Barra Creek

by Di Morrissey

  She watched Donny taxi the Cessna and wait till the props stopped spinning before he jumped down to open the passenger door. Sally was really looking forward to their picnic when he flew in next week and hoped Lorna would agree to let her have a couple of hours off. The pressure of the last twenty-four hours was telling on her and a break would be good.

  Lorna stepped down looking smart as always. Sally went to greet her and take her hatbox as Donny opened the hold.

  The older woman gave her a brief hug then her mouth set in a tight line. ‘Dreadful business. It was a stroke of luck I was on my way home anyway. Donny, bless him, agreed to bring me back early. How are the boys?’

  ‘Absolutely fine. They’ve been kept well away from the whole thing as much as possible. We were asleep when it . . . happened,’ her voice faltered and Lorna touched her arm.

  ‘Thanks for staying with the boys. I can imagine the scenario. Was John down at the single men’s quarters?’

  ‘Well, yes. A few drinks after dinner . . .’ Her voice trailed off and Sally glanced at Donny, who was keeping his distance, putting Lorna’s luggage into the Land Rover.

  Lorna sighed. ‘It’s all right, Sally. I’ll deal with it.’

  ‘How was the trip?’

  For a moment Lorna’s face softened then tightened again. ‘Lovely. I brought you back a present. And I have some news, but it can wait.’

  ‘Anything else I can do, Lorna?’ Donny leaned on the vehicle.

  ‘You’ve been so kind, as always.’ She smiled at him.

  ‘I thought I’d take Sally for a bit of a picnic next week. Can she have an hour or so off?’ He spoke easily so refusal would seem unsporting.

  Lorna pursed her lips again then shrugged. ‘I imagine you’re due for a break after the past week or so. I’m sure it will be okay.’

  ‘I’ll just have to tell everyone so my regulars aren’t waiting out at the strip.’

  Sally felt uncomfortable. ‘It doesn’t matter, Lorna, unless the boys want to come along too?’

  Lorna got into the passenger seat, lifting her skirt away from the door, a faintly amused look on her face. ‘Oh, I don’t think Donny planned on that. See you again, Donny. Thanks for everything.’

  They drove in silence towards the homestead and as the stables came into view Lorna touched Sally’s hand on the steering wheel. ‘Stop here, Sally. In case we don’t have a quiet moment together for a bit.’

  Sally turned off the engine. ‘What is it?’

  Lorna looked distracted and turned to stare across the home paddock. She spoke almost to herself. ‘I wish I wasn’t here.’

  ‘Why? What’s wrong? Did something happen in Sydney?’ Sally was concerned. She’d never seen Lorna quite like this.

  Lorna slowly looked around to face Sally, folding her hands on top of the leather handbag on her lap. ‘I’m pregnant. Again. I thought I might be when you first arrived.’

  ‘Oh!’ Sally was shocked and didn’t know how to react. ‘That’s great! I mean, that’s good, isn’t it? Maybe a little girl. The boys would like that.’ She was babbling. She bit her lip.

  ‘I suppose so. It means John will stop trying to jump on me, at least. But it also means I’m tied here even more.’

  ‘Can’t you go to Brisbane or Sydney and have the baby? Is there a problem?’ Sally thought Lorna was too old for this. She must be nearly forty at least.

  ‘My age is a concern. John won’t care one way or the other, whether it’s a girl I mean. The boys might be worried if it’s another son. That would mean splitting up the property even more.’

  ‘Oh.’ Sally thought of her sister Yvonne and herself and wondered what her father planned to do in his will. She’d never had such thoughts before.

  ‘I’ll help you all I can. In the house, I mean. Are you supposed to rest?’

  ‘The usual. I don’t want you to feel obligated in any way about staying on here.’

  ‘I like it here and I’m still on contract. For as long as you like, Lorna.’

  ‘Thank you. But any time you get fed up – remember you haven’t been here for the Wet – you tell me and you go home.’

  ‘Ah, New Zealand seems a bit small these days,’ laughed Sally, starting the engine again.

  ‘We’ll give you a nice holiday soon enough. We’d better think about that before the Wet and while I’m still fairly mobile.’

  ‘Sounds good.’ Sally drove on feeling confused, wondering how the boys would take their mother’s news.

  ‘Sally, don’t say anything. I haven’t told John yet.’

  Sally didn’t see the reunion between husband and wife, but John Monroe appeared at lunchtime immaculately dressed and wearing his best sandals. Rob wore a clean shirt and the silver buckle on his plaited belt had been given a polish. Both were subdued, though it seemed to Sally that John was being solicitous to Lorna. Whether it was because she’d told him about the baby or to avoid getting an ear bashing over the drinking and accident, Sally wasn’t sure.

  Rob took her to one side before they sat down and whispered, ‘Don’t talk about the race with Ian, Lorna’s not impressed.’

  The boys were back at their small table and the adults listened to Lorna quietly talk of changes in Sydney. All avoided the subject of Gloria’s death.

  ‘Don’t tell me you didn’t shop,’ said John.

  ‘I did stock up on a few things. And I bought a few presents.’

  John rolled his eyes. ‘I knew it. You going to stack them away or do we get ’em early?’

  ‘I don’t think it’s very appropriate at the moment, given how Snowy and the men must feel,’ she answered stiffly. Then seeing the disappointment on the boys’ faces she added, ‘Maybe before bedtime tonight. Just a small thing each.’

  ‘I hope you brought something back for the governess here,’ said John, looking at Sally. ‘She’s had her work cut out for her trying to keep those lubras in line.’

  ‘I think I need pidgin lessons,’ said Sally.

  ‘No you don’t,’ Lorna shot back. ‘They understand perfectly well, there’s no need to lower yourself to their level. Get Fitzi to speak to them in the house, or Snowy in the yards if there’s no one else around.’

  ‘Yes, Lorna,’ said Sally meekly.

  ‘We can manage, don’t you concern yourself with yard work and such, Lorna,’ said John and when Rob gave him a strange look, Lorna smiled.

  ‘I’ve told John and the boys, and Sally, that I’m expecting.’

  Sally glanced at the boys knowing they were busting to talk to her about it and Rob looked shocked but quickly recovered. ‘Congratulations, great news. Lovely surprise.’

  John pushed back his chair looking smug.

  Sally glanced at Rob, who avoided looking at her. Lorna’s expression was stern, and Sally had the feeling there was an undercurrent at the table she didn’t understand.

  ‘I’ll go and unpack. See you before dinner, okay boys?’ said Lorna. ‘I might have a surprise or three.’

  ‘How about we go for a short ride, then back to the schoolhouse and finish the arithmetic?’ suggested Sally.

  Lorna turned in the doorway. ‘I trust this will be a sedate ride. No dangerous racing. I do not want any more accidents around here, if you please.’ She left and the boys and Sally grimaced, knowing they were in trouble.

  ‘What’s happening about Gloria? Where’s her family?’ Sally asked Rob.

  ‘No one seems to know. Snowy said Dougie and Harry thought she had a sister down south.’

  ‘How are they taking it?’

  ‘They’re still shaken. I gather Snowy and the two of them are going back to the river tonight.’

  ‘To get the croc? Do you think they will?’

  ‘They’re going to try bloody hard. The creepy thing is that Snowy reckons it’s a bull; he said Gloria was menstruating. It’s not the first time a bull croc has gone after a woman when she’s bleeding.’

  As they walked the horses from the stables, Sally spoke to Ian.
‘I should never have agreed to that silly race. Your mother is right, you could have had an accident. Or I could have. If anything had happened to you I’d never forgive myself.’

  Ian looked mollified but tried to shrug it off. ‘Doesn’t matter. It wasn’t anything that special anyway. Mum treats me like a baby, so does Dad.’

  Sally let that slide and changed the subject. ‘So what do you fellows think of the idea of a new baby round here?’

  ‘Nice, I guess,’ said Marty. ‘I won’t be the youngest any more.’

  ‘Isn’t Mum too old? She’s so tired all the time. Will you look after the baby, Sally?’ asked Tommy.

  ‘Hey! I’m the governess remember, not a baby nurse. Your mum will get help, I’m sure.’

  ‘Hope it’s not a boy,’ muttered Ian.

  ‘Why? Do you like the idea of a little sister?’

  ‘Nah, but Dad might change his mind and leave Barra Creek to the new kid.’

  ‘Rubbish. Why would he do that?’ said Sally, thinking as she often did about how threatened and antagonistic Ian felt towards his father.

  ‘He always says that when he’s mad at Ian,’ said Tommy.

  ‘Ah, don’t take any notice. That’s just to shake you up. C’mon, let’s go over to the home paddock and see the calves.’ Sally wanted to distract them. These boys were worrying far beyond their years. It wasn’t fair.

  For dinner that night John and Rob had brought in fresh meat from a killer and cooked it over the open fire outside. They gathered for drinks before dinner and Lorna handed out the presents – new boots for the boys, a new hat and Bonds white T-shirts for John, good shampoo, French soap and deodorant for Sally. She also gave her a set of wire hair curlers and a bottle of Napro hair crème.

  ‘Take care of your hair, Sally, it looks very dry. Toby, my hairdresser friend, thought this might brighten up your auburn highlights.’ She added a floppy cotton hat to shade Sally’s face and a pile of glossy overseas fashion magazines. For the house she’d bought new bunches of silk flowers and black and white embroidered cushion covers. She handed Rob a big box of Darrell Lea chocolates to share with the boys. If it hadn’t been for the shadow of Gloria’s death hanging over them, the meal could almost have been festive. They were all aware that down on the dark river Snowy and the two bore runners were looking to trap Gloria’s killer by setting a snare.

  In a pause during the meal Lorna raised the issue of holidays and John exploded. ‘Christ, Lorna! You haven’t been back twenty-four hours and you want to take off again!’

  ‘I was thinking of the boys and Sally. There’s a school break soon, and it makes sense to travel before I get too cumbersome.’

  ‘We always go away at Christmas. If we can get out in the Wet.’

  ‘That’s still a long way off.’

  ‘You lot go then. I’m too busy.’

  ‘We don’t have to go away, Mum,’ Ian spoke up. ‘It’s more fun here if we don’t have school.’

  ‘I don’t need a big holiday,’ said Sally. ‘A couple of hours off next week for the picnic with Donny sounds good to me.’

  ‘Where’s he taking you?’ asked Rob.

  Monroe leered at Sally. ‘Sneaking off for a skinny dip in a billabong somewhere, eh?’

  ‘We’re not sneaking off, every station on the mail route knows,’ said Sally.

  ‘Donny is very thoughtful,’ said Lorna.

  ‘Yeah, isn’t he just,’ mimicked John Monroe.

  ‘Can we go too?’ asked Marty.

  ‘No,’ said Lorna.

  Rob leaned back in his chair. ‘I was thinking I’d go bush again, trap some brumbies.’

  ‘When did you decide this?’ Monroe asked. ‘If there’s a mob been spotted I want to know about it.’

  ‘How long you going for?’ asked Ian.

  ‘Depends where they are. Two weeks maybe.’

  Lorna put her knife and fork together in the centre of her plate and dabbed her mouth with her napkin. ‘I’m going to book that holiday, somewhere on the coast. Sally can have a few days on her own in Darwin then join us.’

  ‘Why’d I want to go there on my own?’ asked Sally in surprise. She was thinking about Sean. Darwin sounded a long way from Christchurch, she doubted he’d travel that far for a few days.

  ‘You need a holiday away from all of us as much as getting away from Barra Creek,’ said Lorna.

  ‘So I’m driving, am I?’ John Monroe looked resigned. ‘Where’re we going?’

  ‘I haven’t decided yet. You shouldn’t care, you spend your time in pubs and restaurants anyway,’ said Lorna. ‘And it won’t be for a few weeks at least.’

  There was silence at the table as Lizzie came in to take the plates away.

  ‘Can we have a chocolate now, please?’ asked Marty.

  Lorna excused herself. ‘Yes, you may. I’m going to sit outside for a little while. Sally, do you want to join me?’

  Sally walked over to the boys’ table. ‘Don’t pester Rob for chocolates. I want to come back in soon and find you cleaned up, ready for bed. Then a story.’

  ‘I’ll do the story tonight, if you like,’ offered Rob, and immediately the boys jumped to their feet, clamouring for his attention.

  John Monroe topped up his rum and sank into a chair, turning up the wireless to catch the relay broadcast of the ABC news.

  ‘I know it’s been hard on you, Sally, with me being away. Especially with the accident. No matter what happens round here, remember my sons always come first. That’s your main responsibility.’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘I want you to take a holiday. The Wet is a hard season, and the run up to it when it’s humid, muggy, oppressive is not easy either. Tempers get short.’

  ‘Whatever you say, Lorna. So when should I go?’

  ‘Next month.’

  ‘I don’t know anyone in Darwin. What’s it like?’

  ‘All the governesses go there. It can be a bit of a wild town, but there’re lots of young people. I’m sure you’ll be sensible about things. We’ll put you up at the Darwin Hotel, it’s very nice. Reminiscent of Raffles Hotel in Singapore.’

  As the Monroes were paying for the trip Sally didn’t argue. There’d be enough time to see if Sean could meet her there. She started to look forward to the idea. ‘So how did the boys react to the news about the baby?’

  ‘They haven’t said much. It’s all too far away. It won’t register with them till it’s here.’

  ‘A girl?’

  Lorna allowed herself a soft smile. ‘I hope so.’ Then she sighed. ‘Of course I’m not the only one expecting around here.’

  ‘Really? You mean one of the lubras?’

  Lorna didn’t looked pleased. ‘Yes. Young Betsy.’ She was about to say something more when John Monroe stuck his head out of the living room.

  ‘Guess what? Camel Head Races have been moved up. I reckon we should go. It’s next week, what do you say?’

  ‘The boys would like it,’ said Lorna. ‘Maybe we should do that instead of going to the coast. It certainly is fun.’

  ‘Sally, you’ll love it. You’ll never see riding anywhere like this, there’s a rodeo too. It’s not the Melbourne Cup but it runs a close second,’ said John, pleased with his idea. ‘Eating, drinking, dancing, betting, competitions, goes on for days. You’re up to it aren’t you, Lorn?’ he asked, remembering her condition.

  Later as Lorna sat on the edge of her bed in her nightgown, brushing her hair, John appeared around the partition.

  ‘You all right?’

  ‘For the moment. Ask me again in a few months.’

  ‘This baby is a bit of a surprise, eh? A nice one though.’ He gave a brief smile.

  ‘I’m glad you think so.’

  ‘Anything you want, Lorna, just ask. The races is a good idea, eh?’

  ‘I still think Sally should get away to Darwin and be with people her own age. She’s the best we’ve ever had. I don’t want to lose her.’

  ‘That’s for s
ure.’

  ‘John, keep Rob away from her. He’s a nice boy, but not for the likes of Sally.’

  ‘What d’you mean? There’s nothing going on, is there?’ He sounded surprised at the idea and a little annoyed. ‘He can get too big for his boots, if you ask me. I think you made a mistake inviting him into the house. He’s just a bloody contract musterer. He works for me.’

  ‘He comes from a very good home, he’s as educated as you are and runs his own business. Don’t talk down to him,’ snapped Lorna. ‘Until Rob came along, I didn’t have much company.’

  John opened his mouth to say something but closed it and kept the thought to himself. If she wanted to talk about feelings and books and music with Donny and Rob, good luck to her. He’d talk horses with Sally any day. He’d keep an eye on Rob and Sally. John knew that word had spread about the Monroes’ attractive governess who could ride better than a lot of the men. ‘You tell her to watch out for the blokes then.’

  ‘If she was my daughter so far from home, I’d hope the family she was working for would be protective of her. Sally comes from a very good family. You can tell,’ said Lorna. ‘Breeding shows.’

  John looked down at the floor. ‘I s’pose you want a daughter.’

  ‘It would be nice. You have the boys. They’ll keep Barra Creek going.’

  He was silent a minute then lifted his gaze. ‘That’s going to be a problem. We’ll see how they develop. Dividing the property isn’t on the agenda. They’ll have to learn to work together.’

  ‘What are you saying? That the three boys will have to run this place when we’re not here? Together? Even if they’re married with their own families? That might work for some but not our boys. They’re too different.’ She closed her eyes as if in pain, then began brushing her hair again. ‘It’s a long way off. Forget I mentioned it.’

  He turned away. ‘Good night, Lorn.’

  ‘Good night.’ She put down the hairbrush and swung her legs onto the bed, laying her arm over her eyes. Dear Lord, she prayed, please let my boys find their path in life, be fairly treated and be happy. Would it be possible for them to run the farm together, she wondered. It worked for some families. The man she’d married was a complex, contradictory person. She ached for her sons.