Contented and happy, she went back into the house and grabbed a light jacket. The wind was freshening and there were clouds on the horizon – Tasmanian weather was maintaining its reputation, and it would probably rain before nightfall. With the key in her jacket pocket, she closed the door behind her and drove back towards town. She had resisted long enough. It was time to see Joe.
*
Galway House looked wonderfully familiar, but she was unaccountably nervous as she knocked on the door.
‘Hello, Lulu,’ said Molly, ‘I’d heard you were back.’
‘I only arrived this morning how on earth … ?’
‘This is Tasmania, love.’
She beckoned her in and led the way to the kitchen, where Dianne was cutting up vegetables. The girl squinted at her from beneath her fringe and nodded at Lulu’s greeting.
Lulu sat down at the table. It wasn’t the warmest of welcomes, and Molly seemed to be feeling as awkward too.
‘Ocean Child’s out on evening ride-out,’ said Molly, pouring a cup of tea and pushing it across the table, ‘but they shouldn’t be much longer. Ocean Child’s really come on in the past few months, but Joe was wondering …’ She fell silent, her gaze sliding away.
Lulu was deeply disappointed not to see Joe, but then she could hardly expect him to sit about here waiting for her when there was so much to do around the yard. ‘What was he wondering?’
Molly fiddled with a teaspoon. ‘The really important races are all on the mainland, and Joe was wondering if perhaps he should be trained over there.’ She glanced up at Lulu and looked away again.
‘But Eliza’s horses are still here, aren’t they – and the four that came while I was here?’ Lulu regarded the woman on the other side of the table, her thoughts whirling. ‘All of them will be racing on the mainland at some point,’ she said flatly, ‘so why single out my colt?’
‘We’ve had a bit of trouble,’ admitted Molly, ‘and it would be better if the colt was moved.’ She looked up. ‘Len Simpson has space in his yard in Queensland and would gladly take him.’
Lulu felt a chill tingle down her spine. ‘What kind of trouble?’
Molly bit her lip, and after a long pause told her about Gwen. ‘We’d all feel easier if the Child was gone,’ she finished up.
Lulu scrubbed her face with her hands, the chill burrowing deeper as she digested the full impact of what Molly was saying. If Gwen was wreaking revenge on Joe, then her own arrival could trigger off something far more dangerous. ‘I’m so sorry, Molly. I never realised … Joe never told me any of this.’
‘He didn’t want to worry you,’ she replied, ‘and being so far away, you couldn’t do anything.’
Lulu took her hand and dredged up a smile. Poor Molly was looking strung out and deeply worried, and her presence was likely to make the situation worse. She stood and buttoned up her jacket. ‘I can hear them coming back from the gallops. I’ll go and see Joe and try to sort out something.’
‘He’s down in Hobart with Eliza,’ said Molly quickly.
Lulu had a sharp memory of the racetrack and all that had happened there the previous November. The thought that he was with Eliza shouldn’t have bothered her – but it did. ‘When are they expected back?’
‘Next Tuesday,’ she replied, ‘and then on Friday he’s off to Melbourne with her to see how Starstruck does in his big race.’ She smiled, the colour rising in her face. ‘Joe’s planning to enter him in the Melbourne Cup next year if he qualifies,’ she said, ‘and I suspect we could have a couple of reasons to celebrate.’
Lulu frowned, not understanding.
Molly leant towards her. ‘Joe and Eliza have become very close these past months,’ she confided. ‘I reckon it’s only a matter of time before he pops the question.’ She cocked her head, her eyes as knowing and bright as a robin’s. ‘Wouldn’t it be lovely if we had a Cup winner and a wedding all in the same year?’
The shock and the pain were almost too much and Lulu excused herself as quickly as possible and hurried out into the yard. Joe and Eliza were getting married. She was too late. Too late. Too late.
She barely acknowledged Charlie’s greeting and the cheerful g’days from Bob and the other jackaroos as she headed for Ocean Child’s stall.
With a whicker of recognition the colt nuzzled her, and as she stroked his neck and fondled his ears the tears ran down her face. Shattered dreams were hard to mend – and until she saw Joe and spoke to him she must cling tightly to the hope that Molly had been mistaken – that it had all been wishful thinking.
But if Ocean Child was shipped to the mainland and Joe married Eliza, the future she’d planned for her new life in Tasmania would be smashed almost beyond repair.
*
Several days had passed but Lulu still had to unpack most of the boxes and crates. She had lost her appetite to make the house a home, and knew she couldn’t settle until she’d spoken to Joe and learnt exactly how the land lay.
Feeling restless, she’d left the house at noon and was taking her daily walk on the beach. The gulls screamed overhead and the trees rustled in the gathering wind as the surf raced up the sand and crashed against the bluff. The boom of the blowhole was accompanied by great spouts of water shooting skyward, and the beach was rapidly clearing as children, picnics and blankets were gathered up and hurried home.
Her hair was whipped from her face, and she could taste the salt spray on her lips as she drank in the wildness of it all. She loved it. It sang to her.
Standing on the sand, she watched the ocean swell and heard it roar, feeling herself reborn and invigorated – ready to face Joe and whatever the future held. She turned away, walked back to her car and headed once more for Galway House.
*
She parked the car behind an enormous truck she didn’t recognise, skirted the homestead and headed straight for the yard. She could hear voices and the ring of hoofs on cobbles, and steeled herself for the first sight of Joe.
She froze as she reached the corner of the stalls. Joe was walking away from the yard towards the paddocks and the steep hill that ran down to the river. He was not alone. His arm was around Eliza’s shoulder, hers around his waist. He was drawing her close – so close her head rested against him, and it was clear they were oblivious to everything going on around them.
Lulu didn’t want to watch them, but somehow she seemed incapable of moving.
They stopped walking as they reached the brow of the hill. Eliza slipped into his embrace, her head against his heart as his cheek rested on her hair. His arms tightened around her, holding her as if he never wanted to let go.
Lulu fled. The tears blinded her as she rushed to the car, and her hands were shaking so badly she could barely get it started. Slamming the door, she rammed it into gear and hurtled out of the driveway and along the rough track. She didn’t care that she was going too fast, or that the potholes and ruts might damage her new car. She just needed to escape, to get home, to close the front door, crawl under the blankets and blot out the sight of them together.
*
Joe was doing his nightly round of the yard after tea, checking that everything was locked away and the horses settled, when Bob came hurtling around the corner and almost knocked him over. ‘Whoa there, mate, what’s the rush?’
‘Nothing,’ Bob spluttered, clearly eager to be on his way.
Joe kept hold of his collar, deeply suspicious. ‘What are you up to?’
‘Nothing,’ he replied, trying to squirm away. ‘I gotta go,’ he squeaked. ‘Dianne’s expecting me to help wash the dishes.’
‘The dishes can wait,’ he replied tersely. ‘Come on, mate, something’s bitten your backside, and I want to know what it is.’
‘It’s yer ma,’ he muttered reluctantly.
Joe frowned and let go of his collar. ‘What about her?’
‘She’ll kill me if I tell you,’ the boy spluttered.
‘I’ll kill you if you don’t,’ Joe growled. ‘Out with i
t, boy, before I lose my patience.’
‘Yer ma’s just given me a right ticking-off cos I told her I saw Lulu last week,’ he said miserably, ‘and that she was back again today. Molly clipped me round the ear’ole and said I was to keep me mouth shut and not tell you.’
‘You’re lying,’ said Joe. ‘Ma wouldn’t do that.’
‘Look,’ said Bob, showing him a reddened ear.
‘But if Lulu had been here, she’d have come to see me.’ He glared at the boy. ‘You’re lying to me, Bob, and I want to know why.’
‘I’m not a flamin’ liar,’ shouted Bob. ‘She was here today. I swear.’
‘When?’
Bob shrugged. ‘I dunno what time it was, but she only stayed a minute.’
Joe turned on his heel and without another word to the hapless Bob stormed off to the homestead. ‘Ma? Where are you?’ he roared.
‘What’s all that noise about?’ Molly came out of the kitchen, arms akimbo.
‘Why didn’t you tell me Lulu was back?’
‘I haven’t had the time to worry about her,’ said Molly with studied calm. ‘So what if she is?’
‘What did you say to her when she came over last week?’
‘I might have said something about the trouble we’ve been having,’ she muttered. ‘She agrees with me that it would be better to move the colt to Simpson’s yard.’
‘And today? Did you speak to her today?’ Joe was hard-pressed to remain calm in his urgency.
‘I saw her park up, but she went straight to the stables.’ She eyed him steadily. ‘She only saw what we’ve all witnessed over the past few months. I expect that’s why she didn’t stay long,’ said Molly defensively.
‘What the hell are you talking about, Ma?’
‘You and Eliza,’ she said, not quite so confidently. ‘It’s obvious you were made for each other. You have so much in common, and I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before you and she …’ She fell silent.
‘And I suppose you told Lulu all this … this … nonsense?’ he hissed.
Molly shrugged and turned away into the kitchen. ‘Stop gawping, girl,’ she snapped at Dianne, ‘and get on with those dishes.’
‘Did you warn Lulu that Gwen could still come looking for her?’ he asked quietly.
‘I didn’t see the point,’ replied Molly. ‘Gwen probably doesn’t even know she’s back, and I doubt she’ll risk everything by driving up here while the police are keeping an eye on her.’
Joe was about to reply when he heard a strange noise from the other side of the kitchen. He looked over and saw Dianne cowering in the corner. Her strange eyes were awash with tears, the sobs coming with every breath. ‘What on earth’s the matter with you?’
‘I didn’t mean to,’ she babbled. ‘I’m sorry.’
Joe slowly approached her, his large hands reaching out to her, his voice soft and coaxing as if trying to calm a startled foal – but his skin was icy, the fear clawing at him. ‘What didn’t you mean to do, Dianne?’
‘She said she’d pay me two quid if I kept me ears open and told her if Lulu turned up.’ The sobs turned to wails. ‘She said she was a reporter, and I would get me picture in the paper,’ she howled. ‘But it was her, wasn’t it? That Gwen?’ She clung to him, her face ugly with fear and remorse. ‘Oh Gawd,’ she shrieked, ‘I didn’t mean no harm, Joe, really I didn’t. I didn’t know she’d done all them things otherwise I’d’ve never—’
Joe tamped down on his impatience. ‘Did she come here today?’
Dianne broke into another loud wail as she nodded and put the grubby pound notes on the side. ‘I wouldn’t have taken it if I’d known,’ she stuttered.
Joe gently pressed her into a chair and patted her shoulder. ‘Look after her,’ he ordered the wide-eyed Molly. ‘I’m going to Lulu’s.’
*
Lulu had locked all the doors and windows and pulled every curtain before she ran up the stairs and climbed into bed. The pain of losing Joe was almost unbearable, and she had cried herself into an exhausted sleep.
The dream was confusing and eerie. She was at Ascot, but they were running the Melbourne Cup. Ocean Child was in the lead and Molly was riding him. As they passed the winning post they were greeted by Dolly, who waved her ivory cigarette holder about and declared them man and wife. Molly had turned into Eliza, and Joe was putting a ring on her finger. He lifted the white veil to kiss her and Dolly waved her cigarette again and the stench of smoke filled the air as a terrible scream rang out.
Lulu sat up, fully awake, her heart pounding as she stared into the darkness. The smell of smoke still lingered, and there was a soft crackling sound coming from down below. Realisation hit and she scrambled out of bed. The house was on fire. She had to get out.
Grabbing her dressing gown from the bottom of the bed, she couldn’t find her slippers. It was so dark she couldn’t see a thing. And the smell of smoke was getting stronger. Disorientated in the unfamiliar room, she scrabbled along the wall in search of the door, sobbing with fear. She couldn’t find it. Where was it? She had to find a way out.
The smoke filled the room, making it hard to breathe. She began to cough and dropped to the floor. Crawling back and forth she tried to find the windows. But her lungs were burning, and her heart felt as if it would burst through her chest. She collapsed on the wooden floorboards, and in the instant before she passed out she realised they were hot.
*
Joe saw the pall of smoke and rammed his foot down on the accelerator. As the ute careered along the road he prayed it wasn’t the Kirkman place and that Lulu was safe. But as he screeched around the corner and almost sideswiped a ute on the other side of the narrow lane, he saw the flames leaping up the side wall. Sick with fear, he drew the utility to a slithering halt and leapt out.
He took it all in at a glance – the elderly neighbours in their nightwear, confused and frightened, clinging to one another on the other side of the lane; the sound of the fire-engine’s bell in the distance; the orange glow in the sky as flames gorged on the timber and crackled with demonic fury as they roared through shattered glass and took hold of the interior. ‘Where’s Lulu?’ he yelled at the elderly couple.
They looked at him wide-eyed and shook their heads. The fire-bells were nearer now and more people were coming to watch.
Joe’s fear and frustration built as he eyed the flames. One side of the house was an inferno, the flames voraciously clambering up into the roof and the overhanging trees. The curtains were closed and there was no sign of anyone inside. Lulu could already be dead – he didn’t have time to wait for the firemen.
Racing for the river he pulled off his coat, drenched it and dragged it over his head. The front door was blazing, flames spitting as they lapped at the paint, which gave them greater power. Joe eased through the gate and dodged the fingers of fire that reached out to him. The bay window had yet to catch light – it was his only way in.
He clambered on to the wide sill and kicked in the glass. Taking a deep breath, he climbed through and ran towards the door. It was ajar and the smoke was already pouring into the hallway and up the stairs. He gathered the hem of his sodden coat and pressed it against his mouth and nose. He could barely see anything, the smoke was so thick, and his throat and lungs were already burning from the heat of the flames that were running across the ceiling.
A timber crashed somewhere nearby, and he heard the explosion of shattering glass. He’d reached the stairs. Racing up them two at a time, he came to the landing. ‘Lulu … !’ he yelled. ‘Where are you?’
There was no reply, just a line of doors barely discernible through the smoke. The first was a bathroom, the second and third empty bedrooms. He shoved open the last door, the smoke billowing in with him.
Lulu was lying by the bed, surrounded by tongues of flame that were licking up through the floorboards.
Coughing and gasping, eyes and throat stinging, lungs bursting, he gathered her up. She lay still and limp in his arms an
d he held her close, wrapping her in the wet coat. Now he had to get them out.
Back through the door to the landing to witness a beam crashing down in a shower of sparks which fuelled the fury of the flames that were now racing towards him. He backed away. They were trapped.
Returning to the bedroom, he slammed the door shut and put Lulu on the bed, still covered in the wet coat. Dragging pillows and a blanket together, he rolled them up and rammed them along the bottom of the door. Every second counted now.
He raced to the windows, opened them and looked down. The firemen had arrived. ‘Up here,’ he shouted. But they couldn’t hear him above the fire’s roar and the crashing timbers as the roof on the other side of the house began to collapse.
Joe yanked the moth-eaten curtains from their brass poles and tied them together with the sheets from the bed. Testing the knots, he kept an eye on the door. Flames were licking around it, the pillows and blanket already smouldering. Back to the window, and on to the veranda to fix the makeshift rope to the iron railing.
He looked down again – and then up. The fire was all around him. They had almost run out of time.
Grabbing Lulu, he hoisted her over his shoulder, swung a leg over the veranda railing and prayed the knots would hold. He slid down the curtains and sheets, hearing them tear, seeing the knots begin to unravel as fire began to lick at the railings above him. As his feet hit the ground the rope gave way and fell in a burning snake on top of him.
Hands beat out the flames, took Lulu and helped him stagger away. He ignored the firemen’s praise and the applause of the crowd that had gathered, and raced to Lulu’s side. ‘Is she alive?’ he asked the fireman.
‘She’s breathing,’ he said, ‘but she doesn’t look too good. Someone’s called the ambulance.’
‘There isn’t time.’ Joe scooped her up and bundled her into the ute, which miraculously was still running. Clambering in beside her, he spun the wheel, rammed his foot on the accelerator and gave a blast of the horn to clear the watchers. The hospital was minutes away, and he prayed he was in time.
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