Page 9 of Leafpoint Lighthouse

“Yes, Karen recommended you to me,” I replied, holding out my hand.

Mrs Penrose shook it.

“I’m Lyra Jasper, and this is my cousin, Thea Jasper.”

“That explains so much,” Mrs Penrose muttered. “Which lighthouse is yours, dear?”

“Seareef,” Thea exclaimed.

“Indeed.” Mrs Penrose nodded.

“Would you like to elaborate?” I asked.

“Maybe a bit later, when we’ve got you settled at the Gull’s Nest. There’s a storm rolling in tonight.”

“Well, I need to find a hardware store,” I stated, pushing back my empty plate and drinking my .coffee

“Why don’t you settle in at the Gull’s Nest and hear me out first?” Mrs Penrose replied firmly.

“Guess we can,” I agreed. That made sense, I guess.

“I’ll wait with you, and we can head over together,” Mrs Penrose added and cast a look around the café. Confused, I followed her gaze and frowned. Most of the people present sat glaring at our table.

“What’s their problem?” Thea asked, eating a sausage.

“I’ll explain everything at the hotel. Just enjoy your food for now.” Mrs Penrose smiled kindly.

“Dorothy, we’re not in Kansas anymore,” Thea muttered.

“Come on, girls, I’ll pour,” Mrs Penrose said whilst Thea and I entered the cosy snug at the Gull’s Nest. It was a seventeenth-century inn with lots of dark beams and white plaster. I loved it.

I settled into a leather Chesterfield armchair as Thea sat on the sofa. A fire roared in the grate, and with the deep red walls and yellow light bulbs, the entire atmosphere was welcoming and friendly.

“Thanks. Why does everyone in the town look mad at us?” Thea asked.

“Although small, Penhaven’s existence spans eighteen hundred years. It started as a modest holding and grew to become what we are today. A very popular and lucrative tourist trap. As you saw, we’re in a circular cove with a beautiful sandy beach and the town spread out above that. We’ve got the harbour and the marina too. However, make no mistake, the water around this part of Cornwall is treacherous.

“A rich lord moved here in the eleventh century, a Baron of the wars; his family name was Jasper. Baron Jasper took ownership of the land incredibly seriously, and over the years he cared for the people of Penhaven. Over the centuries the Jaspers continued to care for the town and the locality, often becoming magistrates. They received several titles and much property and gold as a reward for their loyalty. The Jaspers had an uncanny knack of picking the winning side.”

Mrs Penrose smiled and sipped her drink.

“In the early seventeen hundreds, times turned desperate. The taxes ruined towns, villages, and even people. Smuggling and wrecking became a way of life, and it was rife in Cornwall and Devon. Legend states fires were set to lure boats in; it was the opposite. Lights were dimmed to draw ships onto the rocks. A light meant stay away, not come closer.

“The Jaspers, now holding a Marquess title, came down hard on anyone caught doing either. Judd Damerell and his gang had been scavenging on the shore for those who were wrecked by natural causes. But they didn’t find enough loot, and like all men, they got greedy and began drawing ships in and wrecking them. To protect vessels, the Jaspers built four lighthouses in seventeen-thirty to help people.”

“I guess the wreckers and smugglers were not too happy about that?” I questioned.

“No. They took offence greatly, and many times tried to sabotage the building of the lighthouses. But Judd couldn’t stop them lighting up every night.”

“Wow, okay, so we had smugglers and wreckers here?” Thea asked, looking excited.

“Yes,” Mrs Penrose nodded. “The townspeople who’d been struggling began turning hostile towards the Jaspers. Other local rich landowners mainly looked the other way or were involved. Not the Jaspers. Their honesty became a disadvantage for them.”

“Let me guess, Judd killed the Jaspers?” Thea exclaimed, her eyes bright with excitement.

“Not quite. For forty years, Judd and Nicholas Jasper fought each other. Judd escaped every time, but his followers were taken and hauls confiscated. Other times, Nicholas missed the mark completely. Both Judd and Nicholas had sons who also grew to hate each other. Nicholas died in seventeen-eighty, and their heirs continued their work. George Damerell was cruel but highly intelligent.

“Charles Jasper was his father reborn. Both George and Charles were born later in life and were in their thirties when they took over their legacies. It was instant war. Charles was far harsher in punishments and installed four men into the lighthouses who couldn’t be bribed to turn the protective lights off.