The Call of the High Country

by Tony Parsons

  Angus appealed to Anne. ‘Can you give me any good reason why a young fellow wouldn’t want to escort my daughter?’

  ‘No, I can’t, Angus. Not unless he has his eye on another girl.’

  There was the same hint of devilment in Anne’s eyes as there was in David’s as he sat eating his mother’s cake.

  ‘I’ve got a daughter who looks like a film star and she tells me a boy won’t escort her! I’ve heard everything now,’ Angus continued.

  ‘We shall be there to see you, Catriona,’ Anne said. ‘And I am sure you will look marvellous and that the next boy you ask will escort you.’

  ‘That’s very sweet of you, Anne. It’s just that I did so much want this boy.’

  ‘Speaking of boys, did you know that Bill and Wade Missen are back?’ Angus said. ‘I was talking to Sergeant Hooper and he told me that they’ve been at Nimbin. They got into some trouble up there – drugs, I think. Wade was charged but let off with a caution.’

  Anne looked across at her son. The spark in his eyes was gone and in its place was pure ice. She knew well what David thought of the Missen boys.

  ‘They’ve got some other fellow with them,’ Angus said. ‘The three of them were drinking at the bottom pub and got into a fight. Beats me how two nice people like Roy and Bessie could produce two boys like Bill and Wade,’ Angus said.

  ‘They’re no good,’ David said. ‘Neither of them. They’re wild and there’s a mean streak in Wade. They’ll come to a bad end. Better they stay away. There’s no telling what they might get up to.’

  He got up and stormed out.

  ‘Oh, dear,’ Anne sighed. ‘David sees red when you mention that pair. If they so much as look at him sideways, I am fearful of what he might do.’

  ‘He would have a good ally in Stuart,’ Angus said.

  ‘Excuse me, Anne, Andy,’ Catriona said and left the room. As she went down the steps she saw David leaning against the rails of the horse yard. His head was down and he didn’t notice Catriona until she was standing right next to him.

  When he looked up and saw her he gave a weak smile. ‘Sorry about that, Cat. You ready to load the horses?’

  ‘Ready,’ she said.

  ‘Good luck with King. He should keep you occupied for a while. I shall be very disappointed if you don’t win a few Champion Hack awards with him,’ David said.

  Catriona looked at him and focused on what he had just said. Was there more to the gift of the horse than appeared on the surface? What did David mean by Catriona needing to be ‘occupied’? Was he signposting something further down the track?

  After they had loaded the horses, Angus drove up to the fence that surrounded the homestead. Anne had come down the steps to have a last look at the horses. Angus was at the wheel of the Fairlane and Catriona asked him to wait while she said goodbye. She kissed Anne on the cheek and then did the same to David, this time allowing her face to rest against his. As she looked past him she found Anne’s eyes fixed on her. Anne winked, and Catriona knew she had an ally.

  They had not driven as far as the bend in the road when Angus spoke his mind. ‘That young fellow outgunned me. I never imagined I would see anyone make a gesture like that. And Anne took it all in her stride … as if the loss of three thousand dollars didn’t matter.’

  Catriona pondered what she should say next. She realised that sooner or later her father would have to know how she felt about David. But she would have to tread warily and sow the seeds very gently.

  ‘David is the boy I asked to escort me to the ball. He is the one who refused me,’ she said.

  Angus put his foot on the brake and brought the car to a stop. ‘He what?’ he roared.

  ‘Steady, Daddy, we have valuable horses back there.’

  ‘It was David you were referring to and you let me make a fool of myself in front of the MacLeods? Have you taken leave of your senses, girl? Why on earth did he refuse you?’

  ‘He said I had to ask you first.’

  ‘The devil he did.’

  ‘Susan asked him before I did and she got the same answer,’ Catriona said.

  ‘Well, I’ll be damned. Yet he’s going to be there on the night.’

  ‘Oh, yes, David is definitely going to be there. The whole family will be there, even Mr Mac.’

  ‘You should have talked to Jane and me before you asked David to escort you. I don’t know whether I should be more angry with you or with that young devil back there. David is a lot shrewder than I imagined. And to think he knocked you back, and did he use the gift of the horse to gain our favour? Not David. Not David MacLeod. He has told us exactly what he thinks of us. Damned if he isn’t an infuriating fellow.’

  Angus was still running hot and the car was still stationary. ‘Did David elaborate on why he wouldn’t take you to the ball?’ he asked.

  ‘He said that he didn’t want to be the cause of a dispute between me and my parents. That and the fact that he considers us snobby,’ Catriona threw in.

  ‘What? Damned cheek of him. Pure insolence. If he hadn’t given you that black horse, I’d go back and tell him exactly what I think.’

  ‘I wouldn’t advise that. Apart from the fact that David could handle you with one hand behind his back, he is absolutely right. We are snobs. So David isn’t saying anything that’s untrue.’

  ‘Now, look here, young lady, there are people who have to set high standards. Why do you think we sent you and Stuart to private schools? I’ll tell you why: it was so you would have the class to marry well. If you marry well, your children will have their futures assured. I suppose David realises there are dozens of boys who would fall over themselves to escort you.’

  ‘I’m sure he does. That wouldn’t worry him a bit. He’s his own man and will always do things his way. You either accept him on his terms or you don’t accept him at all.’

  ‘Catriona, I get the feeling that there is more to this than meets the eye. Why are you defending him?’

  ‘I’ve always been keen on David, Daddy. The problem is that I’ve never known whether David is keen on me. Not until I spoke with Anne yesterday, and now there’s this gift of King.’

  ‘Don’t talk in riddles, Catriona. Are you saying that David is keen on you, too?’

  ‘Not on the surface and not in so many words. He’s not ready to get involved in a romance yet. A girl would have to be prepared to play the waiting game if she wanted David, and it just so happens that I think he is worth waiting for. I dare say that you and Mummy won’t agree, but there it is.’

  ‘Catriona, you can do much better than David MacLeod. Anne’s a damned fine woman, none better, and a smart woman, too, but she wouldn’t entertain sending David away to a decent school. Probably couldn’t afford to. That might have made a difference.’

  ‘I know he’s not perfect, but he is a real man. Straight and true. You should hear the stories I’ve been told about some of the men you make me mix with –’

  ‘That’s enough of that, Catriona,’ Angus cut in sharply.

  ‘Well, David would never be like that. A girl could trust him to the ends of the earth. No other boy comes near him.’

  ‘I know some who are pretty decent,’ Angus said.

  ‘You think you know them. Anyway, time usually solves most problems. I propose to accept David’s gift with thanks and to enjoy working him.’

  ‘Your mother will want to know what we paid for him,’ Angus said. ‘What do we tell her?’

  ‘We could tell her the truth, but that wouldn’t be very wise. We could say that we have the horse on trial for a few months. Or you could bend the truth a little and tell her that you worked a deal on stock … say cows or ewes,’ Catriona said with an enchanting smile.

  ‘That would be damned deceitful and very sensible,’ Angus agreed. He gave her a grim sort of smile. But at least it was a smile.

  ‘Of course, if Jane talked to Anne, our goose would be cooked,’ Angus said just before they arrived at Inverlochy.

  �
�I’ll have a word in Anne’s ear,’ Catriona said. ‘Promptly.’

  The idea of his daughter marrying David MacLeod was preposterous to Angus Campbell. If Catriona was serious about David, he would have to send her overseas. That would fix her crush. By then she would be ready to marry someone who could give her everything she deserved. Even when the MacLeods finished paying for Poitrel they wouldn’t be top-bracket graziers, and David definitely didn’t have what it would take to marry Catriona. Angus decided to say nothing to Jane about Catriona’s disclosure regarding David. No sense stirring up an ants’ nest when it was likely to blow over in a few months’ time.

  King was ensconced in the best stable on Inverlochy. Catriona rode him almost every day and soon started him on more demanding work. She was determined to win Champion Hack with him and so prove to David that she was worthy of his handsome gift.

  She was still upset that David would not be escorting her to the ball. It would make so much difference to have David alongside her. Apart from simply wanting him as her escort, she wanted to try and get David out more. She had to get him to mix and talk with people who weren’t only interested in dogs and horses. After much thought, Catriona decided to ask Roger Cartwright to escort her. She knew that Susan would be pleased, and Roger was a decent enough boy. He was nowhere near as handsome as David and was probably six inches shorter but still slightly taller than herself. One thing in Roger’s favour was that he could be relied upon to behave reasonably throughout the evening. Between Roger and Stuart – who was escorting Amanda – she considered she would be well looked after. As for David – well, he was a free agent and would do as he pleased. But she would have to keep an eye on Susan. Oh, what a night it promised to be.

  Chapter Nineteen

  There was usually a capacity crowd for the Debutantes’ Ball. For many people in the district it was the highlight of the year. Other people preferred the Show Ball, which was a more egalitarian affair. For those who preferred the Deb there was something infinitely splendid about the evening: the spectacle of the district’s finest young women being officially presented to the world. The Deb was about as close to pomp as could be achieved in the bush, and parents of debutantes looked forward to the occasion.

  Anne, Kate and Jean stood together and watched the ten white-gowned debutantes and their escorts come up to be presented to the town’s mayor. It was a wonderful scene in the beautifully decorated hall. There were balloons, streamers and lattice arches entwined with crepe-paper roses and ivy. The pink and white theme transformed the hall so that one would never know that it was actually an old building.

  Catriona and her mother had made several trips to find the ideal gown. They wanted something different from the usual taffeta, satin and tulle. They had chosen a filmy chiffon over a satin lining, with guipure lace for trimming. The gown was tight-waisted with a flowy, gathered skirt. A swathe of chiffon covered her back and shoulders, forming the cape sleeves and modestly dipping like butterfly wings to her bosom. Catriona’s long blonde hair was caught back and hung in ringlets. A slender gold chain and locket around her neck and long white gloves were her only accessories.

  Anne, Kate and Jean all agreed that Catriona was the belle of the ball. Although Susan Cartwright was very attractive with her dark hair and flashing eyes, Catriona really stood out.

  David was sitting with his father and seemed to be taking little interest in the proceedings, although he was not ill at ease in what was such an alien environment for him. He had been assured by his mother that ‘coming out’ was an important happening for girls of Catriona’s social class, but he felt it was just another piece of pomp and ceremony of the kind indulged in by the likes of Angus Campbell and his snobby set. He couldn’t see any significance in a girl being presented to the mayor. She wasn’t given anything or changed in any way by the procedure.

  Catriona, while exuding glamour and a sparkling personality, was taking peeks in David’s direction. He had never seen her in such a setting and she was keen to gauge his reaction. But, as always, Catriona was disappointed. David’s eyes were occupied elsewhere, although not with anyone in particular. David was in fact paying very close attention to Bill and Wade Missen, whom he had noted in the crowd. Their behaviour this evening seemed very odd. Every now and again they would disappear outside and then reappear a few minutes later in worse shape.

  There was another young man with them, not a local, and he was well dressed and seemed primed for mischief. His face was vaguely familiar and David tried to remember where he might have seen him. It was most likely to have been at the local show. He was making audible comments about the debutantes, and Bill and Wade were laughing almost hysterically. On one occasion Wade pointed towards Catriona and the other two young men nodded and laughed.

  At that stage David suddenly remembered Angus talking about the Missen boys being mixed up with drugs. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck begin to tingle. He sensed trouble; it was in the air. He left his seat and collected another beer for his father.

  ‘That fellow with the Missens, Dad, you ever see him before?’ he whispered to his father.

  Andy took a long, careful look at the bloke and shook his head.

  David looked up and saw that the man in question was watching him. He was a fairly nice-looking young man, of slim build and about the same height as Wade, who was a couple of inches under six feet.

  David turned away from the Missen boys and their mate to dance. He was anything but an avid dancer, but on this occasion he couldn’t very well get out of it. He partnered his mother first, then Kate and Jean in turn, and as Susan was looking in his direction he decided to ask her to dance with him, too. He reckoned that would put him in Catriona’s bad books. David was just about to walk across to where Susan was sitting when Catriona appeared at his side. She was not backward in telling him just what she thought of him for ignoring her throughout the evening.

  ‘Cat, you have plenty of admirers. They’re all falling over themselves to dance with you. You can see me any old time.’

  ‘That isn’t the point, David. Tonight is special. I expected you to dance with me.’

  ‘I am,’ he said, taking her hand and leading her on to the dance floor with a mild grin.

  ‘But I had to come and find you.’

  ‘I would have looked you up, Cat. You had to give Roger his money’s worth. He escorted you. By the way, who’s the dark-haired fellow with the Missen boys?’

  ‘I don’t know, but I don’t think much of him. He has been making some rather unseemly remarks about the girls. Don’t you know him?’

  ‘His face is familiar. I wondered if he’d been at the show.’

  ‘Don’t worry about those boys, David. They’re simply enjoying themselves. I suppose you’ll have to dance with Susan?’ Catriona said.

  ‘I suppose I will,’ he agreed.

  ‘One dance would be sufficient,’ Catriona said. ‘And then you could come back to me.’

  David shook his head. There was some sort of power play going on between Catriona and Susan and he seemed to be stuck in the middle of it. It was the last place he wanted to be. ‘I think you should go back to Roger, Cat.’

  David turned away from her and went back to sit with his father for a while.

  Later that night, David partnered Catriona through two full dances, just as he did with Susan. He wasn’t going to have Catriona dictate to him, and by dancing twice with each girl he was not able to be accused of favouritism.

  At midnight Anne said that she thought it was time to take Andy home, and that she and the others would go home in Kate’s car. David wanted to stay on a little longer. He danced with a few of the girls he had gone to school with and drank a glass or two of punch, all the while keeping his eye on the Missens and their mate.

  Finally, Catriona and Roger came across to where he was sitting and told him they were leaving. As they left the hall the Missen trio quickly followed them. David got to his feet and tailed them. He had thought
all night that the Missens were primed for trouble. He was even surer now.

  Roger Cartwright was driving a new Falcon and, from the top step of the hall, David watched the car head off for Inverlochy. David had seen Angus and Jane leave about an hour earlier and he knew that there was to be some kind of late supper at Inverlochy involving the Cartwrights and a couple of other families. Roger’s car was followed almost immediately by a big dark car which accelerated sharply and almost side-slammed a mailbox. David hurried to where he had left his utility and in that instant he had a blinding realisation of who was with the Missens. It was none other than Stanley Masters, the boy he had fought back at primary school.

  ‘Bloody hell,’ he swore. ‘God knows what they’ll do if they get their hands on her.’

  He started the utility and accelerated away as fast as the vehicle would respond. When he got out on the main road to Cassilis, he could see the lights of the two cars ahead of him, perhaps two miles away. He doubted very much that they would attempt anything on the main road because there would be people going home to Cassilis and Coolah from the dance. No, if they were going to try anything, it would be on the road to Inverlochy.

  The two sets of lights were still ahead of him when he turned on to the Inverlochy–High Peaks road. And then as he came up out of a dip he could see them no longer. It was clear that the cars had turned off the road. The Missen trio had made their move. In that instant he wished he had his father, fit and well, beside him. The two of them could handle that rotten lot up ahead. But he would have to tackle them on his own. What on earth could they have in mind following Catriona home at this hour?

  It took him only a few moments to discover what had happened. Roger’s Falcon had been forced off the road and had slammed into a fence post. It was starkly illuminated in the lights of the dark car which lit up the whole horrifying scene. He heard a high-pitched scream that made his blood run cold, and an icy rage coursed through him. The Missens and their mate were going to pay dearly for this.

  He slammed on the brakes, grabbed the whip from behind him and was out of the vehicle in one swift movement. Roger was sagged over the steering wheel with Bill keeping an eye on him. Wade and Stanley had dragged Catriona out of the car and pinned her to the ground. Wade was holding her by the legs while Stanley tried to tear off her beautiful white gown. Catriona was screaming so loudly and the three men were shouting and laughing so much they hadn’t even noticed David’s arrival.