by Meg Buchanan
A bony arm in a tattered sleeve had bounced out from under the cover.
William pushed it under again. “Lucky that didn’t happen when anyone was around.” They shoved the wagon free, got back on the horses and wagon, carried on. The mist was still sitting heavily on the ground.
“The fog should burn off; it will be another hot day.” William’s horse plodded along beside the wagon in the half-light.
“Mist seems appropriate for this task.” Courtney steered his horse around a puddle. Behind them, they heard a horse galloping. “Who’s that?”
Mere stopped the wagon and John tried to peer through the mist. “It’s bloody McKenzie again. Doesn’t the man sleep?”
William turned to see. “What’s he doing up this early?” He rode back a little to the meet the man.
Courtney moved close to the back of the wagon, just in case any more bits of body had bounced out of the covering. Bad enough the four of them out this early for no apparent good reason without raising more suspicion.
Everything looked secure.
“And what can I go for you, Mr Kenzie,” asked William.
McKenzie eyed the wagon suspiciously but didn’t say anything. He pulled an envelope from his jacket pocket. “My final offer, I thought I’d have to go out to your farm, but instead we meet here, Mr Hennessey. I didn’t want you making a decision before I had the chance to present this.”
William took the envelope. “I’m surprised you are so persistent; you already own a large percentage of the claims on the mountain.”
“Not all of them pay as well as I would like. A case in point is the Scotsman the claim that borders your land.” He waved at bush-clad mountain rising in front of him. “It seems to merely be a hole in the ground to pour money in. Very little profit comes the other way.”
“That must be disappointing. Are you happy with the work we did for you?”
Courtney watched McKenzie take off his hat, give his head a scratch and replace the hat. “I still haven’t got my head around where the boundaries are. I’m sure it is not a problem with your work, there’s something I’m missing.”
So, McKenzie still wasn’t happy. They might be resurveying the block again and fixing the anomaly William had created before they got caught.
He might have to talk to William about that.
William folded the envelope and put it into his pocket, he looked like he was trying to finish the conversation and get rid of McKenzie. “I will consider your offer this evening and let you know. We have a big day ahead of us, and I won’t have time until then.” William might have some trouble coming up with an explanation for what they would be doing all day.
Fortunately, McKenzie didn’t ask. “I will leave you to it then,” he said and turned his horse to go back home.
When McKenzie was out of earshot, William commented, “The man’s a menace.”
“He’s persistent,” John flicked the reins and they headed for the battery.
When they got to the deserted building site, they carried the stretchers with the first two bodies. Courtney walked along behind John. He saw Declan stumble, and the body he and William were carrying almost slip off the sacking. Declan regained his balance, and the body flopped back in place.
By the time it was light, and John’s men turned up to the site to start pouring concrete, the bodies were buried just under the surface, and the ground was smooth again.
“I think I should get back to the children,” said Mere. Courtney could see the morning’s work had shaken her, but she’d done what she needed to do. he had to admire that. Although Sophie was brave and strong in many ways, he couldn’t imagine her doing what Mere had helped him do. He guessed that was why all he wanted to do was protect and care for Sophie, but he saw Mere as an equal.
“I’ll come too,” said William. “I’m sure Courts, Declan and John can manage from here.”
William and Mere went home, but Courtney stayed with the other two. He watched as John’s men turned up and the concrete mixers churned. It was a relief when he saw the first wheel barrow full poured into the foundations. But he wasn’t completely satisfied until the massive hole was filled to the top with the grey slurry.
At lunchtime, John came over and stood beside him. “It’s done.”
Courtney nodded. “The end of Theobald.”
“Back to a life with no secrets.” John sounded more than a little regretful.
“You sound sorry.”
“I have to admit, knowing you and William has made my life far more eventful than it might have been.”
Courtney laughed and shook his head. “It has been a little too exciting for my taste lately.”
Chapter 21
LATER HE WAS BACK in the office working when he heard the door-bell clang and looked up. Seth Grogan came through the door. What would he be doing in Paeroa?
“Mr Grogan, how can I help you?” It looked like Seth had recovered from the beating he took.
The boy glanced around the office and then behind Courtney at the door to the backroom. “Are you here alone?” he asked.
“Yes, it’s just me.”
“Good,” said Seth. He pulled the chair away from William’s drawing board and sat in it. “It’s you I want to see.”
“Is there a problem?”
Seth shrugged. “Just something I need to discuss.”
Courtney leaned against the trestle and folded his arms and waited. “Out with it,” he said in the end.
“It’s a bit delicate.”
“We’re alone.” He couldn’t imagine what delicate matter the boy needed to discuss with him. “Have you squared things up at the club?”
Seth nodded. “The parents stumped up the money. They’re not happy about it, I’ll be paying them back until I’m decrepit. But they don’t like people treating me as a punching bag either, so they paid.”
So, he hadn’t come to borrow money. “I won’t be finding you slumped in an alley the next time I’m in Thames, then?”
Seth shook his head. “I came about another matter.” He leaned back in the chair, folded his arms and seemed to be having trouble getting started. Then he sat up again.
“The other day in Thames…” He kept his voice down as if he was still worried about being overheard.
“When I took you to Mr Jones’ house and called Jennings?”
Seth nodded again. “Jennings examined me, then he took me to the hospital, and they treated the injuries. The next day, he decided as there weren’t any bones broken he’d send a message to the parents to say I was being discharged.”
“That’s what he said he was going to do.”
“Yes. Well the parents picked me up a few hours later.”
“Seems reasonable.” The boy had better get to the point soon. This didn’t seem to have anything to do with him. “And I presume you told them the whole story and they paid Charlotte.”
“That’s about it. After a bit of shouting, we drove to the club and Father paid up.”
“End of story?”
“No, sir,” said Seth. “When we got there, Miss Pryor mentioned a girl went missing from the club two nights earlier.”
The boy was finally getting his full attention. “Keep talking.”
“Miss Pryor suggested it was you who helped her leave. And I heard you and Mr Jones talking and suspected it was true. Miss Pryor offered to wipe the debt if I told her where she could find the girl.”
“But you had no idea where the girl went and couldn’t tell her?”
“Well, I couldn’t then, but I think I could now.” Now Seth really had his attention.
“How is that?”
“My father is the doctor at Waihi.”
“I know that.”
“You have a sister who lives in Waihi. She’s married to Mr Farrell.”
“I know that too.”
Seth gave a half-smile. “Well, yesterday, one of Mrs Farrell’s little girls was sick, and Mrs Farrell brought her into my father�
�s surgery. The surgery is at the house, and an older girl came too.” He hadn’t expected Eliza to keep Sophie locked in the house, but was it safe for her to go into the town?
“And?”
“It was Sophie.”
“Was it?”
Seth nodded. “It was. I saw you at the club with her twice, it was her. I think she must be staying at the Farrell house. It’s a good place for her to be, who would notice her? Just another girl with all her little sisters?”
“Very astute Seth, so what have you decided, will you take the deal, is that where you are going with this? Or have you just come back from doing it?”
“No, of course not. I wanted to warn you they are looking for her.”
Seth had him worried for a moment there. “But not in Waihi?”
“No, I haven’t seen anyone from the club there, yet.”
So, Sophie was still safe. A greater feeling of relief than he was comfortable with flooded over him.
“Thank you for the warning.” Now he needed to get to Waihi and talk Sophie into going to Sydney after all. If one person had seen her and put things together, others could do the same.
Courtney went to the door to open it, and the boy stood up, but instead of leaving he said, “No, I didn’t come to warn you. I came to find out how you did it. I want to get Lucy out too but there didn’t seem to be any way. Miss Pryor thinks you took Sophie down the fire escape and hid her in Mr Jones carriage. Is that how it was done?”
Courtney nodded. “But I don’t think it would work a second time.”
“No, it wouldn’t,” said Seth. “The fire escape and the carriage house are guarded all the time now, and Lucy said the girls are watched more closely than before.”
“You’ve been back?” A beating like Seth took would usually put anyone off.
Seth slumped back into William’s chair and nodded. “I love Lucy. I want to be with her. I want to get her away. You must have thought about how to do it before you rescued Sophie. You must have had ideas you didn’t use. How would you go about it?”
“I don’t know. I think we were lucky.”
The boy stood again. “And Mr Samuels, were the two men they found beaten up your work too?”
Courtney nodded
“I thought so. Could you think about it? Would you help me?”
Did he want to get involved? He had some sympathy for the boy’s situation, but no. He fobbed him off. “Give me a few days.”
Seth nodded. “I’m on my way home now. I’ll go back on Thursday and try to get her away.”
“New Year’s Day?”
Seth nodded. “Miss Pryor has organised a special event with more dogs and fights. I think all the extra excitement will serve as a distraction and we will be able to leave without being seen.”
“Be careful.”
“I will. It has to be Thursday. I don’t want Lucy still there on a Saturday night again.” The boy shuddered. “Or if she is still there, I need to be with her.”
The boy left. Courtney watched him go down the street. Seth treated the thirty miles between his home and the club like it was nothing. Waihi was too close.
He needed to get Sophie away. He’d offer to take her to Sydney if that was what it took.
He’d go and find William and tell him he was holding the fort again. He’d tell his mother he was taking Sophie to Sydney and would be away for a while.
He found William at home.
“Are you heading for Declan’s now?” William asked.
Courtney nodded. “I’ve no idea when I’ll be back. It all depends on what Sophie decides.”
William nodded. “I can manage the office. By the time you get back, McKenzie will probably own the claims, and I’ll be considerably wealthier.”
“What will we do about the business when you’ve sold your claims?”
William shoved his hands in his pockets and hissed a breath out between his teeth. “I don’t know, we’ve got good work for the next year, and it seems a pity to walk away from it, and there’s still the problem of the maps I altered so McKenzie didn’t claim Mere’s land.”
“There is a way to deal with it,” said Courtney. “McKenzie said the Scotsman Mine isn’t producing. He wants your claims because even if he just reworks the tailings, he stands to make good money. We’ve moved the bodies, so offer to swap the claims for the Scotsman and you say you just want more land.”
“That’s a thought.” William nodded. “That could work. I’ll think about it. Now go and rescue Sophie again.”
Courtney nodded. “I’ll see you when I see you.”
“Good luck,” said William.
Courtney grimaced. “I suspect I’m going to need it.”
Courtney arrived at Declan’s farm just as the sun was setting. The red of the sky reflected on the walls and windows of the house. He saw Eliza walking across the back yard carrying a cabbage and a knife.
She watched him ride up the driveway. “Why are you here, brother?” she asked wearily.
“I came to see Sophie; I have something I need to discuss with her.”
Eliza shielded her eyes from the sun, the blade of the knife glinted in the light.
“Really?” she asked, squinting up at him. She lowered the knife and balanced the cabbage on her hip. “Now Alice and I will have to put up with hours of how wonderful Courtney is again.”
A few crumbs of dirt fell off the stalk of the cabbage and tumbled down her skirt.
He ignored her tone. “Where is she?”
Eliza looked over at the orchard in answer, there was Sophie with Katy, Jessie and Emily. They were all picking apples, and Sophie looked younger and more appealing than ever. She put the basket she was holding down on the grass and stared into it, lips pressed together in a puzzled way as if wondering how many apples she would need for the pie. Her hair was half down again; she still looked like a child.
Emily said something to her, and she nodded, then looked up and saw him as he dismounted and draped his horse’s reins over the orchard fence.
She left the basket of apples and ran over. “Courtney, you said you’d be away a month and it has only been a week.” She laughed as she launched herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Why are you here?”
The words were the same ones Eliza used, but they sounded so happy, not irritated and critical the way Eliza had sounded.
He remembered his mother mocking him about what Sophie wanted. Sophie knew. There was nothing undecided about that greeting. He was tempted look behind her and check Charlotte wasn’t there orchestrating this.
Instead, he took her hands from his neck and pushed her away to see if she was really all right.
She was fine, if she was in any danger, she wasn’t aware of it; she was smiling, luminous and beautiful, overjoyed as if Christmas had just arrived early. Nothing remained of the sophisticated Miss Westmore he delivered to the house or the disappointed child in the backyard. Just overwhelming delight.
Eliza watched him as he held Sophie’s hands and he knew what she saw, Sophie incandescent, buoyant with happiness and him holding her at a distance.
Then Sophie tugged on his arm and pulled him towards the back door.
“We will have dinner soon. Alice said it is nearly ready. Come inside and talk to us while we finish. I’ll just go and get the apples. We’re having apple pie.” She was still breathless with happiness. It was unnerving. She ran back over to the apple tree.
“Everybody welcomes Courtney, no matter what he does.” Eliza took Katie’s and Emily’s hands and started to walk irritably towards the house. Jessie followed along behind.
He’d had enough of the snide remarks. He grabbed her shoulder and pulled her around so he could see her face. It looked as cross as her voice sounded. “What’s wrong with you?” he asked.
“Sophie’s lovely,” she hisses. “She thinks the sun shines out of you and you treat her like an irritating little sister or a slightly annoying puppy. If you don’t want he
r, stay away from her.”
He gave up on Eliza and let her take the three little girls inside. It was Sophie he needed to talk to anyway. She shut the orchard gate; the basket sat on the gatepost.
He went over, she looked at him her eyes shining. “I can’t believe you came back so soon, Courtney.” She picked up the basket. “It is so lovely to see you.”
He took the basket and walked with her towards the back door. “You have to leave, you can’t stay here,” he said to her urgently and quietly. “You have to go to Sydney.”
The happiness in her eyes died. “Why? I don’t want to go. I like it here.”
He sighed. She never just did as she was told. They were near the back doorstep. “You helped Eliza take one of the children to the doctor?”
Sophie nodded puzzled. “Katy had an attack of croup and Eliza wanted the doctor to check she had recovered and what she should do next time it happened. Why?”
Eliza had been a mother for ten years, she should be able to deal with an attack of croup without a visit to a doctor on a Sunday morning. But Eliza wasn’t the problem.
“Do you remember Seth at the club?” Sophie nodded again. “His father is the doctor here. Seth came to see me yesterday and when you went to see his father, he recognised you. He warned me Charlotte is still looking for you and she offered to wipe his debt if he told her where you were.”
Sophie’s eyes widened, she stopped on the bottom step. “Is he going to tell her?”
“No, he’s not, he came to see me because he wants me to help him get Lucy away.”
“That’s all right then.” Sophie started going up the steps again. “If he isn’t going to tell I can stay.”
“No, you can’t. If one person recognised you, someone else might.”
“Does Doctor Grogan have two sons who go to the club then? Because I have only been to the doctor’s house. Nowhere else. I can just stay at the house from now on and Charlotte won’t find me.”
He couldn’t fault that logic, but it didn’t feel right to leave her here unprotected.
“Come for a walk and we can discuss it.”