The Cloud Leopard's Daughter

by Deborah Challinor

  ‘Haunui?’ Rian asked.

  ‘Why not? One last adventure for me, eh?’

  ‘Mmm.’ Rian tapped his teeth with a chopstick. ‘It’ll be dangerous, won’t it?’ he asked Fu.

  Fu agreed that it would.

  ‘Kitty, what do you think?’

  ‘Well, of course we should go!’

  Bursting into tears, Fu covered his face with his hands.

  Chapter Three

  The Katipo left New Zealand waters three days later, sailing around the southern tip of Stewart Island and heading nor’west up and across the cold and turbulent reaches of the lower Tasman Sea. The temperature climbed marginally as the mysterious polar wastes of the Antarctic receded but the seas never calmed, churning in the grip of fierce winter gales. Everyone huddled inside layers of clothing and oilskins but it was nothing new: they’d sailed vicious, frigid seas countless times. Pierre served thick, hot stews three times a day to warm their bellies and they washed their meals down with scalding tea laced with brandy.

  Amber and Tahi had found their own way to keep warm. A week out from New Zealand, one evening just past midnight, Amber lay in her bunk so galvanised by anticipation she almost couldn’t breathe.

  When the door to her cabin opened – slowly, slowly, so it wouldn’t give out its usual tell-tale squeak – and Tahi crept in, she sat up and threw the bedclothes back for him. He tip-toed over to her bunk, avoiding the deck planks he knew creaked, and slid in beside her. They wriggled down to lie beneath the covers and he grabbed her.

  She giggled. ‘Your feet are frozen!’

  ‘Mmm, you’re not. You’re nice and warm.’ He kissed her then tugged at her nightdress. ‘You should take this off.’

  ‘Well, you should take your clothes off.’

  While he divested himself of his shirt and trousers she pulled her nightdress over her head and flung it on the floor, then squealed as her warm bare skin pressed against his muscled but goose-pimpled chest.

  Tahi put his fingers to her lips, gently pressing them closed. ‘Someone will hear us.’

  ‘No, they won’t.’ The ship creaked and groaned so loudly as she deftly negotiated the Tasman’s mighty swells, Amber expected they could bellow both verses of ‘Alice, Where Art Thou’ and no one would hear.

  She slid her hand down Tahi’s firm belly: he was eager for her already, but then he always was. This would be the seventh delicious time they’d managed to be together. She’d been counting because she loved it. She loved what they did, and she loved him.

  She half-rolled onto him, smothering his handsome face with kisses, shivering as she felt his cool hands slide over her buttocks.

  And then the door flew open – swiftly and very squeakily this time.

  ‘What the bloody hell’s going on in here?’

  Amber turned so quickly she cricked her neck. ‘Pa!’

  Her father raised his lantern and Amber saw instantly how utterly furious he was. ‘Get out of my daughter’s bed,’ he said so quietly that the words were almost inaudible.

  Tahi scrambled out of the bunk, dragging the top cover with him, and stood between Rian and Amber.

  Rian’s jaw worked visibly.

  ‘Go, love,’ said Amber. ‘He’s my father, not yours. Leave it to me.’

  Tahi felt behind him and she gave him her hand to squeeze. He wrapped the blanket a little more firmly around him and walked out, not looking at Rian, the pair of them bristling like wild dogs. She wanted to laugh at their posturing, but the sick thump of her heart in her chest made even hysterical laughter unlikely.

  In a voice as cold and sharp as a steel blade, Rian demanded, ‘Make yourself decent,’ and turned away.

  Amber struggled into her nightdress, then, in a spirit of defiance, put on Tahi’s shirt over the top. Bloody hell!

  Her mother appeared in the doorway, a shawl wrapped around her shoulders. ‘What’s happened? Rian? What’s wrong?’

  ‘I’ve just caught Tahi in bed with our daughter, that’s what’s wrong!’

  ‘Oh, Amber!’

  Amber was stung by the hurt and disappointment in her mother’s voice, but the moment passed, quickly supplanted by outrage. ‘I’m twenty-three! You were only twenty when you ran off with Pa! Why can’t I have a lover?’

  She watched as her parents deliberately refused to look at each other.

  ‘Tahi’s my crewman,’ barked Rian. ‘I’m not having my daughter consorting with crew.’

  ‘He’s not crew. He’s . . . Tahi. I’ve known him forever. He’s more or less family.’ She shut her mouth because, on reflection, that only made things sound worse.

  Rian’s jaw worked again and he said through gritted teeth, ‘We’ll talk about this tomorrow. I can’t stand for it right now. But it has to stop.’

  Amber glared at him. No, it doesn’t, and it won’t.

  Rian glared back, then handed her mother the lantern and left them to it.

  Kitty sighed. ‘This is what you’ve been hiding, isn’t it?’

  Amber kept silent. If her mother wanted to lecture her she wasn’t going to help her do it.

  ‘How long has this . . . dalliance been going on?’

  Dalliance? Amber’s temper flared yet again. She and Tahi weren’t having a dalliance! They loved each other!

  ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘Oh, don’t be so childish. You must know.’ Gesturing at the rumpled bedclothes, Kitty said, ‘How many times have you been together?’

  ‘Seven, not counting tonight, which Pa ruined.’ Alarmed by the look of horror on her mother’s face, Amber said, ‘What?’

  ‘Have you had your courses lately? Have you missed any?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘No, what? No, you haven’t had your courses, or no, you haven’t missed any?’

  ‘No, I haven’t missed any!’

  Kitty let out another huge sigh and sat down on the bunk. ‘Well, thank God for that. Most women would have fallen by now.’ She frowned. ‘You and Tahi have actually, er . . .?’

  ‘Yes, Ma, we have. It wasn’t that hard to work out what to do, you know.’

  Her mother was quiet for a minute. Amber hoped she was getting ready to leave.

  But Kitty hadn’t finished. ‘You’ve upset your father very much.’

  ‘Well, he’s upset me. And Tahi.’

  ‘I don’t think the pair of you realise the trouble this will cause. Tahi will have to leave the ship. Haunui will be heartbroken, not to mention very embarrassed.’

  ‘Why will Tahi have to leave? I don’t think you realise, Ma. Tahi and I are both grown up. We can do what we like. If he goes, then I’m going with him.’

  Mother and daughter stared grimly at each other. After several very long seconds, Kitty said tersely, ‘Your father’s right. This is better discussed in the light of day.’

  She left, closing the cabin door firmly behind her.

  Amber sat for a moment on the edge of her bunk, then lay down and pulled the bedclothes up to her chin.

  *

  Kitty set the lantern on the bedside table. Rian was in a chair, his feet up on the desk, a glass of brandy in his hand, his face apparently carved from granite.

  ‘Well, what did she have to say for herself?’ he demanded. ‘I suppose she’s bloody well expecting, is she? I’ll throttle that bloody boy tomorrow.’

  Subsiding onto the bed, Kitty pulled the blankets over her freezing cold feet and settled back against the pillows. She understood how furious Rian was, and why, but knew he must be very disappointed, too, as he really was very fond of Tahi. ‘Yes, thank you,’ she said. ‘I could really do with a drink.’

  Rian poured her a generous nip and handed it to her. ‘Did you know this was going on?’

  ‘Me? Of course I didn’t!’

  ‘Is she . . .?’ Rian made a squeamish face and waved in the general direction of Kitty’s middle.

  ‘She says not.’

  ‘Would she know?’

  ‘Oh, for God’s sake, Rian
, she’s wilful and contrary, not a mental defective.’

  ‘I’ve heard said a lot of girls don’t know, until it’s too late.’

  ‘That’s the thing, though, isn’t it?’ Kitty took a hurried sip of her brandy and winced as it burnt her throat. ‘She’s not a girl. You might want her to stay twelve years old forever but she’s twenty-three. And so’s Tahi. They’re adults, Rian. And she’s right, I was three years younger than her when we . . . became a couple.’

  ‘What’s that got to do with anything? And why are you defending her?’

  ‘I’m not defending her, I’m just saying.’

  ‘Well, don’t. She’s behaved like some bloody little tart and I won’t have it, and certainly not under my roof, do you hear me?’

  He caught her eye momentarily then reached suddenly for the brandy, splashing out another couple of fingers into his tumbler. Kitty knew, in that quick, angry glance, what was going through his mind. He was thinking back to when she’d made a terrible mistake and allowed herself a single sexual encounter with Daniel Royce. Yes, she’d thought Rian was dead, and was swimming in despair so black she’d almost lost her mind, but that hadn’t lessened the awful impact when Rian – not dead at all – had discovered what she’d done. He’d forgiven her, and she’d forgiven herself, but it had taken them a good twelve months to be comfortable with each other again.

  ‘Sails,’ she said.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Not your roof, your sails.’

  Rian scowled at her. ‘The boy will have to go, at the very next port.’

  ‘I know. It really is a shame. I said to Amber he would. And she said—’ Kitty began.

  ‘Well, I’m not throwing her off my ship. She’s my daughter.’

  ‘No, I mean it’s a shame because Tahi absolutely adores her. He always has.’

  Rian snorted. ‘Mooning about after a girl when you’re twelve isn’t the same as climbing into bed with her when you’re twenty-three, though, is it? Especially when she’s my bloody daughter!’

  ‘Our daughter. No, it isn’t, but as I think I might already have mentioned, our daughter is also twenty-three.’

  ‘You are defending her. You’re defending both of them.’

  ‘I’m not. I’m simply pointing out the facts. He loves her, Rian, and she’s told me she loves him.’ Kitty paused for effect, then played her ace. ‘She also said that if Tahi has to leave the Katipo, she’ll go with him.’

  ‘Oh, how bloody ridiculous!’

  Knocking back his brandy, Rian crossed his arms and stared into the lantern’s flickering flame in sour silence. Finally, he declared, ‘They love each other, do they? Well, if that’s the case they can bloody well get married. Then they can rut themselves silly every night of the week.’

  At last! Kitty thought. For a smart man, sometimes her husband could take ages to arrive at a very obvious conclusion. ‘Like we did, you mean?’

  A flicker of a smile crossed Rian’s face. ‘Yes, like we did.’

  ‘How clever of you,’ Kitty said. ‘And, of course, if they’re married we won’t have to worry about them running off together and we won’t lose her.’

  ‘Exactly.’ Rian eyed her suspiciously, then laughed. ‘Am I supposed to sit here thinking this was my idea?’

  ‘Wasn’t it?’

  ‘Mrs Farrell, I do believe you’ve just manipulated the crap out of me.’

  Eyes wide, Kitty pressed a hand against her chest, fingers splayed.

  ‘You’re not just a pretty face, are you?’ Rian said. He crossed to the bed and settled beside her. ‘But if that boy rejects my girl, or ever hurts her, I’ll throw him over the side myself.’

  *

  Nobody enjoyed the luxury of sleeping in aboard the Katipo when she was under sail, so Kitty and Rian were up and dressed when Haunui knocked on their cabin door just after six o’clock the following morning. His hand pressed against the ceiling for balance, as the seas had risen again in the early hours, he found the chair at Rian’s desk and creakily eased himself into it.

  Kitty had thought, when he joined them at Paihia, that he was finally starting to look his age, but he looked especially weary this morning. His handsome silver hair and beard looked a lacklustre white in the gloom of the cabin, and the patterns of his full face moko seemed to have faded and spread into the darkness of his skin.

  ‘Tahi told me what happened, and I am sorry.’

  ‘I should think so, the randy little bugger!’ Rian burst out.

  ‘Rian!’ Kitty exclaimed. ‘It’s hardly Haunui’s fault!’

  ‘It is my fault,’ Haunui said. ‘I raised him. I thought I had done a better job than that.’

  ‘You do know he loves her?’ Kitty asked.

  ‘Ae, he always has. But he should have come to me first. Amber’s not just some little wahine.’

  ‘Well, I’m glad you realise that,’ Rian snapped.

  Very calmly, and with infinite empathy, Haunui regarded him. ‘Of course I realise that, e hoa.’

  Rian rubbed his hands over his face. ‘Christ, Haunui. I’m sorry.’

  ‘Amber says she loves him, too,’ Kitty said.

  Haunui nodded. ‘Tahi believes she does.’

  ‘Anyway,’ Rian said, ‘I’m not having them sneaking all over the ship having secret assignations, so they can damn well get married. Does that suit you?’

  ‘I couldn’t ask for a better granddaughter-in-law. But does it suit them?’

  ‘If it doesn’t, I’m going to have to let Tahi go.’

  Haunui stood. ‘I think it will suit. I’ll get him and we’ll tell him now.’

  Kitty went next door to fetch Amber, who was sullen and peaky-looking, informing her that her father had something he wanted to say.

  Soon all five were in Kitty and Rian’s cabin. Kitty realised Haunui couldn’t have said anything yet to alleviate Tahi’s discomfort as he seemed nervous under his determinedly grown-up calm. He winked at Amber, and she brightened a little when she saw him. Kitty’s heart dropped in her chest: Amber had once looked to her for comfort. And at exactly the same time, tears stung her eyes. They really did love each other.

  Rian sat in his desk chair, facing the unfortunate pair, like a king on his throne. Pompous old fart, she thought.

  ‘Amber’s mother spoke to her last night,’ he said to Tahi. ‘So I’ll deal with you now.’

  Tahi swallowed. ‘Yes, sir.’

  ‘I’m very disappointed in you.’

  ‘Yes, sir.’

  ‘You’ve abused our trust.’

  ‘Yes, sir.’

  ‘I expected a lot more from you.’

  ‘Yes, sir.’

  ‘Did you not give a thought to Amber? To her reputation? Her future prospects?’

  Tahi tentatively raised a finger. ‘Excuse me, sir.’

  ‘What.’

  ‘Sir, I wish to marry Amber.’

  ‘What?’

  Kitty nearly laughed: Rian looked deeply affronted at having his – her – clever idea hijacked.

  Taking Amber’s hand, Tahi said to her, ‘I do. I want you to be my wife. Will you?’

  ‘Yes!’ Amber’s face was radiant. She hugged him. ‘Yes, yes, yes! Ma, Pa, is that all right with you?’

  ‘Well, I suppose so,’ Rian said.

  ‘Really?’ Amber stared at him, shocked. ‘Ma?’

  ‘If it’s what you both really want, then I’m very happy for you,’ Kitty replied.

  And she was. Tahi was a delightful young man and if Amber really did love him, and wasn’t just suffering from a bad case of lust, then why shouldn’t they marry? Then at least any child they might produce would have both a mother and a father, whereas neither Tahi nor Amber had known their true fathers – which was probably a blessing.

  ‘Koro?’ Tahi asked Haunui.

  Haunui grinned. ‘Fine by me, boy.’

  ‘Can we get Simon to marry us?’ Amber asked. ‘He’s a preacher. He could do it today.’

  ‘No,’ Rian sai
d. ‘If you’re getting married you’re doing it properly, in a church. I’ve a mind to stop off at Sydney anyway.’

  Startled, Kitty said, ‘Sydney? Why?’

  ‘We need to find out where Wong Kai’s sent Bao.’

  Kitty glanced uneasily at Haunui. ‘And how will you do that?’

  ‘By asking him,’ Rian replied.

  ‘He won’t tell you.’

  ‘Maybe not, but he might let something slip. And while we’re there these two can get married.’

  ‘But we’ll have to publish the banns and book the church and everything, and that’ll take weeks!’ Amber complained.

  ‘No, it won’t,’ Rian said. ‘There are ways and means.’

  ‘And what about a wedding dress?’ Kitty asked. ‘She can’t get married in any old thing.’

  ‘Enya can whip something up.’

  Kitty gave Rian a withering look. His widowed sister, Enya Mason, was certainly a very accomplished dressmaker, but even she wouldn’t be able to make a wedding dress in less than a very busy fortnight without any notice. ‘And don’t forget we’ll need a venue for the wedding breakfast,’ she went on. ‘We’re not settling for cheese and pickles in some pub.’

  Rian waved a hand. ‘We’ll talk to Biddy. She’ll know how to get everything sorted.’

  That was true, Kitty thought. Mick’s mother, Biddy Doyle, a landlady in The Rocks, seemed to know all sorts of people. ‘Well, I hope so. Much as I’m delighted to see Amber and Tahi married, we are in a hurry.’

  ‘I know,’ Rian replied. ‘Which is why I’ll be dealing with Wong Kai while you’re doodling about organising the wedding.’

  Kitty gaped at him. ‘Doodling about! You’re the one insisting on a church and all the rest of it! And if you’re going to see Kai, so am I. You don’t know him like I do. In fact, you don’t know him at all.’

  ‘No, you’re not.’

  ‘Yes, I am.’

  ‘’Scuse us,’ Haunui interrupted. ‘I can smell food. We finished here?’

  Kitty realised that she, too, could detect the tantalising aroma of a cooked breakfast. God, she was starving. ‘Yes, we’re finished, aren’t we?’

  Rian nodded.

  Kitty gave Amber and Tahi each a kiss and a hug. ‘Congratulations, my dears. I really am very happy for you.’