The police officers around him laughed at the suggestive jokes Donnelly made.
‘I know a young Irish lass who seems happy to accept a soldier in her bed,’ Donnelly said, his eyes landing directly on Will as he passed by.
‘And here comes one such soldier,’ Donnelly called out, gesturing in Will’s direction. ‘Still playing with the little digger girl, Lieutenant?’
Will froze in place, a few feet from Donnelly. Did Donnelly have specific information that he and Indy were together? How was it possible? He inhaled deeply and exhaled long, doing his best to keep his building rage under control. He ought to keep walking and ignore him. But his temper was already high with George’s comments and he shook with his fury as he tried to bypass Donnelly.
‘No doubt she likes it rough and tumble,’ Donnelly called as the other police officers at the table laughed along. ‘The mother liked it well enough.’
That did it.
‘You bastard!’
The chain broke and tossing his breakfast tray aside, Will launched himself across the table between them and landed a fist to Donnelly’s jaw.
George was in there just as fast trying to pull Will from the fray. The other police officers had jumped in to help their sergeant and George found himself fighting as much as Will just to survive it.
It wasn’t long before soldiers came to assist in the fight that seemed unfairly leaning two to five in favour of the police.
Bodies were thrown across the mess tent, tables and chairs broke and scattered across the dirt floor. The men rolled and punched and kicked. Grunts were ejected from the writhing mass and yells and cheers went up from those on the sidelines just happy to watch until …
Bang!
The gunshot was so loud the soldiers and police instantly stopped their battle, grabbing at their ringing ears and searching the tent for the offending shooter.
‘Get off the ground and stand to attention!’ Captain Thomas yelled. Beside him stood Police Inspector Evans.
Will struggled to get to his feet and stood beside Donnelly in front of their respective commanding officers.
‘Who was the instigator of this embarrassing brawl?’ Thomas asked.
No one spoke but all other men took steps back leaving Will and Donnelly standing alone in the centre.
‘Surely not. Lieutenant Marsh?’ Captain Thomas was clearly shocked and appalled and a flicker of shame infiltrated Will’s anger. He’d never been in trouble with his superiors in his entire career. ‘To the Commissioner’s office with both of you.’
Sending each other venomous glares, Will and Donnelly followed Evans and Thomas out of the destruction and across the compound to the Commissioner’s tent.
The two men, still fuming and sporting the superficial wounds of their battle, fronted Commissioner Rede.
‘Explain yourselves gentlemen,’ Rede demanded.
Neither Donnelly nor Will said a word.
‘Speak, Lieutenant,’ Captain Thomas shot out. ‘Or risk court martial and a flogging.’
Will swallowed hard. The flogging of soldiers may have been reduced from three hundred down to fifty lashes but that was bad enough.
‘Just a difference of opinion, sir.’
‘Well, unless you can give me a better reason as to why you attacked Sergeant Donnelly, Lieutenant, I’ll have no choice but to reprimand you,’ Rede said.
Will kept quiet. He had no better reason to offer.
‘Four days confinement, Lieutenant,’ Rede said. ‘Robertson will see you to your tent and stand guard the first watch.’
‘Sir, I have no intention of fleeing—’
Rede halted Will’s argument with a stern countenance. ‘Be thankful I’m feeling generous and will hold off on the lashing Captain Thomas seems so eager for you to have.’
‘Yes, sir.’ Will cast his eyes to the ground.
‘And you can thank the unlicensed miners you’re so sympathetic to for saving you prison time, Marsh,’ Rede added. ‘There’s no room for the rats in that place. You’d think by adding more licence checks the miners would toe the line and pay the fees, but it seems to have increased their delinquency.’ Rede seemed to remember himself. It was a rare outburst in front of subordinates. ‘Get out of my sight. Dismissed.’
Will turned, gave Donnelly one last glowering look and followed his guard out of the tent.
‘What the hell happened, Donnelly?’ Rede asked.
‘I was making a joke about a woman in town,’ Donnelly said, lightening the facts in his favour. ‘The Lieutenant took offence. I think perhaps she is his bit on the side, sir.’
‘Well, regardless, his behaviour is unbefitting an officer,’ Captain Thomas said.
‘Yes, sir,’ Donnelly agreed with a small satisfied grin.
‘Don’t look so smug, Sergeant,’ Rede tossed in. ‘I’ll be garnishing your wages for that ridiculously immature display. You are also an officer and are supposed to be setting an example for the other troopers, not leading them into brawls.’
Donnelly crossed glances with Evans whose expression left no doubt of his annoyance that Rede was doling out punishment to one of his men. But everyone knew that thanks to Hotham’s latest decree, Rede now had the run of things at the camp.
‘Dismissed.’ Rede waved Donnelly and Evans out of his office.
Outside, Donnelly leaned against the wall of the Commissioner’s hut and lit a cigarillo. The docked pay was bad enough, but it was the humiliation of it, once it got around camp, that had him fuming. How had he sunk so low in life? He’d been a man of means and good breeding. Even upon his arrival in Australia, he’d been treated like the gentleman he was and had been accepted easily into Melbourne’s polite society. However, after a few social indiscretions and some dreadful gambling debts, his chances of a career in politics in the new colony of Victoria were greatly diminished, and the highest position of authority he’d been able to acquire was that of a sergeant in the new Victorian Police Service.
The service had been in need of educated gentlemen who could control the motley crew of ex-convicts and black natives that made up the constabulary. And they had desperately needed someone to lead the troopers sent to watch over the rabble in the overpopulated township of Ballarat. Donnelly found the lawlessness of the goldfields agreed with him. He was able to dole out punishment when it suited him and had made himself a good income on the side by charging local businesses protection money. Granted, the protection required was mostly from his own troops, but supply and demand was a code to live by on the goldfields. Still, the monetary surplus did not make up for the loss of a prestigious career and a life of social prosperity. The way he saw it, the blame for his downfall fell squarely with his daughter who somehow kept turning up like a bad penny. It hadn’t taken long for the gossips to uncover the truth that the miner girl Indigo Wallace was the Police Sergeant’s illegitimate child. Secrets in Ballarat didn’t remain secrets for long.
Letting his gaze wander to the soldiers’ tents he smiled. The dig at the soldier, her lover, wheedling him into attacking him, had been worth the lost wages. It was a shame about the flogging, and the lack of space in the jail. He’d have enjoyed seeing the arrogant, interfering lieutenant flayed and bleeding against a whipping post. But the man was under house arrest, it would injure his daughter to know so, and that was what had him smiling.
Chapter 19
The moment the sun rose over Mt Warrenheip, Indy knew it was going to be another scorcher. The air was dense with humidity, making even the act of breathing a chore. The flies were thick already, swarming around leftover food and dirty dishes or simply attaching themselves to any sweaty human.
She was desperate for a swim in the river and due to the oppressive heat she and Sean decided to pass on opening their mine. They weren’t the only ones.
Another meeting had been called and miners began the short walk up to Bakery Hill. Indy had stopped to read the agenda posted on the notice board by St Alipius inviting all miners and business
owners to attend the meeting and sign the document of grievances.
DOWN WITH DESPOTISM the sign had said. DOWN WITH THE LICENCE FEE.
Indy figured if there was going to be something to sign, then she would be there to sign it.
Three men Indy only knew because of the long-winded speeches they had given over the last months had been chosen to go to Melbourne, to deliver the petition to Governor Hotham. After explaining the document to the thousands strong crowd, the call was put out.
‘If you will come forward and sign the petition of grievances on behalf of the Ballarat Reform League.’ The men began to step forward and Indy stepped up to follow them.
‘Ladies, you may return to your children and camps.’
Indy stared at him, shocked at first but that was quickly overtaken by outrage.
‘Wait!’ Indy called, storming to the front of the line, ignoring the complaints of the men. ‘I have no husband, no children to go home to. Are you saying that we women who are allowed to stake a claim and dig just like you, and are forced to pay the licence fees, just like you, are not allowed to join this Reform League? Are not able to sign the petition of grievances that we most definitely share?’
‘That is correct, Miss Wallace,’ the man she knew only as Mr Hummfray returned.
‘So the Commissioner deems that we women have the right to dig for gold and run businesses, open hotels and stores, but you do not believe that women have any right to an opinion, a vote or essentially to gain the same rights that you are asking for?’
Indy wasn’t the only woman who was incensed by this latest slight. Other women began to toss their two cents’ worth in as well.
‘Stop causing trouble, Miss Wallace,’ one of the other delegates called back.
‘Why should I? You’re causing trouble to get what it is that you want,’ Indy tossed back. ‘Manhood suffrage indeed.’
‘I’ll be showing you manhood suffrage when you get home, Ian Murphy,’ a woman called out to her husband.
‘And what of the Chinese in all this?’ Indy argued again. ‘Do they get a right to vote? A right to land? You barely treat them as human. Poor buggers are one step lower than us ladies.’
‘We only fight for the rights of British citizens,’ Hummfray returned and cheers of agreement rang out.
‘Britain lost the Americas a long time ago.’ Indy stared down the Americans in the group. ‘You’re worse than those bastards up at the government camp! To hell with the bloody lot of you.’
Indy stormed away with a horde of women following indignantly behind her.
‘You’ll be making your own dinner, John Carr,’ a woman told her husband as she scooped up her child and followed Indy. ‘And don’t be thinking you’ll be sharing a bed with me tonight.’
***
Days passed and Indy saw nothing of Will. Perhaps he was on another gold escort to Melbourne. She was sure he would have told her if that had been the case. Unless it was a sudden thing and he had not been able to get word to her.
By day three, she was going crazy. And she was driving Sean crazy with her questions and theories on what could have happened to Will.
‘He’s probably just on a supply run for the government camp,’ Sean told her.
‘He would have said so, wouldn’t he?’
‘Maybe he didn’t have time.’
She’d thought as much herself.
‘Indy, if you are so concerned for his welfare, go up to the camp and ask.’
‘Are you mad?’
Sean just rolled his eyes at her. ‘I’ve never been so happy to go down a dark hole in the ground as I am right now, Indy. You drive a man to drink.’
‘Drink?’ Indy latched onto his last word. Maybe Will had gone on a bender with some soldiers. Maybe he was passed out somewhere in one of the bars.
‘Right,’ she said, dusting herself off with determination. ‘See you later, Sean.’
‘Not if I see you first!’ he called back out of the mine but Indy had already headed off in the direction of the first hotel.
Three pubs down and still no sign of Will. Public houses numbered in the double figures in Ballarat these days and she’d never entered most of them before. It was quite the experience moving about areas of town she hadn’t been aware had grown so dramatically over the months since winter. Life had been simpler in the beginning of the gold rush. Now the rush seemed to be in the building of wooden stores and housing and the canvas city was disappearing before her very eyes. Would everyone pack up and move back to the city once all the gold was gone? Would the thriving city of Ballarat with all its new buildings become a ghost town?
It took her all day to work her way through the bars, hotels, gaming rooms and theatres. There was only one place she hadn’t looked.
Walking the distance to Miss Margaret’s establishment—truthfully just a grouping of tents a mile outside of the town limits—Indy questioned the sanity of her actions. Darkness had fallen and she’d missed dinner, but she wasn’t too concerned about that. Her hunger had long since left her, replaced by her fear for Will. Now that she stood in front of the tent brothel, her fear took a sharp turn. What if she found him with another woman? A woman of ill-repute at that. How would she react? She couldn’t honestly say she wouldn’t string him up by his private parts and hang him from the nearest tree. But she had to be prepared for the fact that she just might find him there. She could hear the music and screaming laughter pouring out of the biggest whorehouse in Ballarat.
Lifting the calico flap, cigarette and pipe smoke poured out of the enclosed tent area. Stepping through, immediately her eyes began to sting from the smoke, and in the dim lighting it took a moment to focus. Once her eyes had adjusted she saw soldiers, police officers and miners alike sitting and standing about in various states of dress.
No animosity between the government and miners here.
Women in even more varied states of undress straddled knees or sat in laps. In dark corners, men’s mouths were attached to the lips or necks of working girls, their hands roaming over intimate places or, worse, disappearing beneath petticoats. Guttural grunts and groans, both male and female, could be heard and Indy did her best not to imagine what was going on behind thin canvas walls. Several beady-eyed, drunken men gave Indy lecherous looks as she walked through the tents, looking for one man amongst the many. Confident in most situations, it was rare for her to feel out of her comfort zone, but she was certainly beginning to feel so now.
Tamping down on her nerves, she searched for his face, his blond hair. She thought she spied him once until the man turned and she saw the face of another soldier. She asked some of the working girls if they had seen him. She’d known some of these women for years. Had even come out on the boat from England with a couple when they were children. On the odd occasion she saw them in town, she always said hello despite the looks of disgust they received from other womenfolk. Indy didn’t care a tot what they did for a living. It was all about choices. It wasn’t Indy’s choice of occupation, but she wasn’t about to ignore a woman or berate her for doing what she must to survive. That didn’t mean she wouldn’t scratch the eyes out of any woman who should be attached to Will if she found him here.
‘I had a soldier last night. Might’ve been him,’ one of the ladies told her. ‘Blond hair and dark eyed?’
Indy felt sick.
‘Can’t trust these soldiers, love. They’re not the everlasting lovin’ type.’
She shuddered at the thought of Will here in this den of iniquity.
About to give up and leave, she saw a face she recognised. Not Will, but a soldier friend of his: George.
Rushing across the open air space between tents towards him, she ignored the looks and lewd suggestions from other soldiers and women.
‘Miss Wallace,’ George said, looking up at her from his seat. He shifted his ample bosomed companion slightly to the left so he could see Indy properly. ‘What brings you by?’
‘I inquire about Lieutenan
t Marsh,’ she said. She could feel her face reddening. Chasing after men was not her default behaviour. She began to realise what a fool she was making of herself.
‘Do you?’ George asked. His expression was serious for a moment. ‘I’d say he’d be safer away from the likes of you, but he’d be unhappy about that so I won’t.’
Indy blinked, taken aback at George’s opinion.
‘Well, look who’s come a callin’.’
Indy turned to face the Madam herself. A tall woman with voluminous red hair, Miss Margaret had probably been beautiful in her younger years, but being overly made-up did nothing to hide that time had marched an entire regiment across her face—and the rest of her body no doubt.
‘Looking for a job?’
‘No, thank you,’ Indy said, again feeling out of her league.
‘Come now, sweetheart,’ Miss Margaret shot back. ‘Giving it away to soldiers for free is plain silly, it is.’
‘Thank you for the offer. I have no issue with what you and your ladies do. I just have no desire to take up the business.’
Miss Margaret simply shrugged a shoulder. ‘’Tis a pity.’ Indy steeled herself as Miss Margaret studied her in a way she’d only seen men do. ‘You’d bring them in, my lovely. Yes, you would.’
And with one last wink she walked away, leaving Indy to exhale her nervous breath. She wanted out of this place and quickly. But not without knowing where Will was first. Either way, she had to know. Men had needs and since it was near impossible for him to find a time and place to be alone with her, she almost couldn’t blame him for turning elsewhere for release. If he had succumbed to the temptation of this place then she would deal with it—and then she’d shoot him later. But either way, she had to know.
‘He’s been confined to quarters.’
She stared down at George. This was not what she’d expected. ‘Is he ill?’
‘In a manner of speaking. He began a brawl with Sergeant Donnelly.’
Indy’s mouth fell open before she snapped it shut quickly.
The Girl From Eureka Page 21