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Back Pengarron Dynasty
Chapters (50)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. One
  4. Two
  5. Three
  6. Four
  7. Five
  8. Six
  9. Seven
  10. Eight
  11. Nine
  12. Ten
  13. Eleven
  14. Twelve
  15. Thirteen
  16. Fourteen
  17. Fifteen
  18. Sixteen
  19. Seventeen
  20. Eighteen
  21. Nineteen
  22. Twenty
  23. Twenty-One
  24. Twenty-Two
  25. Twenty-Three
  26. Twenty-Four
  27. Twenty-Five
  28. Twenty-Six
  29. Twenty-Seven
  30. Twenty-Eight
  31. Twenty-Nine
  32. Thirty
  33. Thirty-One
  34. Thirty-Two
  35. Thirty-Three
  36. Thirty-Four
  37. Thirty-Five
  38. Thirty-Six
  39. Thirty-Seven
  40. Thirty-Eight
  41. Thirty-Nine
  42. Forty
  43. Forty-One
  44. Forty-Two
  45. Forty-Three
  46. Forty-Four
  47. Forty-Five
  48. Forty-Six
  49. The Pengarron Sagas
  50. The Harvey Family Sagas

Beatrice was right; Oliver did not want Clem in his house. In fact he had already complained about it, but Clem was baby Harry’s other grandfather; Kane was married to Jessica Trenchard, Clem’s daughter. Clem had every right to attend the baptism and the reception. It was more than two years since Kerensa had last seen him, when they had said their private goodbyes in Trelynne Cove and he had moved to the parish of St Cleer, on the Bodmin Moor, with his then pregnant wife Catherine, to a farm of their own. Their twins, John and Flora had been born three weeks ahead of Samuel. Clem and Catherine were due to arrive today at the parsonage. Indeed, Harry’s baptism was to be quite a family occasion. Catherine’s brother, the Reverend Timothy Lanyon was to perform the ceremony, and he was married to Olivia, Kerensa’s eldest daughter.

Kerensa gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Why had she kept these things Clem had given her for such a long time? Had she not placed him in a compartment in her heart labelled affection, a love lost and secretly treasured? It was time to let Clem’s things go, not to throw them away, that was too final, a sort of betrayal. She would take them to Trelynne Cove, place the book of dried flowers and the kerchief in the sea to float away – give them to nature. The lock of blond hair? It would be hard to let this most intimate of gifts go. Was Clem’s hair still as silky and fair? She would find a particular spot in the sand and bury it down deep, feel it was still close to her.

She focused on Luke again. Then fell into thinking how good it would be to see Clem once more.

There came a sudden thud, a bump and an exclamation of fright.

‘Beatrice!’ Kerensa bundled the love tokens back into the box and then the drawer. Feeling guilty for allowing the elderly maid to descend the stairs unaided, she dashed out of the room to help her.

Three

‘Jack.’

‘Yes, sir?’

‘We’ll start off again in an hour. It will be good, will it not, to have our feet back on Cornish soil?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Don’t sound so dispirited. I’ve promised that everything will work out for you. And call me Luke, we’ve been through so much together I shall never see you as anything less but my most trusted friend.’

‘You do me an honour, Luke.’ From Jack’s profound expression, it was obviously an honour he felt he deserved.

‘Do eat. Granted, the fare doesn’t look at all appetizing but it’s the best we’ve had put in front of us for many a day.’