‘I know, love, I can see,’ Margie said, her voice breaking. ‘I can see.’ She wept with him before leaning forward to close Fiona’s eyelids with shaking fingers and offering a short prayer. ‘Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of death, Amen.’
But Riley could only weep and hold little Ivy against his heart, as if to pour all the love he felt for his once strong, dependable, supportive sister into her child’s tiny body. Fiona. His rock, his family. His closest friend.
‘Let me … let me clean her up before the twins say their goodbyes, eh?’ Margie asked gently, wiping at her eyes. ‘Might be best you tell them, unless you’d rather it came from me.’
He nodded, taking one last look at his sister before standing. He took the baby outside to be met by the sight of the girls standing together, eyes wide as they held hands and waited. Barney stood back a few yards, cap in hand, sending Riley a devastated, sorrowful glance.
‘Is Mum still sick?’ Tricia asked. Riley went down on one knee before them, clasping the baby close.
‘Why are you crying?’ Annie said and they looked at him, fearful now.
‘Mum has …’ he began, but how to tell them? Then he remembered how Fiona had told him the news when their own mother had died, all those years ago. ‘She’s gone to the angels.’
They stared at him in shock.
‘But why do they angels want her all the way up there?’ Annie said, as tears began to well.
‘We need her here to take care of us,’ Tricia said, ‘and baby Ivy needs her too. She’ll be hungry soon and cry.’ Her bottom lip quivered as she began to cry herself.
‘Margie will find her some milk, don’t worry about that. You need to be strong little mothers for Ivy now,’ he said, his voice faltering at the words. ‘Feed her and care for her just like Mum did, all right? Make her and the angels all very proud,’ he added, barely able to speak now. ‘And I’ll look after you,’ he whispered. ‘Always.’
The twins fell into his arms and, as he held his three nieces tight, he made another silent promise: to take Fiona to Bar Island and lay her to rest next to their parents. Three graves in a row to stare out across the glittering water. The place that Ivy described as so beautiful it made you believe there surely must be a God.
Then he’d send these three precious lives who remained to Ivy Merriweather, adhering to their mother’s dying wish, and he’d go to her himself eventually, too. Not because he believed they could be together and she would love him as well, but because that’s what Fiona had asked him to do.
Margie came to the door and Riley stood. He handed her the baby as she ushered the girls in to take one last look at their beloved mother, and walked away to stare out at the river and make one more final, solemn vow. One that could well mean he risked never making it back to any of them, ever again, despite their mother’s last request, but it was a risk he knew he had no choice but to take.
The sound of his nieces wails of sorrow rent the air and he looked over at Barney, whose grim expression revealed he could read the truth of things too. For there was no way Riley Logan could live out the rest of his days on this earth knowing that the men who raped and killed his sister lived on it too.
Twenty-Nine
‘You can’t choose them all,’ Robert said gently for the third time that day. ‘Just one to start with, Aggie, then maybe another in a year or so.’
They were staring out of the kitchen window of the orphanage, watching the children run around and play. They’d been there for nearly an hour but Aggie couldn’t bring herself to make the choice.
‘It’s impossible,’ she said again. ‘If I pick one I’ll hurt all the others.’
‘They’ll understand, surely,’ he said.
‘No, they won’t. I wouldn’t, if I were them,’ Aggie returned and he sighed, rubbing his hand over his face.
‘Darling, we can’t adopt twenty-six children. We just can’t. We’ve a three-bedroom cottage, for a start, and I don’t know what the neighbours would say if we start pitching tents all over the garden.’
‘It’s a possibility,’ she said. She realised she really was starting to go a bit mad over this because she was actually half serious.
‘No,’ he said firmly but with an amused smile now, ‘it’s not.’
‘Maybe … maybe a baby would be best because they’d only ever know of us … or maybe a child who’s longed for parents because they miss their own—’ She broke off, wondering if she would ever be able to make this decision and wishing she could confide in her family so they could help her make it. She and Robert had decided to keep it a secret though, at least until they knew which child they would adopt. It was a hard enough decision to make just on their own, let alone with a whole other bunch of opinions thrown into the mix.
‘I think I’d like to sleep on it,’ she said. She’d been saying that all week and Robert sighed.
‘All right, dear, but tomorrow we decide on this once and for all. I don’t really want to have to wait until I’m old and grey before I get to hold my child.’
She smiled, wrapping her arms around him. ‘I can’t wait to see you do that, hold our child I mean, not so much be old and grey.’
‘Tomorrow then?’ he said, kissing the top of her head.
‘Tomorrow,’ she agreed.
They walked back to the wagon and as they drove away the children all ran over to wave, each face so adored Aggie could only hope that Sister Ursula’s prayers would be answered. That God Himself would somehow make this decision for them.
The sun had set and Aggie was sitting with her sisters and mother in the parlour, drinking tea while Robert and her father chatted in the garden with Patrick and smoked their pipes. It was nice to have the men to converse with during dinner, of course, but now that it was over and it just the women, Aggie was sorely tempted to break her promise to Robert and confide in them about the adoption. If she didn’t she was seriously beginning to doubt she could ever decide on her own, but Frankie was talking and she tried to distract herself with what her sister was saying.
‘What I really need is to study law, blasted dean. They let women in to other faculties, it’s so ridiculously unfair not to let us in to the one area of study that can help us gain representation. How am I supposed to argue about law if I don’t understand it?’
‘That Ada Evans is making her way through,’ Harriet pointed out. ‘What one woman can do, another can do.’
‘Humph. If I could copy Ada, I would. Fortunately for her the dean was away when she snuck her way in and enrolled. I don’t think he’ll let that happen again for a long while.’
‘Why don’t you ask Patrick to help you?’ Ivy suggested. ‘He could tutor you, I suppose, make it part of his own studies.’
Frankie gaped at her. ‘I’m … I’m not sure if …’ he she spluttered. ‘I mean …’
She was blushing all of a sudden and Aggie watched her, a suspicion that had been brewing of late growing. If she didn’t know better, Aggie would have sworn her sister had developed feelings for Patrick Earle, as unlikely a development as that seemed. Of all the men they knew he would have been the last one she would have thought Frankie would be interested in a few months ago. Yet, after what they’d been through together and the proximity they’d shared up the river, and now having him there at Kuranda so regularly, well, Aggie could see how such a thing could have occurred. Rather typically disastrous of Frankie, though, to finally have romantic feelings for a man and it be one of the very few she could never possibly have.
‘I think that’s a marvellous idea,’ Harriet said as she handed Pretty Boy a biscuit and he began to nibble away happily. ‘Ah, here he is now. Patrick, how would you feel about having a study assistant?’
‘How do you mean?’ he said, as the men all came back in and Ivy poured him a cup of tea.
‘Just that Frankie was saying she’d love to study law to help her stand for parliament but as she can’t, perhaps it would be an idea that s
he help you study and pick up on things that way.’
‘Oh, no, I’m sure you don’t want me to burden you—’ Frankie began.
‘What burden? I think it’s a grand idea,’ Patrick said. ‘I’d welcome someone to test me and help me summarise, especially. It’s rather a lot to take in at the moment.’
‘Ignoramus,’ Pretty Boy commented. Patrick turned to look at him in feigned offence and everyone laughed. Everyone except Frankie, Aggie noted. She just looked a bit ill.
‘Not quite an ignoramus, I hope, but I’d appreciate any assistance you could give me, truly,’ Patrick said.
Patrick was in his final year at university and Aggie knew he found it challenging right now, especially after such a difficult start to the term. It did seem a very good suggestion, unless you suspected what Aggie suspected, in which case it was terrible one.
‘Well, that’s settled then,’ Harriet said, pleased. ‘Seems we’re on a roll, solving two people’s problems at once. Who else has a dilemma?’
Robert looked across at Aggie and she sent him a pleading glance.
‘Oh, all right, tell them,’ Robert conceded. ‘I don’t think you’ll ever decide otherwise.’
‘Tell us what?’ Ivy asked, as they all looked from Robert to Aggie in confusion.
‘Actually, we do have a dilemma. A rather nice one really,’ she began, as Robert came around to stand behind her and she reached up and took his hand. ‘We’ve decided … well, we’ve decided to adopt.’
‘Oh,’ Harriet exclaimed, ‘oh, my darling, I was so hoping you would!’ She rushed over and Aggie found herself swept up in her mother’s embrace as Albert pumped Robert’s hand.
‘Marvellous, just marvellous, my boy. What wonderful parents you’ll make.’ He was teary at his own words, and Frankie and Ivy had jumped up too to join them all together in one big, Merriweather family hug.
‘Come on, you’re a part of this family too,’ Albert said to Patrick and he laughed and joined in, one arm around Ivy, the other around Albert, and there was so much happiness in the moment, Aggie was glad she’d told them this way.
‘Ah, it feels so good that you know,’ Aggie said as they slowly broke apart, but Harriet remained, seemingly unable to let Aggie go, she was so overcome with joy.
‘I suspected and hoped but, oh, it’s so wonderful. Our first grandchild. Is it to be a boy or a girl?’
Aggie looked at Robert and he sighed.
‘Well, you see …’
‘That’s the dilemma, isn’t it?’ Frankie guessed as she sat down and wiped her cheeks with her handkerchief. ‘You can’t decide.’
Aggie nodded. ‘It’s so hard after working at the orphanage. I love them all, and so does Robert. To single one out seems so unfair to the rest, and yet …’
‘… and yet we have to,’ Robert finished for her.
‘However will you make your choice?’ Ivy asked and Aggie shrugged.
‘Sister Ursula said perhaps God will decide for us, although I can’t see how.’
‘What if you put all their names in a hat?’ Frankie suggested.
‘Or narrowed it down to the most suited to you and we all take a vote?’ Ivy said.
‘Maybe choose one that looks most like you, so they never know they’re adopted,’ Patrick suggested, ‘unless you don’t think that matters anyway.’
‘Of course it doesn’t matter, as long as the child is loved,’ Frankie said. ‘Anyway, once Dossie finds out everyone’s going to know. I doubt you could keep it a secret from the child even if you wanted to, unless you moved away. Which I won’t let you do,’ she added.
‘Maybe you should choose a boy,’ Harriet suggested, ‘even up the sexes in this family.’
‘Oh, but a little girl,’ Albert said, fondly. ‘Is there anything more wonderful?’
Robert was sending Aggie an ‘I told you so’ look and she had to smile at her family’s enthusiasm, even if it was only making the decision more difficult.
‘I think we …’ she began, but she was interrupted by a knock at the door.
‘Whoever can that be?’ Harriet wondered.
‘If it’s Dossie she’ll be telling you choose one that’s never had a sniffle in their life and has good teeth,’ Frankie warned, to everyone’s amusement as Albert went to answer.
‘Can I help you?’ His voice carried from the entry hall.
‘Is Miss Merriweather at home?’
The others quietened down.
‘Which one?’
‘Ivy.’
Ivy stood as Albert bade the woman to enter. As she came into view Aggie didn’t know her, but both Patrick and Frankie seemed to, standing too.
‘Margie?’ said Patrick.
‘I … I’m sorry to come unannounced like this but I have a message for you from Riley and … and something to deliver.’ She looked very anxious and Aggie looked at Patrick and Frankie then back at Margie in confusion.
‘Margie works at the inn, down at Wisemans. This is the lady who helped us,’ Frankie explained.
‘Oh, well, then you’re most welcome in our home,’ Albert said. ‘Thank you for calling the authorities that night. You have our most sincere thanks.’
‘Not at all, they had it comin’ to them and no mistake, even more so now that—’ She stopped abruptly, searching the faces in the room. ‘Which one of you is Ivy?’
‘I am,’ Ivy said, watching the woman nervously. ‘What … what message has Riley sent?’
Margie’s nervous gaze jumped from one face to the other, her uncertainty apparent.
‘It’s all right, we’re all family,’ Albert said, but Patrick was frowning and Aggie wondered at the contents of the message. Riley was a single man, after all.
‘There’s … there’s a letter.’ Margie handed it over, looking close to tears, and the room was very tense as Ivy opened it, shaking now, and read aloud. ‘Dear Ivy, It is with great sadness I must convey to you my sister Fiona’s …’
‘Oh no,’ Ivy gasped, dropping the letter to the floor and breaking into sobs. ‘No, no …’
Margie put shaking fingers to her lips, crying too, and Aggie felt sick as she bent to pick it up. ‘Don’t … don’t tell me …’
But Margie nodded and Aggie and Frankie broke down as well. Patrick went to Ivy and put his arm around her. ‘Dear God,’ was all he said, but he held her shoulders tight.
‘The man’s sister? The one who cared for you?’ Harriet asked as a distraught Ivy wept. ‘Oh, Ivy, oh I’m so sorry,’ she said as she sat down next to her and took her hand, the room filled with the renting of combined grief. ‘Read the rest, Aggie,’ she said quietly after a moment. ‘We may as well hear it all.’
But Aggie couldn’t stop crying now, thinking of that capable, kind lady, caring for Ivy while heavily pregnant and with her little daughters by her side. Goodness knows what would become of them and her new baby now.
‘I’ll do it, dear,’ Robert said and she handed over the letter, unable to speak.
Dear Ivy,
It is with great sadness I must convey to you my sister Fiona’s passing. She was found too late after being severely beaten and Barney witnessed her husband George, Donovan, Deano and Petey all fleeing the scene of the crime. As you can imagine, I am working with the law to seek justice.
‘Beaten …?’ Aggie gasped in horror but Ivy continued only to cry.
She was very fond of you, as I’m sure you know, having called the new baby after you: Ivy. On her deathbed she made the dying wish that I send you the most precious gifts she left behind, her three daughters.
Robert paused and Aggie looked across at Ivy’s stunned, distraught face.
‘She … she left me …?’
Legally, George still has rights over his children but the man will be always on the run or dead himself soon enough. As such, you and I will be their legal custodians until we decide what must be done. I will come to discuss things with you as soon as justice has been served but in the meantime I feel I must tel
l you her exact dying words: ‘Take my girls to Ivy. They deserve a better life than this.’
Fiona deserved better too, as we both know. Please honour her last wishes by caring for them until I can get to you. Knowing your kind heart and how supportive your family have been, I completely trust that you will.
Riley Logan.
Aggie watched as Ivy slowly rose to her feet, her sobbing stalled as she stared at Margie. ‘Where … where are they?’
Maggie crossed to the door and nodded. They all stood to watch the familiar figure of Barney walk in, the girls beside him. The twins looked around with frightened, grief-stricken faces and he held a tiny baby against his chest.
No-one seemed to know what to do but then Ivy knelt down and opened her arms and the girls ran over and buried their faces against her. Then Aggie did what seemed the most natural thing in the world and went over to Barney and held out her own and he filled her empty arms with the most beautiful child she had ever seen. A baby girl called Ivy, recently motherless, until right now. For no matter what happened from here on, Aggie knew she would be the one to love this child, cherish her for Fiona with every fibre of her being, and her twin daughters too, God willing. If that’s what Ivy and Riley chose. Robert came and gazed down at the baby for the longest of moments before raising his eyes.
‘God made the decision,’ he whispered, as tears fell down his kind, dear face.
And as tragic as the reason was, she knew that they were parents now, at last.
Part Five
The natural law
Thirty
Smuggler’s Ridge, NSW, 11 June 1902
The smoke from the fire was unlikely to be visible but Riley doused it just the same, despite the cold bite of the morning air. Every action had to be one of caution, every decision well thought through. He hadn’t hunted down these bastards for these past three months only to lose the advantage now. A man could well disappear up here along the ridges that edged the old, disused convict road to become phantom-like within the deep, thick bushland and creek marshes below. But not if you were being tracked by a local, born and raised and with enough knowledge of this land from firsthand experience to know what to look for. He’d been fortunate enough to stumble on an Aboriginal elder too, a man he remembered from his youth who everyone simply called Pop due to his advanced age, even then. He was very old now but sprightly enough to be out foraging on his own that day and keen to help Riley, once he’d figured out what he was up to. It hadn’t taken long.
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