Beyond the Sunset (22 page)

‘We’re almost there!’ he called a short time later.

‘I’m sorry we’ve been poor company,’ Xanthe said.

‘I’ve enjoyed the quiet. I’ve never seen the need to fill every minute with chatter.’

At Westview he greeted his host, unharnessed his horse and untied the gelding. He handed the latter over to Bert and watched him care for it, since the man would have the job of bringing the horses and Kevin’s cart back from Albany. Although Bert seemed capable enough, he seemed to show no affection for the animals.

Maybe Conn spoiled them, treating them like the children he could never have now. But they repaid him richly, with both affection and income. One of the good things to come out of this move to Galway House was that he was getting a name in the district and even beyond it for breeding or finding good horses. Indeed, he’d just had to take on another stable lad. People were prepared to do business with a man who had something they needed, whether he was an emancipist or not.

Getting Pandora to Albany was important or he’d not even have considered lending any horses to them. He saw to Nellie and the gelding himself. He’d bought the latter at a knock-down price the previous year, a good young workhorse which had been treated roughly.

He’d have offered to go to Albany with them, because he’d have enjoyed exploring the colony a little, but he couldn’t leave his mother, even with good people to look after her. He was always afraid his father would turn up and try to take her back by force. So was she.

When he examined the hired horses, he shook his head in dismay. The poor creatures had been worked nearly to death and that made him angry.

‘What shall we do with them until Bert comes back?’ Francis asked. ‘I can’t care for them, I’m afraid. I’m not in good enough health and Reece has enough to do with the other work.’

‘I’ll take them,’ Conn offered. ‘I can give them an easier time for a while. I hate to see poor creatures that have been treated like that. Is Kevin’s cart in good condition? I didn’t really look at it yesterday.’

They went to study the vehicle, which Reece had washed down that morning. It was small, four-wheeled and unpainted, of no particular type, looking as if it had been cobbled together anyhow. However, it was big enough for their purpose and would easily accommodate Pandora, her trunk and portmanteau, plus provisions and necessities for the journey.

‘It’s quite old,’ Conn said doubtfully. ‘And I don’t know what sort of vehicle you’d call it.’

‘A cart crossed with a market wagon.’ Francis’s lip curled scornfully as he studied it again. ‘Not built by a regular coach-builder, that’s for sure.’

‘It isn’t in too bad condition, though. I think it’ll get them there. There’s a made road to Albany, after all.’

‘What does that mean?’

‘It’s been cleared and is not a bush track that winds around obstacles.’

‘They don’t have much choice about the cart. I can’t lend them mine because we need it ourselves. I’ve offered to lend it to Kevin when he needs to fetch any supplies.’

Clearly he considered this a big concession so Conn murmured a few words about generosity. But he was still worried. ‘What am I going to do about making sure my horses are well looked after on the journey?’

Francis looked up. ‘What do you mean? There’s nothing much you can do.’

‘Nellie is quite a valuable mare, not a thoroughbred but sturdy, the sort of working horse people need. I’m hoping to breed from her. I’m not sure that fellow,’ he jerked his head in Bert’s direction, ‘will treat her in the way I’d want. The gelding is a good horse, too, though badly treated in the past. It still needs a bit of cosseting.’

They watched Leo fetch a bucket of water for the women, then wander back to draw another for Nellie. He stood beside her, murmuring softly, and she butted her head against him, wanting attention.

‘You know . . .’ Francis broke off. ‘No, perhaps not.’

‘What were you going to say?’

‘We could send Leo with them. He looks after animals better than he’s able to look after himself.’

‘Leo?’

‘Why not? Zachary is still learning to ride and doesn’t know how to drive a cart. Pandora’s the same. Bert’s going to have his hands full on the journey. Why not send Leo as well? He’ll be a big help.’

Conn nodded slowly as the benefits of this sank in. ‘Good idea. But we’ll have to ask Zachary before we decide anything. He’s the one paying the expenses.’ He stood up. ‘You’re looking tired and I need to stretch my legs. I think I’ll walk across to Kevin’s and put my suggestion to Zachary.’

Francis grimaced. ‘I’m afraid I do need to rest.’

Conn looked at him uncertainly, not sure whether his companion admitted publicly what was wrong with him.

The other man’s voice was sharp suddenly. ‘It’s obvious now, isn’t it? I’ve got consumption. Since it’s come up, I wonder, when I’m dead – though I hope I have a year or two left yet – could you keep an eye on Livia? Between you and Reece, she should be safe enough.’

‘Will she be going back to England?’

‘She says not. She has no close family left there.’

Conn was surprised. ‘Then what will she do?’

‘If she can sell this place, she’ll open a small school. I think she’d do well at that. She’s a good teacher.’ He smiled ruefully. ‘Not so good at housework.’ The smile vanished. ‘Which reminds me. Somehow Livia and I will have to get to Perth to find another maid.’

‘Just put an advertisement in the
Inquirer
.’

‘And appoint someone sight unseen from a newspaper advertisement? It’s too risky.’

‘You don’t have much choice. No female convicts have been sent to this colony and female servants are hard to find. That’s why they brought the group of Lancashire lasses out here in the first place.’

‘The colony is not at all what I was led to expect.’ There was a bitter twist to Francis’s lips as he walked away.

Conn didn’t say what he was thinking: at least
you
had a choice about coming here.

As much as they could, the men left the sisters alone together that day. The four young women were packing Pandora’s trunk and bag for travelling, not only for the journey south, but for the sea voyage. They spent a lot of time discussing clothes, walking to and fro from the tent to the washing lines, where some garments were still drying. They did their best to iron them in almost impossible circumstances, wanting their sister to look the best she could on the ship.

When everyone had finished their midday meal, Conn produced the papers he’d drawn up, which the other sisters needed to sign to give Pandora authority to act on their behalf. ‘I thought you’d be the best person to witness their signatures, Mr Southerham, together with Zachary.’

And so it was done.

After the meal Reece waited till the others had moved away before looking at Zachary with a very serious expression. ‘You’ll take great care of Pandora, won’t you? She’ll be upset about leaving her sisters.’

‘I know. And you don’t need to worry. I’ll guard her with my life, if necessary.’

‘I doubt it’ll come to that, but we both feel we can trust you.’

‘In return, I’ll ask you to look after Leo when he returns from Albany. He’s a gentle soul.’

‘Of course I will. He’s actually a very useful sort of fellow to have here.’

Reece went back to work and Zachary sat on, taking in everything he saw. When he got back, Hallie would want to know every detail. His eyes kept going back to the shack: another of these primitive houses and so isolated from other dwellings. How could anyone want to live like this? His own home, humble by most English standards, was a palace in comparison.

He’d write about this visit in his diary, which was quite a long document by now. He was looking forward to getting home again, missed modern amenities like running water, gas lighting in the shop, railways and newspapers.

But it had been a wonderful chance to see something of the world, and he’d see even more on the way back, since they would probably be returning via Suez and Gibraltar.

The day seemed to pass all too quickly. As the sun sank lower in the sky and the piles of neatly folded clothes vanished into the trunk and portmanteau, Conn, who was sitting on the veranda with the Southerhams, glanced surreptitiously at his pocket watch.

Francis noticed and looked at the sky. ‘It’s getting late.’

‘Yes. I’ve been dreading this.’ Conn went across to the group of women. ‘I’m sorry, but it’s time we were leaving. With such poor roads, we need to travel by daylight.’

‘Time for a cup of tea first?’ Livia asked.

He hesitated, then shrugged. ‘Just a quick one.’

‘I’ll make it,’ she said. ‘Sit down with your sisters, Pandora.’

The four young women sat down on the rough wooden benches on either side of the table. They didn’t talk, just sat together, perhaps for the last time ever. Once Pandora took hold of Cassandra’s hand, looked down at it and gave it a quick squeeze, then let go and wiped her eyes. A little later, Maia leaned across to give Pandora a hug.

They all looked up as Livia said, ‘Tea’s ready.’

The men went across to join them, but it was a silent group who sipped their drinks.

In the end Conn decided this was only prolonging the agony. ‘We’ll be leaving now. I’ll come back for the other horses tomorrow, Southerham.’ He went to tie two of the hired horses to the back of his cart then helped the twins up into it.

Pandora walked along beside the cart to the bottom of the slope. As she stopped there to watch them drive off, she burst into tears, hearing Maia begin sobbing, seeing Xanthe hold her twin.

Who would there be to hold her from now on? Pandora wondered. Was she doing the right thing, going back? How did you know?

It seemed a long time before Pandora got to sleep that night. She’d hated sleeping in this tent, but now, perversely, she didn’t want to leave it. Who knew what would happen to her on such a long journey?

She wanted to weep, but couldn’t. She’d shed so many tears today she seemed to have none left. Lying in the darkness, she listened to the night sounds outside, worrying about how she’d cope on her sisters’ behalf, having to deal with so much money and run a grocery store. What did she know of such things?

When someone shook her, she jerked awake to see a man kneeling beside her bed, holding up a candle lantern. ‘Reece? Is something wrong?’

‘No, love. It’s nearly dawn, time for you to get up.’

‘Oh.’ She heard her voice wobble and fought for self-control. ‘I’ll – not be long.’

‘I’ll make you a cup of tea. Cassandra sends her dearest love. She thought it best not to come, said it’d only start her weeping again. And I didn’t want her falling as we walked through the bush in the dark, not in her condition.’

Pandora rolled out of her makeshift bed, washed and dressed quickly, then packed the final few things in her portmanteau, before taking it outside as she joined the men gathered round the table by the light of a lamp.

The cart had been loaded the night before with everything except Pandora’s portmanteau. In the end it had been decided that Leo was to ride Conn’s mare Nellie, something which pleased him greatly. The strongest of the hired horses was tied behind the cart, ready to spell Conn’s raw-boned gelding who was to pull it over the first stretch.

‘I’ve poured you a cup of tea, love,’ Reece called.

Pandora went to the table and drank thirstily but couldn’t force down even one mouthful of the bread and jam. She pushed it away untouched. ‘I’m not hungry.’

‘I’ll wrap it in a cloth for you to eat on the way,’ Reece said. ‘You need to keep up your strength.’

She nodded, grateful no one was trying to make conversation in an attempt to cheer her up.

She hugged Reece, clinging to him for a moment, then forcing herself to step back. He picked up the lamp and walked with her to the cart, his arm round her shoulders.

Zachary helped her up on to the back, where a blanket had been laid next to her trunk. ‘You look tired. Maybe you can get some more sleep?’

She nodded, too unhappy to think what she was doing.

As they set off even the light seemed strange, for it was still only that false dawn that comes before the true sunrise, a time when everything appears grey or black.

Neither of the Southerhams came out to say goodbye to her. They’d done that the night before when Francis had paid her the wages owing to her. She felt better for having some money of her own.

Bert was driving over the first stretch with Zachary sitting up beside him. Leo rode ahead of them, looking absolutely at home on a horse.

After they’d been travelling for a while and she’d calmed down, she couldn’t bear to sit in silence any longer, so asked, ‘Do you think we’ll get there in time?’

Bert replied. ‘It’ll be tight, missy. It’s only the 21st today. We ought to get there by the 28th to be certain. But the mail cart takes only a week to get all the way from Perth to Albany, and we’re over a day’s travel ahead of them, so I dare say we’ll do it.’ He spoilt this optimistic pronouncement by adding, ‘Mind you, they have changes of horses on the way and we’ll have to manage with these, so we won’t be able to go as fast.’

‘We can’t push the horses too hard,’ Leo said. ‘Mr Largan told me to look after his two very carefully.’

‘What do you think I’m going to do, whip them?’ Bert snapped.

A little later he asked, ‘Can you drive, Leo?’

‘Yes. I like driving.’

‘Good. For now, you ride behind and keep an eye on that spare horse, make sure it’s all right. You can drive part of the way to spell me.’ Bert began to whistle, a thin, monotonous sound.

At first Pandora sat on her own in the back of the cart, hugging her knees and trying not to let the jolting throw her around too much. After a while, she grew tired of that, because the boards of the cart weren’t much cushioned by the blanket and folded tarpaulin she was sitting on. She looked at the two men and it seemed to her that they had the best place. ‘Is there room for me on the driving bench, do you think?’

‘If you don’t mind a bit of a squash,’ Zachary said. ‘Let me help you up.’

The cart wasn’t going fast, so she had no trouble clambering up to sit between him and Bert.