True Love

Returning Home

Demelza after tasting a few of Prudy's meals ask Joshua if she could do some of the cooking? Telling Joshua that she had been helping her Mam since she could walk. The first night Demelza cook a delicious pie that had the most delicious gravy. When asked how she got it so tasty she told him she found some herbs in the pantry. Joshua told her Grace did grow herbs but no one has taken care of the garden since her death. Demelza asked if she may try her hand at it once spring arrived. Joshua agreed it seemed he could not deny this girl anything!
Verity and her went shopping and had purchased so much that the items had to be delivered. A few items were going to be pre-made but a few were to be made to order. One was a riding outfit in an olive green that complimented her coloring. They ordered hats, gloves, shoes, and stockings. Verity purchased a few yards of fabric that she thought would look beautiful on the girl. When they arrived back at Nampara she asked Joshua if it was okay with him, she would like to teach Demelza how to sew and knit. Joshua told her she was welcome anytime.  Joshua also hired a tutor to teach Demelsa how to read and write and math! So Verity spent the week teaching Demelza how to set a table, how to fine sew and how to knit, teaching her how to present herself as a lady and how to do the most common dances! Demelza picked up how to do these thing easily and they two girls became close friends.once Verity went home before bed each night she practiced reading, writing, and her arithmetic.
Demelza was working in the kitchen two months later when she saw a man through the gate, he was tall and looked a lot like Joshua. She decided this must be Joshua's son, she thought he was very handsome and had a body like the pictures she had seen of the Greek Gods. He came in through the kitchen door and saw her and he questioned "is my father here?" She said "if you mean Joshua Poldark yes he is in the library?" "Who may you be," Ross asked thinking, please don't tell me your his wife?" She said "I am Demelza Carne, beyond that I will let your father explain!"
Ross went into the house and yelled for his father he noticed that some improvements were in the process of being made in the home. It seemed that his father was again fixing the home as he did when his mother was alive. He went to the library and found his father. Upon seeing his son Joshua jumped up and ran to him and hug him tightly! After a few seconds Joshua pulled back and said "My boy I am so sorry I abandon you after your dear mother passed. She would have been so disappointed in me! Can you forgive me? I love you my boy and I am so glad you are home!" Ross hearing his father say what he had always wanted to hear hugged his father again, and told him "I love you to dad, now tell me about the girl and please don't tell me she is my new mother?" Joshua said, "let's get a drink and sit down."
Once father and son had a glass of brandy in hand, Joshua started to explain. "Your maternal grandmother passed away when your mother was about eight years old.  Your  grandfather remarried a local widowed woman with a young daughter. They were raised as sisters and they loved each other dearly. Do you remember your mother speaking of her sister Demelza?" Ross shook his head then said "we'll maybe once or twice." Joshua continue, "your grandfather passed a few years after your mother and I wed. Her stepmother and Demelza moved and lost touch after your grandfather passed! Your mother always worried about Demelza because her mother was a hard woman showing no love. Demelza was around ten your grandfather passed. When she was around fourteen her mother sold her to a miner named Carne. She came to see me about November and brought her daughter. Demelza told me she had six children, Demelza out there being the oldest and she was the only daughter. Your mother's stepsister is dying. She has been abused by her husband her whole married wife and he has now switched that full abuse to that girl. She told me he never touches the boys just her daughter. She asked me to take her in as a servant, but your mother would not have wanted that. So I made her my ward. She is fifteen and in May she will be sixteen and I have been giving her instructions on how to act a lady."
Ross nodded, he said, "is that why you started on the house again and how far in debt are we!" Joshua laughed, "son we are not in debt, I have paid all our loans off in fact we now are in partnership with a boat yard, Wheal Leasure showing a profit and we are about to enter into a smelting company in the near future. I have kept our success a secret that only a few know about and I think for now it is for the best to keep it that way. Too many forces have worked against us in the past." Joshua and Ross talked a little more then. "Then he I will show you the additions to the house later, but there is a parlor and a bedroom on the first floor and three large bedrooms on the second along with a chamber room where a copper tub and a chamber chair is. There is also a chamber with the same set up off the parlor room. It is really remarkable the design. There is a barrel on the roof that can collect rain water. Which is used to bring water in which then can be heated for washing. The chamber pot and tub drain into a pipe that is placed under ground and travels to an underground cavern. Like I said it is remarkable and the engineering of it is amazing!" Ross told his father, "it sounds like it and that he had never heard such a thing!" Joshua asked, "Ross to keep the secret of there holding and profits to keep the forces at bay." QRoss nodded his agreement, then said, "please introduce me to your ward properly. I  may have been a little short with her just now outside." Joshua heard Demelza in the kitchen, he said, "she loves to cook and does it so much better then Prudy that I allowed her to take it over." When Ross entered the kitchen he saw there was a water pump that had a copper tub on a stand that seemed to drain out by itself.  There was a small box that held a large block if ice under it, which seemed to hold butter and milk. Ross was truly amazed on how his father had improved the house. His father said, "the ice comes from a ice house on the property, which stores ice that was gathered through the winter and stored underground where it forms block of ice. It allows storage of food for longer times decreasing waste."
Once the improvements were shown, Joshua introduced Demelza to Ross. Demelza seamed to be in the process of preparing dinner. Ross took her hand and received a bolt through his body he had never experienced before. He kissed her hand which smelled of lemon, which was a favorite smell of his. Demelza took a picture from the ice box and poured three glasses of cold lemonade, which Ross had to admit tasted rather refreshing. He said he was getting hungry from the smells and asked when dinner would be served. His father said,"around six or seven. Why don't we go to the mine most of your boyhood friends are there." Demelza gave him a few scones she had made that morning, Ross was truly impressed. Ross after drinking another  glass of lemonade, told his father it was time to go.
Joshua wanted to get him somewhere he could tell him of his cousin and Elizabeth.
As Joshua and Ross took their leave of Demelza and went to the barn where Joshua gave Ross the black stallion. Ross looked him over appreciately and said, "his name is Darky." They saddled Darky and Joshua's white mare and started out to the mine. Joshua broke the silence and said, "son I need to tell you that your cousin Francis is to be wed!" Ross looked at his father and said "that's great to who," his father hesitated a moment to catch his  breath. Then he said the word that turned Ross's world up side down "Elizabeth!" "My Elizabeth" Ross asked? Joshua explained the conversation he had at the engagement celebration. He told him how it all went and Elizabeth saying that they didn't know if you were dead. Even if you were alive you may perish on the ship!
It was at that point they reached the mine. Zacky was the first to see him and came running, then Paul and Mark Daniels, and Ted Carrick. Ross after hugging  each man and a lot of slapping on the back, he asked, "where is young Jim?" Joshua told he had him working as farm hand because of his lungs and he would be able to see him later that day when they came in from the fields. Joshua showed him the books from the mines, his friends told him how this mine was the best to work at since his father paid the best wages. Joshua told him he wanted to get a mine doctor that would also look after the miners families since Chock refused unless paid. Ross remembered the doctor that saved him, he had traveled back with him and was in London. Maybe he could persuade him to come to Cornwall to work! His father told him he would pay forty Guinies a month and to send him invitation.
On the way back home Joshua said "I would like to have a soirée for your return. Maybe we can arrange it for four months the addition should be done, I can say it is for the return of my son and to introduce my new ward! In May Demelza's birthday she will be sixteen!"
Ross thought he just turned 25 that would make him ten years older then her. He wondered why that thought entered his mind.
That afternoon they received an invitation for Francis's and Elizabeth's wedding in a months time. Ross sat and debated whether he should go and visit Elizabeth and find out why she is marrying Francis.
They sat down to dinner and Ross was pleasantly surprised at the meal that was served. Joshua told him that Demelza took over the preparation of all meals again. Ross said, "Father that is the best decision you have made!" Demelza tucked her chin to her chest and blushed profusely. She brought the lemon cake she made with lemon icing. Ross groaned when he tasted it, he asked Demelza, "how did you know it was his favorite?" She responded "I didn't but it is mine also." After dinner Prudy cleaned the table and Joshua told her not to forget to have Prudy do the qdishes since he didn't want Demelza doing them in the morning. Demelza told Joshua she would sleep off the kitchen in the box bed until the other rooms were finished so Ross could have his room back. Joshua nodded and said it should only be for the next couple of months since that is when the other rooms should be finished. Demelza told Ross she would remove her clothes tomorrow and bring his in from storage, he nodded and thanked her for her consideration of his needs.