Our Australian Girl (4 page)

I
N
the morning, Edith wasn't in her bed and didn't line up with the other children to march to school. I wonder where she's got to, Daisy thought.

It wasn't until afternoon break, when the children flooded into the small schoolyard, that Edith finally came stumbling through the gate.

‘Where have you been?' Daisy asked. She noticed dark circles under Edith's eyes. ‘You look exhausted.'

‘Oh, I'm all right. It's just been a hectic night and morning with the babies,' Edith said. ‘They've got a measles outbreak in the baby cottage so a Day Girl came and woke me and got me to pitch in with the poor little devils. I never saw so many spots in all my life, I swear.'

Daisy laughed and pulled Edith to sit under a tree in a quiet corner of the yard so she could fill her in on all the news about Flora.

Edith gave a low whistle when Daisy was finished. ‘That's a right to-do for sure. So tell me again what you reckon happened to your dad?' she said, chewing on a piece of grass.

‘That's just the problem. I can't think for the life of me why he hasn't written, but I know he'd never just go away and leave us,' Daisy said.

‘It's a bit of a mystery then, eh?' Edith said. ‘At least I know for sure my ma and pa aren't ever coming back.' She looked up at the sky. ‘But I reckon they're probably watchin' me from heaven. What do you think?'

‘I'm sure they are,' Daisy said and gave Edith's arm a squeeze. ‘The thing is, I have to find a way to escape and stop my aunt sending Flora away.'

‘Well,' Edith said, sitting up and dusting off her dress, ‘we're going to need a plan, aren't we? And you know who's a whizz with plans?'

‘Who?' Daisy asked, a tiny feeling of hope creeping into her heart.

‘Harry!' Edith said triumphantly.

‘Really?' Daisy asked, twisting one plait around her finger. ‘But why would he help us?'

‘Don't worry about that,' said Edith with a wink, ‘he owes me one.'

Imagine if he could help! Daisy thought. I could maybe be free by tomorrow.

‘Ooh, and did you see Dunham's hair this morning?' Edith said. ‘It was even more of a rat's nest than normal!'

Daisy giggled as the bell rang.

‘Now, children,' Miss Winston, began once they were seated. ‘We have just enough time for a story. Make yourselves comfortable.' She took a large book from the shelf behind her.

This is my favourite part of school, Daisy thought happily as she leant back in her desk. I wish we could stay here all day.

‘Once upon a time,' Miss Winston read in her gentle voice. And soon Daisy was transported to a world where every story ended happily ever after.

After school, Daisy and Edith lined up to go back to the orphanage.

‘What are you on today?' Edith whispered.

‘The kitchen,' Daisy whispered back.

Edith gave her a sympathetic look as they filed back through the gate. ‘With any luck we should be able to have a natter with Harry in the playroom after dinner,' she said.

The girls went to their cottage and changed into their day clothes.

‘Can you steal five minutes to come and visit Freddy with me?' Edith asked as she buttoned her pinafore. ‘He does love it so when he gets visitors.' She gave Daisy a hopeful smile.

‘Of course,' Daisy said. ‘If we're quick.'

The girls linked arms and rushed to the Toddler's Cottage. Edith knocked on the front door, and Ruby, a Day Girl opened it, a toddler on each hip. ‘Come in, come in, Edith,' she said with a sigh. ‘It's all hands on deck today.'

Daisy followed Edith into the cottage and screwed up her nose as a strong smell of wet nappies filled the air. At first, they couldn't see Freddy anywhere – he wasn't down on the floor or in one of the metal cots.

Eventually Daisy spotted him whimpering in a corner. ‘There he is,' she said.

Edith gasped. She leapt over a small group of children playing blocks, pushed past Ruby and scooped Freddy up in her arms. ‘Oh my poor baby, it's okay, Edie's here now,' she crooned as she rocked him and covered his face with kisses.

The little boy wrapped his plump arms tightly around her neck and snuggled in close. After a few minutes he gave a happy sigh, popped a thumb in his mouth and fell asleep.

‘Poor little thing was tired,' Daisy said, walking over to stroke Freddy's head.

‘They should take better care of him,' Edith said, her eyes flashing angrily. ‘I'll be having a word before I leave. Poor little mite only needed a cuddle.' She pulled Freddy in tight. ‘I'm going to stay here a bit longer.'

‘Okay,' Daisy answered, feeling a lump in her throat as she thought of Flora cuddled up to her. ‘I'd better get to my chores.'

‘Well, here you are at last,' Miss Dunham said as Daisy entered the kitchen. Esme and Gladys from her cottage were there already. ‘I thought I'd be peeling potatoes myself, you took so long.' She pointed to a wide bench at the end of the room, where several large sacks of potatoes sat. ‘Off you go, then. When you're finished come and see me. There's plenty more.'

Daisy tied on an apron, and took a small knife from one of the wooden drawers. She pulled up a stool beside the other girls.

‘Kitchen is the worst job, I reckon,' Gladys said quietly, looking around to make sure Miss Dunham had left.

‘But it's better than the washroom,' Daisy answered, plunging a potato into a tub of water.

‘S'pose so, but at least there you can talk and no one catches ya,' Gladys said.

‘I'd rather work out in the garden,' Daisy said, ‘out in the sunshine. It's getting so warm now, you can feel summer in the air.'

‘That's a boy's job, though,' Esme said. ‘You're better off learning stuff that will help you run your own house one day.'

Daisy sighed. She couldn't imagine ever having her own house. It's all such a mess, she thought, shaking her head. She only had a few weeks to stop Aunty May from sending Flora to Sydney. She still had no idea where Dad was, and now he'd have no way to contact her. And how would she ever take Flora from Aunty May? But first she had to get out of this prison.

Daisy stared at the grubby potato in her hand. Harry was her last chance.

After a dinner of bread and jam, Edith and Daisy went to the playroom to look for Harry. He was in a corner poring over a newspaper, silently mouthing the words to himself.

‘Watcha reading?' Edith demanded.

‘None of your business,' Harry answered.

Daisy peered down at the page. There was a photo of a racehorse, his trainer holding his reins and smiling broadly. ‘What a wonderful-looking horse!'

Harry looked up at her warily. ‘'Course he's wonderful. That's Phar Lap, the most magnificent racehorse in the world.'

‘Oh yes,' Daisy said. ‘My dad told me about him, but I've never seen a picture. He's so tall, he must be fifteen hands high.'

‘Seventeen to be exact,' Harry said proudly. ‘Won almost every race he's been in for the past two years, and he'll be in the Cup next month.'

‘The Melbourne Cup?' Daisy asked.

Harry nodded. ‘Most famous horse race in all the country, and Phar Lap's gonna win it easily.' He took a deep breath and lowered his voice. ‘And I'm gonna be there to see it.'

‘But how?' Daisy asked.

‘I have my ways,' Harry said mysteriously.

Edith moved closer and whispered to him, ‘Well then, it couldn't be more perfect, could it? 'Cos Daisy needs to get out of here, too!'

Harry flicked his eyes up at Daisy and she could see him carefully weighing up the idea.

‘But what about you, Edith? Don't you want to escape, too?' Daisy asked.

Edith shook her head. ‘I need to stay here for Freddy. I got me own plans. In a couple of years I'll be able to leave and get a job, and then I'm going to get Freddy out and take care of him.'

There was a burst of noise behind them from a group of children playing Snap.

‘So come on, Harry, fess up and tell us your grand plan,' Edith said, poking him in the back.

‘Well . . . ' Harry scanned the room to make sure no Cottage Mothers were around. ‘You know how the cobbler comes on Tuesdays?'

Edith and Daisy nodded.

‘Well, the Cup is on a Tuesday, so I reckon I'll climb into his cart, hide under some old blankets and sneak a lift back to the city.'

Daisy and Edith exchanged excited glances.

‘He always leaves by noon and the race isn't till three, so there'd be time to get to the track and see Phar Lap romp home.' Harry crossed his arms and looked up at them, eyes shining.

‘That's a
wonderful
idea. Could I . . .  ?' Daisy hardly dared to hope that Harry might let her be part of his plan. We'll be like convicts escaping from prison! she thought.

‘Well, I dunno,' Harry said, scratching his nose. ‘Girls tend to muck everything up by getting all scared and hysterical.'

Edith punched Harry's arm. ‘What a lot of tosh,' she said. ‘Daisy is as brave and clever as any boy – you'd be lucky to have her along.'

Daisy nodded and chewed on the end of her plait as she imagined it. Harry
had
to say yes.

‘Daisy Sanderson,' a voice thundered from the other side of the room. ‘Did you not get enough dinner?'

Daisy's stomach lurched. ‘Err . . .  yes . . .  Miss Dunham,' she said, turning around tentatively to face the angry Cottage Mother.

‘Then why, pray tell, do you find it necessary to chew on your hair in such a disgusting manner?' the woman demanded. She stood over Daisy and tapped her ruler menacingly against one palm. ‘Maybe we need to give you a haircut like we did for Miss Edith there?'

Daisy stared at her friend in horror. That's why her hair was so short and scruffy! That evil woman had chopped it all off. Edith ran a hand over her shorn head and looked down.

Mean old crow, Daisy thought, and pulled back her shoulders to stare Miss Dunham directly in the face. ‘I'd be happy to have such a fashionable haircut as Edith's,' she said, her voice only shaking slightly. ‘It's very pretty.'

Edith shot her a grateful look.

‘Besides,' said Daisy thoughtfully, ‘it would be so much easier than having to deal with a tangled head of hair every day, don't you think?'

A small wave of giggles broke out around her as the children stared at the messy lump of hair on Miss Dunham's head.

‘Well, I never!' Miss Dunham turned and stamped out of the room in anger.

Daisy winked at Edith as the bell rang. Harry looked from one girl to the other. ‘Okay,' he said as he gathered up the paper. ‘You're in.'

T
HE morning bell clanged loudly through the dormitory and Daisy could hear the groans and sighs of the girls around her as they dragged themselves out of their warm beds.

‘Come on, get moving,' Miss Dunham's dull voice echoed through the room. ‘Those chores won't do themselves, you know.' She moved through the room rapping on the ends of the metal beds with her heavy ruler.

Daisy yawned and sat up. The floorboards were cold beneath her bare feet. She ran to the washroom and then to her locker to get dressed. The routines of the orphanage were familiar to her now and she knew she had to be fast. Quick, quick, she thought to herself as she pulled on her boots and ran back to her bed to frantically pull the covers smooth and tuck the ugly brown blanket tightly into the corners.

‘Time's up,' Miss Dunham bellowed, and each girl hastily stood at the end of her bed, waiting to be inspected.

‘Too sloppy. Do it again or miss breakfast!' Miss Dunham said, ripping the blanket off Molly Carter's bed.

Mean old hag, Daisy thought, and shot Molly a sympathetic look.

‘Did you even wash?' Miss Dunham sneered, peering into the scared face of Lucy O'Connor, who could only nod her head in response.

‘I doubt it. Do it again!'

As she drew closer, Daisy crossed her fingers behind her back for good luck.

‘Nails!' Miss Dunham demanded, stopping in front of Daisy.

Daisy immediately held out her hands.

‘Teeth!'

Daisy opened her mouth wide.

‘Humph,' Miss Dunham answered and, unable to find any faults, began to walk away. Thank goodness, Daisy thought with relief.

But then the woman stopped. She stared at the floor and pointed with her ruler. ‘What's this?' she asked, kicking Daisy's biscuit tin from under the bed.

‘That's mine,' Daisy said. ‘It's got my personal things in it.'

‘Give it to me,' Miss Dunham ordered.

Daisy felt her breath quicken as she bent to pick the tin up. She held it tightly to her chest.

‘I said hand it over,' Miss Dunham thundered, and Daisy reluctantly passed her the tin.

Miss Dunham pulled the lid open roughly and Amelia's letters spilled onto the floor. Daisy went to pick them up.

‘Leave them! Oh, look girls,' the woman said in a taunting voice, ‘a photograph of a horsey . . .  Oh and here, look, it's a bit of horse hair. I wouldn't be surprised if that were a health hazard.'

Daisy looked over at Edith, whose eyes were shiny with anger. She looks like she's going to explode, Daisy thought as she watched the colour rising in Edith's cheeks.

‘I'll be taking this with me,' Miss Dunham said, tucking the tin under her arm.

‘No!' Daisy cried and reached out to take the tin back.

‘Hands
off
.' Miss Dunham gave Daisy's fingers a sharp whack with the ruler.

Daisy pulled her hand back in pain, her fingers already turning blue from the blow.

‘Now you.' Miss Dunham pointed at Molly. ‘Pick up all this rubbish on the floor and take it to the Backyard Boys to put in the incinerator.'

Daisy covered her mouth with her hands as tears poured down her face.

Molly gave Daisy a sad look as she gathered the letters and left the room with them.

‘And you,' Miss Dunham said, pointing her ruler in Daisy's face. ‘You can forget about breakfast. Get the bucket and scrubbing brush and make that washroom floor gleam. Maybe that will teach you a lesson for hiding things.' With that, she lumbered out of the room.

Daisy's thoughts were reeling. They were the last bits of home I had. Now I have nothing. Nothing at all. She put her fingers in her mouth.

‘Daisy, I'm so sorry.' Edith's wiry arms were around her in seconds. ‘That nasty old hag needs to be taught a lesson,' she said. ‘She was cross 'cos of what you said about her hair in the playroom.'

Daisy nodded. ‘I know, but they were the only things I had from home,' she gulped, trying hard to swallow her tears. ‘I feel like I'm starting to disappear, Edith. Maybe Dad and Flora and Jimmy have forgotten me by now anyway. Maybe I should just forget about them, like Miss Dunham says.'

‘Don't you dare!' Edith grabbed Daisy's hand.

‘Ow,' Daisy said, pulling back her injured fingers.

‘Oops, sorry,' Edith said, ‘but look, Daisy, you can't give up. You have to be strong. We'll find a way to get you back to your family.'

Daisy sighed. ‘I hope so,' she said softly.

‘And what's more, we'll find a way to get back at that wicked old Dunham, too,' Edith said, balling her hands into fists. ‘We'll make her pay, Daisy. You mark my words.'

‘Daisy, psst . . .  Daisy, come here.'

Daisy looked up from mopping the kitchen floor. She arched her back to try to ease some of the stiffness and looked around to see Edith hiding behind one of the benches. ‘What are you doing?' she laughed.

Edith held her finger to her lips and pointed at Miss Dunham, who stood just outside the door tapping her ruler on her hand. She stepped into the room and swept her eyes over the benches and floor. ‘You've missed a spot in the corner,' she barked at Daisy. ‘Mind you get all those pots finished by bedtime, Molly,' she said to the girl at the sink, then shuffled out of the room again.

Edith popped out from behind the bench again. ‘Phew,' she laughed, ‘that was close. Just pretend I'm a ghost and you never saw me.' Edith rushed over to the large pantry in the corner and checked over her shoulder to make sure there were no Cottage Mothers around, then opened the door and started rummaging inside.

Daisy watched curiously as her friend searched through bags of flour and sugar.

‘Aha!' Edith finally said triumphantly. She took a small paper bag from her pocket and spooned in some white powder.

‘Are you going to make a cake in bed tonight?' Daisy asked.

‘Maybe she wants to cook up a batch of scones for a midnight feast?' Molly suggested, and the girls giggled.

‘Never you mind,' Edith said, tapping her finger against her nose. ‘The less you know, the more fun it will be, I promise.' With a cheeky grin, she ran from the room.

‘That Edith,' Molly said, turning back to the pile of pots in the sink, ‘always up to something. At least she makes life interesting.'

Thank goodness for Edith, Daisy thought. The longer I'm here, the more I feel like a criminal in a gaol with no hope of ever leaving.

Two hours later, Daisy was tucked up in bed and almost asleep when an ear-splitting scream filled the air and a figure in a long white nightgown burst into the dormitory. One of the older girls ran to light the gas lamp, and suddenly there was Miss Dunham, barefoot with disheveled hair and white foam surging from her mouth, screeching loudly,

Several of the girls shrieked with fear.

‘It's tetanus, she's got the tetanus!' one cried.

‘No, she's gone mental,' another called.

Daisy looked over and noticed Edith running in with Freddy wrapped around her in a tight hug. She jumped into bed and snuggled his little body close to her.

What on earth was going on? Daisy slipped out of bed to find out. ‘What have you done?' she whispered to Edith as Miss Dunham cried out and rubbed at her foaming mouth.

‘Oh, it's nothing really.' Edith grinned at her. ‘Just a bit of bicarb soda in place of her tooth powder. Works a treat, don't you think? And it created a handy distraction so I could sneak Freddy in to bed with me.'

Daisy couldn't help but giggle. ‘But Edith, if she finds Freddy here she'll hang you.'

‘I think she's a bit preoccupied for that, don't you?' Edith gently stroked Freddy's cheek. ‘I just couldn't leave him alone one more night, Daisy,' she said softly. ‘I'll sneak him back in the morning before anyone notices.'

Daisy nodded and patted Edith's shoulder. She's the bravest person I know, she thought as she returned to her own bed.

Miss Dunham finally stopped screaming as the foam started to dissolve, and went back in her room, where she could be heard noisily washing out her mouth and spitting into her basin. ‘Quiet!' she yelled between mouthfuls. ‘Anyone not in bed will meet my ruler.'

The girls scrambled back to their beds and soon Daisy could hear the sound of quiet breathing all around her. What a lovely night, she thought happily as she drifted off to sleep.