A Manor in Cornwall by Laura Briggs

Author:Laura Briggs [Briggs, Laura]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-03-29T05:00:00+00:00

***

"Everyone knows Noreen Prowse," said Matt, with a chuckle. "She means well, truly. She's done quite a bit of good when it comes to raising awareness for the endangered flora and fauna of Cornwall ... but she can be a bit dramatic in her tactics, sometimes. And carry her point a little too far on some occasions."

He brushed the dirt from his clothes before he came inside Rosemoor. "I suppose it's possible that she could cause trouble for Cliffs House," he said. "But I rather think her complaints are mostly inspired by the thought of outsiders being drawn here. Increased traffic inspired by this event."

"'Emmets' and 'incomers,'" I said, using the local slang for thoughtless tourists and outsiders from other parts of England. "People like me, eh?" I folded my legs comfortably on the sofa's cushions.

"Not like you." He kissed the top of my head. "I think Noreen Prowse envisions noisy tourists who toss rubbish alongside scenic views and frighten away her beloved wildlife with too much noise and too many photographs.

"Right," I said. "Well, apparently, she's afraid for some kind of gull, or something like that. A red-billed something," I added, not too sure about the rest of its name.

"The red-billed chough?" said Matt. "Their nests are quite rare in Cornwall now. Cliff erosion, predators, mishaps between the human and animal world — any and all of those have led to the decline. Even without those things, it was always a delicate and fragile existence for the hatchlings."

"Well, she's afraid we're going to drive them into the sea with the vibrations from the amps and the thunderous applause for Wendy Alistair," I said. "She's planning to ask the village to ban the event from taking place."

"I suppose it's possible the red-billed chough could be close by," said Matt. "Not likely, of course, but possible. Has anyone spotted one?"

"How would we know?" I asked. I had never heard of this bird, not that I had any knowledge of the average Cornish species. With my limited reading time, even the presence of Matt's naturalist volumes had left me with little more than the names of a few local flowers and some butterflies.

"We could ask the members of the birdwatcher's society," said Matt. "And I suppose we'll have to find out from William exactly what sort of habitat he's protecting in the glen."

I nodded and hoped that speaking with Lord William would help clear up the matter. Noreen Prowse seemed like a force to be reckoned with, though—or at least the kind who didn’t willingly listen to reason. "At least my day wasn’t all bad," I told Matt, leaning back against the sofa. "I found the antique Cornish harp to replace the missing spinet. Long story," I added, seeing his confusion as he settled on the cushion beside me. "Let’s just say that Cliffs House’s ballroom needed a few extra antiques for its television debut. Oh, and something else turned up that might prove useful."

I told him about the doll house and its connection to Pippa’s childhood days.

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