too.’
    It was an unguarded remark, Annie had momentarily forgotten to whom she was talking. With some dismay, she attempted to make amends.
    ‘Mind you, Squire Tremayne never bothers us, although he takes an interest in whatever Pa is doing on the farm.’
    Her initial comment had not passed unnoticed. To her embarrassment, Perys pursued the matter. ‘Then who in the family does bother you?’
    ‘No one. I’m sorry, I spoke out of turn.’
    ‘Look, Annie, I know no one in the family here in Cornwall. To be perfectly honest with you, I would be grateful for anything you are able to tell me about Heligan and the people who live there. I don’t even know how many Tremaynes are there at the moment - but I am sure you do.’
    Once again Annie’s sympathy went out to Perys. If all he said was true, then, despite his family connections, he was virtually alone in the world. Yet she decided to be cautious in what she said to him.
    ‘Well, although the house is owned by the squire, Hugh Tremayne, he spends a lot of time abroad and he’s not at the house right now . . .’
    She went on to describe those members of the family who were currently staying at the house. It seemed there was one of Hugh Tremayne’s nephews, a couple of years older than Perys, and another relative with her two daughters, for whom Martin had collected the dresses.
    Perys formed the opinion that Annie did not particularly like the nephew. He tried to question her about him in more detail, but apart from saying his name was Edward she would not be drawn further.
    He would have pressed the matter, but there was a sudden shout from Martin. Heaving on the reins, he applied the brakes of the carriage at the same time, with such force that the coach slewed across the narrow country road. This time it was Perys’s turn to be thrown from his seat, to Annie’s side of the vehicle.
    ‘What the . . . ?’ As the carriage came to a standstill, Perys regained his balance and looked out of one of the windows.
    He was startled to see a thoroughly soaked and bedraggled young boy standing in the roadway, his clothes plastered with mud. He was gesticulating wildly to Martin and shouting, the words lost amidst the din of wind and rain.
    Beyond him, on the far side of a very sharp bend, the road appeared to be blocked by a landslide that had undoubtedly been caused by the exceptionally heavy rain.
    ‘What is it?’ Annie