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‘Don’t be ridiculous, Patterson,’ Aurelia said crossly. ‘Of course she is. Come this way, Patsy, and you, too. It’s Nancy, isn’t it? I remember you as being much younger.’
‘Yes, ma’am. I’m Nancy.’
‘Of course she’s older, Aurelia. It must be a few years since we last met.’ Patricia slipped her arm around Aurelia’s shoulders. ‘What has happened to you?’
‘Come to the drawing room. There’s a good fire going there. We’ve had rather a hard time of things recently, Patsy.’
Nancy followed as Aurelia led Patricia into the depths of the house, leaving Patterson to deal with their luggage.
The narrow corridors were dark and twisting, lit only by Aurelia’s single candle. Nancy noticed that the wall sconces were empty and a cold draught whistled round her ears. Seated in a wing-back chair by the log fire, Lady Pentelow peered at them in amazement as they entered the poorly lit drawing room.
‘Grandmama, look who’s come to visit us?’ Aurelia gave Patricia a gentle shove.
‘Patricia? Why are you here?’ Lady Pentelow’s voice was querulous and her hand shook as she fumbled beneath the thick woollen blanket wrapped around her and drew out a silver lorgnette. She held it to her eyes. ‘Who is that with you? Servants belong below stairs.’
‘This is Nancy, Lady Pentelow,’ Patricia said hastily. ‘She is my sister’s ward, in case you’ve forgotten.’
‘There’s nothing wrong with my memory, young woman. As I said, why are you here?’
Aurelia gave Patricia a warning glance. ‘Grandmama, Patricia is Leo’s wife. I dare say she wonders why he has not returned to Rockwood.’
‘Don’t talk to me as if I were a simpleton, Aurelia. I am well aware who Patricia is. I recall the wedding that never took place when she was supposed to marry Alexander, and her mama decided to use her daughter’s misfortune for her own advantage. Felicia married that manager of hers, I don’t recall his name.’
‘That all happened years ago, Lady Pentelow. Where is Leo?’ Patricia demanded angrily. ‘And why are you living like this? I remember Trevenor in the old days.’ She turned to Aurelia. ‘You look terrible, if you don’t mind me saying so. Why have you allowed yourself to get in such a state?’
Aurelia’s hazel eyes filled with tears. Nancy had to resist the temptation to reprimand Patricia for her cruel taunt. She remembered seeing Aurelia at Rockwood Castle before she married the manager of the clay mine, but Aurelia showed little sign now of the beauty she had once been. Her face was too thin and pale and her once luxuriant dark hair hung in lank strands where it escaped from the net at the nape of her neck. Her gown was faded and stained and her hands looked grimy, her fingernails bitten to the quick.
‘I didn’t marry a wealthy politician, as you did, Patsy,’ Aurelia said bitterly. ‘Martin was a bad manager and an equally bad husband after he took to drink.’
‘And he beat her when things went wrong,’ Lady Pentelow added. ‘He almost ruined us and allowed the mine to sink into debt. The men are on strike as we speak.’
‘If we don’t pay their wages soon there’ll be a riot,’ Aurelia said anxiously.
‘I am sorry to hear that, but it doesn’t answer my question. Where are Leo and Alex?’
‘The mine has stopped producing clay. Our two ships were laid up for months until we started shipping supplies to Barbados.’
‘You mean you’re helping to break the blockade to the Southern states?’ Nancy looked from one to the other.
‘What do you know about such things, miss?’ Lady Pentelow glared at her. ‘You speak when you’re spoken to.’
‘Lady Pentelow, I understand that you are having a difficult time, but you do not treat Nancy like a servant. She is part of our family and my particular friend.’ Patricia pulled up a chair and sat down. ‘You’d better tell me exactly what’s been going on, Aurelia. I’m fast losing patience.’
‘Piers is in Barbados assisting the blockade runners.’ Aurelia sank down on a chair close to the fire. ‘He didn’t want to return to Cornwall after his years in New South Wales, but what he’s doing now is fraught with danger. We need him here or we might lose Trevenor forever. Leo and Alex have gone to bring him home, it’s as simple as that.’
‘They must be mad to undertake such a journey,’ Patricia said angrily. ‘When did they leave?’
‘About four weeks ago. They should be on the way home by now. We’re expecting the Corinthian to arrive tomorrow. She is the sister ship to the Cyrene, which is the one that took Leo and Alex to Barbados. She should bring news, and hopefully the captain will have brought enough money for us to pay the miners and prevent a full-scale riot.’
‘My husband is risking his life to save Piers Blanchard, who is interfering in another country’s politics! I’ve no doubt Piers will make a fortune out of it.’ Patricia threw up her hands. ‘I’ve heard everything now.’
‘My grandson is doing what he believes is right,’ Lady Pentelow said haughtily. ‘I don’t expect you to understand.’
‘We have to survive. It’s as simple as that.’ Aurelia mopped her streaming eyes with a scrap of cotton hanky. ‘Look at us, Patricia. We’re in desperate straits financially.’
‘Then why isn’t Piers here to help you instead of playing the hero in another country? I seem to recall he did much the same thing to us at Rockwood.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Lady Pentelow said crossly. ‘Have you come here simply to insult my grandson?’
