by Janet Woods
Or Wally’s hand had been in the till, Esmé thought uncharitably.
‘Wally helped you out, I suppose?’
‘No . . . but Reg did. Wally went out somewhere.’
‘I expect there’s a game on the go. Let’s hope he’s lucky. He’ll pay you that money back then. He’s not a bad lad, just weak. He can’t help himself when there’s a game going. He means well.’
Wally was an expert at helping himself in her book, but she kept her mouth shut. She didn’t want to distress the woman by saying her purse had been raided. ‘Let’s hope you’re right. Is there anything you need before I go to bed.’
A work-worn hand clutched at her sleeve and tears gathered in her eyes. ‘You won’t go off and leave me like this, will you. I feel so fatigued, what with my man dying suddenly like that, and now this on top of it. Wally’s not much good. I’d thought he’d settled on a career on the ships, but back he comes with young Minnie in tow, and her with a ring on her finger, and a bun in the oven, as well, though the poor little tyke wasn’t meant to be. Harry and me thought she’d be the making of him, but I reckon she’s thrown him out, and I reckon he deserves it.’
Esmé murmured something non-committal.
‘He said he loves Minnie . . . and the other woman was nothing.’
‘Hush now, Ma.’ The last thing Esmé wanted to hear was the excuses and confessions Wally had made to his mother. The man was a liar, a confidence trickster and a thief, and she could find half a dozen more labels to stick on him if need be. If he loved Minnie he’d be with her now, working to provide a future for them together, not skulking about down here with another woman. ‘Don’t upset yourself . . . what’s done is done and you can’t change it.’
‘You’re right, lass. Wally might not be back for a while, and I was worried you might go off with that doctor chap of yours. Now there’s a catch. He’s got a nice backside on him.’
Esmé giggled. ‘I haven’t had time to inspect Leo’s finer points, but I’ll make it my business to the next time I see him.’
‘You do that.’ Ma heaved a sigh. ‘I wish I had a bit more energy. If I can’t keep the bar open my livelihood has gone, then what will happen to me? I can’t afford to hire anyone and they don’t give women a helping hand here.’
‘Don’t worry, Ma. I’ll do my best to help while I can . . . but if you don’t allow me to go to bed I’ll be too worn out to do anything tomorrow.’
Reg dropped in next morning. He made sure the floor was kept clean, and polished the wooden bar. A toffee-coloured surface emerged from under the stains and Reg ran his hand over it. ‘A nice piece of oak, is that, it must have come from the old country.’ He served the customers and chased off the beggar boys looking for a handout.
Several women came looking for work. Esmé voiced what was obvious. ‘These men don’t work during the day, so where do they get money to drink with? Women are looking for work, and there are hungry kids begging on the streets?’
Reg shrugged. ‘That’s the way it is. The men get the money, but fair goes . . . I dare say they hand most of it over to their wives, since the man is the breadwinner. You don’t begrudge a man a drink, do you?’
‘Of course not. What if it’s a single woman? What do they get in the way of relief?’
He shrugged again. ‘Don’t ask me, love. Women tend to help each other out and there’s schemes going. But anyway, employers won’t give a women work if it’s a job a man can fill, and neither will the unions. That’s the way it should be.’
Esmé was appalled that they’d spend their dole money on beer. ‘That’s unfair. Isn’t relief money meant to help feed their families?’
‘Be that as it may, it ain’t none of my business how a man spends his cash.’ He sighed, and said, ‘Leave the bar area to me, Miss. I’ll hold the fort till Ma’s well. Best not to meddle in men’s business, less they take it personally and go elsewhere. Where would Ma be then? You should just go about doing what you’re trained to do. Nursing isn’t it?’
Uncertain whether it was a reprimand or not, but knowing emotional blackmail when she heard it, Esmé bit down on a reply. ‘That’s kind of you to help out, Reg.’
‘I’m doing it for Ma. She’s had a bad time of it lately. I reckon she needs a hand, and it keeps me busy.’
‘As you keep reminding me. You don’t work yourself, then?’
‘I’m a carpenter. Nobody is building houses these days, but if you hear of a job going I’m cheap. And if you want time off, let me know.’
She raised an eyebrow and grinned. ‘Funny, but I could have sworn that Ma placed me in charge of her business. Until she says otherwise, I’m the foreman here, not you. On that basis, if you want to help out, fine. If you don’t want to help out, that’s fine too.’
He laughed. ‘You certainly know when to apply the stick. All right. You win. You know what I meant, though. I’m willing to keep my eye on the place if you want to go off somewhere and I can keep Ma company at the same time. She likes being in the thick of things and having a good old natter.’
Ma also seemed to enjoy the company of Reg, though Esmé had the feeling he was keeping Ma informed on everything she did.
Leo turned up the day after he said he would. He pushed his way through the smoky atmosphere, his smile a mile wide. ‘Sorry I’m a day late; I had to go up country.’
‘I was raised by, and worked with doctors. They rarely run on time . . . it’s the nature of the job. Come on in, Leo.’ She raised the flap, allowing him access behind the bar.
A cheer went up when he gave her a smacking kiss.
‘Can I have one?’ someone called out.
‘Find your own girl,’ Leo told him.
‘Will you stop calling me your girl, please. I’m no such thing.’
‘I’m warning off potential husbands.’
She giggled, then gazed around the bar and whispered, ‘Really . . . which one of them do you consider to be of husband potential?’
His dark lashes feathered the intense blue of his eyes as he said gently, ‘How are you coping, sweetheart?’
‘I can’t say I’m cut out to be a barmaid. I’m managing, with Reg’s help, though.’
Leaving Reg in charge she followed Leo up the narrow staircase, taking care to inspect the taut rear moving under the grey, pinstriped trousers. Ma was right . . . he had a nice backside – and her observation had nothing to do with the anatomical, but the perfection of the physical form. She gave a little growl, which was quickly changed into a cough when he turned to gaze suspiciously at her. All the same, she grinned at him.
He returned the grin, murmuring. ‘I fancy you like crazy, Es, my darling. It’s only a matter of time, but why wait? Marry me.’
‘No.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because we haven’t known each other long enough.’ She hadn’t known Liam very long either . . . she’d just let herself be carried along. It would have been the biggest mistake she’d ever made if she’d married Liam. She wasn’t going to allow that to happen a second time.
His head slanted to one side and he offered her a winsome smile that was beguiling. ‘Tell me when we’ve known each other long enough and I’ll ask you again. In the meantime I’ll give you a few flying lessons, which will give me an excuse to keep seeing you.’
‘You really don’t need an excuse, I like seeing you.’ Laughter bubbled up in her. She felt happy when she was with Leo. ‘I’ll give you top marks for persistence. Now, go up and see Ma.’
Ma’s condition had improved a little.
‘Temperature is down so you can go off the Aspro,’ Leo grunted, and applied his stethoscope to her chest. ‘You’re rattling like a tram with a wheel missing.’ His eyes engaged hers. ‘I don’t suppose it’s any good telling you that the smoky atmosphere downstairs is doing you more harm than good.’
‘I’ve got to earn a living, and I don’t know how to do anything else.’
‘Yes . . . I suppose you must. How old are
you fifty . . . fifty-five?
Ma snorted. ‘I’m forty-nine.’
‘Do you get any tightness in your chest.’
‘Sometimes, but it soon goes. When can I get up and go about my business?’
‘When I say you can. If you intend to waste my time by not listening to, or not taking my advice, say so now. I have more deserving cases to deal with.’
Ma opened her mouth, and then closed it again.
‘Now . . . I’ll prescribe you some pills. Keep them on you, and place one under your tongue if you have chest pain. Be careful with them, and use strictly as advised. See your own doctor when you run out.’
His firmness surprised Esmé and she gazed at him through new eyes. Despite his easy-going nature, Leo Thornton was no fool. Ma wouldn’t spend money on a doctor when she didn’t have to, and he knew it.
‘How bad is her heart?’ she asked him when they went downstairs.
‘A bit erratic, but she’s been under a lot of stress. Get me the name of her doctor if you would, and I’ll write him a letter.’
‘I’ve let Minnie know you’ve arrived and where you are,’ Leo told her, straightening up. ‘I’ll call in to check on Ma in about a week, and a few days after that I’ll be flying you out to Pepperpot Creek. I’ll give you a flying lesson on the way, if you like.’
The thought robbed her of breath. ‘I don’t know about that, Leo.’
‘It won’t be much of one, so don’t panic. I’ll remove the rudder pedals in case you forget what your feet are doing.’
The time moved swiftly, and soon Ma was up and about. March came in a little cooler, especially at night. It was difficult to get used to the swift change of seasons.
It seemed to Esmé that she’d worked her fingers to the bone at the hotel, and she felt sorry for Ma having to do everything by herself. But she was glad to be moving on, she was looking forward to seeing Minnie.
‘Come any time,’ Ma said, giving her a hug. ‘I’ve got those guest rooms going begging.’
Soon they were at the airfield, which was little more than a paddock with a windsock. A large hanger sheltered several small aircraft.
Leo spoke briefly to a man in an office. ‘We’ll be following the road out to Pepperpot.’
‘She’s all fuelled up, and a message has come through for you.’ A piece of paper was handed over to him. After perusing the contents Leo slid it into his pocket. ‘Radio them back. Tell them I’ll be two hours at the most.’
Leo’s mouth grazed gently across hers as he strapped her into the harness. ‘When we get upstairs if you keep your hands lightly on the controls you’ll soon get the feel of her.’ Reaching under the instrument coaming he brought out a rubber tube with a cone on the end. ‘If you need to talk to me, use this. I can talk to you via that tube attached to your helmet. All right?’
I love you, she thought, and smiled with the pleasure of being with him.
‘Good,’ he said, as though he’d read her thoughts.
They were soon in the air and following the road beneath them. The air was fresh, the day bright. The control stick hardly moved against her palm as Leo kept the plane in trim, and she was acutely aware of the connection between herself and him, via the control stick.
She felt for the cone and brought it to her mouth. ‘Leo, what are those dials with numbers on the control panel?’
‘Altimeter tachometer speedometer . . . to name a few. Don’t worry about those today. Can you bring the nose up a little?’
She moved the stick back the fraction required to perform the required manoeuvre. ‘Now . . . gently go left by moving the control to the right.
She moved the stick to the right and the aircraft obliged by heading left.
‘Now go to the right.’
That done, he said, ‘We’ll need to lose height before we land. Push the stick forward, but very gradually.’
A thought occurred. ‘Leo . . .’
His chuckle warmed her ear and he purred, ‘Yes . . . you are flying the Moth mostly by yourself, and have been for the last five minutes. But not completely, since I have the rudder controls. See if you can circle the airport as we go down. We land into the wind.’
As the land got closer she began to panic. ‘Leo . . . I don’t know what to do.’
His voice came, calm against her ear. ‘The same as you’ve been doing. We’ll be landing her after this sweep . . . straighten up the wings. The airstrip is up ahead. If you look over the side you’ll see it. We always take off and land into the wind.’
‘How will I know which way the wind is blowing?’
‘The windsock will tell us which direction it’s coming from. There’s a bit of a crosswind today.’
All she could see was a blur of land passing under them, and a kangaroo bounding off towards the trees. It looked very close, and she said, ‘I can’t see anything that looks like a sock. Help!’
He laughed. ‘I’ve got you, Es . . . you’re quite safe and we’re doing it together.’
She tried not to panic as she saw the ground wheeling below, though her heart beat at a thousand miles a minute. Then the plane straightened up and they were down, bouncing erratically along the airstrip. Esmé laughed with relief and shouted her elation exuberantly out loud as she punched the air. ‘That was the absolute aces.’
Minnie was already on her way, looking forward to seeing Esmé again, though goodness only knew where they’d find work, and they would both need to. She loved Australia and the Australians for their openness and big hearts. Her only regret was that if she’d stayed in England she wouldn’t have met Wally, and she’d be securely employed in the profession she’d been trained for.
But then . . . she’d wanted adventure in her life, so she mustn’t complain.
When she’d seen the plane fly over she’d left the nursing station in the hands of Sally Bowers and headed for the manager’s office. ‘Can I borrow the truck, Ben. I’m expecting my friend.’
He nodded. ‘Don’t forget to bring the mail back with you.’
It was a short dash through a dusty track that had been chopped by a bulldozer through the eucalypts and thick undergrowth. It turned to mud when it rained.
Minnie had watched from the truck’s cabin as the moth circled the airfield several time, its wings not quite level. She’d wondered . . . what was the doctor up to . . . was he drunk? Perhaps something was wrong with the plane. Her mouth dried. Not that. Dr Thornton was too nice a man. Besides, she didn’t think she’d be able to handle that sort of emergency by herself. She wouldn’t know which one to treat first. Es, or the Doc.
While she’d been casting off that scenario, the plane had eased lower. The wings suddenly levelled out. It landed on its two front wheels then bounced a couple of times before it slowed down. The tail had dropped, its wheel settling on the ground, and the aircraft had run the length of the runway, losing speed. It turned at the end and slowly trundled back to where she stood.
Esmé punched the air, and her shriek of laughter made Minnie smile. Her hand went to her mouth. Surely that hadn’t been her friend at the controls?
The lanky form of Leo Thornton slid out from the cockpit, and when Esmé emerged, he took her by the waist and swung her down and around. They were laughing together as she slid from the cabin and waved.
The plane was still ticking over.
‘I didn’t really fly the plane, did I?’ Esmé said, her eyes shining with the delight of it. ‘Look, there’s Min. She’ll be green with envy when I tell her.’
Leo nodded, and they wandered over to where she stood, arms casually around each other’s waists. ‘I thought you might land us on one wing with the crosswind, so took over then. Actually, it wasn’t bad for a first go. You’ll make a good pilot.’
Eyes bright, Esmé was still laughing. ‘It was such fun, Leo, I enjoyed it.’
Leo’s glance came Minnie’s way, and he handed over a packet of envelopes. ‘Is everything all right, Minnie . . . anything to report?’
> ‘Nothing I can’t handle.’ She gazed at the envelopes and shuffled through them. They were uniform in size, obviously sent from the same source. ‘Hmmm . . . this looks as though my job’s about to disappear. I’ve been expecting it. Are you staying for a while?’
‘I’ve got to get over to Tunbridge Downs station. The Dunston governess has broken her arm.’
‘So that’s the way the wind blows,’ Esmé said, the laughter still colouring her voice.
He looked at the windsock, then down at Esmé and grinned before kissing her gently on the mouth. Then he hauled himself on to the wing walk and climbed into the aircraft. He blew Esmé a kiss, then as an afterthought blew one Minnie’s way. ‘I’ll be seeing you, ladies.’
‘I wish I could attract a man like that,’ Minnie murmured.
Taxiing down the runway Leo turned the aircraft into the wind and picked up speed, the plane lifted gracefully into the sky. They watched it bank in an arc to change direction and gain height, then it moved into the distance, swiftly becoming a small speck in the sky.
Esmé sighed, already missing Leo’s company. ‘He looks like a small bird in such a large sky,’ she whispered, and wondered if he was lonely up there all by himself.
‘I can see that you’re well over Liam,’ Minnie said, grinning at her.
‘Yes . . . I’m over Liam.’ She gave her friend a hug. ‘I’m definitely over Liam.’
Thirteen
Minnie handed the mail to Ben, who frowned. ‘These look like the ones I’ve been dreading.’
‘Is there one for me?’
Shuffling through them he drew out the one with her name on. ‘Sorry, love.’
Minnie tore it open. ‘I’ve got to vacate the nursing post by the end of the month. They’re going to put everything in mothballs until finances improve. The mission sisters will collect what’s left of the medical supplies. They’ve included a reference for me. Oh well, I can’t complain . . . I can always move into Wally’s place if need be, though it’s a bit of a hovel.’
‘You shouldn’t stay there by yourself, love.’