Chapter Eight
Christmas, the New Year, and January had come and gone in a blaze of hot, dry weather. Her family had remained in Sydney, for her father was still not well enough to travel, and Pippa had celebrated the holidays quietly with Millie and Davy and shared a lovely evening with the Merediths the day after Christmas. She’d bought a keg of ale for the men and toasted in the New Year of eighteen fifty-one with them. She and Millie had even managed a few dances around the fire while the men took turns as their partners and Jim O’Reilly played tunes on his tin whistle. But, despite the hilarity, she missed her family. It’d been the first Christmas she had spent without them.
Now, as January finished and February began, heat sizzled the valley into a shimmering summer haze. The creek still ran, but its flow had dwindled to a foot deep, and in places, less than that. Pippa soaked her handkerchief in the cool water. Wringing it out, she placed it on the back of her neck and sighed at the welcome coolness.
Behind her, Millie sat under the tree mixing damper dough. ‘Pippa. Someone comes.’
Turning, she looked toward the track and studied a vehicle rattling its way to them in a cloud of dust.
‘Is it the Merediths?’ Millie washed her hands in a bucket and joined her.
‘I don’t know.’ Squinting in the harsh sunlight, Pippa tried to make out the occupants. ‘Amelia said she’d call tomorrow and bring some of her cheese …’
Suddenly Pippa felt it – an indescribable feeling – and she abruptly knew who sat in the seat of the wagon. Gathering up her skirts, she crossed the creek’s footbridge and ran towards the wagon.
The driver halted the transport some distance away, and through the dust cloud surrounding it, a figure climbed down and waved.
‘Hilary!’
‘Pippa!’
Laughing, Pippa ran and embraced her twin like she would never let her go. ‘Oh, Hil, Hil! I can’t tell you how glad I am to see you. I thought you all had forgotten me.’ Silly tears spilt over her lashes.
‘Dear Pippa.’ Hilary kissed her cheeks. ‘We were so worried. Father is frantic to return here.’
‘How is he? Why didn’t he come?’
‘Yes, well, he is a little better now, but he was dreadfully sick when he arrived back in Sydney and Mother was beside herself. It’s been terrible, his heart, you know. Mother and I have worried between the pair of you.’ Hilary’s face creased with concern as her gaze roamed over Pippa, looking for traces of injury.
‘You should know by now I can take care of myself.’ Pippa tossed her head, but smiled. ‘And Father has improved a little? The truth now.’
‘Yes. He was desperate to come, only Mother forbade it. He isn’t strong enough for the journey, but it won’t be long before he will be. The doctor is pleased with his progress.’
Pippa squeezed Hilary’s hands. ‘I’m so happy you’re here.’ Then, as the dust settled, she noticed the extra man in the back of the wagon and, unbelievably, the stallion, Noble Blaze, and the mares she’d bought in New Town. ‘You’ve brought the horses!’ She let go of Hilary and went to them.
‘Yes. It was an easy journey, which I will be forever grateful for.’ Hilary followed her and nodded to the man who jumped down from the wagon. ‘This is John Lowe, a new groom father hired and a good man. He took excellent care of the horses.’
Pippa nodded to him. ‘Thank you. You’ll be paid well for your diligence.’
He dipped his hat in acknowledgement. ‘Everything went according to plan. The mares and Blaze travelled well. We didn’t push them, due to the mares’ condition.’
‘Condition?’
He looked at her. ‘They are both in foal.’
Pippa gasped. ‘Already? I thought my father wanted to wait until they were here.’
‘It made sense, Pip. While he’s been recovering he knew time was wasting.’ Hilary swiped away an annoying fly.
‘So they will foal when?’ Pippa looked to Mr Lowe.
‘October, Miss Noble.’
‘Father wanted them grazing on Noble land as soon as possible, but until he found Mr Lowe, he wasn’t prepared to let them make the journey.’ Hilary again swatted at a persistent fly. ‘It seemed ridiculous to pay for stabling when we have it all here. Your letters have kept him in a constant state of excitement. He cannot believe you’ve established so much so soon.’
‘There, my good boy.’ Pippa rubbed her hand along Noble Blaze’s neck. ‘The stables are ready and waiting to be filled.’
‘Pippa, dearest, I care little about stables at the moment. I’d much prefer to sit down and drink something cool.’
‘Yes. Yes, of course!’ Pippa returned and linked her arm through her sister’s. ‘Mr Lowe, drive the cart over to the stables. Robson, my overseer, will meet you.’
Hilary turned to stare at the huts across the creek as Lowe climbed on the cart. ‘Is there room for me?’
‘Of course. This is your home now. The house isn’t finished yet, but it will be soon. Come meet Millie and Davy. You will like them immediately.’
Hilary gripped Pippa’s hand. ‘There is some news to impart. However, it can wait until later when we are alone. I am eager to meet Millie.’
While Hilary chatted with Millie and Davy, Pippa went to the stables to oversee the horses being settled into their new stalls. Chalker, the groom Pippa had hired in Berrima, offered his opinion on the quality of the horses’ care and, despite Robson’s order for him to tend to his own work, he hung near Pippa, giving her advice as though she’d never seen a horse before. Finally, out of patience, she silenced him with a cold stare and left the stables.
After a simple dinner of wallaby stew, Pippa read letters from her parents. Included in the letters was money, and she made up the men’s wages before giving them permission to take the wagon and go into Berrima for the night.
As dusk coated the country in gold and pink hues, the women reorganised the hut. Robson pitched a tent for Millie and Davy to sleep in, leaving Hilary and Pippa to share the double bed.
Pippa lit a candle stub as crickets started their night time serenade. ‘Earlier you spoke of some news you had to tell me?’ She glanced at Hilary and climbed into bed.
Hilary fiddled with her hairbrush as tears sprang to her eyes. ‘Yes, I do. It’s been a weight on my shoulders carrying this news.’
Alarmed, Pippa took her hand. ‘Whatever is it?’
‘Howard Lindfield has died. Father received a letter from his solicitor recently.’
‘No! Howard? I cannot believe it.’
‘Apparently he was ill for a while.’
Pippa’s throat tightened. ‘But he seemed well the last time we saw him.’
‘He died only a week after our departure.’
‘All this time and we’ve not known.’
Hilary shrugged. ‘That is such a problem out here, isn’t it? Letters and news take so long to reach us. Father wrote to Howard’s solicitor and also sent a letter to Grant.’ She looked under her lashes at Pippa.
‘Yes, Grant has lost his father.’ Pippa picked at the blanket, fighting to keep the memories at bay. ‘But then, Grant had already abandoned him.’
Hilary gasped at her harsh words. ‘Oh, that is uncalled for. Grant is allowed to make his own way in the world.’
Pippa sniffed, uncaring. ‘Howard idolised Grant, his only son and heir, and what did Grant do? He left his aging father alone in that great mausoleum of a house with no one to share his days with.’
‘You are too hard. Howard wanted Grant to fulfil his ambitions, he encouraged him to go.’
‘To escape me.’
‘No …’
‘Liar.’ Pippa swallowed, remembering the all-consuming love she’d felt for Grant. ‘Yes, well, Grant can now live in that great big house alone and see what it feels like, if he ever returns from India.’ Her love and hate bordered a very fine line.
‘The solicitor mentioned that he was to come home from the East. Of course, he would need to sort out l
egal matters. Father said it would be Grant’s good nature which will decide how we are to live here in Australia.’
‘How can that be?’ Pippa glared, shocked. ‘How can he be of importance to us?’
‘Why the partnership of the stud, have you forgotten that Howard’s loan enabled us to start again out here?’
‘No, but a deal is a deal. Grant mustn’t be allowed to go back on it.’ She tugged at the sheets on the bed and straightened them again. ‘I refuse to be dependent on Grant Lindfield.’
‘Father does not have the money to give back now. It’s all been spent here in the valley.’ Hilary gazed down at the hairbrush she toyed with. ‘In fact, Father has very little money.’
Anxious, Pippa stared. ‘What do you know?’
‘Father hinted that he would have to make some harsh decisions as to how we will live our lives, which of course upset Mother, and she insisted we go back to England, but then she met some old friends and has been happy since then.’
Confused, she frowned. ‘Mother met some old friends?’
‘Yes, the Talbot family from Kent.’ Hilary began braiding her hair. ‘Apparently, they are Mother’s family’s friends. She lost touch with them after she married Father, and we can imagine why that happened.’ Hilary gave her a knowing look. ‘Anyway, the Talbots now live near Hawkesbury River, some distance from Sydney. They have a large property and are quite wealthy. They invited Father and Mother to stay with them until our own house is built, and also to get Father away from the city streets with all their dust. They are very kind. I’m sure he will recuperate much faster with them than in that poky hotel.’
Pippa listened in stunned silence as Hilary told her about the friendship that had sprung up between their mother and this family, especially Mrs Rose Talbot. What a wonderful coincidence that her mother had friends here in this country. Perhaps she would realise that others had settled here and she could, too. ‘So Father has given up the rooms in Sydney?’
‘Yes, and they want us to join them on the Hawkesbury as soon as we can. It appears that the Talbots’ house is large enough to accommodate us until Father—’
‘I do not want to go to the Talbots!’ Pippa banged her fist on the bed. ‘What about the work that has to be done here? The valley is our home, not the Talbots’ house. What is Father thinking of?’
‘It is not our place to question him, Pippa,’ Hilary whispered.
‘Balderdash! He knows of the dream we share. He should be here now, ensuring it comes true. How can we make this a success if we spend our time away? Father was so keen, what has changed? Is he punishing me for wanting to stay?’
‘He has been ill, I told you. The doctors were afraid of his heart stopping completely if he didn’t have complete rest. He won’t get better if he’s constantly worrying about you being here. You must come back with me to the Talbots.’
‘He has no need to worry about me. I’ve sent letters telling him how well I’m doing.’
‘Yes, and we are thankful to receive them.’ Hilary took Pippa’s hand. ‘He has gone to the Talbots purely to recuperate and it is only natural that our parents want us with them.’
‘So you are leaving here? You haven’t come to settle?’
‘Well, of course I cannot, at least not yet. We cannot stay here alone. It may be some time before Father hears from Grant and then it will depend on whether there is money to spend on such a large place as this. It may be wiser to sell and live in Sydney where Father may be of some use to the government or—’
Pippa blinked, unable to take it all in. How had everything suddenly become unravelled? She wished Hilary had never come. ‘Stop. Not another word. I will not leave.’
‘It is sensible to—’
‘And nothing Father or Grant Lindfield say or do will alter that fact.’ A coldness entered Pippa’s heart. Abandoning the valley wasn’t an option. ‘I’m terribly upset that Father has been ill, and of course he must rest until he is well again, but when he’s better he has to return to the valley, for I won’t leave the stud.’
Hilary stared. ‘But you must. The place will be well looked after under Robson’s careful eye until a solution is reached. The horses will be well cared for with him and Mr Lowe.’
Pippa jumped out of bed, wrapped her dressing gown around her, and put on her boots. As she opened the door, she turned to her sister. ‘This is Noble land. I will not leave it for any reason. If I have to work this place alone and with my bare hands, I will. I’ll never give it up.’ She strode out of the hut.
Dabbing her paintbrush with the lightest of pressure, Pippa added the blue lavender colour to the tree trunk in her painting. Adding a soft flick of white to show the light on the trunk, she gave it another moment’s attention before leaning back to flex her neck muscles.
She looked at the scene below – the hive of industry in the valley – and then back to the canvas. At this height, a cool breeze lifted the intense summer heat of February. This morning Douglas Meredith had visited with news that dreadful bushfires had swept through Melbourne, destroying all in its wake. People had perished, along with thousands of sheep and cattle and acres of crops.
Once Douglas left, Pippa walked to the top of the ridge to find some peace in which to paint. She’d left Hilary and Millie embroidering in the shade by the creek as Davy splashed about in the shallows.
Tilting her head, she studied the painting. The colours were correct on the buildings, but not the bush lining the valley slopes. The unique light and colours of the area were hard to capture. She desperately wanted to finish the painting before Hilary returned to Sydney so her sister could take it and show their father the improvements. It could be the spur he needed to come back. If he could step on this soil again, he’d regain his earlier enthusiasm, she knew he would. He would think like her and never want to leave.
A twig snapped behind her and she twisted on her small stool. Chalker casually leaned against a tree, grinning. A rifle was bent over his arm.
‘Why do you stand there?’ She frowned, hating how he had the habit of appearing out of nowhere. ‘What do you want?’
He pushed away from the tree and strolled towards her with the air of a gentleman at ease. ‘It’s a beautiful day, wouldn’t you agree, Miss Noble?’
‘Answer my question.’
He shrugged and stepped closer, making her stiffen. Over the months he’d been at the stud his self-assurance and opinionated manner had caused problems with the other men. Robson had broken up two fights involving this man in recent weeks and his boldness with her every time they were in contact was irritating, but he did it so subtly that later she felt she’d imagined it.
She often toyed with the idea to turn him off the property, but he was an excellent horseman and a first rate groom who cared for Noble Blaze and the mares with the utmost attention. Good grooms were hard to find in the country, and now that Mr Lowe had returned to Sydney to start a business with his newly arrived brother, Chalker was more needed than ever. Still, he must be put in his place. The rumours of the arrogance of colonial men proved to be true in this man’s case.
‘It’s my turn to shoot fresh meat.’ He indicated the gun.
‘Then I suggest you be on your way.’ She turned her shoulder to him, but he refused to take the hint and instead took another step, until he was able to peer at the painting.
‘Very good.’ He lowered his head to smile at her. ‘You’re most talented, Miss Noble,’ he murmured, almost as a hidden caress on the back of her neck.
Pippa swallowed, suddenly nervous of his presence, but she refused to let it show. ‘Thank you, Mr Chalker. Now, please, be on your way.’
‘Aren’t you frightened?’
She snapped her head up at him, startled. ‘What do you mean?’
He gave her a crooked smile. ‘All alone, away from everyone down there.’
‘I am perfectly safe.’ Pippa lifted her chin, peering at him from beneath her straw hat. ‘I’m within screaming distance of twe
nty people.’
‘A savage native or a desperate bushranger could take you away or slit your throat before you have the chance to open your mouth.’ His gaze fixed on her lips.
She held her breath, wanting to become angry, but found fear was the stronger emotion. ‘Is it your intent to frighten me, Mr Chalker?’
His eyes narrowed, but a secret smile lifted his mouth. ‘A splendid woman such as yourself should never be alone.’
‘Mr Chalker, you are too free with your opinions. I believe—’
‘You need a protector.’
Packing away her paints, she forced a laugh. ‘I don’t think so.’
‘I could be your defender against the world, if you wish it.’ His voice had deepened and his hand stroked the rifle. ‘Would you like me as your champion?’
The statement caused a tenseness between her shoulders. Collapsing her easel, Pippa glanced at him and then concentrated on stuffing her equipment away into a small bag. For the first time ever in her life she was aware of the menacing strength a man could exert over her. Her intellect was no match against his physical power. ‘I must go.’
He stepped back and bowed, suddenly humble and subservient. ‘Yes, of course, Miss Noble, and please tread carefully. I’d hate for you to twist an ankle.’ In an instant he was gone, striding through the trees and into the shadows.
Pippa blinked. Had she imagined it all? Had he made a threat? The sun baked the land with unbearable heat and she held her head, feeling sick in the stomach. Sweat drenched her body; her shirt was damp and limp.
Gathering her things, she descended the slope, eager to be safe within the environment of the buildings and people. Against her better judgment, she couldn’t help but glance over her shoulder as she reached the bottom, and there above her, standing on an outcrop of rock, was Chalker, watching.
Chapter Nine
Outside the Victoria Inn, noise and confusion reigned supreme as the coach readied for departure. Dogs barked and were chased away with abuse. Skittish horses snorted and pawed at the road. Men stood in groups talking as women came and went from the shops carrying crying babies or ushering along errant children.
Where Rainbows End Page 10