Freedom's Land (34 page)

It took them about ten minutes to find the children. Jack didn’t get up to greet them, because he was still sitting holding Janie, who was clinging to him, her white, frightened face turned towards their rescuers.

As the boy looked up, his father saw that his son was crying, but didn’t comment. A lost lad was entitled to shed tears of relief at such a time. Hell, Andrew’s own eyes were brimming over. ‘I’ll take her. You hold my lantern, son.’

Janie held up her arms and was lifted into Andrew’s care, then Pete and Gil helped the boy up.

‘We’ve found you, love,’ Andrew told the weeping child gently. ‘You’re quite safe now, Janie.’ Without thinking, he pressed a kiss on her forehead.

She looked up at him in bewilderment, then flung her arms round his neck and cuddled closer, not saying anything, but shivering with cold.

‘Hold her a minute,’ he said to Gil, and slipped off his coat, wrapping it round her and taking her back. ‘There. Better get you back to your mother now. You need warming up.’ He looked past her to his son, who’d now got Pete’s coat round his shoulders and whose shivering was quite visible.

‘I’m sorry I disobeyed Mrs Dawson, Dad, but I could hear Janie calling and didn’t want to lose her again. She must have walked round in a circle. We didn’t move once I’d found her, just as Pete said.’

‘You did the right thing, son. I’m proud of you.’

‘I broke off branches as I went.’

‘That’s what led us here,’ Pete said. ‘Couldn’t have done it better myself.’ He had to clear his throat and swallow hard, he was so relieved to have found them.

As they neared the humpy, Gil called out, ‘We’ve got them!’ and people spilled out.

Norah surprised herself by bursting into tears as she kissed first Janie, then Jack, who wriggled in embarrassment.

Then they all went inside. When the children were dry again, they sat wrapped in blankets, sipping cocoa and telling their stories. Everyone kept reassuring one another that they’d been sure the children would be found.

‘I’ll go and get a couple of hours’ sleep now,’ Pete said. ‘Coming, Gil?’

‘I’ll walk Mrs Dawson home first. You get on your way, mate.’

When they’d left, Janie said in a sleepy voice, ‘My brother found me and my new daddy carried me back.’ She put her lips closer to her mother’s ears. ‘They don’t hate me. I thought they did, but they don’t.’

The words had been perfectly audible to the others, but Andrew only winked at his sons and when Ned would have made a comment, Jack shushed him up quickly.

‘Better set that alarm clock of yours,’ Andrew said to Norah. ‘The milk truck waits for no one.’

Before they got into their narrow stretcher beds, she pulled him towards her and gave him a long embrace. ‘I think it’s going to be all right now. With Janie, I mean.’

‘I think so too.’

Only when the humpy was silent and Andrew’s breathing had slowed right down did she allow herself to weep out her relief.

The following morning Gil was awake well before dawn, because he’d not really settled, only dozed on and off. His thoughts kept going back to Irene, who had said very little as he took her home. He kept trying to remember whether she’d given any hints as to what her answer would be to his offer of marriage.

Ah, he was an old fool! Why would she want a fellow like him, twelve years older than she was?

But just in case, he put on a clean shirt and did his best with his hair, gazing in the small shaving mirror, fingering the greying hairs at each temple and frowning in concentration as he soaped his face and slid the safety razor across it. He should have bought some new razor blades. These were blunt. He didn’t want to go to her with cuts on his face.

She didn’t come out when he arrived to milk the cows but there was a curl of smoke rising from the lean-to.

He went across to it, had to see her, just to make sure she was all right.

She came to the door and gave him a very solemn look. ‘I should have given you an answer before now, Gil. I’m sorry about that.’

‘It’s important, shouldn’t be rushed.’

‘Everything seems to be rushed at the moment. How long before I must move out?’

‘A week or so.’

‘And what about the cows and chooks? What do we do with them?’

‘They go back to the bank, but in practical terms they’ll be given to another family.’

‘I see. Would you like a cup of tea?’

He just wanted to be put out of his misery but she obviously wanted to take things slowly. ‘That’d be nice.’ At least it gave him an excuse for spending time with her.

When they were sitting down, she took a few sips of her tea, then drew in a deep breath and turned to him. ‘I’m grateful for your offer, Gil. It’s very kind indeed of you. But I can’t accept. It’s too soon. I’m still trying to get used to the idea that Freddie’s no longer here.’

‘I know that. I’d not have said anything, only you’ll be leaving soon.’

Briefly her hand rested on his. It might have been a burning brand from the fire, because it seemed to mark his flesh with warmth. ‘What shall you do?’

‘Sell everything I can and go to Perth – or Fremantle. Try to find a job until the baby arrives.’

‘It’ll be hard.’

She nodded. ‘Yes. I’m terrified. But that’s no reason to take advantage of you.’

‘It’s me who was trying to take advantage of you, lass. I’m a lot older. Why should you want a fellow like me?’

‘Don’t talk like that! You’re a wonderful man, would make someone a fine husband.’

‘But not you.’

‘No. Not me. It’s too soon.’

They both sipped again, then he had a sudden thought. ‘I can give you an address to go to in Fremantle, if that’s any help. Nelly’s a cousin of mine. She’ll put you up if I ask her.’

‘You’d do that?’

‘Of course I would. I’ll write to her at once and find someone going to Pemberton to get it in the post tonight.’

‘Oh, Gil, I feel even worse about turning you down.’

His voice came out harsher than he’d intended. ‘Don’t say that! I don’t want you accepting out of gratitude. It’s love I feel for you, not pity.’ He stood up, not caring that he’d overturned the cup. ‘I’ll go and milk the cows.’

Her voice floated after him. ‘Thank you.’

He strode across to the cow shed. At least Irene would be all right with Nelly, who had a big heart. She’d tried to help him, too, after the war. But she’d failed because he’d needed time and another purpose in life before he pulled out of his miseries. He looked round. He loved it here, would make it his home, even if he couldn’t get his heart’s desire.

By the time he’d finished milking the first cow, Irene was there to separate the cream, not saying a word, just getting on with it.

He was glad she didn’t try to force a conversation. What was there to say now that wouldn’t rub salt into the wound?

When Irene left Northcliffe, Gil arranged for her to have a lift to Pemberton on the milk truck. He set the men off on their day’s work and went off to his own block to finish the lean-to. He didn’t feel like company today.

But he didn’t make much progress. He kept wondering where she was now, if she’d got on the train yet.

Strange, though. This time, sad as he was, he didn’t feel the urge to get drunk. That urge seemed to have left him totally now and he didn’t care whether he ever had another drink or not.

Instead he wandered round his farm, then couldn’t resist going over to hers. He had to do something about it, what with the cows and everything, so no one would be surprised to see him there. But it was her he thought of, not the cows.

It was while he was walking round that the idea came to him. Why shouldn’t Andrew and his family move across to this farm? The soil was much better, there were fewer large trees and a permanent stream ran across one corner of it. It was worth a lot, a stream that ran all through the long dry summer. Many of them didn’t. He’d seen it running when they arrived here. You could make a dam with a stream like that and have water through the worst of the droughts. And there were always drought years here.

And he knew exactly how to word his letter to the Board about this so that they’d accept his recommendation. Quite a few people had walked off the land already and he’d been instructed to do all he could to retain the best settlers. So he’d tell them he was obeying their instructions, and he’d bet none of them would question that.

He walked into Irene’s humpy and saw a neat pile of bedding on the stretcher beds, which he’d promised to dispose of. Fool that he was, he should have brought his cart. Well, the stuff wouldn’t run away, would it? They had no more thieves in their group, just ordinary folk, some of whom worked harder than others, all of whom had their dreams. The things would still be here tomorrow and he’d take them over to his own house for the time being.

He waited for Andrew to pass by on his way home after a day’s timber clearing on a farm at the other end of the group’s land. ‘Got a minute?’

His friend nodded and changed direction.

Gil led the way and they walked in silence up the slope to the unoccupied farm. He stopped by the buildings and spread out his arms. ‘It’s about this place.’

Andrew looked at him in puzzlement.

‘It’s much better land than yours. I think you should transfer to this one.’

‘Is that allowed?’

‘Yes. If you’re agreeable, I’ll write to the Board and fix it up.’

‘You’re sure it’d be better.’ Andrew smiled wryly. ‘I’ve not got enough experience to tell if it’ll be worth all the trouble. I’ve made things more comfortable at our place than they are here, built sheds and things.’

‘I’m very sure. And I’ll help you move them. They’re easy to pull down, tin sheds are.’

‘I’d have to talk to Norah. She’s made a garden, loves working on it.’

‘You can make another garden and move some of the plants. She’s not done the main spring planting yet.’

‘Can you give me a day to think about it?’

‘Yes. One day. But that’s all. I have to let the Board know quickly, before they send someone else.’

When Andrew got home, he could smell the food from a distance and it made his mouth water. A man got ravenous doing so much physical work. Norah did wonders with the few ingredients they could rely on and usually managed to produce something tasty for them.

Since it was fine, they sat at the outside table, well wrapped against the cold, because that was pleasanter than squashing inside the congested living area. He looked round and smiled at the three rosy-faced children. Today Janie smiled back at him. She was sitting between her two stepbrothers, not next to her mother and looked happier than he’d seen her for a long time.

Thank heaven she and Jack had recovered so easily from their chilly adventure!

Once the meal was over he said, ‘You kids can clear up today. Your mother and I have something to discuss. Jack, you’re in charge of the lanterns. Put them somewhere safe before you start the washing up.’

The boys pulled a face at this, because neither of them considered washing up men’s work, but Andrew had decided early on that since the chores were done under such difficult conditions, they’d all share them.

Everyone was looking at him anxiously, so he added, ‘There’s nothing wrong and no one’s in trouble, it’s just something Mr Matthews suggested. We’ll tell you about it later.’

There was enough moonlight for him and Norah to see their way so he offered her his arm and they strolled round their small domain.

‘What is it?’ she asked. ‘What has Gil suggested?’

‘He thinks now that Irene’s left, we should move to her block.’ He explained the advantages.

She was silent for so long he stopped walking. ‘Don’t you want to go?’

‘Not really. We’ve done so much here, it’s beginning to feel like home.’

‘We can move nearly everything to the other block.’

‘We can’t move my garden.’ She shrugged. ‘But Gil knows more about farming than we do, so I think we should take his advice.’

‘It’s not easy, though, is it?’

‘No.’

‘You are happy here, aren’t you?’

Her smiled was glorious. ‘Oh, yes. Never doubt that, love.’

So he had to kiss her, a rare treat with the kids always nearby. He took his time over it, leaving her gasping and clinging to him, something which pleased him greatly. ‘I do love you, Norah.’

‘And I you.’

When he told the children, they were much less worried about the move, though Janie needed reassuring that he’d build another chook pen for Fluffy because Mr Dawson’s pen was crooked and the chooks kept getting out of it.

Irene didn’t reach Pemberton in time for that day’s train, so she had to use up some of her precious money on lodgings. She hated to spend even a penny she didn’t need to and resolved to manage without food on the journey, though she’d take a filled water bottle.

But without being asked, her landlady made her some sandwiches and when she tried to pay, refused to accept the money. She was warmed by this gesture from a complete stranger. Maybe there would be other kind strangers to help her along the way.

She arrived in Fremantle two days after leaving the farm, weary now and feeling dishevelled. She found a lad with a handcart who knew where Gil’s cousin lived and walked with him through the streets, tired as she was, because it was cheaper than taking a taxi.

A plump woman of about Gil’s age opened the door and smiled. ‘You must be Mrs Dawson. My cousin wrote to me about you. Come in, come in! We’ve only got a sleepout, but you’re welcome to stay there.’

‘Can I ask how much it is? I’m – a bit short of money.’

‘I wouldn’t charge a friend of Gil’s, but I’d appreciate a hand round the house till you find a job. There’s always too much to do.’ She laughed comfortably, then looked at her guest in concern. ‘Are you all right, dear?’