The Stranger From The Sea by Winston Graham Read Free Book Online Page B

after I had arranged them — though I still cannot do it so well as you - after that I gave him a civil good afternoon.'
    'And did you get another snarl?'
    'No. He just glowered at me. Then he asked me my name again. So I told him.'

Chapter Four
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    It was said of William Wyndham, first Baron Grenville, that one of the flaws in his distinguished parliamentary career was his passion for Boconnoc, his eight-thousand-acre estate in Cornwall. Bought by William Pitt's grandfather with part of the proceeds of the great Pitt diamond, it had come to Grenville by way of his marriage to Anne Pitt, Lord Camelford's daughter.
    A man of austere and aristocratic tastes, a man not above lecturing many people, not excluding the Royal Family, on their responsibilities and duties, he was wont to ignore his own once he was two hundred and fifty miles from Westminster and settled in his mansion overlooking the great wooded park, with his own property stretching as far as the most long-sighted eye could see.
    It was here, not in Westminster, that George Warleggan had first met him. Sir Christopher Hawkins, who had been a good friend to George as well as making money out of him, had represented to Lord Grenville that if his Lordship needed another spare man in addition to himself for the banquet held at Boconnoc to celebrate Trafalgar, the member for St Michael, who had been a knight for five years and was of influence in the Truro district, might make a suitable guest. George had accepted the invitation with surprise and alacrity. It was just about the period when he was beginning to emerge from the long shadow cast by Elizabeth's death and when his personal ambition was stirring again.
    No one, not even George himself, would have claimed that in the succeeding five years he had become an intimate of Lord Grenville - becoming a close friend of Lord Grenville's was considerably more difficult than to become one of the Prince of Wales - but he was accepted as an occasional guest in the great house. And they met at Westminster from from time to time. Grenville acknowledged him as a useful supporter and a neighbouring Cornishman. Bereft of his helpmeet, George had done little personal entertaining, but in the summer of 1809 he had given a big party at Cardew and had invited Lord and Lady Grenville. Grenville had refused, but it was a note written in his own hand.
    It was the following year, a month after George's annual pilgrimage to Trenwith and about a month before Ross had yielded to pressure and accepted the invitation to go to Portugal, that the Grenvilles invited George to a reception and dinner at their house, and it was on this occasion that he first met Lady Harriet Carter. They sat next to each other at dinner, and George was attracted, partly physically, partly by a sense of the unfamiliar.
    She was dark - as night dark as Elizabeth had been day fair - and not pretty, but her face had the classic bone structure that George always admired. Her raven hair had a gloss like japan leather; she had remarkably fine eyes. She was dressed in that elegant good taste that he recognized as the hall-mark of women like his first wife.
    One would have thought it unlikely to meet anyone at Lord Grenville's table who was not socially acceptable, but sometimes, in his seignorial role as one of the largest private landlords in the county, his Lordship thought it meet to include among his guests a few local bigwigs (and their wives) who in George's opinion were not big at all. This was clearly not such a one.
    Conversation at the table for a time was concerned with riots in the north of England, the depreciation of the currency and the scandal of the Duke of Cumberland; but presentl y his partner wearied of this and turned to him and said: 'Tell me, Sir George, where do you live?' 'Some thirty miles to the west, ma'am. At Cardew. Between Truro and Falmouth.' 'Good hunting country?' 'I've heard it so described.' 'But you don't hunt yourself?' 'I've little