The Grazier's Wife Page 11

  ‘Wow,’ Seth said after the first bite. ‘I’m glad I bought two of these.’

  ‘Mine’s yummy, too.’

  They munched in companionable silence for a bit, enjoying the sunlight as they snapped the tops of their ginger beers and drank straight from the bottle.

  Inspired by Burralea’s street plantings, Alice had filled a wide-brimmed pot with alyssum and lobelia and a small yellow daisy, which she’d set next to another pot of herbs on the brick pavers at the bottom of the steps. Already the combination of vibrant blue, white and yellow was a pleasing contrast to the splash of green herbs. In a couple of weeks the display would be dazzling.

  Seth, however, was looking back to the glass on the easel. ‘So how did you get into this line of work?’ he asked.

  ‘My grandfather had a backyard workshop,’ she said. ‘And I lived with my grandparents from when I was ten, so I was always hanging around, watching him. Of course, I’ve done a couple of TAFE courses, but really, I learned almost everything I needed from my grandfather.’

  ‘I’d believe that,’ said Seth. ‘You can’t beat hands-on experience with a master.’

  ‘I guess it’s the same with learning how to manage cattle.’

  ‘Pretty much. I did a degree in Applied Science at uni, though, and it helps to stay up to date with all the new info about cattle and land management and the various markets.’

  Seth opened his second brown paper bag. ‘Are you sure you wouldn’t like to try a corner of this?’

  Alice laughed. ‘No, I’m fine, thanks. Mine’s delicious. I’ll make coffee in a minute.’

  After he’d eaten a mouthful, Seth said, ‘I don’t want to sound too curious, but you said you lived with your grandparents. Does that mean that your parents are – elsewhere?’

  Alice was used to this question, but it still wrought a painful clench in her chest. ‘My parents were killed in a car accident when I was ten.’

  She saw the instant flash of sympathy in Seth’s eyes, heard him swear softly, almost beneath his breath.

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ he said.

  She nodded. ‘Yes, it was terrible.’ She drew a deep breath, trying to stem the welling of emotion that talking about this could still evoke. ‘But it was a long time ago,’ she said next. ‘And my grandparents were wonderful.’

  ‘But still – to lose them both when you were so young.’ Seth gave a slow shake of his head. ‘That’s tough.’

  The rest of his pie sat abandoned on its brown paper bag, but eventually he picked it up again. He didn’t ask her about brothers or sisters, so Alice didn’t tell him about Daisy. Over the years, she’d learned that it was easier not to talk about her baby sister, even though the silence always left a sad empty space in her heart, almost as if she was denying Daisy’s existence.

  ‘Would you like coffee?’ she asked to change the subject.

  Seth looked pleased. ‘Coffee would be great.’

  She jumped to her feet. ‘I’ll be back in a tick,’ she added in case he had any ideas of following her. Much as she liked Seth, she had to be cautious. He was a father of a cute toddler, after all. The kind of guy she could never get serious about. ‘How do you like it?’

  ‘Black with one, thanks.’

  ‘I’ll take those paper bags and the bottle.’ She held out her hand for these and then hurried away.

  __________

  Seth watched as Alice disappeared up the stairs. Watched her long legs in slim blue jeans, the neat curve of her butt, the fiery river of her hair, tied back loosely and hanging past her shoulders, a splash of autumn against the leaf green of her shirt.

  Even from the back view she was beautiful. Face to face, she was gobsmackingly gorgeous.

  He was glad he’d followed up on his hunch to call in. Alice had been in his thoughts almost constantly and now, seeing where she lived and worked, he was more fascinated than ever.

  He had to be careful, though. After a year of living alone with Charlie, he was kind of desperate for female company, but he didn’t want to frighten this girl off by being too eager.

  In the past he’d had his share of success with women, but he was a man with baggage now. And a woman with Alice’s looks could pick and choose.

  Seth allowed himself to muse about Alice. Her oval face had a serious, bewitching beauty and her skin was pale with a soft, delicate bloom that made him long to touch her. But it was her eyes that totally captivated him. He’d never seen a redhead with such lustrous dark brown eyes, and he’d certainly never met a girl with such an endearing tiny fault in her right eye – an enchanting slice of gold at five o’clock.

  Seth had thought that perhaps he’d imagined it last time, when she’d come out to the homestead, but now he’d seen her again, and there it was, like an embedded piece of amber. He thought it was adorable.

  He found himself wondering about Alice’s parents and felt another gut slug at the thought of their tragedy. But then he imagined them marvelling over their baby girl, fascinated by the unique speck of gold that emerged as her eyes deepened from the slate grey of a newborn to chocolate brown. He thought about little Alice moving in with her grandparents. Her story hit him harder now than it might have before he’d become a father with a lively youngster of his own.

  In a reverie, still thinking about this, Seth realised with a jolt that Alice was coming back down the stairs, making her way carefully with two mugs of coffee and a tin tucked under one arm.

  He jumped to his feet. ‘Here, let me help you. Can I take that?’

  ‘Thanks,’ she said as he freed her of the tin. ‘I remembered I still had some shortbread.’ She smiled. ‘Although maybe you don’t have room for anything else.’

  ‘I reckon I can always make room for shortbread.’

  Seth set the tin by the top step and relieved Alice of his mug.

  ‘I probably made these a bit too full,’ she said. ‘You might want to take a couple of sips before you sit down again.’

  Obediently, Seth sipped. ‘Good coffee. Is it local?’

  ‘Yes. From Mareeba. I’m trying to buy as much local produce as I can. Low food miles and all that.’

  ‘There’s certainly an abundance on the Tablelands.’

  They settled back on the top step.

  ‘It’s fabulous here,’ Alice said. ‘I love all the local yoghurt and cheese. And the range of fruit and veggies at the farmers’ markets is amazing.’ She opened the tin and offered it to him. The shortbread looked perfect. Pale creamy gold and crusted with caster sugar.

  Seth took a piece. ‘Thanks. Did you get this at the Burralea markets?’

  Alice gave a little laugh. ‘No. I actually made this with my own fair hands.’

  ‘Wow. So there’s no end to your talents.’

  She turned a pretty shade of pink and Seth had to fight off an urge to forget the coffee and shortbread while he tasted her luscious lips.

  ‘I’m no great shakes as a cook,’ she said. ‘But this shortbread is my grandmother’s recipe and it’s fail-safe.’ She broke off a small corner and tossed it to a fat brown hen that had wandered into the yard.

  They both watched the hen peck eagerly at the crumbs.

  ‘That’s the neighbour’s chook,’ Alice said. ‘I’m thinking I’d like to get a couple of hens of my own. I love the idea of fresh-laid eggs.’

  Seth nodded. ‘Can’t beat ’em.’

  ‘I guess you have your own chickens?’

  ‘Yeah. Well, my parents do. More than they need, fortunately, so there’s plenty of eggs left over for Charlie and me.’

  ‘Do you and Charlie live at the homestead?’

  ‘No. I built my own place.’

  Alice looked surprised. ‘Built it? By yourself?’

  He shrugged. He didn’t want to give her the wrong idea. ‘I’m no master builder. It’s just a kit home.’

  ‘Still. You must be handy.’

  She shouldn’t smile like that, especially when he was sitting down in tight jeans. ‘You
have to be handy, living on a cattle property,’ he said.

  ‘Yes, I suppose you wouldn’t want to be calling a tradesman for every little thing.’ Alice set down her coffee mug and wrapped her arms around her knees. ‘So what’s the average day of a cattleman like? Do you spend a lot of time riding horses, or do you mostly use a quad bike?’

  ‘A bit of both. It depends on the terrain. We muster on horseback, especially in the hilly country, but we’ve put in some good roads, so I can get around the property in the ute for a lot of the jobs.’

  ‘I’ve never ridden a horse.’

  He felt his pulse quicken. Was this an opening? ‘You’ll have to give it a go.’

  ‘Maybe.’ Before he could respond again, Alice asked quickly, ‘What do you love about your work?’

  Perhaps she was keen to change the subject.

  And Seth was busily trying to work her out. There was a definite vibe between them. He was sure he wasn’t fooling himself about that. But every time he seemed to make headway, Alice retreated again.

  ‘What do I love about my work?’ he repeated, as he recalled her question. ‘I don’t think anyone’s ever asked me that. But I guess I like being my own boss and I love being in the outdoors, working with the land, the cattle, keeping active.’ He shot her a quick glance. ‘What about you? What do you love about your work?’

  She grinned. ‘Touché. No one’s ever asked me, either.’ She thought for a minute, resting her chin on her up-drawn knees.

  Seth watched, mesmerised by her profile, by the fall of her bright hair.

  ‘I think I love the possibilities,’ Alice said. ‘I love bringing something old and neglected back to life. And I love wondering about the stories connected to old pieces of furniture. Who did they belong to? Who loved them? What could this chair or that mirror tell us if they could talk?’

  Her eyes were shining as she said this and Seth felt a physical pain in his chest. No doubt about it, he was falling hard for this girl.

  ‘That reminds me,’ Alice said. ‘Has your mother said anything about that envelope?’

  Seth blinked, struggling to pay attention to her question. What envelope?

  ‘Sorry.’ Alice was watching him and she smiled awkwardly. ‘It’s none of my business. I shouldn’t have asked.’

  Bloody hell. The envelope she’d brought to the homestead. Of course.

  He tried to reassure her with a shake of his head. ‘No, of course you can ask. It was good of you to deliver it.’ He shrugged. ‘I suppose my parents have taken a look at it, but I never thought to ask. They haven’t said anything.’

  Alice nodded, gave a brief smile, then looked down at her empty coffee mug.

  Seth got the message. He’d taken up enough of her time. ‘I guess you need to get back to work,’ he said, leaping to his feet.

  ‘Yes.’ Alice rose too.

  He picked up the mugs. ‘Can I take these upstairs for you?’

  ‘No, no. Leave them here, thanks. I’ll take them up later.’

  Seth nodded, then glanced towards the easel. ‘Good luck with the mirror.’

  ‘Thanks. And thanks for lunch.’

  ‘My pleasure.’

  She walked with him through to the shop. At the front doorway, he hesitated.

  ‘The mirror should be ready the day after tomorrow,’ she said. ‘I’ll give Jackie a call to let her know.’

  ‘Okay. Thanks.’

  Alice didn’t offer her hand as she said goodbye. In fact, she didn’t quite look Seth in the eye.

  It wasn’t the farewell he’d hoped for. She was retreating, pulling down the shutters.

  With a brief wave and a courteous smile, he left. He felt down, though, as he climbed into his ute and started the motor. He drove off down Burralea’s main street, past the Woods’ office opposite, past the hairdresser and the pie shop, to the intersection with the Lilly Pilly café on one corner and the big old pub on the other.

  As he drove on, past the little white church that had been turned into an art gallery, his thoughts were all about Alice. He knew he wasn’t going to give up on such a lovely girl, but he wasn’t feeling madly confident. He came with baggage these days and, apart from asking where Charlie was, Alice hadn’t asked any questions about his little guy. She seemed more interested in his cattle than his son.

  Driving back towards Mareeba past newly ploughed paddocks where sarus cranes scavenged for grubs in the deep chocolatey furrows, Seth decided it made sense to resolutely shift his thoughts from Alice’s beauty to her question about the envelope she’d delivered.

  Seth had dumped the enveloped marked To the Drummond Family on the desk in the homestead without really giving it another thought. But it was pretty odd to hide a document like that behind a mirror. Alice had clearly considered it important, or she wouldn’t have gone to all the trouble of hand-delivering it.

  Being a straight-up-and-down kind of guy, Seth found the prospect of family secrets unsettling, especially as his grandmother’s name had been on the back of the envelope. He’d been very fond of his gran. When he was little he’d sometimes gone to stay with her in her cottage perched on an Atherton hillside.

  She’d made the best scones in the world, which she’d served with homemade jam and thick dollops of cream, and she’d never scolded him for eating too many. She’d known cool things, too, like how to tie knots, and she’d bought him an ant farm. His mother hadn’t been too excited when he brought the farm home, but Seth had been crazy about those ants and their mysterious underground life.

  He remembered the time his dog got his paw caught in a dingo trap. His grandmother had known exactly what to do, and the vet had praised her to the skies. Seth had learned then that she’d trained as a nurse when she was young.

  That news had been an eye-opener. As a kid, he’d never really considered the possibility that his gran had experienced a full and interesting life before she grew old.

  11

  War was on our doorstep and I had never worked so hard. All through December and January, the bombing of Singapore continued and the news of fighting in the north kept getting worse and worse.

  Every room and corridor of the hospital was crowded with the wounded. Day after day, a procession of ambulances set off for the railway station to meet new trainloads of soldiers arriving from Malaya.

  For Stella, the night at Raffles Hotel, when she and Tom had talked of ‘toy soldiers’ and of her eagerness to be part of the action, now seemed like a long-ago, childish dream.

  These days she was frantically busy, giving morphine injections, cutting badly burned clothing from open wounds, changing dressings every hour. All the nurses were exhausted and frightened by the news of the enemy’s relentless progress south.

  Admittedly, the girls only confessed in private to being worried. Matron had reminded them to show a brave face in the wards; they had to keep their patients’ morale up.

  The weather was awful, with stifling heat and humidity broken only by drenching rain that forced the more mobile patients off the verandahs and into the already crowded wards. Perhaps the worst thing, though, was the smell.

  When the men arrived from the Malayan jungles, very badly wounded, covered in blood and grime and sweat, the nurses struggled to find time simply to clean the wounds, let alone bathe their patients properly as they normally would.

  Stella saw very little of Tom.

  Occasionally, he got a message to her – an unexpected and carefully cryptic, handwritten note left for her at the nurses’ quarters.

  All’s well here. Thinking of you always. Stay safe.

  Stella was so busy on the wards and so exhausted by the end of each shift that she knew almost nothing about life beyond the hospital. News of the outside world came mostly via Freddy, who was now volunteering full-time, although she went home to Guy whenever she could manage it.

  Freddy reported that anti-aircraft guns had been set up at the golf club and troops had moved into the clubhouse. Coconut Grove, Singapore’s
most fashionable nightclub, had closed down. Raffles Hotel had put up blackout curtains in the ballroom, but the orchestra still played from eight until midnight. Only a few stalwart souls ventured out, though. It was hard to find a taxi after dark.

  Even so, many Singaporeans, including the British expats, seemed to carry on with ‘life as usual’.

  ‘The Smythe-Crowleys had a near miss at Raffles the other night,’ Freddy told Stella as they were unpacking a new, much-needed shipment of bandages and dressings. ‘They were in the dining room and they’d finished their soup and were waiting for their main course when the sirens went off. A few seconds later the whole building was shaking. The waiters bolted, but Giles and Bunny stayed at their table, cool as you please. Then Giles took himself off to the kitchen, found their steaks and brought them back to Bunny. They kept eating their steak and drinking French claret while everyone else ran around in a panic.’

  Stella smiled at Freddy’s story. She knew that Bunny and Giles would have put on a brave face, but she also found this attitude worrying. A crazy sense of unreality seemed to linger among the civilians. Despite the mounting death toll and clear evidence of impending doom, people still believed that the island couldn’t fall. And although there was some talk of evacuating the women, the general feeling was that this was too much like running away.

  After hearing Tom’s grave concerns about Singapore’s defences, Stella couldn’t help feeling that these people were foolish rather than plucky.

  Just once, in mid-January, Tom managed to see Stella when she was off-duty.

  Such a thrill it was to be with him at last, to be reassured that he was fit and well. So lovely to see that wonderful smile and to hold his hand again, his fingers linked with hers. Even more wonderful to read the special message in his eyes. Just for her.

  ‘I was able to get a car from a friend of a friend,’ he said. ‘I can drive you to Robinson’s. At least they’re still serving decent coffee.’

  Stella had hardly ventured into the city and she was shocked by the extent of the devastation, with street after street lined by smoking buildings and burned-out cars. Robinson’s was crowded with refugees who had nowhere else to go, but it was still open for business. Tom and Stella found a table in a corner.