were sucking her thumb, her childhood habit. She had been the rowdiest and most outgoing and the prettiest of the next generation that had played in these grounds. She had unsettled the peace more than her siblings and many cousins put together, and was envied by all and resented by some because she had won the most understanding and forgiveness from the adults. Greg doted on her, she made him laugh, and like Dorrie, he was able to see through the times she was putting on a brave front. She had inherited great-grandma Trevean’s poised English rose looks, which again disguised her strong will. ‘By the look of all her luggage she’s here for a long haul – trouble oh trouble. We’d better get her inside, Corky. Wake up, sleepyhead.’
Before Greg had deposited the bulk of Verity’s luggage on the kitchen floor, she declared in the pattern of defiance Greg knew so well, ‘I’m not going back to him, Uncle Greg, not ever. Julius Urquart and I are over. For good!’ Greg’s eldest brother Perkin, a high court judge residing in south London, while comfortable with his two sons, one sadly lost at Tobruk, had never really known what to do with his wayward daughter, but Greg and Dorrie had loved Verity’s free spirit and Verity had spent many a school holiday with them. Some summers, Eastertides, and even Christmases they had happily seen the house bursting with nieces and nephews. It had gone a long way to soothe their emptiness at losing their own children. Now they had half a dozen great-nieces and nephews.
‘I rather gathered that, darling. I had noticed you’ve removed your engagement ring.’
‘I didn’t just remove it, Uncle Greg, I threw it at him. I hate him!’
‘I’m sure you don’t.’
‘Believe me I do. He acted the polite affable young man when I brought him down to introduce him to you and Aunt Dorrie, but you don’t really know what he is like. The man is an affront to womankind! You’d said that we were rather chalk and cheese. I should have taken note of that. Anyway, where is Aunt Dorrie?’
‘Oh yes, she’s sure to have left me a note. Just a sec, it’ll be on the hall table.’ Greg took his tall stocky frame off to the passage and on to the hall. ‘Ah, here it is,’ he said, on the way back. ‘What does she say? “Dear Greg, medical help needed at Merrivale, not an accident. Have phoned for Nurse Rumford. Don’t know how long I’ll be, nothing for you to worry about. Love Dor.” Mmm, a mother and her teenaged son live there, one of them must be poorly. Only saw the boy this morning, from a distance, but he seemed in fine fettle then, crestfallen, possibly weighed down by worries. They’re very secretive.’
‘Someone actually lives in that horrid old place?’ Verity plonked herself down at the broad table, covered with starched damask linen, fully expecting her uncle to make some tea and dig out something tasty to eat. Her Aunt Dorrie wasn’t much of a cook and Greg did most of the meals, something he excelled at and enjoyed. He also loved to pamper Verity. He was the father she wished she had, rather than the serious, uncommunicative Perkin Barnicoat. He would be utterly relieved she had come down to Cornwall. He was furious she had ended her engagement, having heartily approved of the correct and highly successful industrialist, war-decorated Colonel Julius Urquart. ‘Has Merrivale been done up?’
‘Not even as much as a new brick,’ Greg said, pushing the giant copper kettle on to the hob. ‘The owner, some faceless individual, can’t remember any facts about him, must be renting it to someone of desperate means, or so it’s believed. Like I said they keep themselves to themselves, but seem respectable.’
Verity shrugged, losing interest. ‘Where have you just come from, Uncle?’
‘From the pub – but enough about that. Do you want to tell me what the problem is, my little darling, or wait for your Aunt Dorrie?’
First her shoulders began to shake then her head drooped and Verity crumpled into floods of tears. Greg went to her and she jumped up to be comforted in his wonderfully strong arms. ‘My little darling – Father’s never called me anything like that. I’m so glad I’m here.’
Greg held her tight. ‘And I’m so glad you’ve come to me, and your aunt. You know you can stay as long as you like.’ He let her sob