‘I think Timmins must have had something to do with this,’ said Drake, removing the letter and placing it on the table between them. ‘It is a letter from Sir Robert Pendragon. He wants to commission my services. I am meeting him tomorrow.’
His mother’s eyes grew wide, making him smile.
‘That is wonderful news!’ She touched the letter cautiously with her fingers as if it might dissolve in front of her.
‘I am not going to accept it,’ said Drake. He saw her face fall. ‘I know the land he is talking about and it is a large project which will take at least a year. I have commitments planned and cannot take on such a large commission.’
‘So why are you seeing him?’
Drake slid the letter from beneath her fingers and placed it into his pocket.
‘I don’t know. The sensible thing would have been to send a reply rejecting his request, but I had a yearning to see the placeagain and to see if much has changed. I can offer him some advice.’
‘It has been a long time. You may see Tilly. She is a lady’s maid now, to Miss Evelyn Pendragon, although she will be leaving the post soon. She is to be married.’
Drake felt as if someone had just slapped him in the face. ‘Miss Evelyn is to be married?’
‘No, Tilly, come next spring. You have lost your chance with her. She is to be married to the baker’s son.’
Drake felt his racing heart begin to slow to a steady beat again. Dear Lord, he had not expected to feel like this on hearing news of Evie. But she was not engaged, there was no need for alarm. His mother was talking again. He tried to concentrate on what she was saying.
‘Spring is always a nice season to be wed. However, I would not be surprised if Sir Robert makes a similar announcement very soon. Miss Evelyn has been seen out in the company of her cousin. They make a handsome couple and rumour has it that Sir Robert is encouraging the match.’
Drake rocked back in his chair and gravely imagined the ‘handsome couple’ walking out together. Unaware of the effect her idle gossip had on her son, his mother moved on to another subject, something to do with wood for the fire, or was it wood as in woodland? He did not care any more, his thoughts were elsewhere.
Mawgan and Evelyn Pendragon. Cousins made for one another. A wiser man should walk away.Ishould walk away. Drake wrapped his fingers around the letter buried deep in his pocket. The new garden was his only reason for the visit, but now there was an added urgency to it. He wanted to discover if the news was true. Had Evie fallen in love with her cousin? He should feel happy that Evie had found happiness with another man and was planning a future. But he did not. He did not at all.
Chapter Seventeen
Drake looked at the lions guarding the entrance. They were new, so new in fact that one of them was still being erected. The stonemason’s skill in creating the lifelike creatures could only be admired, but for all their intricate carvings, they were an unwelcoming pair. If it were not for the letter inviting him to visit, Drake would have felt their snarling mouths were directed at him.
Drake dismounted the gig and dismissed the driver, telling him he had the desire to walk the rest of the way to Carrack House. He had arrived in plenty of time and was curious to see how the grounds had matured. He was glad to see that the old oak and beech trees still lined the drive leading to the great house. They provided a warmer welcome than the lions at the gate and, in his mind, were more beautiful. Their dappled shadows offered shade, as their branches, heavy with rustling leaves, helped to calm Drake’s nerves. He looked up to the clear blue sky as he passed beneath each one, and admired the delicate network of brown lace formed by their branches. It felt good to be back. He had not expected to feel this way.
Gradually, bit by bit, Carrack House grew more visible between the trees, rising up at the end of the grand, trailing drive, like a magnificent blossom. It would not be long before he was walking up the main steps to the house. Drake realised he was not ready for that — not yet.
He left the drive and soon found himself wandering the gardens, passing by the glasshouses and through the yards. Eventually he arrived at Timmins’ office, his jars of seeds still lined the shelves and the cushion in his chair still had the imprint of a man’s body upon it. This visit was going to be harder than he had anticipated.
Drake turned away to look at the next building, his former home, the bothy. It was empty. Slates were missing from the roof and some windows were broken. Drake, who had always found it a cold and miserable place, now felt sorry to see that it had no purpose at all. He wondered where Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were now. Were they married and renting elsewhere? He looked at the gardeners labouring on the land. He was not close enough to recognise any of them or for them to recognise him, yet he had been left unchallenged. His fine clothes and smart footwear were all the evidence they required that he was to be trusted. They had never met Evie’s old tutor, thought Drake.
Drake had expected to see some changes and his sharp eyes were quick to spot them. He also noticed what areas were already showing signs of Timmins’ absence and if a new head gardener were not appointed soon, the land and harvest would quickly degenerate. The tour of the grounds was a haunting experience. No familiar cats came to greet him and he wondered what had happened to them all. Ghosts and memories lingered in every part. He saw Timmins working, teaching, scowling or coaxing his workers at every turn. The knowledge he had acquired was a constant reminder of all he owed the man, and how much his betrayal had hurt.
He had expected to be reminded of his time as an apprentice during his visit; however, he had not expected to see Evie everywhere he walked. He saw her as a child chasing her brother with ribbons dangling from her fingers. He saw her as an awkward, shy girl, attempting to make a friend of him despite his wariness of her. He saw her as a teenager, on the verge of womanhood, smiling at him through the glass panes of the orangery. Finally, he saw her looking up at him, with her wide, searching eyes, earth staining her hem and broken pot fragments in her hand.
Drake pinched the bridge of his nose as if it would remove her from his mind. Why had he come back? Because of Sir Robert? There was only one thing left to do, get the visit over with and leave. He turned and headed towards Carrack House.
Drake was shown into the hall and told to wait while Sir Robert was informed of his arrival. He looked about him. The last time he was here, he was just a young lad fetching help for Evie’s brother. At the time he had been overawed by the opulence, yet due to the circumstances had really noticed very little of the grandeur of the hall. He had not noticed its wide sweeping staircase, large oil paintings or fully appreciated the beautifully carved statues lining the walls. Back then he had been too frightened and hurried. Nicholas had fallen ill and Evie had needed help. Today, he had time and was no longer overawed by the experience. Over the last few years he had secured many commissions where visits to such houses were not uncommon. He had grown used to the splendour of the rich, however he still felt on edge as he was aware that Evie might appear at any moment.
‘What are you doing here?’
Drake turned to see Tilly descending the stairs. As her eyes swept over his smart clothes and back up to his face, Drake realised the real reason why he had come. He wanted to show Evie that he was no longer a labourer, but had done well for himself. Stupid pride. Stupid, stupid pride.
‘Leave, now,’ said Tilly, ‘before someone sees you.’
Drake smiled, it was good to see a familiar face, although he had hoped for a warmer greeting. ‘I have been invited by Sir Robert so there is no need to fret, Tilly.’
The anxiety did not leave Tilly’s face. ‘Why? What have you done?’
‘Nothing yet. He wants me to look at some land that he wants to develop.’ Tilly did not appear impressed. She threw anervous glance towards the stairs. He wondered if Evie would soon arrive. ‘I hear you are to be wed soon,’ said Drake, hoping to change the subject. ‘Congratulations.’
