A HAZARD OF HEARTS (50 page)

Jo-Beth shivered. She could only guess at the
privations he had suffered. ‘But you were a clipper captain, Ethan. Didn’t you
tell them?’

His laughter had a bitter edge. ‘I did more than
tell, but they were too many for me. I spent more hours in the anchor locker
than I like to recall, delirious for much of the time, I think.’

Seeing his haunted expression, Jo-Beth’s heart
lurched with pity and love. She wanted to cradle the blond head against her
breast, to tell him not to remember, not to bother telling his story. But he
had more to say.

‘It was the memory of your sweet face that kept
me sane, I think. My heart told me you were still alive, that the sea had not
taken you. I prayed that one day fate would bring us together again.’ Again he
paused. ‘Jo-Beth, there were times when I could easily have given up, yet I
struggled to live, to find you again. I knew you would be waiting for me,
somewhere.’

Her hands went out to him and he reached her in
two strides to grasp and press them to his mouth. His voice came muffled from
between her fingers. ‘There’s little more to tell. A few weeks ago the whaler
came to grief on a promontory off Van Diemen’s Land, the survivors being taken aboard
a coastal trader and brought to Hobart Town. There I took ship for Sydney, to
search for you, my own dear one.’

Pulling her hands free, Jo-Beth flung them
around his neck drawing him down to her. She looked deeply into his eyes,
letting him see the love there for him. ‘You are alive and with me. That’s all
that matters now, my dear one.’

Their lips met in a kiss which transported
Jo-Beth back to the deck of the
East Wind
, to the precious moment when
she had fallen truly deeply in love. And then she knew it was time to be
honest, once more.

‘Ethan, I have something to say to you.’

He drew back to gaze at her. ‘I know it. But you’ve
no cause to worry. I’ve done with the sea. The day of the great sailing ships
is ending. And when I saw my beautiful
East Wind
go to the bottom, her
hull eaten with woodworm, her back broken, I knew it was the end for me. Nor
will I risk your precious life ever again. The sea is a jealous mistress.’

‘Oh, Ethan. Don’t give it up for me.’

‘My dear, I’ve made my decision with a light
heart. I’ve other challenges to meet, in the world of shipping commerce. I’ve
made my packet trading and there’s plenty of money in a Boston bank to support
us. Could you be the wife of a merchant here in Sydney Town? It’s an exciting
place, bursting with opportunity.’

‘I’d be your wife if you were the poorest of
men. But, my dear, I’m trying to tell you I’ve changed. I’m not the carefree
girl you knew and loved. I know myself better, and I can’t resign my
independence, even for you. There will be things I want to do, decisions I must
make on my own.’

He laughed. ‘Do you think I can’t see that for
myself? Or that you’ve grown more beautiful, with a sweet maturity in your face
and the serenity arising from suffering overcome. No, you’re not that girl from
the past. You are a woman, proud, staunch, the one I need by my side to share what
life brings, in storm and calm.’ He claimed her lips once more, this time
demanding a response to rising passion.

Clinging as if her life depended upon him, her
body moulded against his, Jo-Beth gave thanks to her God from a bursting heart,
then gave herself up to her own desire.

Since J.G. had telegraphed their arrival
date to Paul, the Pattersons were met on the wharf by a reception committee consisting
of Paul, Elly, Ethan and Jo-Beth. Pearl disembarked ahead of the other
passengers, a diminutive figure in proper gown and bonnet, pelting down the
plank like an excited child straight into Elly’s arms.

Elly, hugging her until she squeaked that her
ribs were cracked, felt a rush of emotion bringing tears and laughter and
blessed relief that her dear friend had come safely home.

‘Oh, I’ve missed you, Pearl.’ She held her at
arm’s length and was struck with dismay.

Pearl’s smile slipped a little. ‘I know. My
face. It doesn’t matter, Elly dear, not any longer.’ She beckoned to her
husband. ‘J.G. come, kiss Elly and be welcomed.’

‘Do I dare?’ Nevertheless, J.G. saluted Elly
heartily on the cheek, his own happiness evident, despite his gaunt appearance.

‘You’ve been ill.’

‘Merely a clip on the head during the little
affray at Eureka, girl dear.’

‘How foolish to involve yourself. You’re lucky
not to have spent weeks imprisoned awaiting trial, along with the other accused
men.’

He grinned at her severe tone. ‘They were
acquitted, weren’t they? There was overwhelming public support for them. Besides,
it would have been worthwhile. The affair brought me my heart’s delight.’ His
gaze went to Pearl, with such a light of love there that Elly caught her
breath. Then he strode over to clap Paul on the shoulder. ‘Take your hands off
my wife, you cad, and give an account of yourself.’

When Jo-Beth introduced Ethan, J.G’s jaw
dropped, but Pearl held out her hands immediately.

‘This is the working of Fate. You two were meant
to be together in this life. I am so happy for you.’

Ethan’s great laugh rumbled from behind his
beard. ‘Little Miss Pearl. I always knew you would win through, with all that
determination.’

‘Which she sharpens on me.’ J.G. had recovered. ‘Well
met, Captain. It’s not every day a man’s privileged to encounter a ghost.’

Finding themselves the centre of a milling crowd
of passengers with luggage, sightseers, clerks waving manifests trying to
board, labourers waiting to unload cargo, they took cabs to the York Hotel
where Paul had hired a private room and ordered a celebratory lunch. Here all
the pent-up news of months was exchanged, with many exclamations and requests
for details.

Elly turned to Pearl. ‘Tell me what grand plan
you have for the future. I know you will have one.’

A brief silence had fallen in the room. They all
stared at Pearl, awaiting her answer. She glanced across the table at her
husband to receive a smiling nod.

‘We have been very fortunate,’ she began. ‘My
brother died an extremely wealthy man, with much gold in a bank in Melbourne. He
willed his fortune to me.’

When the exclamations died, she went on. ‘J.G.
and I have formed a definite plan, and since it concerns you, Elly, I hope it
meets with your approval.’

‘Concerns me? But Pearl, it’s your money…’

‘Wait. Listen. We’re going back to China.’

Elly felt her heart plummet, but J.G. said
reassuringly, ‘Wait until you’ve heard it all, Elly. Pearl has thought this out
carefully.’

He nodded at his wife, who continued, ‘I want to
carry on the medical work of my foster parents. I plan to set up a clinic, to
attract at least one Chinese doctor of medicine to help me, and to train local
girls in nursing.’ Seeing their amazement, she continued earnestly, ‘You can
have no idea what the lives of unwanted girls are like in my country. I can
rescue some of them, at least, from virtual slavery. Then, Elly, I’ll send to
you those who wish a final polish, as you might say. They can then return to
China to pass on their skills to others. The network of good nursing will thus
be spread, gradually, over long distances. So, what do you think of my plan?’

Elly swallowed her disappointment. ‘How could I
not approve? It’s a wonderful plan, my dear, and a worthy way of using your
brother’s money. I’ll be happy to carry out my part.’

Paul shifted his attention to J.G. ‘Just what is
your role in all this? I don’t see you sitting on the verandah sipping gin
while your wife saves lives.’

‘I’ll be setting up my own newspaper to give
those colonial boyos a run for their money. One little matter I have in mind is
the roaring trade in opium through the treaty ports.’

With a crack of laughter, Paul raised his glass.
‘They don’t know what they’re in for over there. You’ll undermine trade and
reorganise the whole of their society if they don’t watch out. I’d like to
propose a toast to this marvellous new venture: to Pearl’s clinic; J.G’s
journal; and a brave new world, both in the east and west.’

The toast was drunk with solemnity. Then Pearl
slipped out of her seat to place an arm around Elly.

‘Don’t be sad, Elly. I shall miss you, too. Yet
we always knew we would go our separate ways in the end. You have achieved your
purpose in pulling the hospital into order, making it a safe place for the poor
to receive care. The Board is still difficult, I know, particularly as you say
Mr Cornwallis has withdrawn his support, but they dare not lose you.’

Elly smiled tightly. ‘We walk a careful line,
the Board and I, yet I agree there have been vast improvements over the past
year. Of course, you’re right. Each of us must take her own path, although I’ll
miss you all so much.’

She refused to dampen the occasion by detailing
the difficulties of her life at present. Not only had the Board blocked all
further plans, but she knew Cornwallis had stirred an undercurrent of feeling
against her, evident in the attitude of the medical staff as well as in the
myriad small frustrations she met with every day: problems with appointments
and deliveries; broken promises; odd and inconvenient accidents. The list never
ended. The pettiness annoyed her, but the consequences of disruption to the
patients made her furious, sometimes bringing her close to despair.

Then to cap all, she had just learned that the
building housing the nurses and hospital stores would be handed over to the newly
established Government Mint. Work had begun last year on conversion of the
southern block occupied by the Military as staff offices, plus construction of
factories and staff cottages. Elly failed to see why her one small extra building
should be reft from her, but needless to say she had not been consulted by the
Board.

Pearl hugged her. ‘We won’t leave you just yet,
Elly. It will take time for us to organise our journey, so I can come back to
the hospital for several days each week until we go.’

‘I’ll stay on for a while, too,’ Jo-Beth added. ‘Ethan
has much to do setting up his business and we must find a suitable home. You’re
not being deserted just yet.’

Smiling in gratitude, Elly put aside her bleak
vision of the future in order to entertain Pearl with the story of her trip to
Bathurst. This led to talk of Lucy Whatmough, with Jo-Beth confessing that
lately she found the girl both wayward and difficult to talk to. Guiltily, Elly
realised she hadn’t given a lot of thought to Lucy in the past few weeks. Her
anger with the girl over her attitude towards Paul’s illness had passed, and
she and Lucy had re-established a rapport, or so she had believed. But against
a background of worry over Cornwallis’ machinations, her own preoccupation with
the hospital’s affairs and with Paul’s protracted recovery had taken up most of
her time.

Jo-Beth had befriended Lucy, since her dismissal
from the millinery establishment for laziness and impertinence, but Jo-Beth had
her own life. So Lucy rode daily in Hyde Park, usually accompanied by an
admirer or one of the young women met socially through Jo-Beth, and in general
enjoyed an unusual amount of freedom. Mrs Brokenhurst, in whom Paul had placed
his hopes, had proved a pliable reed, quite unable to control Lucy’s high
spirits.

‘I’ve been remiss,’ Elly said. ‘I undertook to
help establish Lucy in her new environment. She’s far too young and
inexperienced to be left alone.’

Jo-Beth looked down at the peach she was peeling
and said, carefully, ‘She’s Paul’s responsibility, after all. If he can find
the time for his own political interests, which he seems to have done, he can
organize a proper chaperone for Lucy. She’s had a taste of freedom and won’t
want to return to work, even if he can find someone willing to take her on.’

Paul broke off his conversation with the two men
to plead, ‘Don’t forget the poor child has suffered the loss of everything in
her former life. It takes time to adjust. Yet you are quite right. She needs
occupation. I must find a more suitable situation for her where she will be
carefully chaperoned. It’s a pity she has no bent towards nursing.’

Jo-Beth and Elly were both amused at the idea,
but gracefully guided the talk away to a new topic. The lunch party broke up
soon after, with the ladies preparing to return to the hospital.

Standing on the street corner, Elly’s attention
was attracted by Mrs Burton, the Gaol Governor’s wife, waving from the shelter
of a doorway opposite. Excusing herself to the others, Elly stepped into the
roadway, then hurriedly retreated as a pair of horses pulling a smart town
carriage almost ran her down. She looked up to see Lucy watching her from the
window with a mixture of defiance and triumph as she turned to her companion, D’Arcy
Cornwallis.

~*~

Alone in her office Elly berated herself.
She had been too proud to reveal her experience at Cornwallis’ hands. Naturally
Lucy, and Jo-Beth, who introduced them to one another, believed him to be a
gentleman. Why hadn’t she, Elly, kept a closer eye on Lucy’s associates? He could
so easily ruin her. Yet the affair might not have gone too far. If Lucy could
be warned in time...