He returned the ledger to the bookshelf, pulled down the blind and let himself out the back of the shop. Mr Hemming and Miss Ferguson would close up. He turned up his collar and walked slowly along the back lane. The weather had been sunny in the morning but the late afternoon had turned chilly. The dull sky matched his mood. With Charles away for a few days he had been looking forward to relaxing in Flora’s company. Now the anticipation was spoiled. Edith was obviously sneaky. He felt as if he would always be looking over his shoulder.
The ring of a bell made him look up.
“Watch out,” came a sharp call.
A young lad wobbled around Henry on a bicycle.
“Sorry, Mr Wiltshire,” the lad called over his shoulder. “I’m still learning how to drive this thing.”
Henry watched as the boy and bicycle careered on along the street. He had wanted Charles to ride a bicycle, learn about them and stock them. Perhaps in their current economic circumstances it was best that idea hadn’t been taken up. Still, Henry did think perhaps bicycles would eventually become more popular and certainly cheaper to run than horses.
He turned and made his way to the front gate. A swish of the sitting-room curtain gave Laura away and his spirits lifted. There was a fumbling sound from the other side of the front door as he put his key in the lock. The door opened to reveal his dear little daughter. Her face glowed and her shining hair had been pulled back with a wide pink ribbon. She gave a little clap of her hands.
“Papa,” she cried.
Henry scooped her into his arms. A soft kiss landed on first his left cheek and then his right. He kissed the top of her sweet-smelling head and smiled. No matter what happened he had his little Laura to sweep away his cares with her smiles and her kisses.
“Good evening, Mr Wiltshire.”
He looked over Laura’s head to Mrs Nixon, who was walking towards him along the hall, a gentle smile on her face.
He glanced back at Laura. She was three and a half now and perhaps getting to an age where she might begin to notice the closeness between her father and his housekeeper. And in light of Edith’s revelation perhaps he needed to be more careful even in his own home.
He gave a curt nod. “Mrs Nixon.”
She paused. Her face reset in the expressionless look she maintained for times when they were not alone. “Would you care for some refreshments now?”
Henry looked at his daughter, now studiously trying to undo the tie at his neck.
“I think I shall dine early tonight, Mrs Nixon. I shall eat with Laura and then perhaps I shall retire early as well. I’ve had a busy day.” He met Flora’s expressionless gaze. “I need a good night’s sleep.”
“Very well, Mr Wiltshire. Will you eat in the kitchen or the dining room?”
Henry paused. When Charles was away Henry often ate in the kitchen with Flora and Laura. It was always a happy occasion.
“The dining room.”
She gave a slight inclination of her head. “I will have it ready for you soon.”
Henry watched sadly as Flora made her way steadily back along the hall. He lamented the day Charles had brought Edith Ferguson into their lives. She had ruined everything.
Thirty-five
William stood in front of the golden wattle arch and waited for his bride. The scent of the little yellow flowers was so strong it had set the reverend sneezing and they’d had to move slightly forward of the pollen-laden decoration.
Robert had built the arch while Thomas went off in the cart the previous day to gather the wattle the two men had then woven through the structure. Inside the house were several bunches of wildflowers Millie and the little children had gathered. The rain that had fallen several months back now had been enough to encourage some flowers
Once more William put his finger inside the collar of the new white shirt Millie had made for him. It was mid-morning but already quite warm even though they had some shade from the house. He glanced around at the small group of family and friends gathered: Clem and Jessie holding baby Haji, and Hegarty looking the cleanest William had ever seen him in a brown shirt and trousers held up by a new pair of blue and tan striped suspenders. Millie and the two little girls, wearing their best dresses, stood with Robert, who was also looking very smart and was holding Matthew in his arms. Georgina had asked Thomas if he would walk with her from his cottage where she had been staying since they’d arrived at Wildu Creek two days earlier.
William wished his father could be there but he was still in the south. Millie had received a letter from him only the day before: he hoped to be home for Christmas. Neither William nor Georgina wanted to wait any longer. William had sent word to Mrs Prosser with the date and place of the marriage. He had thought she might relent and come to her only daughter’s wedding but there had been no reply.
Today was to be a simple affair, apart from the golden arch and the huge morning tea Millie had prepared to follow the official ceremony. They would celebrate in a few months with a meal when his father was home again.
A murmur went through the assembled group. William shifted his gaze to the path and was rewarded by the sight of Georgina on Thomas’s arm. They were walking slowly towards him. Georgina’s gaze locked with his and in that moment he knew everything they’d been through no longer mattered. From this day, as he knew the reverend was about to say, they would be together as man and wife always.
“Don’t you look handsome?” Georgina murmured as she reached his side.
William swallowed. His tongue felt too big for his mouth. Hegarty gave a low whistle.
“What a beautiful dress,” whispered Ruth.
William took Georgina’s hand and swept his gaze over her. Her hair was piled on top of her head, the curls and a small sprig of purple flowers kept in place by clips, and she wore the lace dress she’d worn the night he’d proposed, which made her look as if she belonged in a palace rather than on a cattle run. “You are beautiful,” he said.
“Luckily Mother sent the case of clothes I hadn’t unpacked from my trip to Hawker or I might have been wearing a pair of riding trousers.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered.” He leaned closer. “You’d still be beautiful.”
“Are you ready to begin?” The reverend gave them an encouraging smile and in a very short time they were husband and wife.
William took Georgina in his arms and kissed her until they both gasped for breath and Hegarty’s whistle became a loud shrill. The younger children cheered and Robert gave a loud whoop, which startled Haji so much he began to cry. Adding her laughter to the commotion, Millie ushered them inside. William wrapped an arm around Georgina and they followed the group to the large dining room that was rarely used but was decorated with wildflowers for the wedding day. The table was covered with a white cloth and loaded with food.
“Are you expecting shearers as well, Millie?” William put his other arm around his stepmother.
“I’ll pack some for you to take with you. You won’t need to worry about cooking for a few days.” She gave them a cheeky smile then left them to supervise the morning tea.
William was pleased to see her look so happy. Her anxious expression was banished today.
Beth and Ruth came and wanted to touch the lace of Georgina’s dress. She happily obliged them, bending down to show them the layers.
“Robert and I will stay on here for a few days.” Hegarty stood on William’s other side, plate loaded with food already in his hand. “Clem will start back tomorrow and check cattle along the way. I’ve all but finished working on the wagon at Smith’s Ridge, so I thought I’d stay here and help Robert with the finishing touches to the Wildu Creek one.” He gave William a wink. “Once that’s done we’ll set off for the mines. You won’t see much of us for a while.”
“Thanks, Hegarty.” They’d discussed the transport business extensively in the last week. Now that William was a married man it had been decided Robert and Hegarty would be the ones to set off with the wagons. In the current
climate Clem and William would manage Smith’s Ridge between them. William hoped once Albie felt stronger they could also find him work on the property.
Hegarty shoved one of Millie’s small savoury tarts in his mouth. “These are good,” he mumbled. “You’d better eat. You need to keep your strength up.” He gave him a nudge.
William was grateful for the older man’s help. He’d been a good friend to Joseph and now to Joseph’s son. Thanks to his thoughtfulness, William and Georgina would have a few days at the Smith’s Ridge house almost by themselves, with Albie off in the shearer’s quarters, and Clem and Jessie likely confining themselves to their hut during the honeymoon.
Ruth and Beth had finished admiring Georgina’s dress and as she stood he kissed her. “Ready to go?”
“This fellow’s in a hurry to get his bride home.”
Georgina’s cheeks went pink as Hegarty burst into raucous laughter and belted William on the back.
Charles left his horse tethered in the trees a distance from the Smith’s Ridge homestead and made his way closer on foot. Johanna had told him the day and place of Baker’s wedding so he was fairly sure there would be no-one there, but he was being cautious. Someone might have stayed behind. No tell-tale smoke puffed from chimneys, and doors and gates were closed. The hens were shut in their yard, only a few horses stood patiently in the small paddock and there was no sign of the cart he knew William owned.
Feeling more confident, Charles walked up the path towards the house, past rows of vegetables, and came to a stop at the door. At one end of the verandah the space was enclosed with what he assumed was the wash house. At the other end a bed sat in the corner, a blanket folded at one end and some hessian draped from the verandah roof as a crude privacy curtain.
He lifted his hand to knock then thought better of it and pushed the door open. It scraped on the rough floor and opened into a kitchen. It was a big space with a large oven in the fireplace and a solid table and chairs. Utensils were hung above the mantle or were neatly stacked on benches. No fire burned in the grate and there was an empty ring to his footsteps on the floor.
He opened a side door. It led to a bedroom where there was evidence of male habitation. He closed the door and went into the big front room, where two more doors opened off. Once more his footsteps echoed on the bare wooden floor. He marvelled at Georgina’s acceptance of this crude house after the luxury of his home in Hawker and even the much better structure and furnishings of her family home.
The first door he opened revealed a bedroom that was simply furnished with two single beds and looked unused. It was the front bedroom that drove a stab of envy through his chest. It had definitely benefited from a woman’s touch.
The curtains were drawn, but the fabric was not heavy enough to block the brightness of the midday light. The double bed looked freshly made and a blue day gown hung on the hook behind the door. He slid his fingers down the silky fabric. Several items of lady’s clothing — Georgina’s — hung from a rail that extended along one wall, but there were no male items and only two pairs of lady’s shoes sat neatly side by side below it. The third bedroom had obviously been inhabited by a man; perhaps that was William’s attempt at being a gentleman.
Charles drew in a breath. The room itself had a scent he recognised. He lifted his head and inhaled deeply. Once more the pain stabbed at him. Violets.
He crossed the room in two strides and picked a small china bottle from the dresser where several little glass dishes held assorted jewellery. He put the bottle to his nose then flung out his arm. How he’d like to smash it. Georgina would rue the day she turned her back on him: Charles would make sure of it. He carefully replaced the bottle, gave the room one more cursory glance and retraced his steps.
He looked in each room again but nothing stood out to him as a likely option for sabotage. Outside, the bright sunlight assaulted his eyes. He pulled down the brim of his hat and looked around. Smith’s Ridge had not been his intended destination, yet there he was. He’d paid Mrs Prosser a courtesy visit on his way back from the mine, and the poor woman had been distraught, telling him Georgina was going ahead with her foolhardy marriage to William Baker. The idea had come to him then that perhaps he could have some sweet revenge on William and Georgina, do something they would never suspect as foul play but which would cause them pain.
His inspection took him in the direction of the shearing shed and in its shadow was a wagon. Someone had obviously been working on it. Some of the wheel struts were new and the side rails had been given a coat of paint. He looked from the new timber to the grey of the old struts. Several tools were stacked beside a chopping block. Charles gave a self-satisfied smile. One of them was a saw. He slipped off his jacket and laid it on the ground under the wheel, then he picked up the saw, lowered himself to the jacket and began to work.
It didn’t take him long to be content that once this wagon was loaded, the struts would eventually give way and break. The cuts he’d made were unevenly spaced, so he hoped the wood would snap in jagged lines rather than look as if they’d been cut through.
Charles dusted himself off and shook out his jacket. It would be a small victory but he felt sure only one of many barbs he would poke in William’s side. He looked around. The ground was already well scattered with sawdust so he didn’t think the extra he had made would be noticed. He replaced the saw and, feeling rather pleased with himself, he turned his back on the hovels of Smith’s Ridge and headed back to his horse. He pulled his handkerchief from his pocket as he walked and mopped his brow.
“What are you doing there?”
The yell startled Charles. He glanced back over his shoulder and saw a man way back across the yard near the shearing shed. He was waving a rifle.
Charles ran. The thud of his heart in his chest drummed in his ears. He crossed the space to the trees where he’d left his horse and almost dropped his jacket in his haste to climb into the saddle. He galloped away expecting to hear the sound of a shot at any moment, but none came.
He looked back but there were trees behind him now. He’d been lucky the man, whoever he was, hadn’t discovered him when he’d been in the house or, even worse, sawing the wagon-wheel struts.
Once he was sure there was no-one in pursuit, Charles eased his horse back to a trot and took some calming breaths. He had his own wedding to prepare for and it was to be a grand affair. Henry had wanted to keep it small but Charles had insisted on a celebration the district wouldn’t forget. Even Mrs Prosser had been invited. He would show Georgina, whose own mother hadn’t attended her rushed nuptials, what she had given up to become Mrs William Baker.
Thirty-six
William woke to the sweet smell of violets and the soft warmth of Georgina in his arms. Beyond the curtain there was only a gentle lightening of night to day. It was early and he’d awoken with the feeling of a man who’d slept well. He eased over to the edge of the bed and an arm wrapped around his chest.
“Where are you going?” Georgina’s voice was husky from sleep.
He rolled back and kissed her nose. “To work.”
She opened one eye. “But it’s early.”
“Clem and Albie have been good about giving us some time to ourselves but we can’t stay inside forever.”
Georgina pushed him back. He let her and held her in his arms as she rolled on top of him. “We’ve a lot of lost time to make up for, William Baker.”
“We have.”
“Surely we can stay in bed just a little longer this morning.”
She traced a finger lazily down his cheek to his lips.
“We’ve already spent a lot of time in this bed.”
Her eyes sparkled. “Are you complaining?”
His hands moved over her back, adjusting her body to fit snugly against his. It had only been two nights since their wedding, but he already knew every little inch of her. “No.”
“That’s just as well, because there’s something you need to do before you leave this room.”
Her gaze held his and then she slowly lowered her lips to his. William returned her kiss and pressed her even closer. He closed his eyes, thoughts of the work that needed doing already banished as his body responded to her caress.
The sun was a golden ball above the ridge before William finally stepped out his back door to face the day. Georgina was beside him and they set off along the path towards Clem’s hut.
Jessie was hanging clothes on the line. She smiled shyly at their approach. “Good morning.”
“It’s a beautiful one.” Georgina smiled back and bent down to play with Haji, who was propped up in a basket at Jessie’s feet.
“Is Clem here?” William asked.
“No, he’s checking waterholes. I don’t expect him back until this evening.”
William glanced towards the horse yards. He’d only had brief conversations with his friend over the last two days. He and Jessie had kept away from the house.
“I hope he’ll be home for dinner,” Georgina said. “I’m cooking for all of us tonight.”
“You don’t have to,” Jessie said.
“I insist.” Georgina stood up. “William tells me I must be more sociable.”
He met the cheeky look she gave him. “Is that what I said?”
“It will be lovely to have a woman’s company, Jessie.”
“And there are plans to be made.” He ignored his wife’s teasing. “We can do that over the meal.”
The women discussed food and William’s gaze was drawn to Albie, who was slowly making his way back from the direction of the hen house, a bowl in his hands.
William met him at the gate. Albie nodded in response to his greeting and lifted the bowl full of eggs.
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