The final part of the novel is narrated by Jan Yves, the youngest Castallack who is loosely based on King John. Jan is considered by Philip to be a silly spoiled young man who is not very honest, he himself being honest to a fault. Jan is shrewder than his brother and has been brought up in a difficult situation with both of his parents rejecting him because of the circumstances of his conception.
Jan resents both of his parents, though since Janna has tried to make up to him for her coolness towards him, he starts to visit her at the farm, after he's been sent down from college. He takes a job in the mine, but Philip does not trust him with the books..
At the time of the Sennen Garth disaster, Jan has made a marriage of convenience to a local heiress, the horsey plain Felicity Carnforth and he's 25. Philip tolerates him, but does not much like him. However some months after the disaster, he asks him to visit Penmarric. He has been busy for a time with trying to organise a fund for the families of those who were killed, but now he is aware that the mine will never re open.. and he has no job that he wants to do.
Jan is not surprised to be told that the mine will never re open and his own job has vanished but Philip shocks him when he tells him that he himself is going to go off to Canada for a couple of years, to work in the mines there.
Jan asks how their mother will manage as she and Philip are devoted to each other and she is now an old woman. She has lost 2 of her sons, Marcus in the war and Hugh in a swimming accident and she really is close only to Philip.
Philip says that he and Helena are going to separate, unofficially, as his marriage has not worked out, and that he believes that Janna will be all right for a few years, if Jan helps to keep her company. He adds that he has decided to leave the estate to Jonas, his nephew because Jonas, who is only a child has nothing but the name Castallack and Jan is now married to an heiress and will inherit the Carnforth estate with his wife. Jan is horrified. He has had a long standing secret romance with Rebecca, Jonas' mother but he has never much liked the boy... and he hoped that he would inherit Penmarric, rather than a child who has no connextion with it. Jan has also grown fond of his mother but he is not all that keen to assume the role of supporting son to Janna.. being spoiled and selfish still.
After Philip leaves for Canada, Jan finds that his brother has said that it would be best if he does not visit Penmarric during his absence, because Michael Vincent will be in charge, together with a new bailiff. Jan is very angry at this, and is not happy with the suggestion by Philip that he can help his half brother William who has now moved to manage the Carnforth estate.. He and his wife Felicity have a friendly relationship but it is not a close one. For some time, things go all right. Jan does try to be supportive to his mother, who is lonely without Philip. Helena has returned to her old home to live with her brother and his wife Jeanne. Gerald, her brother is now increasingly ill from his war wounds and it does not look like he has long to live.
Jan begins to visit Penmarric in defiance of Philips instructions, trying to insinuate himself into a position where he can run the estate, in hopes that Philip may change his mind about leaving it to him if he is a good manager. The new bailiff, Smithson is not popular and Jan finds that the tenants are willing to complain to him about the way he is managing the property and his lack of sympathy for their problems.
Over time, the locals take such a dislike to Smithson that in the Philip has to dismiss him and he decides to let Jan have a role in managing it. Jan has moved into the house, and Janna is angry with him over this but Philip says rather contemptously that he is not that bothered, as he doubts if Jan Yves will stick the job long enough.
Simon Peter Roslyn, son of Janna's stepson Jared is young Jonas' cousin and now working as a solicitor with Michael Vincent. He suggests to Jan that Philip seems happy abroad in the mines and hints that he may not ever come back to Cornwall.. Jan, still sore at Philip's remark, interprets this as meaning that Philip may not return and that he may still change his mind about Jonas being the heir as the boy is not all that promising, has been brought up by Rebecca in such a way that he hardly seems likely to fit in running a big estate like Penmarric.
Janna is still annoyed with Jan for disobeying Philip and living in the house, which was supposed to eliminate disputes about who was managing the property. Adrian, Jan's other half brother now a clergyman falls out with him over the fact that he is not living with his wife and that he's clearly coveting Philip's property. Jan feels that he is always seen by his family as the one who is at fault and continues to justify his own behavour to himself.
Then his plans crash. Philip announces that as he had promised, he will soon be home, after the 3 years he planned to spend abroad. Jan is caught out, he has been borrowing money from the estate to keep up a lavish lifestyle and suddenly he is no longer seen as master of Penmarric and his fair weather friends drop him. He tries to pay back the money to the estate but is short of cash, and he has nowhere to go. Felicity is still fond of him but her father refuses to let her take Jan back or lend him money. William is the only one who still cares for him and he takes him in to his house.
Jan decides that he cant face his family or anyone now that he has been disgraced.....
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