15: Duelling Notebooks

Chapter 15 of "A Grail for Eidothea"

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Marriage is discussed between Eidothea and Jasper but in reality the issue is whether she can trust him sufficiently to join in his quest. Her father is scouring his library for his research on the Holy Grail (the dreigiau môr Greal).

1st April, 1814

Aunt has set me new reading in hope of making me sufficiently ladylike for Mr. Jasper Tregallas. This is a feat I consider impossible, given my ‘marine calamity’, as she calls it, but I will read it for her sake.

And mine. Father has locked himself in his study and aunt fusses, so it is best that I behave and read what she has offered me.

No note from Mr. Tregallas today and I am disturbed by this. Mayhap I trust him when he is where I can see him? Mother’s ring lies against my skin, hidden on its chain. They will not take it from me.

2nd April, 1814

An unexpected visit from our local curate, the Rev. Smythe. He is glad to see I am well again and chastised me for giving my family such a fright. He furthermore reminded me of the high impropriety of a young lady sailing alone with a gentleman and returning in a state of undress. He hopes I will prepare my soul for a meaningful Holy Week. I am all contrition.

Jenni tells me there are whispers in the village and Aunt has heard them too. It appears I will be considered a fallen woman if an engagement is not soon announced. Father has sent for Mr. Tregallas to visit this evening. Aunt Norah is bewailing that she will be unable to hold her head high at church on Sunday.

At least my engagement to Llyr isn’t real. I tell myself this and wonder why this new engagement disturbs me even more. I will not be forced into matrimony. My calling is to the Chosen Court, and thus impossible to promise myself as any man’s bride.

Mr. Tregallas arrived promptly after lunch and headed straight for the study. His pinched face hinted at a pain deeper than the cold weather. He did not spare me a glance as he passed.

I sank onto the stair, covering my face. Had he betrayed us? Is that why he would not look at me? Lord Tregallas has influenced him to pursue me — had he no feeling for me at all? And why did I even ask myself this question?

After a short while, the study door opened. “Daughter?”

I rose, descended the last two stairs and turned down the hallway to the study. Father smiled at me, but worry lines crinkled at his eyes. He gestured for me to sit next to Tregallas who faced his desk.

Father sat in his accustomed chair. Even more papers and books littered his desk. “We have discussed the matter of your engagement.”

I had expected this but sucked in a breath nevertheless.

“Engagements can be broken.” He steepled his fingers. “There seems to be a camaraderie, if not a fondness, between the two of you. Or at least that was true before you left us for a time.”

I struggled to remember a time before visiting Caer Morgana. “I cannot be tied down to an engagement or marriage when there is the Greal waiting to be found.”

“Your mother did both.” Father’s gentle voice calmed me somewhat.

“And I will support you fully in this quest,” added Tregallas. “You cannot do this alone, Miss Pendyr.”

I twisted in my seat to face him. “We do not have to do this married either.”

“The impropriety—“ Father started.

“Stuff and nonsense!” I borrowed aunt’s favourite phrase.

“I do not wish for you to regret refusing this offer later.” But Father’s soft voice had lost its calming magic.

I turned to Mr. Tregallas. “If your father was not seeking this, or if the unfortunate boat incident had not happened, would you even consider me?”

His tight lips relaxed into a smile. “Yes, of course. The accident confirmed it for me. You are a wonder embedded in my heart. But I will not force you into anything. We can be betrothed for the sake of others and break it off whenever you wish. But if even that thought repulses you…” He trailed off, his smile fading. Tregallas’ hand rested on the chair arm, the knuckles white. I covered it with my own.

“This feels forced, hurried, but you are not repulsive,” I informed him. His lips twitched upward. My thumb caressed the back of his hand.

Father cleared his throat, spotting our hands together on the chair. “Nobody is forcing you to hold his hand, Eidothea.”

That I could break this engagement eased my mind. My reputation would be in tatters until the scandal was forgotten, but none of this would matter — I would be living in Caer Morgana as a member of the Chosen Court.

I decided not to mention my new vocation. It would keep.

I glanced at Tregallas and he held my gaze. He had kept my secrets thus far, and yet he was dangerous. My fingers curled under his palm, like they had a mind of their own. “Then we are engaged.”

Tregallas interlaced his fingers with mine. “Eidothea…” he breathed.

“Jasper.” I squeezed his hand and released it. “I presume the banns will be read this Sunday?”

“I will arrange it so.” Jasper started to rise but Father halted his progress.

“There is another matter to discuss. Let us review.” He withdrew an old battered notebook from a pile on his desk. “Perhaps you do not know, Mr. Tregallas, that one of my passions is the time between the Roman and Anglo Saxon occupations — the time that is popularly known as the Dark Ages.”

“And the other is Welsh literature,” Jasper interrupted. “My father had plans for me to wed your daughter and bring your expertise in-house.”

Father snorted and glared. “As if I would ever agree to that. My late wife despised him.” His eyes narrowed. “That is not happening now?”

Jasper shook his head. “My father knows of the potential engagement, but he does not know that I have sided with Eidothea on this matter, not him.”

Father stroked the notebook cover. “You remind me of your mother, a gentle soul.”

Jasper sat forward. “You knew my mother?”

“Almost married her.” Jasper and I exchanged wide-eyed expressions. “But that is not important. We can talk about it another time if you are interested.”

“Very.” Jasper and I spoke together.

“Back to the matter at hand. The Welsh romances feature the Holy Grail and the Fisher King. Those stories came from France, but there is an older story …” Father told of an older Welsh manuscript which spoke of the Fisher King. “Once he was made whole by the grail, he went on to make the nation whole, to defeat the new invaders.

“As they succeeded for a while, it can only be a reference to the Saxons and not the romances. What happened to the grail after … perhaps its loss meant Arthur’s downfall. If it somehow survived in Glastonbury—“

Jasper shook his head. “Glastonbury was much more accessible from the sea centuries ago than it is now.” He pulled a small notebook from an inner coat pocket. “I listed the locations my family has searched from our archives.”

“And your father?” I asked, anxious.

“Noticed nothing. I am not favoured by him.” Jasper flicked a few pages of his notebook. “Ah, here it is. Glastonbury has been thoroughly searched.”

“If it is not there now…” Father paused, deep in thought. After a few moments, he flipped further into his notebook. “It was some time later, but no kings in the land were anointed until King Edgar, and that was by Dunstan, who lived at Glastonbury Abbey at the time and …” Father ran his finger down the page. “Ah yes, his coronation was held in Bath Abbey.”

Again, Jasper disagreed. “The current abbey is considerably smaller since—“

“Young man, my family lived in Bath for many years. It is safe to say that if it is on the abbey’s historical grounds, it either would have been found, or —“

“Or wantonly destroyed during the Dissolution,” Jasper riposted. “If Dunstan possessed it, there is not reason why he would not have kept it with him.”

“Unless it belonged to the monks of Bath Abbey,” Father replied. “There has to be a reason for him choosing that location.”

“Bath was not considered as a potential location by my family.” Jasper leant back in his chair and eyed the low ceiling. “Who would take the Greal to where Romans once lived?”

“Is there not a Roman connection to Arthur Pendragon?” I asked.

Father shrugged. “Most likely descended from an original British citizen who became a Roman citizen. There is even speculation that Arthur Pendragon came from the Scots border.”

“It is possible the Abbey knew trouble was coming from Henry,” Jasper mused. “But that applies to both Glastonbury and Bath. They would have sent the Greal somewhere safe, to someone they trusted. To another church, perhaps?”

“Then Glastonbury Abbey has been searched, but not the surrounding neighbourhood?” I asked.

“Not knowing where exactly to look, my grandfather had his agents ingratiate themselves with old landed families in the area.”

“Hardly exhaustive.” I folded my arms and felt the solid lump of the Grealseeker ring. “We do have an advantage.”  I fished the ring out of my bodice. Jasper coughed, swinging to gaze at the books behind him.

“Berlewen’s ring?” Father gazed at the pearl ring as it lazily spun on the gold chain between my fingertips.

“My father thought it was significant as it looks so old.” Jasper winced at mentioning his father, as did I. For a brief while, I had forgotten about him.

“It has been used by Mother’s family to track the Greal.”

“But how far can a draig môr travel seeking it?”

“Exactly.”

“What’s this?” Father leaned forward. “There is an issue with the dreigiau môr traveling? When Berlewen took ill on our way to meet my parents in Bath, it was before we’d even finished the journey to Carmarthen.”

“Overland?”

Father nodded. “I thought it was due to her expecting a child.”

“That will be the first test then.” I related the limitations of the dreigiau môr leaving the ocean. “Mother could travel further than anyone. If any part of me is still human, perhaps I may travel even farther or any distance.”

Jasper bit his lip. “How does the ring work? Maybe your Father and I could undertake this quest for you.”

My fingers closed over the ring. He reminded me of his father. Chills ran through me. Had I made a terrible mistake?

I almost bolted from the room at Jasper’s next suggestion.

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