An extract from Chapter 3 of “Flying
with Angels”
Martha has handed over the running of
the estate to her adopted son Brynach. She knows that all is
not well – but Brynach (who is a widower with two children
to support) goes to Carmarthen to find a new wife and to talk
to his lawyers…….
As soon as Brynach arrived back from Carmarthen
in the Llanychaer carriage I knew that he was the bringer of
bad tidings. Rose and David rushed out to meet him, and he embraced
each of them warmly enough, but there was a stiffness in his
manner, and when I glimpsed his face I saw that his manly good
looks had been transformed into the looks of a man twice his
age. He was unshaven, his jaw was tense, and his eyes were sunken
and almost lifeless.
“Father, do you have a new wife to tell us about?”
asked David, with his eyes gleaming.
“I fear not, son,” replied Brynach. “Let us
go inside. I will tell you everything later on, but first you
must bear with me, for I must talk to your grandmother.”
He kissed me on the cheek, but could hardly look at me. He took
me by the hand and without saying a word led me through the
kitchen and along the passage to the parlour. We went inside,
and he closed the door.
“Sit down, Mother, please,” he said. Then he strode
back and fore for what seemed like an age, rehearsing in his
mind once again the things he needed to say, although I dare
say he had done that already, a thousand times over, during
the long journey from Carmarthen. I sat in my favourite chair,
petrified.
“Mother, this is the most difficult moment of my life,”
he said at last, still striding and still unable to look me
in the eye. “Doubly difficult because of who you are,
and because of what you have done for me, and because I love
you so much.”
I still did not know what this was all about, but I felt the
tears trickling down my cheeks, and I said feebly: “Brynach,
cariad, I understand all of that. Now kindly stop all that wandering
about, and come and sit by me and put your arm around me. Then
you can say what you have to say.”
He did as instructed, and finally caught my eye with a look
of such terrible despair that I could hardly credit it. “Mother,”
he said, “I fear that the estate has collapsed, and that
everything must be sold.”
