‘No, not at all, my dear. How can I when we are afforded no relief from this insufferable heat?’ Esther fanned herself with her handkerchief.
‘You must get out of that dress, Mother.’ Pippa unpinned her bonnet and threw it on a chair. She poured two glasses of lemon water and handed one to Hilary. ‘Why not dress in cotton or linen? A simple blouse and a fine cotton skirt would be quite adequate. Fewer petticoats would help, too. Do you still wear your flannel one?’
‘Silence your outlandish tongue!’ Esther blushed. ‘Such talk in front of your father. I am ashamed of you.’
Exhaling noisily at her mother’s refusal to be more accommodating to their new life, Pippa sat down and picked up one of her father’s maps. ‘Have you seen anything notable yet, Father?’
‘No, not yet, Pippa, dear. Fortunately I am to collect more maps this afternoon. They are from a southern district in the Parish of Mittagong, which is within the County of Camden. I’m led to believe that certain areas are uncharted and the population is not many—’
‘I truly do not know what you do expect in this land of heat, flies, and dust!’ crowed Esther.
Gerald rolled his eyes at his daughters but refrained from comment. Since arriving in the country, he had tried to extol its virtues to his wife, but to no avail. How she would behave once they left the civilisation of Sydney for the primitive bush country was anyone’s guess. He cleared his throat. ‘Come morning, I will journey to New Town to ascertain the worth of two mares belonging to a man recently in from out west. He answered the notices I put in two of the Sydney papers. I received his missive today.’
‘Are they thoroughbreds, Father?’ Pippa asked.
‘Arabians, apparently. They may be just what we need to add to our stock.’
Pippa looked at him with an odd expression. ‘Arabs?’
‘This hard country needs a certain type of horse breed, and we should not be too rigid in our judgment of which breeds to specialise in. Not only will we breed top quality horseflesh for the gentleman, but also good, strong horses for transports. I have even considered dabbling in draught horses.’ Gerald’s last admission drew gasps from the women.
‘Draught horses! Good Lord, Gerald, are you mad? We are not farmers, but—’
‘Esther.’ Gerald held up his hand to silence her. ‘Draught horses are essential here. Indeed, from the talk I’ve heard and the men I’ve spoken to, they are very much in need of draught horses to help open up the bush for agriculture out west. Bullocks cannot do everything and are slow.’
‘We know little about breeding draught horses, Father. We have had little to do with that breed, except our own Ginger.’ Pippa frowned.
‘Yes, but with the new Clydesdale mare I bought on arriving, I am sure we can breed good stock. Besides, I do not feel they would be all that different from breeding saddle thoroughbreds or transport horses. It would be a challenge, would it not?’ He smiled at his family.
‘Mad! Quite mad!’ Esther retired to her bedroom and slammed the door.
‘Father, wouldn’t it be much more sensible to keep to one kind of horse until we have established our credentials?’ Hilary murmured. ‘Although we bred wonderful horses back home, no one knows us here.’
Gerald rubbed his forehead with the tip of his fingers and sighed. Their concerns made him double guess his intentions. ‘You might be right, my dear. I must not try to run before I can walk. I fear I am too impatient for my own good.’
‘Wait.’ Pippa rose and paced. ‘In the end we must breed for demand. If there are claims for draught horses, then we should not dismiss it out of hand. We must be open-minded. It can be something to think about for a later time.’
‘Indeed, but Hilary is right. We must first build our credentials.’ Gerald nodded, suddenly tired of worrying, of thinking and planning.
Pippa stopped by the window. ‘The thoroughbred used for controlling stock is what is needed here. The large sheep farms don’t always have time to breed their own horses and break them into the saddle. If we can build a supply ready to meet—’
A knock at the door interrupted them. On Gerald’s command, a young soldier entered, carrying a soft leather case. He bowed. ‘Sir, I come with communications from the offices of His Excellency, Governor Sir Charles FitzRoy, for a Mister Gerald Noble.’
‘I am he.’
The young soldier unclasped the leather case and brought forth a red-ribboned sealed letter. He handed it to Gerald.
‘Thank you.’
With another curt bow, the young man left the room.
Esther’s bedroom door opened and she darted to her husband’s side in a flurry of swaying skirts and trailing lace. She gripped her handkerchief to her breast. ‘What does it say?’
Untying the ribbon, Gerald unfolded the letter, read it in silence and then smiled. ‘I have been granted an audience with the Governor tomorrow morning.’
The three women gasped at such good news and all spoke at once.
‘Enough!’ Gerald grinned.
‘Am I to accompany you, husband?’ Esther frowned. ‘What should I wear, I wonder?’
‘No, not this time, my dear, this is business. I have waited for this letter for some time. On arriving in Sydney, or at least shortly thereafter, I presented myself at the Governor’s office to inquire about receiving an audience. I would have failed in my duty as a husband and father to not do so. A man must make himself known to those in a position to help him.’ He tried not to flinch at his own words, because failing had been all he’d done in England.
‘Father, the man in New Town?’ Pippa reminded him.
‘Blast it! Of all the inopportune times. I’ll have to send a note.’ Gerald scowled, slapping the letter against his thigh. ‘I can always rely on you to be two steps ahead of everyone else.’
Pippa slipped her hand through his arm and smiled. ‘There is no need to miss the appointment with the horse dealer, Father. I shall go in your place. You know there is nothing I don’t understand about horseflesh. I shall be able to tell whether they are worth purchasing.’
‘On no account will you travel around this town on your own, Philippa,’ Esther cried in alarm. ‘Why, the things one sees and hears. It’s so wild in parts that I fear for my life the minute I leave this room.’
‘Mother, I will be quite safe.’
‘Of course you will, but it is not on that account I will worry.’ Gerald rubbed his chin. ‘I cannot let you be in the company of a horse breeder of no acquaintance. He may not be all he seems and I would be foolish indeed if I let you go. It’s out of the question, my dear.’ He shook his head.
‘Oh, come now, Father, you know I don’t let anyone take advantage of me. More like the other way around, wouldn’t you agree?’ Pippa grinned.
‘No daughter of mine will traipse around this wild colonial town by herself.’ Esther sniffed, disapproval etched on her every feature.
‘I shall accompany her, Mother.’ Hilary patted her mother’s hand. ‘No harm will come to us if we are together.’
‘No, I say.’ Esther’s lips thinned in determination. ‘It’s unladylike to consort with riffraff.’
‘He says his horses are of excellent quality.’ Gerald hesitated, wondering if he could arrange another time with the man. ‘It is important, my dear—’
‘Absolutely.’ Pippa jumped in. ‘We must make the most of every chance to improve our stock. To be the best in the country, we have to buy the best. If we put him off, he may sell to someone else and the opportunity will be lost.’
Gerald swelled with pride. Pippa was the light of his heart. Such fire and passion. He held no doubts whatsoever about her ability to judge good horseflesh. Indeed, at times back home, she proved better than he had himself. ‘Very well, then, you both may go and see this man and his horses.’
Pippa kissed his cheek and his heart melted. It had been her contagious excitement after learning about his early plans to emigrate that finally persuaded him to leave England and start
again in a new country. It was for her and her children, his hope for grandsons, that drove him on to regain the heights of wealth and position that could be theirs if this venture achieved status and respectability and, most of all, fortune. He had to believe in her.
As the driver urged the horse to trot, Pippa studied the name and address on the note of paper her father handed her at the breakfast table. She had purposely dressed in a conservative style of navy and grey stripes. Her matching small hat of navy had two grey feathers pinned along the side. She frowned at Hilary’s frivolous outfit of lavender and white lace, the dainty straw hat perched on her head festooned with lavender ribbons. The last thing Pippa wanted was for this fellow to think they were stupid women. She needed to show him she was serious and to prove to her father she could handle business.
Hilary sighed. ‘Isn’t it pleasant to be away from our rooms?’
‘Yes. Time away from Mother’s never-ending complaints and sour expressions is a blessing.’
‘Shh, Pip, that’s not nice. She can’t help it.’
‘Nonsense. She doesn’t even try to accommodate our new life.’
Hilary took her hand. ‘Don’t spoil the morning.’ She turned towards the window. ‘We haven’t been in this part of the city before. Is New Town far outside of town?’
Pippa nodded. ‘Not too far out, I believe.’ Since arriving in the colony they had been on few outings: the odd picnic, a few theatre productions and dinners with the Hendersons. She was eager to experience anything new. ‘Do you know that man I sat next to at the Hendersons’ dinner party last week? Apparently, he has been south to Melbourne and he says there are parts of this country that get snow in winter.’
‘Really?’ Hilary looked surprised. Then her face saddened. ‘It might be snowing at home now.’
Pippa nudged her. ‘Do not talk of England! This is our home now. Do I have to continue to keep reminding you?’
‘Sorry.’
Pippa took a deep breath, not wanting to remember England and the pain she had left behind. For a moment the image of Grant Lindfield rose, but she ignored it. He wasn’t worthy of her time. She summoned all her determination and thrust the memories from her mind. She tossed her head. ‘I want to see every bit of this country. I am resolute in doing so.’
For a short time they travelled through dusty streets lined with small houses in various degrees of habitation, and then the road widened. Numerous cottages with little front gardens appeared, and plots of land opened up the area for several miles until once more the streets tapered. Narrow, terraced houses built in rows on each side of the road filled the view from the hansom cab’s windows.
The driver reined in his horse outside the Brass Bells, a hotel in desperate need of a fresh coat of paint.
Pippa and Hilary descended from the cab and looked around at the filthy litter and the assortment of children that ran barefoot back and forth across the dusty main street. The children clamoured up to them with grubby little hands held out for pennies.
Hilary clutched Pippa’s arm, her expression one of despair.
‘We’ve no money to give you, so go away.’ Pippa eyed the nearest boys, who pushed and shoved.
The driver took off his hat and wiped his forehead clear of sweat with the back of his hand. ‘Are you ladies certain you’re in the right place?’
‘Yes. This is the hotel named.’ Pippa nodded and, lifting her chin, she gestured for Hilary to follow her.
The driver replaced his hat and climbed down from his seat. He took a step towards the hotel front door. ‘How ’bout I goes in an’ ask fer t’ fella you’re after?’ His gaze raked over them with a subtle hint.
‘Oh, yes, do let him go in, Pippa.’ Hilary took a step back in relief.
Pippa told him the fellow’s name that they sought and waited with Hilary as he disappeared inside the hotel. A few minutes later he reappeared with a man dressed in a long brown coat with fawn trousers and a dusty, wide-brimmed felt hat.
‘Mr Briggs? Jonas Briggs?’ Pippa frowned, not knowing what she had expected. Certainly not a gentleman, but not an unwashed bushman, either.
‘Aye. Who may you two be, then?’ Briggs scowled. ‘I’ve no time for games.’
‘Noble. You answered our father’s advertisement and sent a note about your quality horse stock. He cannot make your appointment and we have come in his place.’
‘I don’t deal with women.’ The man spat chewed tobacco onto the ground at their feet, making Hilary jump at such coarseness.
‘And we, sir, do not deal with such ungentleman-like behaviour. Come, Hilary, we are wasting our time.’ She spun on her heel. ‘I’m certain our money will be more agreeable to someone else.’
‘Wait!’ Briggs stepped forward.
Pausing, she raised an eyebrow. ‘Yes?’
He tilted his hat back a little on his head so that he could see them better and shrugged. ‘Mebbe I could show you me horses.’
‘Really, sir, I fail to see how such behaviour as you have shown to us would induce me to do business with you. Good day.’
‘Look, me horses are worth your time if nothin’ else. They’re stabled round the corner and their quality will speak for themselves.’ Briggs walked in the direction of the stables and, after some hesitation, Pippa followed with Hilary clinging to her arm.
They turned into a lane and through the double wooden doors of a large stable and carriage yard. The sun penetrated half a yard beyond the opening of the stable, but the rest was dim and shadowy. Dust rose with their footsteps, disturbing flies, which gathered about their heads. In the rising heat of the day, the smell of manure became thick in the air.
Pippa halted. ‘Bring them out. We will wait outside.’
A minute later, Briggs led out his two mares. In the bright sunshine, their chestnut coats shone and gold tinted their copper manes. Both mares stood with their heads held high and took an interest in the yard.
Stepping closer, Pippa stroked the nose of each one and looked into their eyes. To Hilary’s gasp of consternation, she also pried open their mouths. After checking the horses’ teeth and legs, she asked Briggs to pick up each of their hooves and she inspected them, too. For over twenty minutes, Pippa instructed Briggs to walk, trot, and then ride the mares as she assessed their merits.
Hilary abandoned all pretence of interest and went to stand against the wall in the shade, constantly waving away the flies.
‘So, Mr Briggs, you say both mares come from the same sire, a Barb thoroughbred stallion from Cape Town?’ Pippa mused, stroking one mare’s mane.
‘Aye. The stallion died two years back.’
She stared at him, daring him to lie to her. He was a working-class man, how had he bought such expensive horses? ‘The stallion belonged to you?’
‘No, he belonged to a man I did business for.’
‘Then how did you come to own such excellent mares as these?’
‘They were a part of his estate, and when he died they were willed to me for services rendered.’ Briggs eyed Pippa, openly defying her suspicions.
‘You have papers, then, I presume?’
Briggs reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper tied with black ribbon. ‘Here, you’ll see they are in order.’ He passed the papers over. ‘I’m not a thief, if that’s what you’re thinking.’
Pippa took a minute to read them. ‘Tell me, Mr Briggs, why is it you wish to sell such fine mares? Surely you could start breeding them yourself?’
‘Yes, I could, and had planned to, but I’m goin’ to America instead. Gold has been found in California an’ I intend to get meself some.’
‘I see …’ Pippa swallowed. Her heart fluttered. She had to do the deal. She wanted these excellent mares but was nervous as to what price they could afford. ‘Well, I will give you twenty pounds for each mare.’
‘Twenty pounds!’ Briggs swore. ‘They’re worth more than that. I want at least fifty pounds each for ’em.’
‘
I will not finance your trip to America for you, sir. I’ll give you forty-five pounds for the pair.’
‘Forty-five pounds! That’s robbery. I’ll take seventy-five pounds the pair.’
Pippa raised her chin and stared at him. Her heart thumped like a drum against her ribs. ‘Sixty-five pounds. Take it or leave it. That is the best offer you’ll get today and I’m not the one wanting to go to America.’ She walked over to Hilary and waited for the man to make up his mind. The horses were worth more than she offered, but this was business and they had limited funds.
‘You’re a hard woman, Miss Noble,’ Briggs grumbled on joining them. ‘You’ll do well in this colony.’ He held out his hand.
She took it and cemented the deal while fighting the urge to grin. ‘Hilary, give Mr Briggs our card.’
Later, when they walked into their hotel’s foyer, Pippa wasn’t surprised to see her father waiting for them.
He gave them each a kiss on the cheek and then led them into a small parlour used by the guests. ‘Well, my dears, how did it go?’
Pippa sat at a small table and smiled at him. ‘They were quality mares, Father. I’ve got the proof of sale, too, so there can be no mistake.’
‘Pedigree?’
‘Barb thoroughbred. I bought the pair for sixty-five pounds. A bargain.’ She knew every penny had to be accounted for and suddenly wondered if she’d done the right thing. ‘Did I pay too much?’
Gerald shook his head. ‘If you think they are worth it, then you did well. Together with our stock, we will be breeding fine foals in no time.’
‘And the visit with the Governor, Father?’ Hilary asked. ‘It went well?’
‘Excellent. Excellent, indeed! A great man! He was most interested in our venture and suitably impressed when I told him of our scheme to breed the finest thoroughbreds in the colony.’
‘But land, Father, what did he say about that?’ Pippa leant forward. She wanted acres and acres of land. Land meant security, a home of their own. In her mind’s eye she saw rolling fields of knee high grass and a flowing river. She needed to build something secure, a home, and an estate that said the Nobles weren’t finished, they weren’t useless and worthless. She would show them back home in England. This family would rise again. Grant came into her mind and she clenched her fists. She would definitely show him! He’d regret refusing her, she’d make sure of it.
Where Rainbows End Page 2