"Oh, darling," said Ricky, "You little darling. Life is not always as busy as it has been, for I have wanted you to meet my friends who I hope will be your friends. As far as business is concerned, I am not bigger, as you call it, than many other men in the city and we can live as quietly or as busily as you desire. I am not really a very social person, but I do enjoy dining with friends occasionally. Most nights I am home quite quietly. What else has been worrying you, my little one?"
"It's all the other things you do. I wouldn't know how to work with orphans, homeless people and the other things you do. I spent the other morning in the hostel with Miss Binks, as you know, and she told me such a lot about what you do. Ricky, I don't think I could keep up with you and all you do."
"But, Jenny, I wouldn't ask you to. I have only been interested in them because I wanted to pay back to society a little of what I have received myself. But I don't bring them home and they don't interfere with my home life at all. The boys rarely see my charges, as you once called them. I only want us to be happy in our own home and I want nothing more than to find you at home to greet me after a day at the office and settle down to just looking at you sitting opposite me each evening and every moment I can get to share with you. You will be and indeed are, right now, the most important thing in my life. I would lie down and let you trample on me, I think."
Jenny laughed at this, but said gravely, "I am a little frightened of that, too, Ricky. I am frightened that I will not be good enough for you and you will be disappointed in me."
"Jenny," said Ricky," it is my greatest fear that I will not be good enough for you and that you will be disappointed in me. We must work this out together and we will. I have never been married, either, and it is as big a mystery to me as it is to you, but, my very darling girl, we will work on it together. Will that do?"
"But you are so good at everything," she said, with her eyes full of tears.
Ricky took both her hands in his and said, "Jenny, look at me." She raised her eyes to his. "Do you love me, Jenny? Do you truly love me? Tell me honestly."
"Oh, yes, I do. I love you so much, but I am not good enough for you." With this the tears fell.
"And, my precious, I am not nearly good enough for you. I think that is a good start, don't you?"
"Yes, I suppose so," came the tearful reply.
"My darling, all I want is to look after you and shield you from all harm and hurt. I want to do that more than anything. I will take care of you, Jenny. Will you put yourself in my hands? Do you know, I do understand what you mean, I think. You can see that my daytime life will not alter that much, but yours will. I know you are a busy person who likes lots to do and that's why you took on teaching the Forrest children. But, darling, when we spend time together we will develop things for our mutual interest and you will see that we will have a new life but it will be shared. Does the thought of the big house worry you, dear? Do you think you will rattle around in it feeling lost?"
"No, not that. I am used to being in a house as large as ours will be but it seems a bit strange that I wonder what I will do with myself. You have everything so well organised, Ricky."
"Oh, my dear, have I not involved you enough in it? I am sorry. I have been thoughtless."
"No it's not even that, for how could you involve me more if I am not here?"
"I know what we'll do," said Ricky eagerly, "we'll only furnish the rooms that are necessary for what we need straight off, and then when you get a bit used to the place you can choose what you want for the rest. How will that be?"
Jenny gave her nose a ladylike blow and smiled a watery smile but said, "Thank you, Richard, that might be a good idea. I think now that everything will be all right."
"And we will promise to always tell each other when they have a problem, won't we?" Ricky asked.
"I'll try, really I will."
"Do you know, if you just set about to enjoy yourself all will be well, I am sure" said Ricky softly.
"No, I think there's more to it than that. I will just set about making you enjoy yourself, and then I am sure it will be all right. I'm sorry I have been so silly, but I do feel better now."
"And you always will be if we talk things over. Promise?" She nodded. "Well that's fine then. By the way, you called me Richard. Do you want to?"
"Yes, I often think of you as Richard. Have you ever been called that?"
"No, Jenny, I haven't, because my father was Richard and I've always been Ricky. Officially, of course I am Richard and always sign myself as such. Do you wish to call me that, darling? I don't mind if you do. As long as you want to call me something I don't mind what it is."
He set about chattering to try to get her mind settled. He realised what a big step it all was, but he knew her for a brave girl, otherwise she would never have been able to come to the colony to make a new life here in the first place. So they talked about the garden, the weather and everything else he could think of. He tried to put his mind on things that would interest her and soon she was chatting and laughing as easily as he was.
They packed the hamper up and Ricky asked her if she would like to go down to the point and watch the ships on the harbour for a while. She agreed to this and as he helped her into the sulky he said, " Do you know Jenny, Tad and Amabel were worried about the things you were. I suppose everyone is. Tad told me, so I was half expecting you to be concerned and was wishing you had a mother to talk things over with. They must have found everything was all right for I couldn't imagine anyone happier than those two when they set off for England. I don't think they would have cared where they were going as long as they were together." He looked up at her, "Jenny, my precious darling, it will be like that with us, too. I have pledged my life to do everything I can to make you happy."
"Oh, Richard, I would be a selfish beast if I ever wanted more than that. You are such a comfort and I do love you so." She reached down and kissed him on the lips. "Come on, find a ship for me to look at."
"Yes, ma'am," said Ricky jumping into the sulky and speeding the horse on its way.
Jenny excused herself from accompanying the Forrests when they set out next morning to visit old friends. She explained that she intended to go next door to the girl's hostel and see Miss Binks. Her heart was pounding a little as she knocked on the door. She had been in the hostel before, of course, so she knew the girl who opened the door.
"Would I be able to speak with Miss Binks, Please. Annie, isn't it?" she asked.
"Yes, Miss. I'll see if she is free. Please come in to the sitting room."
Jenny tried to relax in one of the armchairs but found it was not easy for now she was wondering what she was going to say when Binksie did come. However after being greeted with a broad smile and a bidding to sit and make herself comfortable until tea came she began to feel better. Binksie must have realised she was rather ill at ease and so sat and chatted to make her guest relax.
The tea arrived very quickly and as they sat over it Jenny said, "Binksie, I do hope I haven't interrupted your work. I don't want to be a nuisance, but I didn't know what time would be best to come."
"No trouble, my dear," Miss Binks assured her, speaking as though she had a troubled child in the schoolroom, and indeed she thought she did. "No trouble at all. I was only setting some work for one of the girls and she is quite capable of going ahead without me." She smiled at Jenny. "My child you look as though you have the cares of the world on your shoulders. Can I help? Is it in my line at all? Come on, tell me."
"Well, I will," said Jenny, "if you don't mind. You see I am worried about all this work that Ricky does and I don't quite know what I am going to do about it."
"Whatever do you mean, surely you don't mind what he does, girl?" Jenny was asked sharply.
"No, no. No I don't mind at all. Please, I am sorry, but I want to know how I can help too and I am scared to death of trying. Please help me."
With that Binksie roared with laughter. "What a silly goose you are to be sure. I da
resay I am, too. I am sorry I laughed but it really was with relief, Miss Elston. I thought you were going to ask me how to stop him, and you know that would be impossible. For I find if someone has his sort of helping streak, there's nothing you can do about it but go along, too. Otherwise it would be rather like trying to turn a river back on itself."
"I know, or rather, that's what I thought it would be like. No, Miss Binks, I want to get into the river too, if you know what I mean. But I don't know how to. Please tell me how."
So talking it all over they sorted things out a little in Jenny's mind. Miss Binks told her how she could be most useful and take over some of the things that Amabel had done before she left. She suggested that once she got the feel of the place she would find how easy it would be to find a lot to do.
"You have apparently been teaching the Forrest children, Miss Elston, and so you won't find it much different for some of the girls have had no teaching at all and so have to learn their letters like the smallest Forrest. But it isn't much use you starting anything you could not carry through full time for you won't be here all that often, I suppose. At least, not yet. But there are other ways you could help. Just let me think a moment."
Jenny sat watching the capable woman for a while and said, "Miss Binks, I don't think it is what you do that is worrying me, but how you do it. I mean, I don't think I'll know how to talk to the girls."
"But, they are just girls, you know. You must be used to servants, you must know how to deal with them, " the older woman said.
"Oh, yes, of course I do. But when they are doing their work and I am doing my usual things it is easy. You see, all the servants we had at home were people I grew up with and I knew them well, but here I won't know what to say to them and they will know it."
"I daresay you are saying that the lower orders walk in a different world to those above. No, no, don't protest." Miss Binks held up her hand as Jenny was to protest that she wouldn't have put it like that. " I know you aren't thinking in those hard terms but I think I know what you mean. But remember that they may seem quite imperturbable when you see them doing their work around the house, but they are just as frightened of you and your world as you are of theirs. This is one of the things we try to break down here. Oh, we don't break down the barriers completely, but we teach the girls that we all have our values and whether we are doing something menial or something quite enlightening we must do our best."
"It all sounds very difficult. You see I think girls who have had a tough life would look at things differently and I know I have had a soft life. I know I have been spoiled, for I haven't had a hard life at all," said Jenny.
"Miss Elston, you lost your parents suddenly and you lost your home. You brought yourself out to the colony alone and that took a lot of courage. I don't think a few girls should fuss you, but I do understand and I am very pleased you have come to me. I know a little of the sort of person Mr English is and I wondered whether you understood. I see that you do and I admire you for admitting it. You will have no worries for you have faced it and are ready to do something about it. Many girls wouldn't . I have an idea," she added, "Can you sew?"
"Yes, I can. I particularly like doing white work and am embroidering pillow cases for my trousseau now."
"You see, you are an asset right away. We have a sewing circle each afternoon and most of the girls come and bring whatever craft work they are interested in. I believe that busy fingers, even in leisure hours, are fingers kept out of trouble and our sewing circle is a most important part of our training. Will you come, and bring your sewing?"
"Yes, most certainly I will. May I come this afternoon, please?"
"Yes, we would love you to come. You see this is the time that we want the girls to learn to be able to carry on what we would call a normal conversation and learn a few graces as well. While they are doing their work it's 'Yes, Miss Binks', and 'No, Miss Binks'. I want them to be able to feel free to speak openly to us and they are learning how. You will find it is easier to get to know them when you are sharing something with them and them with you. I am sure it will be smooth sailing."
Jenny found that it was. She arrived at the stipulated time and joined the girls in the sitting room. Miss Binks was there, too, and Mrs Yates.
The girls were rather shy of Jenny at first and there seemed to be a few rather silent silences. Neither Miss Binks or Mrs Yates helped overcome this and so Jenny, taking a quiet deep breath, asked one of the girls who was doing white work like hers if she may look at her work and see if she could learn some new stitches. She marveled at the dainty work that some of the girls were doing. Two of them were doing white work and it was not long before young heads were together pouring over designs and new stitches. Binksie looked across at Mrs Yates and smiled and on receiving one back she winked a wicked wink as though to say, 'all is well.'
"Oh, miss," came the answer, "I am sure you know more'n me for I am jest larnin'. Please miss, kin I look at yours? Please?"
"Oh, yes. I've been dying to have a look at yours. May I come and sit with you? You're Millie, aren't you?"
"No, miss, I'm Sadie. But please, miss, come and sit 'ere. I mean here." Sadie indicated a chair at the table near her. "And please miss, this is Annie. She's doin' a rag rug."
This broke the ice rather and the girls unbent enough to start chattering. It seemed no time at all that Binksie stood up and said, "Come along, Miss Elston, this is where we get the afternoon tea and serve the girls." Turning to Mrs Yates she said, "Your turn to sit and receive today, Mrs Yates. Miss Elston will help me."
"That will be a pleasure," said Mrs Yates. "we will all wait in anticipation," and chuckled.
"I hope you don't mind that I shared with Mrs Yates what you told me this morning, Miss Elston. I don't know whether you have heard how Mr English found her in a destitute state and rescued her. She thinks the sun shines out of that young man and is very pleased indeed that he has found a young lady like you." Miss Binks looked straight at her. "We love your young man. We all think he is rather wonderful."
Tears flooded Jenny's eyes. "I do too, Miss Binks, and it is the worry of my life that I am not good enough for him."
"You'll do, my girl. You are going along the right track," Binksie assured her and gave her a big bear hug.
That was the first of many sessions and soon Jenny was able to walk into the hostel with no qualms at all. There she was made to feel useful and was able to find things that she could do and teach the girls that hadn't until then been done.
When she suggested that they should learn to dance, at first Binksie thought that might be going a bit far but after consultation with Ricky they thought they might try. It would be good for the girls to learn to have normal relationships with boys, so they invited the boy's hostel to partake in a little exercise one Friday night. Mr and Mrs Forrest and the Landons joined in with Ricky and Jenny and soon were teaching the boys that the art of dancing was not something to be looked down upon. At first the boys were horrified at touching the ladies hands and the girls very shy of twirling a waltz with the 'elderly' gentlemen. But when all the young folk saw that these people wanted them to have a good time they entered into the fun of it and began to take it seriously.
The boys had arrived looking well scrubbed and most reluctant. Mr Parker had to watch them in case any wanted to glide away to parts unknown or known as the case may be. Mr Brown, the joiner, turned out be a very fine dancer and soon was showing the girls how to do this dance and that. Jenny and Binksie took it in turn to play the piano and Ricky was good not demanding to dance with Jenny all the time even though he dearly wanted to. The girls had dressed with great care and the boys hardly recognizing these beauties who were 'just girls' in the daytime. There was not much to-ing and fro-ing between the hostels normally and at the end of the evening it was decided that the dance was a huge success and more should be planned. The supper that the girls provided just put the finishing touches on a pleasant evening for the boys.
; All this helped Jenny and Ricky to know each other better and now that Jenny had lost her fear of the hostel she relaxed and just glowed. Being in love suited her as it did most young things. They spent much time writing to one another when they were apart and looked forward to the day when they would be together for always.
Writing to Jenny was not the only letter writing Ricky did now, for he had to keep letters from home continuously flowing towards England and Paris. He knew that Tad was better off than poor Will, for not only was he in a foreign land but in a very lonely state and that was ever a worry for Ricky. He didn't expect to hear for some months after they left and was happy to receive his first letters within a very short time.
His first from Tad was-
"Dear Rick,
I'll bet you didn't expect this so soon, but we had to call in at the Cape of Good Hope and there was a ship going to Sydney. So, we all took the opportunity to write home.
We are all very well. Will and I were sick all the way past the south coast of Australia. The old ship was absolutely horrible and so was being sick. Amabel wasn't a bit sick and has been my darling angel and looked after me marvelously.
Oh, Ricky she is wonderful. I don't know what I have done to deserve such a darling ..." The letter then contained such like remarks about the bride and her wonders but at least he finished the letter by saying, "Will keeps well and appears to enjoy the voyage now that he isn't sick.
Yours truly,
Tad"
Will's was much more interesting and a delight to Ricky.
"Dear Rick,
Now that I am no longer sick I am enjoying the voyage immensely. I was sick all the way across southern Australia. I don't know how Tad stood having Amabel fussing over him at that time for all I wanted to do was lie there and die and not be bothered with any one but the steward who looked after me.
I daresay you will be surprised to hear from me so soon, but a passenger was very ill and decided to get off the ship at Cape Town. This is a fine harbour with a number of ships, one of which is heading for Sydney and so we are able to send this off.
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