FOLLOW THE MORNING STAR (26 page)

‘All right, Millie. I’ll call again.’ Queenie replaced the hand-piece and leaned against the vehicle, sobbing loudly.

Millie stood staring at the phone as Tango and Saskia rushed into the room. Millie turned to them. ‘She had to go. She sends her love, said she think’s she’s onto them bulls.’

‘Why did she have to go?’ ‘I didn’t quite understand, Sas. And the line was bad,’ she added quickly. ‘You told her about TR? She spoke to him?’ asked Tango.

‘Yep.’

‘Is she coming back?’ Saskia looked worried; she could tell Millie was holding something back.

‘Not just yet. TR told her to keep going as she had some good lead on them duffers.’

‘What is it, Millie, you look upset,’ said Tango putting his arm around the plump,
grey-haired housekeeper who had been responsible for bringing him back into the fold of his family.

‘Your mum is upset too . . . it’s just that she misses TR and was hoping for better news. You know, when she heard he was here she thought mebbe he got his head back.’

Tango and Saskia exchanged a half smile above Millie’s head. ‘I suppose she was disappointed. And what did she say about the missing bulls?’

‘Jist she had some ideas from some people. She’s goin’ to some old place. Come on, let’s go back to the others.’

Tango stood on the verandah watching TR push himself across the lawn in his wheelchair. He caught up with him. ‘You going anywhere in particular?’

‘No, bit of a shortage of paths. I was just getting some fresh air, thought I’d sit in the shade. What are you doing?’

‘Looking for you. Want to take a spin down to the stables?’ Without waiting for an answer, Tango grasped the wheelchair and sped off at a fast run with TR tilted back in the seat hanging on as Tango zigzagged across the grounds, calling an imaginary race, before screeching to a halt by the top stables.

‘You’re bloody mad,’ said TR placidly.

‘I can be a kid here. Got to be on my best behaviour at Guneda, seeing I’m the temporary boss.’ He was out of breath and leaned against a stable door. TR looked at the tall sandy-haired boy with the brilliant sapphire
eyes that matched his own. ‘How’s it going down there?’

‘Good. When are you coming down to see us?’

‘I don’t know, Tango. I’m having a hard enough time adjusting to life here without going to my other life where everyone knows me and I haven’t a damned clue who anyone is or what’s going on. I’ll get around to it eventually.’

‘You’ll have to be re-educated, like the Cultural Revolution,’ grinned Tango, unlatching the bottom half of the stable door then holding out his hands to TR.

‘Don’t joke, Jenni has already told me that’s next.’

TR took Tango’s hands and let him pull himself out of the chair.

‘You rely on her a lot, don’t you?’ Supporting TR, Tango took slow steps into the stable.

‘Yeah, she’s been incredible. Tougher than a bloke sometimes, but also very understanding.’

‘I hope Mum doesn’t think she’s usurping her position,’ said Tango bluntly.

‘Quite different things,’ said TR and quickly changed the subject. ‘Hey, who have we here?’ He stared at the dark stallion who’d been standing quietly at the back of the stall. TR was supporting himself by holding onto the door frame as Tango untied the halter. The horse swiftly lifted his head, its ears twitching, and TR said admiringly, ‘That’s a fine looking horse’. As soon as he spoke the horse moved straight to him, pushing his head into his chest. Hanging on to the door with one hand,
TR rubbed the horse’s head. The horse smelled him and nibbled at his shirt. TR grinned. ‘Friendly fella.’

Tango held the horse steady as TR was in danger of losing his balance. ‘This is Starlight Sky, known as Star.’

TR suddenly felt a surge of affection for the beautiful stallion and reached out and touched him again, then looked at Tango. ‘He’s my horse, isn’t he?’

Tango nodded, unable to speak for a minute as he watched TR fondle the horse and the horse respond to the master who’d been absent so long. ‘Do you remember him? Remember anything?’

TR shook his head. ‘No. I don’t remember anything, but it was like my body responded. I had a feeling of closeness with him. He certainly knows me though.’

‘Won’t be too long and you’ll be out riding him again.’

‘I don’t know.’ TR suddenly looked scared. ‘We’ll have to see what Jenni has to say about that.’ He turned away and limped out of the door, holding onto the wall.

Tango slipped the halter from Star and latched the door, then helped TR back into his wheelchair. Star hung his head out the top open half of the stall door and whinnied in annoyance.

‘Sorry, mate. I’ll take you for a ride later,’ said Tango as he turned the wheelchair back towards the house. TR was silent and Tango realised his father, the superb horseman who was once a famous rodeo star, was frightened of getting back on a horse.

Chapter Eighteen

Queenie drove slowly, her vision blurred by tears. Honey was back in the horse float but she kept her nose lifted to the high gap at the front of the float so she could smell the fragrances of the passing bush. Queenie had ridden back from Walshie’s place to get the Toyota and float, leaving Maud and the kids to their lessons. Good to her word, Maud had told Queenie where she thought her missing bulls might be.

‘Just an idea, mind you. But sometimes I get a special feeling for tings, and I’m generally right. I know ’bout Mitchell and his place, and not all of it good — he has a pretty shonky name. But I reckon if you got pricey cattle, Mitchell’d know. Worth a look at his place I reckon, but be careful.’ Queenie planned to drop Maud and the kids along the track and head over to Mitchell’s property to check it out.

Once she’d arrived back at the LandCruiser Queenie had raised Tingulla on the two-way radio, but now she wished she hadn’t. The call had upset her. Perhaps she was being unreasonable — she had, after all, set it all up — but she wished she was there and caring for TR and not out here in the wilderness on a wild and risky hunt.

Hearing TR’s voice had caused anguish in her heart and soul. Their physical and on his part, mental, separation was hard to bear. The more she thought of him, the more her feelings of love intensified and threatened to overwhelm her. TR was part of her; their love and closeness sustained her, made each moment of each day one of joy. How often he had held her in his arms and whispered, ‘We are part of each other, we are the two halves that make the whole, my darling. How lucky we are.’ Knowing how they loved each other had given both of them the strength to face any challenge, to tackle any mountain. But now the very foundation of Queenie’s life had been shaken. She was feeling vulnerable and was threatened by the idea that some other woman was caring for TR. Jenni might be a professional but no living person could give TR the depth of care and love that she could.

In the distance Queenie saw the first of the sheds and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She had to get herself together. Auntie Maud and the kids were waiting for her.

She spotted Zero first, his shock of frizzed hair standing out against his dark features. He
stood and watched her impassively as she drove up.

‘Where are the others?’ asked Queenie.

He tilted his head, ‘At the house’.

‘You want to jump in?’ Queenie leaned over and opened the passenger door.

Zero climbed in, glancing at Honey watching from her horsebox. ‘You gonna keep the horse in that all the way?’

‘Maybe. Can you ride?’

He shook his head. ‘No way. No horses in Redfern. Did see a mounted copper once. Is it hard?’

‘To ride? Not really. You’ve got to be gentle but firm, not afraid and show some trust. Bit like dealing with people. Can you drive?’

‘Yeah.’ He grinned at her. ‘Only other people’s cars, but. Never had a go at one of these. Not too many around the suburbs. Not so quick to burn round the back streets either.’

Queenie ignored his reference to his activities with hot cars. ‘Maybe I’ll let you spell me on this drive. I’ll see.’

‘That’d be cool.’

Auntie Maud and the other three were waiting by the house, surrounded by small sacks and bags.

‘Righto, you lot, hop in. You all set, Queenie?’

‘I’ll just refill the water bags and extra water container. Is there water in the tank?’

‘It’s low and a bit tinny. We pass a creek on the way, should be water in it.’

‘I’ll take some now anyway.’

‘Here, Adrian, you and one of the girls help do that,’ said Maud.

Queenie handed them the water container. Maud looked at her. ‘You make contact with the folks at home?’

‘Yes.’

‘You don’t look too happy.’

‘Oh, I’m all right. I guess.’ Queenie busied herself rearranging gear to make room for three in the back and Maud didn’t probe any further. As soon as they were settled Queenie drove out from the property, following Maud’s directions, onto the back track that led to the dirt road.

‘So tell me what you know about this Mitchell character and why you think he’s got my stock.’ Queenie settled into her seat, her hands resting comfortably on the steering wheel, feeling the warmth of Maud’s hip on one side. Lois was leaning against the front passenger door and Queenie checked she had her seat belt on, then glanced over her shoulder at the three in the back seat. ‘You all right back there?’

‘Yeah. Better than walking.’

‘You’ll git plenty of that later,’ said Auntie Maud. ‘Now, Barney Mitchell. I first heard of him when I was workin’ for Mrs Jamieson when I left the girls’ school. She fancied herself something dreadful that woman did, had tickets on herself like you wouldn’t believe. Acted like the Queen Mother and I was the servant who ran bloomin’ Buckingham Palace. Do this, do that, don’t forgit this, have you done that?’

‘Now we know where you get it from Auntie Maud,’ teased Ado from the back.

‘Who else worked for her?’

‘Nobody! I did everything. Oh, there was Horrie an old Koori fella used t’help out, but he was always wanderin’ off. He was supposed to chop wood and look after the vegie garden, fix things, but he was never around when ya needed him. He’d either take off and be gone bush or hidin’ out in the henhouse.’

‘The henhouse?’ laughed Queenie.

‘Yeah, curled up sleeping on a sack near the laying trough. Said he was lookin’ out for the carpet snake that’d been stealing the eggs. Don’t know why she kept him on. S’pose because he was cheap. She paid him baccy money and a bit of tucker. Never met a meaner woman in my life. But when Mr Mitchell come to call nothing was too good. I’d be baking sponge cakes and tarts, cheese pies, getting into the smoked ham, gawd, you name it.’

‘Was there a Mr Jamieson?’

‘I called him the grey ghost. He tiptoed round the place keeping out of her way. He worked in town, in some accountant office I think. But Mitchell used to come to call for afternoon tea when he was at work. All very proper like, but he used to talk and talk to her and I could tell he was spinning her some great story. Had something to do with money. She was the one with money and she held the purse strings. I never got to hear much ’cause it was a rule when visitors come, I had to keep out of sight. I had to wait till they moved onto the verandah or he left and I’d hear her say, “Oh leave that, the girl will fix it”.’

‘I’d have dropped her china cups,’ said Raylene.

‘I felt like it often enough, but that would’ve just come out of my hide, my pocket or no half day off — which was only every six weeks anyway, but I longed for that time on me own. Anyway, next thing we knew, they had to sell up and move away and I heard from Horrie they’d lost all their money and it was Mr Mitchell’s fault. He must have conned the old biddy somehow.

‘Anyway, I moved into town to work for one of her old lady friends. The work wasn’t so hard as she didn’t have a cow and chooks to look after and I got sixpence to spend and every second Sunday off. I met up with another mission girl and we used to buy lollies or get a soft drink and hang around the back of the picture show and listen to the films. Once we sneaked in but had to get out before the end in case we got caught. I’ll never forget that. Seemed like magic seein’ them people up there on the screen.’ She turned to the kids in the back. ‘You fellas don’t know what it was like then. You think you got it tough now, it was a lot harder then.’