‘Absolutely, miss.’ Robson stepped forward to take hold of Honey’s bridle. ‘It’s not before time, too, miss. He’s been trouble from the first day, although he did well to hide it. I’ll personally escort him to the boundary.’
‘Pippa! Come look!’ Davy ran into the stables. ‘There’s a carriage coming with two shiny black horses with white feathers on their heads.’ He grabbed her hand and pulled her outside. ‘A carriage!’
Intrigued, Pippa frowned at Robson as he came to stand at her side. They both stared along the valley track. Indeed a large, shiny black carriage pulled by magnificent horses rumbled beside the creek towards them.
‘Who could it be?’ Pippa glanced at Robson for his input.
‘Nay, miss, I know of no one with such a carriage in this district.’
Davy jumped up and down, clapping his hands. ‘It’s a Prince!’
Pippa gently pushed him towards the house. ‘Go to your mother.’
She and Robson walked away from the stables and waited under the big gum tree near the footbridge. On the other side, Davy and Millie watched the carriage approach.
The driver halted the fine pair and drew the carriage to stop. The door was flung open and Gerald popped his head out. ‘Pippa!’
Pippa’s eyes widened in disbelief. ‘Father?’
Gerald exited the carriage and handed Hilary down and then the maid, Cissie. ‘We’re here at last!’ he shouted, reaching back into the carriage.
Hilary ran up to Pippa and hugged her. ‘It’s good to see you! Have we surprised you? How are you? Mother fainted! As soon as we started the descent into the valley, she screamed that we would all fall to our deaths and then fainted.’
Blinking rapidly to make sure of her vision, Pippa let Hilary’s words wash over her. Her family here! She couldn’t believe it. They’d sent her no word of their impending arrival.
‘Come, come, Esther. Pippa wishes to greet you,’ Gerald cajoled his wife out of the carriage. ‘You’re safe now, so stop your hysterics.’
Pippa stepped forward and kissed her mother’s pale cheek. ‘Welcome, Mother.’
Esther, fanning herself with a white handkerchief, sniffled. ‘What a journey, Philippa, what a journey.’ Slowly she raised her head and gazed about. Her eyes widened, her mouth dropped open.
The heavy weight of guilt sunk Pippa’s happiness at her family’s arrival. Her mother’s rigidness confirmed her fears. She hated the valley. ‘Mother—’
‘You …’ Esther turned to scan the whole valley and all it contained, her eyes filling with tears. ‘Gerald …’ She blinked, her chest heaving as though she struggled to breathe. ‘You brought me here?’
‘Mother—’
‘Esther—’
‘How could you?’ Esther’s voice lowered in anger. ‘I’ll not spend one night in this god-forsaken backwater!’ She spun on her heel, re-entered the carriage, and slammed the door.
Pippa stared at her father, whose cheeks flushed beet red. He stormed to the carriage and jerked open the door. ‘Get out at once!’
Hilary silently came to Pippa’s side and took her hand as, in disbelief and with acute embarrassment, they watched their parents argue and wrestle. At last, Esther emerged from the carriage, dishevelled and indignant.
‘I will stay but one night, then I am returning to Sydney to the Talbots.’ She marched past them all and crossed the footbridge. Hilary hurriedly followed her.
Sighing, Gerald walked away, around the other side of the carriage, and, after a glance at Hilary, Pippa went to join him.
‘I’m sorry, Father. I didn’t expect you. Hilary’s letter said it could be another month as Mother had engagements. Inside the house is not complete yet. I kept the men working on extending the stable block.’
‘I do not blame you in the least, dearest.’ His eyes softened and he slipped his arm around her waist to hug her to him. ‘In fact, I’m so very proud of you.’ He gazed out over the valley, at the cluster of buildings, the horses and sheep grazing. ‘What you’ve achieved here in such a short time is inspirational, my dear. You have the courage of a lion.’
Pippa kissed his thin cheek, aware that his ill health had taken its toll on him. ‘I did it for us all, Father. This is our home now, and we’ll be successful, I know it.’
‘I have no doubt about it, not with you in charge.’
‘Oh, but Father, I’m not in charge now you’re here.’
Gerald shook his head. ‘No, Pippa. This is your dream, your future.’
She stepped back, frowning. ‘But it’s yours, too. We share it together.’
‘Yes, but I don’t have the youth, the energy, the heart that you do.’ He shook his head and sighed. ‘All I wanted to do here was to make money. You wanted to make a home.’
She touched his arm, frightened by how old and defeated he looked. ‘We can do both, Father.’
He remained silent for a long time, staring out over the land.
‘Please don’t be dispirited, Father. We can be successful. The mistakes made in England do not have to be repeated here.’
‘My health is failing, but I tend to think that is a good thing.’
‘No—’
Gerald held up his hand. ‘Hear me out. I insist we have honesty if nothing else after so many years of lies.’ He paused and took a deep breath. ‘If I were hale and hearty and a few years younger, there would be no stopping me, but no doubt that would have led to our ruin as it did back home.’
‘Father—’
‘I’ve had time to think while bedridden and holed up with the Talbots, and I’ve made a decision.’ He took both her hands in his and smiled. ‘I was going to tell you this later, but I might as well do it now and be done with it.’
‘What is it?’ Pippa braced herself for bad news, for his tone was the same he used in England when he would admit failure in some investment or when the bailiffs came to clear the house of their belongings to repay his gambling debts.
He sucked in a deep breath. ‘The valley is yours to do with as you please. I’ll sign it all over to you, with the provision that you support your sister.’
Pippa blinked. ‘But what about you and Mother?’
‘We shall return to England.’
‘No!’
‘It is best, dearest. Your mother will never settle here. She blames me for making her life miserable and she has just cause to. At least this way I can give her what she wants, and that’s England.’ His gaze slid away. ‘And Grant has promised to help us when we go back.’
‘But Hilary and I need you. You can’t leave.’ Pippa squeezed his hands in desperation. ‘Don’t abandon us, Father. I’ve made this valley our home. The house will be beautiful soon and we will all be happy, I promise you. Mother will settle and make friends. She will adjust. The Ashfords and Merediths are good people. The Talbots can visit, too.’ She was speaking fast, trying to make it clear that all would be well if he just gave it a chance.
‘I’m sorry, Pip, but I’ve not done right by your mother for many years and she misses England. It is only fair to take her home.’
‘You are correct about one thing, Gerald Noble!’
Pippa and her father jerked and turned as one to stare at the enraged Esther, who folded her arms and narrowed her eyes. ‘It is true you’ve not done right by me and your daughters, but I’ll be damned if I stand by and let you make more mistakes!’
Gerald took a step forward. ‘Esther—’
‘Don’t Esther me! You have always been a stupid man. You’ve never known what I needed. I’ll not be shipped back to England and separated from my girls. How could you think such a thing?’ Her hands fell to her sides and clenched. ‘You know of my hopes that Hilary will marry Toby Talbot, and if all that Philippa plans comes to fruition, she will be a wealthy woman in her own right. You think I would miss all that?’
‘But you’ve hated being in this country.’
‘I hated being poor and friendless, which is what you made us!’
Esther nodded. ‘Typical. Well, Gerald, we shan’t be returning to England, we shan’t be returning to Sydney—’
‘But you said—’
‘Never mind what I said earlier.’ Esther glared. ‘I’ve seen the new house and when furnished to my standards, I have no doubts at all it will be adequate and respectable. If Elizabeth Macarthur and other notable women of society can start their lives here living in huts and then progress to grand estates, then so can I! Our estate will be as impressive as any in the country and it’ll be far more than what we’d ever have back in England.’
Pippa stared, amazed by her mother’s complexities and also admiring the spirit she rarely showed. ‘Thank you, Mother. I promise you, you’ll not be sorry for staying.’
Two days later, after collecting the family’s mail, Pippa left the little hut that was a store and post office combined. Her heartbeat raced whenever she thought of what she carried in her reticule and it became so bad that as she crossed Berrima’s village green she stopped to sit on a bench seat to regain her breath.
She didn’t have to open her reticule to know what the letter inside said. The words were emblazoned on her brain. After years of living with her father’s misled gambling encounters, she had gone against all she believed in and taken a huge risk by investing a small amount of money in a speculation. Gil had been the one to tell her about it in passing conversation. Industry, he said, was booming after the depression of the early forties, and she amazed him and herself when she asked for more details before swearing him to secrecy.
If this chance paid off, she’d be able to give Grant more money towards the loan; it was the only reason she’d taken such a desperate measure. It had to pay off, but if it didn’t, her loss wouldn’t be too noticeable, except for the fact that she’d be wearing her old clothes for another year.
Taking a deep breath, she rose and headed along the main street to collect her mother and Hilary from the haberdashery store. All morning she’d watched her mother try her best not to cast disparaging remarks about the lack of goods on offer in the few shops compared to Sydney. Yet, in an astounding turn of character, Esther had done her utmost to be understanding and accommodating in her new life and, as a reward for her gracious suffering, Pippa planned to introduce her to the best society the district had to offer.
As she passed the end of a cottage, her mind on so many things, she jumped when a man stepped out of the shadows and in front of her. His frame blocked the sunlight and she didn’t know what was happening until she recognised the face under the slouched hat.
‘We meet again, Miss Noble.’ Chalker leered.
Pippa stepped back. His dismissal from the valley had been overshadowed by her family’s arrival, and now, staring at his dirty, angry face, a shiver trickled down her spine. ‘Let me pass.’
‘What, nothing kind to say to the man you’ve sent packing with no reference and made homeless?’
She raised her chin, her glare taking in his rough appearance. ‘Scum like you often find a hole to crawl into.’
His grey eyes narrowed. ‘I’ve always admired your spirit and I’ll enjoy taming you.’
Her blood turned to ice and she hoped the fear didn’t show on her face. ‘You take one step closer and I’ll scream so loud they’ll hear me in Bong Bong!’
For a second he stilled and then slowly relaxed again. ‘I won’t let you get away with treating me as you did.’
‘You got what you deserved. Now let me pass!’ She gathered the skirts of her pale green dress and made to move around him, but his hand shot out and gripped her elbow.
He leant close to whisper, ‘This isn’t the end of it. One day I’ll repay you and I’ll get a lot of pleasure out of having you squirming beneath me while I take my fill of you.’
He thrust her aside and Pippa stumbled. Chalker bowed arrogantly and strolled away.
Shaking, she hurried on, eager to put as much distance between them as possible. His threats echoed in her mind, but she knew he’d hardly have the chance to do her harm. He’d never be allowed in the valley again and she rarely went riding alone, as most times Hilary or Gil and Augusta joined her.
She expelled a breath of relief when she made it to the small shop. Inside, Hilary and their mother were paying for their purchases.
‘Send the goods to the address on the card, girl.’ Esther handed over her card to the shop assistant and glanced at Pippa. ‘Did you buy the paints you needed?’
Pippa shook her head, not trusting herself to speak with a steady voice. The letter about her investment plus the incident with Chalker had scared her more than she liked to admit, but she couldn’t worry her family; she couldn’t let anything spoil their experience in the valley.
They walked back out into the street outside and headed for the Victoria Inn, where they were to meet Gerald.
‘Why, Miss Noble!’ Tabitha Ashford greeted her as she and Gil came out of White’s Inn and paused before them. No expense had been spared on the blue silk gown Tabitha wore and Esther’s eyes widened.
‘Good day, Mrs Ashford, Gil.’ Pippa thrust all thoughts of Chalker from her mind and smiled warmly. Seeing Gil, knowing of his quiet support in everything she did, was like a soothing balm on rough skin. She was happy to see him, and when he smiled her chest tightened. ‘I’m so glad we’ve come across one another. I wanted you to meet my mother and sister.’ Pippa made the introductions and soon Esther was chatting with Tabitha as though they’d known each other for years. Pippa believed they saw in each other a kindred spirit, judging by their excited conversation.
Gil, resplendent in an iron-grey suit, laughed at their chatter, his emerald eyes sparkling with mischief. Pippa grinned at him. After her encounter with Chalker, he represented safety. He was someone who listened and talked to her as an equal. His friendship meant a great deal to her.
Leaning close, Gil studied her face. ‘No wrinkles yet.’
She pushed at him playfully. ‘I should hope not!’
‘Well, you are the biggest worrier I’ve ever encountered. Have you received a certain letter yet?’
Her smile faded and she glanced at her mother before stepping away a little. ‘Shh. Don’t speak of it here, but yes, I have received it.’
‘Trust me, all will be splendid. Would I lead you down a ruinous path?’ He pretended to be shocked and then chuckled. ‘Don’t answer that, I might not like what you say.’
‘Much depends on this, Gil,’ she whispered. ‘I’m scared.’
‘I will let nothing happen to you, I promise.’ His warm smile reassured her for the moment. ‘Besides, the amount you gambled is hardly worth the worry. I’m ashamed to include you in my business dealings on such a small sum.’
‘It might be small to you, but for me it’s large enough. Moreover, I’ve gone against all that I believe in to do this, so don’t make fun of me. I feel my heart will give out every time I think of what I’ve done. For so long I’ve reproached Father for doing exactly the same thing. I’m a hypocrite!’
‘Calm down. Nothing will happen, I promise you.’ He took her hand and kissed it like a gallant knight. ‘And if it did, I think I’d enjoy saving you. A damsel in distress is a role you rarely play.’
She slapped him away good-humouredly. ‘What rot you do talk, Gil Ashford.’
Tucking her hand over his arm, he squeezed it gently and winked. ‘So, when are we to go riding again? Or shall we take the gig to the Falls?’
‘Let us go to the Falls and take a picnic. Mother would enjoy that and I could paint. Perhaps we could walk through the rainforest there?’
Gil patted her hand. ‘Whatever you desire.’
Suddenly, amidst all the noise of the town, a coach rolled to a stop behind them, and turning, Pippa gave it a fleeting look that quickly became an open-mouthed stare as Grant and his little wife climbed down.
Esther gave a squeal of delight and rushed
to embrace the new arrivals before introducing them to Tabitha and Gil.
Pippa grasped Hilary’s arm. ‘Did you know they were coming?’
‘No, at least not today. Mother mentioned that Grant’s last letter said he might call on his way back from the Goulburn district.’
‘Why didn’t you warn me?’ She took a deep breath and collected herself.
Gil stepped closer, frowning. ‘Is everything all right?’
Pippa forced a smile. ‘Of course.’
Tabitha linked her arm through Gil’s. ‘Are you staying long, Mr Lindfield?’
Grant shrugged. ‘No definite plans have been made as yet, Mrs Ashford. We’ve just called to visit our friends, the Nobles.’ He glanced at Pippa. ‘I’ve heard of many good things about the land around this area, some of which I’d like to see.’
‘Then I insist that you all come to our home tomorrow for dinner,’ Tabitha declared.
‘Wonderful!’ Esther clapped.
Pippa groaned inwardly as arrangements were made, and when Grant touched her arm, she leapt.
He frowned, blue eyes questioning. ‘What is wrong?’
‘Nothing, nothing at all.’
‘You are unhappy to see me?’ His voice lowered. ‘I thought we’d sorted all that out.’
‘Not everything is about you, Grant,’ she whispered back.
‘Are there problems I should know about?’
‘Is that all you care about, your investment?’ she spat, hating him for reminding her that he had an interest in the valley. ‘Just remember that I have paid back a third of the loan now and so the valley isn’t all yours. And with luck I’ll be able to pay the rest of it soon.’
He moved to block the rest of the party from hearing them. ‘How is that possible?’
‘That’s none of your business.’ Wild horses wouldn’t drag out of her the gamble she’d entered into, and she wished she’d kept her mouth shut.
‘What have you done? I have a right to know.’
She raised an eyebrow in contempt. ‘I don’t think you do.’
His face tightened. ‘Don’t play me for a fool, Pippa. Remember, you have less than a year to pay back that loan. I’m not as soft as my father, and I won’t forget or ignore money that is rightfully mine like he did.’
Where Rainbows End Page 16