The Miller's Dance (50 page)

Oh, nonsense. It would all pass. He gave his shoulders a shake as if to dispossess himself of ugly thoughts.

'Oh!' exclaimed Demelza. 'Seeing you, I had almost forgot! Yesterday we received a letter from Geoffrey Charles! It gave us - well, see for yourself! Do you have it, Ross?'

Ross took a sheet of paper from his pocket, the broken red seal attached. He handed it to Jeremy, who read:

Ciudad Rodrigo 29th December, 1812.

My dearest Cousins All,

Do you know what has happened to me? Something quite Spectacular and entirely without Precedent! Can you guess? Certainly you cannot!

No, I have not been made Adjutant General of the Forces Overseas, I have not been knighted for my valour at Salamanca, I have not been singled out by Lord Wellington for promotion to the Chief of his General Staff. Nothing of the sort. But, by a single deliriously Happy Accident, I have become a Married Man!

Do you recollect in my last letter I believe I told you that I was billeted in this town upon a Senor de Bertendona? Do you recollect that I told yo
u he had
a wife, two sons and a Daughter? Can you suppose other than that in the course of the last six weeks I have fallen in love with the daughter, Amadora, and-far, far more astonishing - she with me? She is nineteen years of age and beyond measure beautiful and charming, with all
the
dignity and pride of the Spanish but all the slender elegant beauty of a woman! I must say no more, otherwise you will think I have become a schoolboy again and lost my senses. It is not so. She is all that I could have dreamed of.

I have but a short time to write to you now for I am on Parade Duty this week, but I must tell you simply that we were wed on Tuesday morning, first by our chaplain, the Reverend Mark Foster, and then in the Gothick Cathedral by Father Antonio Carreros, for good measure. Senora de Bertendona is deeply distressed that her daughter should have married a Heretic, as is the elder brother, Martin; but her father is so much an Anglophile in all things that he can see only good even in Me as a Son-in-Law! And Amadora herself, though brought up strictly in the Other Faith, swears to me privately that - well, I dare not tell you what she swears to me privately lest I be considered a man of overweening Conceit - but I trust and believe that with the sort of love we have for each other, tolerance and common sense will smooth over such difficulties as may arise.

I cannot tell you what our plans are, except that for the time being we continue to live in her parents' house along with David Hamilton, Father Antonio Carreros, seven Spanish guerrillas, a Portuguese shepherd-boy and a host of servants! Further plans will be much influenced - for me at least - by the decisions shortly to be taken about our spring campaign by the new Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo, the Genera
lissimo of the Spanish
and British forces, none other than the Marquess of Wellington.

Great Tidings from the Russian front! Perhaps soon it will all be over!

Our most affectionate New Year and other greetings to you all,

from

Geoffrey Charles and Amadora Poldark.

·What news!' said Jeremy, again making the effort.
‘
What
surprising
news! So some day, perhaps soon, we shall have a Spanish cousin at Trenwith!'

‘
He provokingly says nothing about that,' said Demelza.
I
wonder if she has money.'

‘
What?' asked Jeremy, startled.

‘I w
ondered
if the girl had money.'

'Oh. Oh yes, I see.'

it would be lovely if she
I
were able to help Geoffrey Charles to restore Trenwith. He will have very little of his own.'

‘
I
know the name de Bertendona,' Ross said,
‘
I
can't remember in what connection, but it is a distinguished name.'

‘
Well, I hope they will come soon,' Demelza said,
‘
I
am thankful that he says she has a little English, for I doubt my ability to learn anything else.' She stopped. 'Have you hurt your hand?'

'What?' Jeremy stared at his scarred knuckles. 'Oh, that. A lever slipped when I was trying to force something open.'

'When was it done?'
'Yesterday.'

‘I
t hardly looks as if it has been cleaned! Have you put any balsam or ointment on it?'

'No
...
I sucked it clean, but it has got rather dirty riding home.'

'What time did you leave?' ‘
Where?..
. Oh, Hayle. Soon after dawn.' ‘
Well, when we get in wash it thoroughly and I'll put a plaster over.'

‘I
t is not necessary to fuss, Mama,' he said irritably, it is scarcely painful now. Nature will take its own remedies.'

They had reached the stile dividing the beach from their own land. She looked at Jeremy again, no longer conscious of well-being and the warmth of the sun.

She said: 'Have you seen Cuby?'

He looked up. 'What? No. Oh no. Not at all.'

'Everything is just the same as before?'

'Yes.'

'No change?'

'No change,' said Jeremy, looking over her head at the distant sea.

The two girls were now approaching rapidly and shouted for them to wait. They waited by the sdle, and then went in to dinner all together, laughing and joking, a cheerful and a united family.