Mr Raynes was very pleased when Ricky said, "Sir, I am very impressed indeed with the quality of your farm and I am loth to take on something that will deteriorate under my care. If I were a full time farmer I would have no hesitation in taking this over but I just wonder whether an absentee owner could expect this quality to remain."
"Well, young man, I, on the other hand, would not like anyone to take over this farm and let it deteriorate. I love this place and I have spent many years building it up to its first class state and would raise thunder if anything second rate was produced here. I was horrified to hear that you were thinking of bringing young ragamuffins to the place. I might be selling my home, sir, but I insist that its standard is kept up."
Ricky could see that the old man was getting quite worked up. He said, "I quite agree, sir. I would hate it of all things. If you did let me buy it I could promise you that I would aim to have the best people available to run it and already Mr Forrest assures me that Rob Martin would be excellent as a manager. I would see that he would have hand-picked staff. But above all, sir, I would wish you to be happy about it."
"Forrest speaks highly of you, lad, and I trust his word. But is there no opportunity for you to come here and live? Are you so tied to the city?" Mr Raynes asked.
Ricky unconsciously looked towards the sitting room where Mrs Ormsby sat with Miss Elston and said, "Well, sir, in all honesty I cannot say that I would never come here permanently, but at the moment I make my living at my store and must tend to that. I would always have an apartment here and I imagine that I would spend as much time here as is possible and would enjoy learning as much as I could about what goes on here."
"Then, young man, go away and think about it and come back again and tell me more about your plans." Turning to Forrest he said, "I can trust him, you think, Forrest?"
"I think you can," said Ricky's host. "We must make tracks, Ricky. It will be late when we get home."
Ricky sat silent as they drove away. Miss Elston thought him far, far away and was reluctant to break into his thoughts. She watched his face because she thought he wasn't conscious of her but suddenly he looked up and caught her at it.
"I beg your pardon Miss Elston. I am sad company, but I have much to think over."
"Did you like the farm, Mr English?" she asked.
"Indeed I did. I could not do otherwise, but it isn't what I expected. It seems too polished and more like a show place than an everyday farm. Don't you agree, Mr Forrest?" he asked.
"You would be taking something on if you did buy it, Ricky. Do you contemplate it?"
"I don't know. I really don't."
"Are you really going to set up a training scheme, Mr English?" Jenny asked.
Ricky smiled, "Yes and an orphanage, too, but I must admit I wasn't brave enough to tell Mr Raynes that," he answered with a grin.
"An orphanage?" "An orphanage, did you say, lad ?" Ricky's companions asked.
"Yes, an orphanage. Don't you see lots of poor little town brats enjoying life out at 'Rocklea'?" he said with a chuckle. Then more seriously, " How wonderful to give the children a chance of living in such a place."
"I think you must be serious, Ricky. Is it true?" queried Forrest.
"Oh, yes, true enough, Mr Forrest. It has long been a dream of mine. You see some of the street children would find it very hard to adapt to living in the country for they only know the slums, but if children were brought here when they were tiny they would grow up with it and love it and be able to be better farmers."
"Well I never," said his host.
"I didn't know gentlemen had such ideas," said Jenny wistfully.
CHAPTER 14 Mr Falconer-Mead
Ricky decided to take the farm and Tad and Will were to become quite used to seeing less of Ricky over the weekends. They knew little of Jenny Elston, though, and did not realise how much Ricky had thought of her. Ricky seemed to see her in everything he did whether at home, at work or at the Hawkesbury. He knew he was deeply in love.
When negotiations became intense he visited “Rocklea” during the week with his man of business and Jacob Warrender the Stock and Station agent from Windsor. The property would soon be Ricky's and Mr Raynes would take up his residence at Ormsby's farm, Rob Martin was already working at Rocklea for Mr Raynes wished him to become conversant with the working of the farm and would not leave until he was sure that the new manager knew his job. In fact the old man would not sign the final papers until he had watched Rob Martin in action for some weeks. Ricky was pleased with this for he knew that Raynes could tell him whether Martin would be suitable or not for he knew he had not enough experience to judge. He signed all the papers with John Raynes and was able to come home to tell the boys that he now owned a farm.
He returned one Thursday evening expecting Tad and Will to be there but found that Tad had sent a message that he would be eating out and would see Ricky and Will later and would they wait up for him. They were used to Tad having assignments at odd times and so were not very surprised, but it was unusual for him to wish them to wait up. They presumed that he and Amabel had at last set a date for the marriage.
It was with a great deal of surprise that Tad was looking rather glum when he came in. Will, who was ever rather eager to jump in impatiently, said, "What ho! old chap, you look as though the troubles of the world are on your shoulders. Come and unburden yourself. But hurry I would like to go to bed."
Tad came in and sat looking at them both. Ricky said eagerly, "What's up Tad? You look really troubled."
"I am Rick. I..." he stopped and then said, "I suppose I really should start from the beginning."
By this time the boys could see that Tad was very disturbed indeed and Will asked anxiously, "Are you all right Tad?"
"Yes," he said. "I suppose it's because I have had rather an amazing experience."
"Well, get on with it," said Will impatiently.
"It was while I was on a job this afternoon. I had to go to the King's Arms to interview Gertrude Hamley. You've heard that she's here to play at the Theatre Royal. I was going up the stairs, and you know there's a divided staircase to the next floor. I realised that someone was walking beside me going up the stairs but didn't take much notice for there were others on the stairs too. There's a big mirror on the landing, do you remember? and you feel as though you are walking towards yourself. You can't help but watch yourself approaching, I've done it lots of times. But, you won't believe me. I could see two of me. It took me a few minutes to realise what had happened, that there were two figures looking at themselves in the mirror. The person who had come up stairs with me was standing there. He realised what he saw at the same time as me and we turned to face each other. He just looked like me, but in different clothes, though. You couldn't imagine the surprise we both got. The likeness is amazing.
He asked me who I was and on telling him it didn't seem to mean anything to him. He asked me some more and I told him a little. Then he asked me if I would go and meet his grandfather who was in the hotel, and I agreed. He left me outside a door while he went in to see his grandfather and tell him I was there."
At this Tad sat quietly, his breath came in a sob. Will said, "Go on, what happened?"
"He came back for me and I went in to see a very old man. He gasped when he saw me and asked me to sit and tell him all I knew of me. You see he thinks I am his grandson. Ricky, Will, can you believe it. I think I have a family."
Neither Tad or Ricky saw the colour drain out of Will's face. The lad sat back in his seat and listened to the rest of the story.
Tad went on. "His name is Joshua Falconer-Mead, and so is his grandson. The old man persuaded his son to let his grandson come to the colony to search for his other son, who came out here with his wife over twenty years ago. The last they heard of him was that he and his wife were going out to a place where they were to take up land and that they had a baby son whom they called Theodore. Mr Falconer-Mead was so distressed about not hearing from his son, whose n
ame was Matthew and his wife Martha, that he sent someone all the way out here to search for them. He did this not once but three times and even though he had tried to investigate through the authorities, too, no-one could trace them. You know how it is out here, and with the great influx of people coming for the gold rushes. Anyway they got no help and Mr Falconer-Mead became ill because they could find out nothing. So young Joshua decided to come with his grandfather who was most anxious to search for himself. They only arrived last Monday."
"So they think you are the missing one, do they?" asked Will roughly.
Ricky glanced quickly at Will, but Tad seemed to notice nothing, he was too interested in what had happened.
Ricky said, "Well, do they, Tad? Do they think you are Theodore?"
"They think there is a distinct possibility, Rick. But I'm not building on anything, I don't see how they could find out any more than I know myself. I've tried, goodness knows," said Tad shaking his head.
"You have?" asked Ricky sharply. "You never told me. Has it really worried you, Tad?"
"Of course it has. I have always wanted to know who I was. You are lucky Rick, you know," the young man added wistfully.
"Sorry I didn't realise it, Tad. What about you Will?" Ricky asked.
Will stood up, "Congratulations, Tad. You always were a lucky dog. If you don't mind I'll go off to bed now. I'll hear more tomorrow." His limp seemed more noticeable than usually. As he reached the door he turned a gave a salute, then left.
Ricky thoughtfully gazed at the closed door. Tad said, "Funny chap, Will. Ricky, let me tell you what they want to do."
"Yes, sure Tad. What is Mr Falconer-Mead going to do to make sure you are his grandson?"
"Well, first thing they are going to try to check from this end, trying to trace anyone who knew anything about me and all that sort of thing, and of course they want to talk it over with you. But I told them you wouldn't know any more than I do." Tad looked quickly at Ricky. "You don't do you Rick?"
"No I don't, Tad. You know that. If I ever found out anything about you I would have told you. I really think we left it a bit late. I don't think it occurred to us at all when we first met up, did it? We just got on with living."
Tad looked rather quiet at that. Ricky caught his mood and asked, "Did it worry you even back that far, Tad? " He could see that it had and said, "Sorry, old chap, I didn't know. I suppose I have been blind."
"You knew who you were, Rick. You didn't have to think that out. The only thing you worried about was where your father was, you knew who you were and who he was."
"I am sorry. You must have felt that I was very hard."
"No I didn't. I knew it didn't occur to you, and in any case, I must admit that I didn't let it worry me much. But recently when I have wanted to marry Amabel, you would expect me to do all I could to rake up a family tree, wouldn't you?"
"Yes, I must admit I have thought of it a little in regard to Amabel."
"Gosh, Ricky, wouldn't it be simply splendid if I did turn out to be his grandson."
"Yes, I would be very happy about that, Tad. Have you thought how it would change your plans? If you are their missing one, what would they want to do about it?"
"Mr Falconer-Mead spoke about that. If my father was his son he was the third, and so there would be no property to come to me but there would be money. He didn't say how much, but I gather he is rather wealthy. In any case I can't see how they could prove it one way or another, so I really am not thinking about that. But at this stage it would be just nice to know that I really belong somewhere. Don't you agree?"
"I certainly do. Now let's have a toddy to send you off to sleep for I feel you are rather wound up. What will you have?" asked big brother Ricky.
"I think I will have some of that port you got from the last shipment. I suppose I am rather wound up Ricky. I just can't wait to tell Amabel."
"I am surprised you haven't already."
"No, Ricky. I felt that I owed it to you to tell you and Will first."
"Thank you Tad, I am grateful for that."
"Well, no matter what happens you are my brother and as far as I can see you always will be. We've been through a lot together, Rick, and I owe you so much. In case I never thanked you, I do, Rick, I thank you for what you have done for us both."
"Come on now, lad, drink your drink, you are getting sentimental. Come on we'd better go up."
Ricky tapped lightly on Will's door, but receiving no answer he went to his own room to think of his two lads and all they had been through together.
A hotel footman came the next morning with an invitation for Ricky to lunch with Mr Falconer-Mead. He had a previous engagement but decided that he should do all he could to put this aside and deal with Tad's problems first, so hurried to his office and had his secretary dispatch messengers to those men he had been engaged with.
Tad had described Mr Falconer-Mead as old, but even so Ricky had not been prepared for one so frail. He immediately felt drawn to this man who had suffered much in the loss of a son of whom he was obviously fond. He first told Ricky about his family, how close they had always been, how sad he was when his son had decided to come to Sydney Town.
"I could not blame him, though, for he was my third boy and there would be no land for him at home. I would have done as he did. He told me that as he could not live at "Mead Park" forever he would go and seek one of his own in the new world. He was a good lad and a good correspondent, as was Martha. They never let a mail go without letters to his home or hers. Her family were near neighbours, Stanthorpe by name, and friends of long standing. Our properties march side by side in Sussex and all our children grew up together. Matthew and Martha were of an age and had loved each other from the time they were tots, I think."
"You must have wondered at not hearing, sir, when the mail stopped."
"Yes, I did, and the Stanthorpes, too. James Stanthorpe and I got together and sent three lots of people here to find out what happened. All we could discover was that after selling their house so that they could settle in the Bathurst area, they moved into lodgings, for Martha's time was close and they wanted her to be in the town when the babe was born. They expected to move out west when the child was old enough to travel. We heard of his birth and that it was not an easy one, which makes me think that Martha may have been ill with that. But the last letter from my son told us of the little one's birth and that they had named him Theodore, and Matthew remarked, "He is a little tad". But I did not tell your Tad that."
"I am glad of that, sir. But really I imagine that Tad feels that he does belong for apparently there is a remarkable likeness with your grandson."
"Yes, Mr English, it is remarkable. I may have to depend on that likeness to guide me for I believe it will be hard to prove anything else."
"I did try to find out a little, when I first met Tad but even then I couldn't find out much. Tad had spoken of an old woman he called "Gamma" but as she had died before I met Tad I was not able to trace anything of his story. We did go to where she had had lodgings but no-one knew anything about her. I must admit, sir, it did not seem to be important to us at the time, for it was much more important to find enough to eat each day, and antecedents didn't matter in the scheme of things."
"I suppose not, young man, I suppose not," said the old man. Ricky could see that he had upset him. But he went on to ask Ricky, "Will you tell me all you can about that life of yours when you were growing up together?"
"I will sir, but I daresay to you it will not be a pretty story. But in our own way were were happy. You see our life was spent striving to keep body and soul together and to then try to gather enough to better ourselves."
"I want to hear, and about the other boy Tad told us about."
Before Ricky could start on the story there was a tap on the door and a young man entered. Ricky gasped. Here was Tad's twin. He had never seen two men more alike. It put all doubts out of his mind. No two such people could be unrelated. They shook hands a
nd Mr Falconer-Mead explained that Ricky was about to embark on the story of Tad's life as he knew it.
Ricky tried to be as truthful as he could telling what a scrubby little fellow Tad had been, but even though he tried to belittle his part in the story Mr Falconer-Mead said, "Mr English, I want you to know how sincerely grateful I am to you. I shudder to think of what hands Tad may have fallen into if you had not found him."
"No sir, don't feel like that. Tad actually found me and we did things together. He always had good stuff in him and so I didn't have to do much," protested Ricky. "It was also Tad who brought Will into the family. I am not responsible for him. In fact we all did things together. We felt like a family and still do."
They all talked more and more until Mr Falconer-Mead realised that luncheon time was passing He asked Joshua to pull the bell for service and they set about choose a meal that would be served in the room.
"I do not get about as easily as I used, Mr English, and usually eat in my room when I can," he said. "Young Joshua is my legs and I only have to sit and wait to hear what he has been doing. Eh, Joshua?"
"Are you not well, sir," Ricky asked.
"Shall we say a little old, young man," he answered.
"I admire you very much, Mr Falconer-Mead, for taking such a journey. It makes me realise just how very keen you were to find your grandson," Ricky said.
"I am fortunate that I am an excellent sailor and so was able to take the voyage well. But I did spend most of the time in my cabin but was well looked after. My grandson seems able to cope with one so old," and smiled at his grandson.
"I didn't have to do much Mr English as my grandfather brought his valet with him and Burton knows how to look after him. But I must admit poor Burton is not a good sailor so we had to exchange cabins for some of the way, and I was able to be with Grandfather for those times. We spent many a pleasant hour playing chess for we are well matched."
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