The Pride of the Peacock (31 page)

We were all seated at a round table-Joss and Isa on either side of David Croissant, myself next to Joss and Ezra, on the other side of his wife. The three Lauds sat together. I was beginning to think their position embarrassed them; they were of the family and yet not quite of it, something to which they themselves by their very manner called attention, and which existed for that reason.

In the centre of the table was a candelabrum and as David unrolled the cases the gems glowed in their wonderful colours and I was fascinated by the flashes of fire.

“You’ve got some fine specimens there, David,” said Ezra.

Mostly from South Australia, this lot,” replied David. They’re hard come by. You’re lucky here. Conditions are not so good in the gibber country. It’s dry as a bone and gougers |j;’ there suffer great hardship-hardly any firewood, and water scarce as gold in a worked-out mine.”

“He’s trying to put the prices up,” said Ezra with a wink.

Joss turned to me.

“Gibber country is flat plains strewn with stones.

Hard to live with, you can imagine. ” And I was irrationally pleased because he had remembered me.

“But David,” said Isa imperiously, ‘where is this Harlequin we’ve heard so much about? “

“All in good time,” replied David.

“If you saw it first you wouldn’t want to look at the others.”

“What a tease you are!8 He unrolled another case and the men examined the opals, commenting on their size, colour, cut and other technicalities.

Please, David,” wailed Isa, ” J want to see the Harlequin. “

So he opened a case and there it was in all its glory-even more beautiful’ than it had seemed on the previous occasion, but perhaps I was a little more knowledgeable and able to recognize its superior qualities.

David lifted the stone and let the light fall on it. He touched it cares singly I wondered whether he was thinking of its beauty or its worth.

Isa reached for it impatiently. She cupped it in her hands.

“It’s magnificent,” she crooned.

“I love it. Look at those colours.

Harlequin, yes. No wonder Columbine loved him. Light fantastic colours . ” She lifted her glowing face.

“I think it’s one of the loveliest stones I ever saw.”

“I reckon it’s worth a tidy sum,” said Ezra.

“You’re reckoning right,” said David.

“I’d give a good deal to add that one to my collection,” sighed Isa. “I can see I’ll have to start saving up,” commented Ezra.

Joss turned to me again.

“Isa has one of the finest collections of opals. She doesn’t necessarily want to deck herself out in them. She takes them out and gloats over them.”

Isa laughed, her tigress face animated by an expression I could not fathom. There was triumph in it and a certain greed.

They’re my inheritance,” she told me.

“If Ezra ever decides to discard me I might have to realize my fortune.”

“You think there is a possibility of his doing so?” I couldn’t stop myself asking coolly. I was a little tired of her thrusting her superior attractions under my nose.

“As if I ever could!” said Ezra fondly.

“Isa’s a jackdaw,” he went on, again to me as though, since I had come here to learn about opals and the country, I must also learn about the delectable Isa.

“When she hears of the best stone of the year she wants it for her collection ” Oh, how I should love to add this beautiful stone to it,” said Isa.

“If I had it I would stop these commercially minded men treating this beautiful object as though it represents nothing but a certain amount of money. You do understand that, don’t you, Mrs. Madden?”

“Of course,” I answered.

“A stone like that will eventually go into a private collection, I imagine,” said Joss.

“And you want to add it to yours, I suppose?” Isa asked Joss pertly.

A look I did not understand passed between them and he said quietly:

“I’m considering.”

Isa turned to me.

“Ifs true that over the years I have got together some really fine stones. I should so much enjoy showing them to you some time.”

“I should very much like to see them.1 ” Please come over to us. We’re only five miles from here. Wattle will bring you over. She’ll be delighted to come and visit Ezra while you come and see me and my collection. “

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Thank you. “

Isa reluctantly laid the Harlequin on its velvet background and David rolled up the case.

After that everything else seemed an anticlimax.

The Bannocks left soon afterwards and Joss went out to see them off.

I went up to my room and brooded on the evening. I kept thinking of Isa leaning forward holding the Harlequin Opal in her hands. I felt there was something significant about the scene . all those people sitting round a table, their attention concentrated on that stone, the intenseness of their gaze, the manner in which they handled the opals and the way in which they spoke of them; it was as though they admitted to a certain supernatural power which flashed in those colours. It was like a Greek play, I thought, with the Lauds as the Chorus and I could not rid myself of the conviction that everything was not as it outwardly seemed. There was some thing uncanny hanging about the atmosphere of my new home.

Dominating my thoughts was the memory of Isa’s attitude towards Joss and his towards her. She was flirtatious by nature, but she betrayed something deeper in her manner towards him. There had not been one of the men present who had not been attracted by her . even Jimson Laud in a retiring sort of way.

“A femme fatale.” Lilias had said.

I felt angry. How dared she behave in that way towards my husband in my very presence!

It was the first time that I had referred to him to myself as ‘my husband’.

I shrugged that aside. Women like Isa irritated me and what ever her relationship with Joss might be, I did not care.

I was ready for bed when I heard a sound in the corridor which startled me. I went to the door and listened. The foot steps were slow and stealthy. At my door they paused. I found myself trembling.

Someone was standing close to my door listening. Cautiously I lowered my hand and found the key; I turned it quickly in the lock. The sound it made would be heard from outside.

For some seconds there was silence, then I heard the sound of retreating footsteps.

The incident had shaken me considerably.

When I went down to breakfast next morning Ezra Bannock 194 was mere. i was surprised to see mm so soon aner last nigm. He and Joss were at the breakfast table and Ezra laughed heartily when he saw me.

“Ah, you’re surprised,” he said.

“Well, I thought you and Wattle ought to get together right away. I’ve told her all about it and she’s agreeable. A bit put out at first about leaving me, but she knows ifs what I want so she’ll play. As soon as you’ve had a bite to eat we’ll go to the stables and I’ll make a formal han dover I’d like to be there just to see how you get along.”

Then we’ll go into the town together,” said Joss, ‘and I’ll show Jessica round.”

I took to Wattle immediately as she did to me. I was rather amused by the way Ezra patted her ‘and talked to her.

“Now, old girl, we’ll see each other often. I’ll be over there and you’ll be over here. I want you to look after this young lady. It’s a bit rough going out here for her, so you’ll look after her, now won’t you ?”

Wattle nuzzled against him.

That’s the idea. She’s just come out here, you see, and we want to give her a good impression. There! That’s my girl. ” From his pocket he took a lump of sugar and gave it to Wattle. She took it and crunched gratefully.

When I mounted her she seemed docile enough but I sensed the fire in her. I leaned forward and chatted to her, trying to give a good account of myself for she seemed to be assessing me.

As we rode out, Ezra on one side of me. Joss on the other, I felt confident and grateful to the big, rather clumsy man and I wondered why Isa had married him and what he thought of her behaviour.

Very soon the town came into sight. It was not beautiful by any stretch of imagination. There in the heart of the arid land was a crudely constructed town bordered by a fringe of calico tents. Outside these were trestle-tables and benches and on the tables were rather primitive cooking utensils.

“You’ll have a few surprises,” said Joss.

“Remember this is a town which sprang up overnight. The people living in the tents haven’t been here long enough to acquire a more solid dwelling so they temporarily pitch their tents. Some have wives and families which is easier for them in a way. The wives cook and mend and there are jobs the children can do.”

Some of the children came out of the tents to stare at us as we passed into the centre of the town and the dwellings i95

on either side were like little cottages. There was a store where all kinds of goods were sold. I noticed how respectful everyone was to Joss and what curiosity was directed towards me.

We passed a blacksmith busy at his anvil shoeing a chestnut horse.

Joss called out: “Good morning, Joe.”

“Good morning, master.”

This is Mrs. Madden, my wife. You’ll be seeing a good deal of her in the future, Joe. “

The blacksmith came forward rubbing his hands together.

“Welcome to the Fancy, M’am,” he said.

Thank you, Joe. “

“And happy congratulations if you’ll accept ‘em.1 ” I will, and thanks again. “

“Tis good to see the master wed at last,” commented Joe.

Joss gave his sudden burst of laughter.

“So that’s your opinion, is it?”

“Tis well for gentlemen to settle down, master, when they’m no longer boys.”

E!

1,; “Yes. You see Joe doesn’t mince his words. He’s a wizard :, with horses, though. In fact he believes they’re more im-j^ port ant than anyone else. That’s so, eh, Joe ?”

“Well, master, we’d be hard put to it to do without ‘em True. Tether the horses here, Joe,” said Joss. Ezra alighted and I noticed how he spoke to his horse and didn’t forget Wattle, asking her how she was and if she didn’t think me light as a fairy on her back.

“A bit different from old Ezra, eh?”

I noticed Wattle nuzzling against him lovingly and being rewarded by yet another piece of sugar. He left, us and said he would go on to the office and see us later, and Joss’took |^ my arm and we sauntered along what he called The Street.

He stopped and introduced me to several people. It was hot ;, and the flies were beginning to pester. Joss grinned as I tried 3 to brush them aside.

“It’s nothing to what it will be later on in the day,” he said with a certain satisfaction.

“You’ll have to be careful of the |S sandflies.

They can give you sandy blight which, believe me, is not very pleasant. And they’re particularly partial to fresh English blood-especially when it’s of the blue variety. You see they’re used to coarser stuff. So watch out. “

“I think you’re trying to make me dislike the place.”

“I just want you to see it in its true colours. I think you had rather

a romantic idea in the first instance. You thought we walked round in beautiful sunshine all the time and now and then stopped to pick up a valuable opal.”

“What nonsense! I did nothing of the sort. Ben had told me so much. I know what hazards miners face. Ben’s accident was enough to tell me that.”

“Don’t look so angry. People will think we’re quarrelling.”

“Aren’t we?”

“Just a little friendly banter. But we have to create a good impression. It wouldn’t look good for the newly-weds to be quarrelling already.”

“Good for what?”

“Business,” he replied promptly.

“Friction is not good for the Company.”

Do you think of nothing but the Company? “

Now and then I think of other things. “

“I believe it would be better if you allowed me to form my own impressions.”

“Very well. Form them.”

Men wearing cabbage-tree hats to keep off the sun and others in straws on the brims of which were attached corks which danced as they walked-again a precaution against the flies -were going to and from the field which lay stretched out beyond the township. I looked at the dried-up land and the shafts and piles of mullock which had been dug up that the land might be explored.

“There are two thousand people here,” Joss said rather proudly, ‘so there have to be traders to supply them. The Trants’ cook shop has been a great success already, I’ve gathered. “

“I’d like to meet the Trants,” I said.

“I’ll have a word with them now. They’ll expect it.8 We went on and there in one of the wooden dwellings I met James and Ethel Trant. James was seated on a stool at the door peeling potatoes and he scrambled to his feet when he saw Joss.

They shook hands.

“I was sorry to hear what happened,” said Joss.

James Trant nodded.

“We’re getting on all right now, though. We’re making quite a success of this.”

“And it’s a good thing for the town, they tell me.”

We like to think so, sir. We were lucky to find a place. Mr. Bannock suggested it and it works. “

“Good. This is my wife. I’m taking her round to have a look at the

place.2 James Trant shook hands with me and said: ” Welcome to Fancy Town. ” He added that he would go and tell Ethel.

Ethel, wrapped in a large apron, came out wiping floury hands on a cloth. I was introduced to her and Joss and I repeated how sorry we were to hear of their misfortune and how we had discovered it when we had spent a night at the burned-out inn.

“Don’t do to look on the black side,” said Ethel. There’s not much hope of saving a wooden house when you’re in the Bush, and it had been so dry . the grass was ready to flare up if you so much as looked at it. When I saw that the fire was getting a hold I knew we hadn’t a hope. Well, we’ve been lucky. As soon as Mr. Bannock said why shouldn’t we have the corner place and turn it into a cook shop we got going.

It’s the very thing they wanted at the Fancy. Things are not so bad now, are they, James? I used to take such a pride in feeding them.