The Iron Road Read Online Free Page A

difficulties we have faced from those in Parliament opposed to the railways.’
    ‘They are making a great fuss over the fact that one in four members of the House of Commons holds a directorship in a railway company,’ Victor Tyzack’s sniff was belligerent. ‘What’s wrong with that, I’d like to know?’
    James gave a small shrug. ‘Perhaps they fear that, with such active involvement, the government might be influenced in favour of the railway companies?’
    ‘So what if it is?’ Victor Tyzack demanded. ‘We are playing a major role in creating a powerful and forward-looking economy for this country. All businessmen understand that certain accommodations are a vital part of negotiations. Yet ignorant people have the impertinence to accuse us of corruption.’
    ‘They also say’ – Clinton Warne’s jutting chin quivered with indignation – ‘we have too little regard for the welfare of company employees. This is a gross injustice. While mines are closing all over Cornwall, we are providing work for two hundred men. It is healthy outdoor work.’
    ‘ And they are paid three times the wage of a farm labourer,’ someone else chipped in.
    ‘You have joined us at a trying time, Mr Santana, but’ – Ingram Coles’s bright smile re-emerged like the sun from behind a cloud – ‘the market is strong and I have no doubt that the Helston to Penryn line will provide an excellent return on our investment, and that of our shareholders, of course. Now, as we are so close to Trewan, this would seem to be the perfect opportunity for you to visit Sir Gerald Radclyff. I’m sure you’ll be able to allay his concerns.’
    As the other directors nodded, James could see their relief at being able to transfer the responsibility from their own shoulders to his.
    ‘If there’s anything else you need,’ the chairman added, ‘don’t hesitate to ask. We will help in way we can. Right, gentlemen, back to town I think.’
    ‘You aren’t going to tour the line?’ James’s surprised enquiry met with a unanimous shaking of heads.
    ‘No point in confusing things,’ Victor Tyzack said quickly.
    ‘Too many cooks, and all that,’ Clinton Warne agreed.
    As they prepared to depart, Harold Vane brought his horse alongside James’s. He leaned forward, deliberately intimidating, his voice soft and full of menace. ‘We’re paying you a lot of money, Mr Santana. Start earning it.’
    Huge iron gates mounted on stone pillars topped by heraldic lions marked the imposing entrance to the Radclyff estate. The long drive wound across rolling parkland dotted with ancient oaks, towering copper beeches, and a canopy of broad chestnuts whose tightly folded leaves were just beginning to unfurl. The warmth of the sun released the scents of wet earth and primroses, the buttery perfume of gorse, and the sweet mustiness of leaf-mould. James closed his eyes as memories of Galicia broke over him like a curling wave.
    Much of Spain was arid desert, but not Galicia. Frequent rain and hot summer sun made the north-west corner of Spain a rich and fertile region growing wheat, barley, oats, and rye, as well as potatoes, turnips, and orchards full of apples. On Don Xavier ’s estate outside Santiago, pigs rooted beneath oaks and chestnuts just like these, and cattle roamed the rich valley pastures.
    Cushions of pink and purple heather and clumps of blackberry and gorse bushes were daubs of vivid colour on the high heath just as they were at Carn Brea and Goonhilly. The rocky coastline; like that between Land’s End and St Ives, offered sheltered bays and deep estuaries as safe havens from the thundering Atlantic Ocean.
    James gave himself a mental shake. Forget Galicia. There had been little time to explore the region or to discover more about his Spanish ancestry. Perhaps once this job was completed he would go back.
    Clicking his tongue, he urged his horse into a canter. Reaching the top of a knoll, his eyes shaded by the brim of his top