‘I couldn’t help but notice the old scars on your body,’ Mary said nodding towards his bare chest and breaking him out of his thoughts. ‘Are you sure that soldiering is for you?’
Will pushed himself further into a seated position and winced a little at the pain and dizziness.
‘I’m not dead yet, am I?’ he asked with a wry smile.
She didn’t return his smile, just continued dressing his wound. ‘But not all the marks are from the wars I’d wager.’
She was an observant woman. ‘No. Not all, madam.’
‘Some of those lashes, particularly on your back, are almost as old as yourself.’
Will said nothing. He’d come to terms with his upbringing years ago. It didn’t mean he enjoyed discussing it.
Mary took a deep breath and changed the subject. ‘My girl has a mind of her own to be sure, but I worry about her, living there in the diggers’ camp. Lord knows, I tried to raise a lady. I failed. But bless her, she takes care of me.’
‘May I ask, why did you name her Indigo? It’s an unusual name.’
Mary smiled. ‘When she was born, her eyes reminded me of the bluebells from my native Ireland. Despite being called bluebell, in the fields where I grew up, they were more of a blue-purple hue. Indigo.’
Mary’s expression softened as she fell into memories. ‘She was a babe born out of a violent act and I cried for nine months before she came.’
She stopped then, looking flustered, as though she’d said too much.
He laid his hand on hers to put her at ease. ‘Indy told me of her unusual family situation. And unfortunately, I have seen firsthand how the man who fathered her treats her.’ His jaw clenched at the thought of that horrid man assaulting such an angel as Mary Wallace. ‘He is the lowest of men.’
‘He is, yes,’ Mary agreed solemnly. But then she smiled and Will saw where Indy got her inner light from. ‘It was a terrible time for me, I’ll admit. But the day she was born, I saw her sweetness and realised she was an innocent. An innocent just as I had been. I chose then and there to stop acting as though it was I who’d done something wrong. I chose to not let her live her life as an unwanted child, as a victim. We left England because I was afraid he would do something to her. I was afraid he would hurt her. He had political aspirations you see, and if anyone found out he had a child out of wedlock, and to the kitchen maid no less …’ She paused and took an unsteady breath. ‘Anyway, assisted passage was gained and we sailed on the Isabella Watson bound for Victoria. I raised Indy not to be ashamed of having no father. Finally, when she was old enough, I told her the truth. It was necessary at the time when I discovered that Donnelly, too, had arrived in Melbourne. Then, when he found his way here to the goldfields, and wearing a policeman’s uniform no less, I knew I had done the right thing by telling her. But I’ll not let her suffer for something she had no control over. I taught her to ignore the gossip and the wretched things people say.’
‘People say things to her? As far as I see most people like her, and she is good to everyone in the camps. Her parentage shouldn’t come into it.’
‘I wish everyone had your good sense and good heart, Lieutenant. Most people do like Indy and look past her unfortunate lineage. But she is still what most would call a bastard child.’
‘She’s far from alone in that. After all, I knew neither of my parents.’
‘An orphan boy?’
‘Yes, madam,’ Will confirmed. ‘Brought up in a boys’ home. And you have seen for yourself the results of that upbringing.’
As she again wrapped his head in the bandage, Mary’s eyes went to the scars on his chest. ‘Then you are an especially exceptional lad. To come from where you have, to be where you are now. You are a survivor.’
‘As are you, madam. You and your daughter. You’re both extraordinary women. I am proud to know you both.’
She smiled. ‘She is my light, my Indigo. And she has grown up strong of mind and strong of heart.’
‘She is all those things and you should be glad of it,’ Will said, but his conscience pricked at him. ‘I wish she would be more careful in the goldfields, though. Despite how strong she thinks she is, there are dangers for women. Can you not keep her here?’
Mary graced him with a sceptical look. ‘You’ve travelled oceans, Lieutenant. Ever tried to hold back the tide?’
Will sighed wistfully. ‘I fear I move my jaw in vain when I speak to you Wallace women. I shall keep my unsolicited advice to myself from now on.’
‘Don’t,’ Mary said in earnest. ‘You are a wise young man and my Indy needs that counsel. Whether she decides to take it or not will be her decision. You like my girl, Lieutenant?’
Will’s face heated with his discomfort at the turn of conversation.
Mary sighed. ‘I’m sorry. I have embarrassed you. I believe it’s better to speak plainly in these strange times.’
‘I like your girl, Mrs Wallace.’ His admission worried him though.
She took his hand and squeezed it. ‘Please keep an eye on her for me. Trouble follows her.’
Will laughed. ‘Don’t I know it?’ He put his other hand over Mary’s. ‘I shall watch over her for you. Though I won’t be telling her that for fear of my life.’
‘You know her well already,’ Mary said, chuckling along with him just as Indy re-entered the room. She looked from Will to her mother, clearly annoyed that she had missed something.
‘What’s so funny?’
***
By the afternoon, Will was strong enough to move out of the tiny bedroom and Indy helped him onto the porch to get some fresh air. Dizziness swept over him occasionally but he was happy to be out of the tiny house.
‘It’s a beautiful day,’ he said, stretching his arms above his head and arching his back. He was glad for the opportunity to move his muscles, stiff from too many hours laid out in bed.
He took his first real look at the little homestead. It was such a sweet little wooden cottage that appeared to have been well-restored and shored up with mud. He found the workmanship quite impressive given the obvious isolation of the place. Turning to look about the property, he glanced up at the trees, stringy bark hanging loosely from their trunks like a half-peeled banana. They stood tall like sentinels, allowing only a little of the blue sky to peek through their towering branches, providing wonderful shade for the house. It was so different here to the dry, treeless Ballarat, and he wondered how far from town they were. To the right he could see his horse in an open stable, comfortable and safe from the elements. On the other side of the house appeared to be a small vegetable garden and he could make out tall green beanstalks, and tomato plants tethered to wooden stakes. The Wallace women were quite autonomous here it seemed.
Stepping down from the porch, he took a deep inhale. He’d never seen a natural world like it. The countryside of his English homeland was much greener and denser in its forestry. Even at the end of a winter season, this Victorian bushland was so dry and the earth so brown. Indy had said there was a road nearby but he couldn’t see or hear any traffic. No beating of horse hooves, or shouting of voices as they passed between Ballarat and Melbourne. The little wood and mud cottage was hidden from the world.
‘It is a lovely place, this Victoria.’
‘It is a hard place, made for hard people,’ Indy said, leaning on the veranda post. ‘Speaking of which, what happened at the Eureka Hotel, Will?’
Taking a deep breath, he exhaled it heavily as he thought back to the riot of the day before. ‘The miners went after Bentley. But it appeared he had run off to the government camp already. The last thing I remember was the mob looting things from the hotel rooms and stealing anything that wasn’t nailed down. Then they began throwing things. Bottles, rocks.’
‘Good God!’ Indy exclaimed.
He wondered how things had ended up. Had the police and soldiers been able to control the situation? ‘Did you see anything?’
‘I saw you on your horse unconscious and bl
eeding. Other than that, I just heard a lot of noise and destruction. You needed medical help. I didn’t hang about to see what was going on.’
Will nodded and looked back into the house where Mary worked at the kitchen bench. ‘How is it that you and your mother have an actual home here when most diggers and families live under canvas? I myself share a tent with two other fellows.’
‘How cosy!’ Indy raised her eyebrows.
‘I assure you, it is not.’
She chuckled. ‘On one of my trips back to Melbourne to see my mother, our bullock coach broke a wheel. We were stranded for many hours on the road out there and I decided to go for a walk. I came across this old shepherd’s hut. It was long abandoned and had only one small room but I thought it would be a good solid place to build onto.’
‘That country home your mother wanted?’ He remembered her story about wanting to bring her mother to the bush and for her to have her cottage.
Indy nodded. ‘Whitey helped us fix it up so it was at least livable. I made a few lucky strikes of gold in the early days and as more and more people came out to the goldfields, they brought their skills with them. I paid a carpenter and his son to build on the two bedrooms and the veranda.’
She ran her hand down the timber post she leaned against. ‘I bought some cheap furniture and, together with Whitey, we finished up the place. The carpenter struck gold and headed for Queensland before he’d completed the task. Hard to find good help these days. Anyway, the local tribe sold me some of their skins for the floor and we’ve made ourselves quite the little home.’
‘Skins?’ Will was horrified. ‘Whose skin?’
‘Kangaroo skins,’ Indy chuckled. ‘To lay on the floors. They’re mighty warm.’
‘So you have found gold then?’
Wariness came into her eyes. ‘I have. Small amounts.’
‘You don’t speak of it often.’
‘You’d just as soon walk down Eureka Street with pounds hanging out of your pockets if you want to lose your money. Telling folks you’ve found gold would have the same effect.’
‘Clever girl,’ Will agreed.
They fell into an awkward silence for a moment as neither of them could think of anything to say.
‘Oh, look,’ Indy said, pointing up into the tall trees.
Will craned his neck in the direction she was pointing. A long way up, in the vee of two tree branches, he could see what appeared to be just a ball of grey fluff. Until it moved. He blinked.
‘What is it?’ he asked intrigued, but wary at the same time.
‘Koala,’ she said.
‘I’ve never heard of such a thing,’ he said eyeing her suspiciously.
‘It’s another of the native animals, like the kangaroo or the wallaby.’
‘Wallaby?’ Will said laughing. ‘What a ridiculous name? Who comes up with these names?’
‘It’s what the aboriginals call them.’
He was looking up again when the koala shifted slightly and its baby moved onto its back. Gingerly, he stepped out of the shade of the veranda and down the steps to move in for a closer view. He stopped suddenly and turned back to Indy.
‘They’re not dangerous are they?’
She laughed. ‘No. Well, not unless you try and take their young. Then they’ll scratch and bite worse than Elena Gibson in a catfight.’
‘It’s like a giant teddy bear,’ he said, grinning at her like a schoolboy when she moved to stand beside him. ‘It’s wonderful.’
He breathed deeply. The overnight rain had left everything looking and smelling so fresh. He liked the earthy scent and took another deep inhale.
‘Smells different here, doesn’t it,’ Indy said and, one by one, she pointed to the trees surrounding the little cottage. ‘Eucalypt, casuarina, honeysuckle.’
‘Fresh air is a rare commodity in the government camp.’
She nodded in sympathy. ‘I’ve seen the government camp. Your conditions aren’t much better than the rest of the goldfields.’
‘I think they’re worse. And with so many soldiers being brought in, we’ve scarcely room to breathe, even if there were fresh air.’
‘Things are tough all over,’ Indy said with a wistful grin.
‘I’m not complaining,’ he said and then laughed. ‘Or maybe just a little.’
She laughed too, and he found he enjoyed the relaxed sound of it. She didn’t laugh enough he decided.
‘But imagine living out here away from town in the beauty of this bushland,’ he said, turning on the spot to take it all in. ‘And to think we sent our convicts here. Not sure who got the better cards in that draw.’
‘I don’t think you would want to come here as a convict.’
‘No, I suppose you’re right.’ It may well have been a fate he faced if the army had not given him a new life. He began to feel light-headed and must have swayed because Indy took his arm to steady him.
‘It’s alright,’ he said, annoyed at his feebleness. ‘I’m not about to swoon.’
‘Of course not. You’re a big tough soldier,’ she said, but led him back to the house.
‘No, really I’m fine.’ But not completely sure he wouldn’t swoon, as he’d quipped, rather than make a fool of himself, he allowed her to help him back into the house and the bedroom. He dropped down onto the bed and lay back, his eyes already closing.
‘I’ll just lie here a minute until the dizziness passes.’
He was asleep again in minutes.
***
She stood by his bed and watched the even rise and fall of his chest as he fell into slumber. He looked so peaceful. His face softened in sleep, his pale hair left to hang loose about his shoulders. Broad shoulders. In his thin undershirt she could see the bulge of biceps usually hidden by the heavy cloth of his red coat. He looked wonderful in that coat. And he looked incredible out of it now. Little shadows formed beneath his eyes where long, dark lashes lay against his pale skin. One had come loose, she noted, and sat on his cheek. Holding her breath, she leaned in, her finger lightly touching the stray eyelash and collecting it. She closed her eyes, made a wish and blew the lash away.
How close had he come to being killed in the attack on the Eureka Hotel? How had the fight ended? Suddenly feeling like a foolish little girl making wishes on eyelashes, she wondered whether she should head back into town while he slept. Perhaps she could find out what had gone on. Had anyone been arrested during the attack on the hotel? Or worse, killed?
She couldn’t believe the miners had been so violent in their attack on Bentley’s Hotel. Yes, it was unfair and unjust that Bentley and his cronies had been found not guilty, but looting and property damage wasn’t going to change anything. Had the miners been drunk? It had been a very hot day and tempers had no doubt sizzled along with the temperature. Until the disturbance at the Eureka Hotel, the miners had simply voiced their concerns and issues, signed petitions and held rallies.
Indy believed in democratic solutions, and the miners were putting together regular deputations to talk with Commissioner Rede. Surely he was not an unreasonable man. Talking and negotiation were the way to democracy. She just wished democracy moved faster than the glaciers.
Chapter 11
Will didn’t stay asleep for long, and when he rose, Mary and Indy were preparing the evening meal.
‘Would you like a brandy before dinner, Will?’ Indy asked, reaching up on tiptoes to grab a jug from the top shelf.
He moved in to help and as he did, his body brushed against hers. Hearing her sudden intake of breath, he looked down at her. Warmth radiated from her and her face was flushed, from the heat of cooking perhaps, but when she licked her lips it sent waves of desire rushing through his body.
Oh, he was well healed. Head and body were more than well enough that he was thinking about what her lips would taste like. He took the brandy jug and to save his sanity walked in the opposite direction to where Indy had moved to stand by the fire. He poured the brandy and drank the entire beak
er in one quick gulp. Unfortunately, the warm liquor did not douse the fire in his belly as he’d hoped it would.
‘Mrs Wallace, can I pour you a drink?’ he asked, trying to take his mind off Indy, and concentrating on the more important fact that her mother was standing not three feet from him.
‘Please, call me Mary.’ She deliberated for a moment. ‘Go on then. Just a small one.’
Indy chuckled at her mother, and moved in to take the drink that Will had poured her. He’d been careful enough to leave the beaker on the table so their hands would not accidentally touch when he passed it to her.
He poured himself a second drink and a beaker for Mary. ‘What shall we toast to?’
‘To your health, Lieutenant. May your head continue to be made of brick.’
‘Indy!’ Mary reprimanded while Indy tossed down the liquor. ‘I swear there’s a lady in there somewhere, Lieutenant.’
Will laughed. ‘A lady may not have been so bold as to try to save my life, so I shall be thankful for Miss Indy and her wild ways.’
He toasted her in return and drank.
An hour later, with their dinner consumed, they sat by the light of candles that burned low on the table and talked. Will found he liked Mary Wallace immensely. She was a strong, intelligent and caring woman. Having learned what she had been through, he knew she could have turned bitter and angry with her lot in life and the world itself. Instead she chose to look ahead and forget the ills of the past. She loved her daughter—that was obvious. And although Indy was unladylike and untamed in many ways, her mother still held her in check with her iron will. Indy loved her mother unconditionally too. He could see it. She had inherited that strength and integrity from someone. And it certainly wasn’t Sergeant Donnelly.
‘Well, I’m for my bed.’
When Mary stood, Will stood too.
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