“Do you believe him?” Sybil asked doubtfully. She was skeptical that a basket of fruit and vegetables was all it took to change the situation.
“Yes, I do. Ernie assured me that the elder’s word is law amongst the clan members.”
“How can you believe that those savages will take notice of an old man?” Clementine asked, making clear her disdain for them. “They have little respect for themselves, let alone the white community.”
Jack couldn’t fault her ignorance, because nearly all the settlers were ignorant about Aboriginal tribal ways, but he was startled by the contempt in her voice. “I do believe the elder,” he said patiently.
Just then Jack heard Elias call him from the backdoor. He hurried to the door, fearing Max had been hurt again, but for once it was good news.
“Your Rambouillet rams have arrived,” Elias said excitedly.
“Oh, wonderful! Did you hear that, Abbey?” Jack called spontaneously. “Napoleon is here.” He hurried out to see Napoleon and the other rams. He’d been waiting months for their arrival and was relieved they’d been delivered safely.
Abbey’s eyes widened in excitement, and she stood up.
“Who in heaven’s name is Napoleon?” Sybil asked her.
Clementine looked puzzled, too.
“He’s one of the new rams,” Abbey said, hurrying to the backdoor.
Sybil and Clementine looked at each other in confusion. Neither understood what all the excitement was about.
“Napoleon is a ram!” Sybil said, tut-tutting. “Now I’ve heard everything, but let’s go and see what all the fuss is about.”
***
Outside, Jack and the waggon’s driver, Fred Roundtree from Truro, were unloading Napoleon and five other rams from a waggon. They were put into a small holding pen alongside the smithy’s shop where horses usually waited to be shod. Jack inspected the animals to see that they hadn’t been hurt on the journey and that they were in good condition.
Abbey was standing alongside the pen, watching the rams with excitement. The Rambouillet breed was quite large, as Jack had said, with huge horns that curled at the sides of their heads near their ears. “Which one is Napoleon?” she asked Jack.
Jack looked over the animals with a grin on his face. “That one,” he said, looking to Fred for confirmation. He nodded.
Abbey looked at the ram. “Maybe it’s my imagination, but he does seem to have a sense of nobility about him,” she said enthusiastically.
“Don’t be fooled by his calm exterior,” Fred said. “He’s a feisty one, but beloved by the ewes, if you get my drift.” As if to prove his point, Napoleon rammed the fence railing.
“He’ll settle down,” Fred said, laughing at Abbey’s shocked expression.
They were so engrossed in the rams and each other that the threesome didn’t notice that Sybil and Clementine were now standing behind them.
Jack pointed out some of the rams’ finer features. Abbey was enthralled to learn about them, and they discussed the rams for a few minutes. Jack told her they were shorn twice a year, and that it had to be done two to three months before joining them with the ewes. This was to keep them cool and to avoid lice and being fly-blown, he explained. “Rams with short wool are also better able to scout for feed in big paddocks because they are more active,” he added, noticing that Abbey was showing an interest in the rams’ hooves. “Because of their heavier weight, it’s also important to keep their hooves trimmed,” he said. “Although they may not appear lame, rams with bad hooves aren’t able to roam the vast distances in pastures to get enough feed.”
“As you can see, I gave their hooves a good trimming before leaving my farm,” Fred said proudly.
“Yes, they’re in good condition,” Jack said, admiring the well-done job.
“Even though I fattened them up for the trip, they’ve all lost a bit of weight; the journey was long,” Fred said in his thick, Scottish brogue. He’d fed and watered them in the waggon on the five-day journey, and they were now anxious to get into a paddock and stretch their legs. “They’ll soon regain their former condition once they’ve had some exercise and good feed.”
“They look good to me, but don’t worrythey’ll be well looked after here at Bungaree,” Jack promised. “My future stock depends on it.” He looked at Abbey. “When Josephine is of breeding age, we’ll put her with Napoleon.”
“How romantic,” Abbey said and laughed.
Fred surmised that Josephine was a sheep and chuckled. “Will you be setting up a house for them?” he asked, and Abbey and Jack laughed heartily.
Behind them, Clementine looked at Sybil, her lips tight with disapproval.
Just then Tom rode up. “Morning, everyone,” he said, dismounting.
“Good morning, Tom,” Sybil said, and Jack and Abbey turned around, surprised to find the women standing behind them.
“What do we have here?” he asked, looking over Jack’s shoulder at the new arrivals.
“The Rambouillet rams I ordered,” Jack said to his brother. He noticed that Clementine didn’t look pleased and wondered what had upset her now. He’d always found her moods rather perplexing.
William and Jack were more interested in sheep breeding than Tom, who preferred cattle. He didn’t share his brother’s enthusiasm over the new rams.
“How exciting,” Tom mocked, winking at Clementine, who forced herself to smile sweetly despite her sour mood. She hoped Jack noticed.
Jack introduced his mother and Clementine to Fred Roundtree, and they exchanged greetings.
“How is Martha?” Tom asked his mother.
“Oh, you don’t know yet, do you? She and William have a son,” Sybil said proudly.
“That’s wonderful news,” Tom said, genuinely thrilled. “Is my nephew healthy?”
“Yes, he’s a good weight, despite being a little early,” Sybil said. She’d spent an hour holding him the previous evening while the doctor had examined Martha. Sybil had thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Tom smiled broadly. “Has he a name? I think Thomas has a nice ring to it,” he said, grinning
“Not yet,” Sybil said. “We should have a celebration lunch,” she added, just thinking of the idea. “You can stay for lunch, can’t you, Tom?”
“Lunch is a few hours off yet, Mother,” Tom said. “And I have a lot of work to do. There’s still that bore to dig.” He glared at his brother, hoping he’d take the hint.
“We’ll have to help William rebuild his barn first,” Jack said. “But while you are here, Tom, you can help me get these rams to a bigger yard.”
Tom rolled his eyes, thinking that his bore was never a priority. “The dogs can do that, can’t they?” he said. He had every intention of helping, but he liked giving Jack a hard time.
“Please come to lunch, Tom,” Clementine joined the conversation flirtatiously. She linked her arm through his. “If you don’t, we’ll end up discussing sheep for the entire meal.” She glanced at Jack, hoping to see a spark of jealousy, but she was disappointed.
“How can I refuse such a charming offer?” Tom replied.
“Let’s get your horses fed and watered,” Jack said to Fred, oblivious to Clementine’s game. He also intended to make Fred comfortable in the swaggie’s hut for the night.
Clementine was annoyed that Jack didn’t react to her flirting with Tom, but Abbey noticed and wondered what she was up to.
“Won’t you also join us for lunch, Mr. Roundtree?” Sybil said to Fred.
“Thank you,” Fred said. “I’ll need a good wash first.” He’d brought a change of clean clothes with him, which was just as well. He’d been wearing the same clothes for days and smelt worse than the rams by far.
Sybil and Clementine headed back to the house, while Abbey went to check on Max. Jack, Tom, and Fred, with the help of Jasper and Rex, herded the
rams towards a yard down by the shearer’s quarters.
“Mrs. Hawker,” Clementine said as they walked through the back gate. “I hope you don’t think I’m speaking out of turn, but aren’t you concerned that Abbey spent the night alone in the barn with Jack?”
Sybil looked confused. “Why should I be concerned?” she asked.
“A young, unmarried woman shouldn’t be in the company of a man all night, unless they are chaperoned,” Clementine said haughtily.
“They were nursing the dog, Clementine, so I’m not sure what you are suggesting. My Jack is a gentleman.”
“He’s a man, and if Abbey were offering, I doubt he’d refuse.”
“Clementine! That’s not a nice thing to say.” Sybil was very surprised that Clementine would even think something like that, let alone speak it out loud. She’d never heard her talk that way before.
“Surely you don’t approve,” Clementine said. “Even if nothing happened, that sort of thing is not good for Abbey’s reputation.”
Sybil frowned. On that subject, she had to agree. “I’ll have a word with Abbey,” she said.
“I think that would be wise,” Clementine said, satisfied with the result. “I’m not jealous, you understand. I know Jack loves me, but I don’t want people talking. I don’t want to appear foolish should stories start getting around.”
So much for Abbey’s reputation, Sybil thought. Clementine was obviously more worried about her own.
***
After breakfast, which was served by a very surly Sabu, who refused to utter a word to anyone, Sybil asked Abbey if they could talk alone. Jack hurried back to his rams, taking some breakfast to Fred Roundtree, who wouldn’t come up to the house until he’d washed. Tom went home to check on his cattle, as some of them were calving, but promised to be back for lunch. William and Martha were staying for lunch, but intended to head home afterwards.
Jack promised to help Tom dig the bore at his place that afternoon. William said he’d have to clear the barn site of debris before they could begin constructing a new one. To help the process along, they promised to help him cut wood over the next few days.
Sybil and Abbey took their tea into the living room.
“What did you want to talk to me about, Mrs. Hawker?” Abbey asked. She was feeling a little queasy, so she put her tea down.
Sybil came straight to the point. “Abbey, twice now you’ve spent the night in the barn with my son,” she said in a gentle tone. She didn’t want Abbey to think she was reprimanding her, as it was no doubt all quite chaste, but she wanted her to think of her reputation.
Abbey’s eyes widened.
“I know Jack is a gentleman, and I don’t think badly of you, but you have your good name to consider.”
Abbey was dismayed. “We’ve only been looking after Max,” she said, verging on tears. “It was all very innocent, I can assure you.” She felt her cheeks grow warm when she thought of the kiss they’d shared, but she hoped that Sybil wouldn’t notice.
“I know, dear, but you should have let Jack handle that situation,” Sybil said.
Abbey couldn’t say that they’d been watching the Kurdaitcha man perform a ritual to rid Max of evil spirits. “He was upset,” she said, her bottom lip trembling. Tears began streaming down her face, which was as much a shock to her as to Sybil. Her emotions were suddenly all over the place, something she didn’t understand.
“I didn’t mean to upset you, Abbey,” Sybil said, thinking her reaction was a bit strong.
Suddenly Abbey felt the urge to vomit. “Excuse me,” she blurted out and ran from the room with her hand over her mouth.
Sybil was shocked. She hadn’t expected such a reaction. Clementine had been waiting in the kitchen when Abbey dashed toward the backdoor. She gaped at her retreating figure and then went into the living room, looking for Sybil.
“Abbey’s in a bit of a state. What did she say?” She half wondered if Sybil’s companion had confessed to something improper.
“Not very much. I was as gentle as I could be, so I’m a bit surprised by her reaction myself.”
Clementine was more convinced than ever that Abbey’s reaction was from guilt.
***
Outside, Abbey vomited. Elsa was doing laundry and heard her.
“Are you ill, Abbey?” she asked, giving her a damp towel to wipe her face.
Despite her churning stomach, Abbey shook her head, but she was as white as the bed-sheets Elsa had hung on the washing line. “I just feel a little queasy.”
Elsa scrutinised her. “Oh, by the way—did Mr. Hawker tell you that Mr. Mason was here yesterday afternoon?” she asked. She’d only just remembered herself.
Abbey straightened up. “No,” she said, frowning and a little breathless. “What did he want?”
“He wanted to see you, but you were helpin’ the young Mrs. Hawker have the baby.”
Abbey was confused about why Jack hadn’t mentioned that Heath had called, but then she reminded herself that he’d had a lot on his mind. It also occurred to her that Jack wouldn’t have been happy that Heath had called, because he had reservations about him. Still, he could have trusted her enough to tell her. She could feel her emotions wash over her again and began to weep.
What’s the matter with me? Abbey asked herself. She’d never felt like this before.
***
A few minutes later, when Abbey felt better and was able to compose herself, she went inside. Sybil and Clementine were in the kitchen, where Sybil was serving tea at the table.
“Are you all right, Abbey?” Sybil asked. She felt awful for upsetting her so much that she’d become sick.
Abbey nodded and sat down. Sybil offered her a glass of water, but Abbey suddenly had a yearning for sweet, black tea. She normally had her tea white, with no sugar. Just then there was a knock on the front door. Sybil sent Marie to answer it.
It was Heath Mason, and he asked to speak to Abbey. Marie showed him into the living room and then went to the kitchen to inform Abbey that she had a visitor.
“Who is it?” Abbey asked. She didn’t feel like seeing anyone.
“Mr. Mason,” Marie told her.
“Do you want me to tell him you’re not up to receiving company?” Sybil asked Abbey, wanting to be helpful.
“No, he’s come a long way,” Abbey said. “I’ll see him.” She went through to the living room, while Sybil and Clementine remained in the kitchen.
“Good morning, Heath,” Abbey said, trying to appear normal.
“Good morning, Abbey,” Heath said. He gave her his most disarming smile. He was about to pay her a compliment, but noticed she didn’t look well. “You are a little pale this morning,” he said. “Aren’t you feeling well?”
“I’m a little out of sorts,” Abbey said bravely. She felt like crying again, and it took a great deal of effort to keep her composure. “What brings you out to Bungaree?”
“I was here yesterday afternoon. Did Jack tell you?”
“No,” Abbey said, looking down at her hands in her lap. “But a lot has happened in the past twenty-four hours. Elsa only just told me that you called.”
Heath wasn’t surprised, but he still had to suppress his anger. “I heard that you were helping Mr. Hawker’s sister-in-law deliver her baby. You’re a very brave young woman.”
“I don’t know about that,” Abbey said, uncomfortable with the compliment. “I just did what I could. She did all the work.”
“Are she and the baby doing well?” Heath was just making small talk, biding his time before he came to the point of his visit.
“Yes, they’re fine. Would you like tea?” Abbey hoped he wouldn’t stay long. She felt like lying down for a while.
“No, I won’t stay, as I have business to attend to, and you are obviously not feeling well. I only came to ask you if you’d
do me the honour of attending a dance in Manoora with me on Sunday evening. I know it’s short notice, but I’ve only just learned about it myself.”
Abbey was taken by surprise, and the first thing that flashed through her mind was what Sybil had said about her reputation. “I don’t know,” she mumbled.
Sybil could hear their conversation. She knew what Abbey was thinking, and she felt awful for suggesting that Abbey’s reputation was suffering. She wished Clementine had never brought it up. She was confident that Abbey was an honourable girl, despite what Ebenezer Mason may have put her through, and that her son was a gentleman.
“Don’t you want to go?” Heath asked, feigning hurt pride. He was actually a bit panicked. His plan wouldn’t work if he couldn’t get her to leave Bungaree and Jack’s protection. “I thought you would accompany me as a friend.”
“I would like to go, but I’m not sure I can get away,” Abbey said. She noticed her hands were shaking, so she clasped them together.
“I don’t think Mrs. Hawker would mind,” Heath said. He couldn’t believe Jack’s mother would have any objection. He seriously doubted that Jack would confide in her that he was jealous. It wouldn’t look right—he was courting Clementine Feeble.
Sybil went through to the living room. “Forgive my intrusion, Mr. Mason,” she said. “I couldn’t help but overhear your request.” She looked at Abbey, who seemed half afraid of what she was going to say. “I overheard Mr. Mason ask you to a dance, Abbey, and I think it would do you good to get out and meet people. So, please, accept his invitation and go to the dance.”
Heath was relieved. Abbey, on the other hand, was surprised and a little confused.
Sybil looked at Heath. “You will have her home at a respectable hour, won’t you, Mr. Mason?”
“Yes, of course,” Heath lied. He had no intention of bringing her home until Monday night at the earliest. He felt confident, given plenty of time alone together, that he’d get Abbey to fall in love with him. He’d then see to it that rumors about her spending the weekend alone with him at Martindale were spread throughout the area, thus sullying her reputation. Marriage to him would be her only option. And thanks to Sybil, his plan was going perfectly.
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