AN: Sorry again about the long wait. I haven't forgotten about writing I just get very little opportunity to do so. I can't believe I started this about two years ago and it is no where near finished! My life is manic! Anyway onto a new chapter this time. So here we go.
Ch 5 Part 1
If Grace had known that today would be like no other wedding she had ever knew, she would have not believed it. It started out alright, the weather was a perfect cloudless day, she had to complete her chores as was usual, Grandma reminded her that hens and pigs, and goats and cows, had no need of marrying but still needed to be watered, fed and milked same as any other day. So, she got on with her tasks without running off or quibbling because she was excited about the day to come. Even Grandma was going out today, Father was going to drive her to Sawle church in the new gig he borrowed from Trenwith. The day progressed without hitch and soon everyone was in the church, Grace sat in the second row between Grandma and Harry and had a good view of the bride, Elohwen and groom, her brother Robert.
The church was crammed with people she knew and loved, both her married brothers were there with their wives, Ross and his wife Kerenza with a baby of their own and Joshua and his expectant wife Mary. Her Aunties, Uncles and cousins were there, and family friends who lived locally. Alongside villagers, farmers, and gentlemen and their wives who knew them, with friends from town.
She listened for a while, but was more interested in the cooing and gurgling coming from behind, belonging to her young nephew Arthur, who at nine months displayed either a gummy grin with two fine white baby teeth or a screwed up red face full of howls for the pain of more which were coming through. Swivelling her body round in the hard-wooden pew she began to play with Arthur's chubby fingers and tickling him, her sister in law Kerenza didn't seem to mind, in fact seem relieved that her little boy was at least smiling. It was only when Grace received a sharp poke in her side from Grandma's bony finger did she scowl and turn her attention back to the wedding. For a few moments at any rate, her brother Harry seemed about as interested as she was and had a look of worry and nerves etched on his face, Grace thought for a moment that perhaps he had kissed Elohwen one day in the barn and was feeling guilty and having the need to confess to his brother just what had happened between him and his brother's bride.
Not so, they had all filed out and congratulated the happy couple even Harry who still wore the expression of soured milk. Fortunately, everyone else was too merry in the celebrations to notice, that was except Grandma who was perched on a headstone bearing the name of Francis Poldark, and who caught Grace's eye and waggled her eyebrow in question, Grace shrugged and shook her head, she knew no more than her favourite person in the world.
Grace almost overlooked there was a problem with her brother until later on the day, food had been eaten, wine had been drunk and toasts to the happy couple had been made, Harry suddenly appeared and Grace had forgotten until that moment that he had been missing for the past hour or so. He stood in full redcoat uniform and Grace's gasp of astonishment was eaten by that of everyone else's.
"Harry….." His mother started, her voice in shock fading away to nothing.
"Harry!" His father admonished. "What's the meaning of this?"
"I'm leaving, today," his voice was surprisingly calm, quiet, Grace noticed, as if nothing that was said now would sway his mind.
A sudden ball formed heavy in her stomach and she willed herself not to cry, she was losing him, her brother, they might never see him again. He was the closest in age to her although nine years her senior and she was emotionally more attached to him than Ross, Joshua or Robert, who all had their own lives by the time she had come along.
"You are not, son," Henry said firmly, his voice raised no more than his son, but everyone in the room heard him. "Your place is here at Nampara."
Harry, sighed and studied his feet for a moment the silence of anticipation from all gathered in the room was deafening. The young man looked up, and straight at his father with an apologetic glance in his mother's direction. Taking a deep breath, he pledged his case, a case it would seem he would have his way with no matter what anyone else thought or said. "I am leaving, now. I have joined the regiment. I want…. I need to see the world, I need more than this, more than Nampara can offer me. I am, after all, a younger son and I will not inherit any of this, and yet you would have me work my fingers to the bone? No, this is not the life for me. Me, like many Poldark young men who have gone before me need to find their own place, make their own destiny, and like Robert has today with Elohwen, I must too. Always know I love you, I love Cornwall, Nampara but my life is out there and it starts today. Now."
Grace ran for him and threw her skinny arms about his waist and held on tight, she felt her mother encircled them too and thought perhaps for one sweet moment that Harry wold stay, but he pulled away from them and thrust Grace who was crying into their mother's arms.
Bending down he looked at his young sister. "Take care of Mamma Grace, promise?"
She regarded him through solemn eyes, she didn't want to say yes, but how could she refuse either, the house would be quiet without his presence, with only Papa, Mamma and Grandma for company, oh and Copper of course. Not trusting herself to speak she nodded curtly. He wiped her tears away and blew her a kiss as he stood up tall.
"Be thee away then Harry." Demelza said from her position by the hearth. "I wish you well, I wish you luck and I wish you happiness whatever that may be." She nodded to her youngest grandson and he to her in return. Grace was not to know it then, but Harry and Grandma were not to be together in this life again.
00000
The party has resumed itself with a quiet buzzing like lazy bees in a sunny afternoon in the meadow, Grace stood in the corner and watched the brothers she had left. She didn't want to participate in the celebration any more, Copper sauntered into the room unnoticed and sat at her feet, comforting her. She would have, there and then gone to be with Grandma but she was entertaining family she had not seen from a long while, grandchildren of her brother Drake. Grace knew better than to intrude and get a scolding from her mother who now looked on the verge of tears, she slid down to the floor with her back against the wall and Copper snuggled onto her lap.
What was to come now? There was of course the excitement of the bride and groom leaving and making haste to their honeymoon, although as Grandma said why did people go away and leave them? They didn't do things like that when she had married Grandpa Ross, folk just got on and did what they always had done. Robert and Elohwen had argued back, that two whole days in Bath, not counting the travelling was hardly living life up like society did in London. Grace couldn't argue with that, she had ever been to London, the farthest she had been eastwards was Bodmin, and that was still in Cornwall.
Commotion though did break through her thoughts just before Robert and Elohwen took their leave, there was a loud cry from her sister in law Mary, Joshua ran to his wife's side. Grave stood up in order to see, stood on tip toe for a better but not much improved view then reached for the stool that was kept by the window and elevated herself to a useful height. Mary was bent over clutching her extended belly.
"T'will be the babe," Grace almost toppled off her perch as Grandma's words went into her ear. She turned to stare almost eye to eye with the elderly lady.
"Tis early," Grace reasoned. "Said not 'til the end of June."
"Nay child, don't fret 'tis only a week or so, babies are like that they come when they will, not when we think is best." Demelza reassured her.
Grace was comforted because Harry had left and now there was to be a new baby, not to take his place never that, but to fill her parents with the hope that they had lost just an hour or so before when Harry had left. She sighed deeply. "It t'will be alright won't it Grandma?"
"Come," she took Grace by the hand and tugged firmly for a woman of her years and Grace jumped down from the stool and followed Grandma to the kitchen where upon Demelza sank into the rocker by the hearth pulling Grace onto her lap. Grace immediately snuggled in, this was just what her wounded heart needed. Around them were the noises of the house, the rush of activity as Mary was helped upstairs to Henry and Louisa's bedroom, of Joshua's worried voice calling for his brother Ross to ride for the doctor . As Demelza sang Grace a lullaby it all seemed to slip away and all that was there was the two of them, with Copper at their feet.
"Grandma?" Grace asked when she could speak again, Martha the kitchen maid was bustling to and fro setting water to boil and the like, but this didn't bother Grace now, not now she had Grandma.
"Yes, my sweet one."
"Grandma, tell me the story, of when you had your first baby?" She pulled away and looked in her Grandma's face and waited for her to begin…
