Read Online The Twisted Sword by Winston Graham - Free Book Online
Authors: Winston Graham
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to be irritated, Ross.'
'Not with you.'
She pushed a curl out of her eye. 'Why not with me? Yes, you should be irritated with me, for I see small harm in you having this little title. And sir is only a little title, isn't it? Do we need to use it when we go back to Cornwall?'
'I think you may have to,' he said. 'Lady Poldark.'
She put her hands up to her face. 'Judas God! Yes!'
'Those are the first words I ever heard you utter. It must be thirty years ago, isn't it?'
'What words?'
'Judas God. You were complaining that those drunken louts had cut a piece off Garrick's tail!'
'My dear life, and they had! Ross...' She stopped. Yes, my dear?'
'I have come a long way.'
'We have both come a long way. When I met you I was an inebriate, half bankrupt squireen. You didn't know what a catch you were making!'
'I didn't know I was making any catch,' said Demelza. Ross rubbed his nose. 'I didn't know what sort of a catch I was making either. Dear Heaven, that was the luckiest day of my life.'
There was silence again while he watched the cabbage girl. When he turned from the window again he was surprised to see his wife standing there with tears running down her cheeks.
'Demelza, what is it?'
You don't often pay me compliments, Ross.'
'Good God, of course I do! I do it all the time, but you forget!'
'I don't forget! Perhaps it's not that sort?'
With a sudden tenderness overlaying his frustration and vexation he put his arms around her, fished a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped the tears away.
'It's all Canning's damned doing,' he said. 'He and Liverpool were at Oxford together and have been thick ever since. When he left to take up the Lisbon appointment George made some sort of a bargain with Liverpool that his supporters in the House of Commons should be rewarded for their loyalty to him. Liverpool told me as much in November! Boringdon was made an earl, Huskisson became Commissioner of Woods and Forests, LevesonGower was made a viscount. And they've hung this upon me!'
'Does - does it m-matter?' said Demelza.
'Come on, come on,' he said, as the tears kept falling.
'This will never do. What if the children return?'
'They won't be home yet,' she said. 'They've gone to the Tower.'
'How long will they be?'
'Oh, another hour, I should think.'
'Let me have you.'
She stared at him through big but watery eyes. 'What can you mean?'
'What d'you think? I like you when you're crying.'
'Dear love, it isn't done, it isn't proper, it isn't decent. In the middle of the day! When we have all night!'
"You sound like Jud.'
'Now don't make me laugh.' She tried not to hiccup.
'Stopped crying now?'
'Yes.'
'Tears of sorrow, no doubt.'
'I know what it is,' she said; 'now you've got this title it has gone to your head and you think to tousle a serving wench. But there's none handy, so you reckon your wife will do.'
'Just so,' said Ross. 'Just so.'
'In fact,' she said, 'I don't care a button for your title. But I still care a little for you.'
'Tell me upstairs,' Ross said.
'Oh,' she said, 'so it's going to be upstairs, is it?'
Chapter Five
I
They travelled to Dover on the Sunday afternoon and caught the 10 a.m. packet for Calais. The sea was choppy, the winds contrary and the crossing took six hours. Demelza felt sick, Bella and Mrs Kemp were sick, but the newly created baronet and his younger son suffered no ill. The Prince Regent had said: 'So, Captain Poldark, it is about five years, isn't it?'
'Five exactly, sir, to the month.'
'When you sought to instruct me on the excellence of my military commander in Portugal, and my duties to England.'
'I only answered your questions, sir.'
'That was not the way I remember it. Not the way I remember it at all. Anyway, whether you instructed me or not, you will have observed that England and her Regent Prince kept faith with her mission to deliver Europe from the tyrant!'
'Indeed, sir. And all England was grateful.'
'Except the Whigs, eh? Except the Whigs.'
The five
'Not with you.'
She pushed a curl out of her eye. 'Why not with me? Yes, you should be irritated with me, for I see small harm in you having this little title. And sir is only a little title, isn't it? Do we need to use it when we go back to Cornwall?'
'I think you may have to,' he said. 'Lady Poldark.'
She put her hands up to her face. 'Judas God! Yes!'
'Those are the first words I ever heard you utter. It must be thirty years ago, isn't it?'
'What words?'
'Judas God. You were complaining that those drunken louts had cut a piece off Garrick's tail!'
'My dear life, and they had! Ross...' She stopped. Yes, my dear?'
'I have come a long way.'
'We have both come a long way. When I met you I was an inebriate, half bankrupt squireen. You didn't know what a catch you were making!'
'I didn't know I was making any catch,' said Demelza. Ross rubbed his nose. 'I didn't know what sort of a catch I was making either. Dear Heaven, that was the luckiest day of my life.'
There was silence again while he watched the cabbage girl. When he turned from the window again he was surprised to see his wife standing there with tears running down her cheeks.
'Demelza, what is it?'
You don't often pay me compliments, Ross.'
'Good God, of course I do! I do it all the time, but you forget!'
'I don't forget! Perhaps it's not that sort?'
With a sudden tenderness overlaying his frustration and vexation he put his arms around her, fished a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped the tears away.
'It's all Canning's damned doing,' he said. 'He and Liverpool were at Oxford together and have been thick ever since. When he left to take up the Lisbon appointment George made some sort of a bargain with Liverpool that his supporters in the House of Commons should be rewarded for their loyalty to him. Liverpool told me as much in November! Boringdon was made an earl, Huskisson became Commissioner of Woods and Forests, LevesonGower was made a viscount. And they've hung this upon me!'
'Does - does it m-matter?' said Demelza.
'Come on, come on,' he said, as the tears kept falling.
'This will never do. What if the children return?'
'They won't be home yet,' she said. 'They've gone to the Tower.'
'How long will they be?'
'Oh, another hour, I should think.'
'Let me have you.'
She stared at him through big but watery eyes. 'What can you mean?'
'What d'you think? I like you when you're crying.'
'Dear love, it isn't done, it isn't proper, it isn't decent. In the middle of the day! When we have all night!'
"You sound like Jud.'
'Now don't make me laugh.' She tried not to hiccup.
'Stopped crying now?'
'Yes.'
'Tears of sorrow, no doubt.'
'I know what it is,' she said; 'now you've got this title it has gone to your head and you think to tousle a serving wench. But there's none handy, so you reckon your wife will do.'
'Just so,' said Ross. 'Just so.'
'In fact,' she said, 'I don't care a button for your title. But I still care a little for you.'
'Tell me upstairs,' Ross said.
'Oh,' she said, 'so it's going to be upstairs, is it?'
Chapter Five
I
They travelled to Dover on the Sunday afternoon and caught the 10 a.m. packet for Calais. The sea was choppy, the winds contrary and the crossing took six hours. Demelza felt sick, Bella and Mrs Kemp were sick, but the newly created baronet and his younger son suffered no ill. The Prince Regent had said: 'So, Captain Poldark, it is about five years, isn't it?'
'Five exactly, sir, to the month.'
'When you sought to instruct me on the excellence of my military commander in Portugal, and my duties to England.'
'I only answered your questions, sir.'
'That was not the way I remember it. Not the way I remember it at all. Anyway, whether you instructed me or not, you will have observed that England and her Regent Prince kept faith with her mission to deliver Europe from the tyrant!'
'Indeed, sir. And all England was grateful.'
'Except the Whigs, eh? Except the Whigs.'
The five
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