Frontier Wife (32 page)

“You’re right.” She patted the housekeeper’s arm. “I wouldn’t want him to witness such terrible happenings.”

While Tommy dressed, Mrs. Rogers organized for one of the men to ride into town for the doctor. They shared tea and toast in the kitchen.

“As soon as you’ve finished, go and sit with her, Mrs. Munro. I’ll make sure everything is cleared away.”

“Thank you. I don’t know how I would have coped if you hadn’t been here to help me.” She had delivered Mary Cavendish’s baby, but this was different.

“What about the husband?”

“That beast? Adam will have to see him when he gets back. I wouldn’t be responsible for my actions if I saw him now. I swear it. This tragedy is his fault.”

Back in the bedroom, Melanie rocked the baby gently, her eyes fixed on his tiny, exquisite face.

“Give him to me, you need to rest.”

“Just a little while longer,” she pleaded in a whisper. “Is Richard coming to see us?”

“We haven’t told him yet. I’ll get you some tea now.”

“Thank you, Tommy. Everything is going to be all right now,” she said drowsily, giving a tired smile. “I’ve got my baby.”

Tommy left the room. Had she done the right thing letting Melanie hold her tiny dead son? Mrs. Rogers thought it wrong. But how could it be, if it gave the girl a little happiness? Getting the child away from her might prove to be a problem; they would have to wait until she fell asleep.

This wee mite was going to have a proper burial, even if he wasn’t born alive. She’d pick out a special place in the Munro family cemetery. Somewhere close to Adam’s mother so he could be near the roses. It would be some consolation for Melanie if she could visit her baby whenever she wanted to.

Adam would insist Melanie stay with them, only proper that she did so, unless her father could offer a better alternative.

****

When Mrs. Rogers poured out a fresh cup of tea Tommy took it into Melanie. She slept, smiling sweetly, her face serene and peaceful as she held her baby close. Tommy stood there for a moment staring in wonderment. The sun, casting a soft warm glow over the room, chased away the cold somber shadows of before.

Realization slowly dawned on her. Melanie wasn’t asleep. The angels had touched her face and re-united her with her baby. They would be together for all eternity. It seemed in death Melanie would find the happiness that eluded her in life.

Tommy tiptoed out of the room. It felt as if a great burden had been lifted off her shoulders. She would mourn dear Melanie’s passing, but surely it wasn’t wrong to be glad her grief and suffering had ended.

“Mrs. Rogers.” She hurried into the kitchen. “We won’t bother about the tea; Melanie won’t be needing it now.”

“You mean, she’s…”

“Yes. You’ll think I’m dreadful. I still can’t believe I’m thinking in such an ungodly manner. Go in and see her, then tell me whether it isn’t better this way.”

“Mrs. Munro!” A shocked Mrs. Rogers hurried off muttering under her breath. The housekeeper returned with tear-filled eyes. “I know what you mean; she looked so happy and serene with her baby. A person would have to be heartless to wish her back to endure all the heartbreak and suffering that awaited her in this world.”

“I believe God acted with mercy taking both of them together,” Tommy whispered. “No one will ever convince me otherwise.”

It took Dr. Brannigan three hours to arrive. He could do nothing. Melanie and her child had passed beyond earthly help.

“How did she die?” Tommy asked as she served him tea and cake.

“Her heart gave out, brought about by shock and loss of blood I imagine. That’s what the death certificate will say. Between the two of us, a broken heart and a desperate desire not to be parted from her child.”

“Yes, I thought the same. I suppose someone will have to inform that…that beast of a man Jarratt.”

“Leave it to me, my dear.” The kind old doctor patted her hand. “I’ll see him on my way back to town, isn’t far out of my way.

“Dr. Brannigan, if it’s possible, I’d like them to be buried together near Adam’s mother. He’d want that, too.”

“You’ll have to abide by the husband’s decision.”

“I doubt if he’ll care one way or the other to be frank.” In a few words she told him the tragic tale.

“I’m not surprised, not from what I’ve heard about him over the years. Even an old coot like me listens to snippets of gossip now and again.”

****

They buried Melanie and her baby near Adam’s mother the next afternoon. Jamie and Adam had still not returned, better for it to be all over and done with before they got back. Fiona’s father gave a simple, poignant service, the doctor, Tommy and Mrs. Rogers the only mourners. Fiona and her mother were down in Melbourne staying with relatives.

The sun shone, the perfume of the roses wafted on the air and the breeze whispered that mother and baby now soared with the angels, free from all hurt and pain.

As for Richard Jarratt, he must be the most fiendish, wicked man who ever trod the earth.

“I would never have believed it possible if I hadn’t been there, Mrs. Munro.” Dr. Brannigan couldn’t hide his shock and disgust. “He stood there and said, ‘I don’t care what you do with her, she can rot in hell as far as I’m concerned.’ Then he slammed the door in my face.”

Tommy reached out and squeezed the old doctor’s hand.

“With God as my witness, as I turned to go, I heard loud female laughter coming from inside the house. I’ve met all kinds of people in my time, most good, a few bad, but I’ve never come across anything like this before. Richard Jarratt is pure evil.”

“I agree.” If she ever saw him again, she would be hard pressed not to take a gun and shoot him. “At least he can’t hurt Melanie anymore.”

****

Adam and a grubby, excited Jamie arrived home the next afternoon.

“Tommy, Tommy.” He rushed onto the veranda and hurled himself at her. She stepped back, leaned down and hugged him. “We found lots of cattle and I mustered them, didn’t I? We slept on the ground by the fire. We—”

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself; run along inside now, my lamb, I want to speak with Adam for a moment.”

“How’s Melanie?” Adam took off his hat and wiped the back of his hand across his forehead in a weary gesture.

“I’m sorry, she’s dead.”

“What?” His face took on a grayish tinge and a pulse convulsed in his jaw.

“It’s awful. She had a miscarriage and didn’t recover.” Tommy blinked back tears as she told him the whole story. “Silly to be weeping now when it’s all over.” She dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief.

“I’m sorry you had to carry the burden alone. I wouldn’t have gone away if I’d realized…”

“You weren’t to know. Mrs. Rogers proved a great help and Dr. Brannigan too. I couldn’t believe it when he told me what Jarratt said. How could any decent man think, let alone say such a vile thing about his dead wife?”

“Hatred’s a terrible thing because it destroys the mind, twists and distorts the way people think. I’ll have to contact Arthur somehow; it will just about kill him. She meant the world to him.”

They ate their dinner without speaking. During the somber meal, Tommy forced the food down her throat, Adam chewed morosely and Jamie sniffed every now and again.

“If Melanie and her baby have gone to live with God, they might see Touser,” he said.

“I’m sure they will. They’re probably playing with him even as we speak.”

“You won’t have a baby and die will you?” Jamie asked in a worried voice.

“No.” Adam shot the word out before she could answer. “There’s no likelihood of that.” His pebble hard eyes turned dark with bitterness and his face looked as if it had been hewn from granite. Without another word he got up and stalked out of the room.

Jamie made to follow, but she caught hold of his shoulder with a trembling hand. “Stay here with me.”

“Adam’s angry. Did I say something bad?”

“No, he’s tired and upset over Melanie; it’s nothing you said.”

It’s me. I’m the one he’s angry with.

The weight of her deception dragged her down. Dear God, it would be such a relief to unburden herself.

But if she did, any slight chance that he might do more than tolerate her as the mother of his child would be lost.

She couldn’t bear to extinguish the faint hope she still nurtured, that one day he might grow to love her.

Chapter Sixteen

The English trees in the garden turned to gold and red, in readiness to shed their leaves for the long winter sleep, when the rain came again.

The dried-up river had filled considerably after the first rains. Jamie no longer went with her on the frequent visits to the hut, being much too interested in what Adam taught him.

Tommy sewed the baby's layette in the little hut. She almost laughed in his face when Adam sneered about the amount of time she wasted there. Wasted? The pile of dainty nightgowns and knitwear, the painstaking embroidery she performed, showed anything but wasted time. It helped ease her wounded heart.

As the rain continued, many of the creeks up river, flooded and some of the low-lying farms were evacuated. What a strange brutal land. Drought and burning sun followed by torrential rain and flooding.

During their midday meal one particular day, Adam looked at her. “The river is rising, by late tomorrow your little hut will be flooded.

“What do you mean, flooded?”

He paused for a moment. “By tomorrow there could be a foot of water in that hut.” His lowered lids veiled the expression in his eyes.

“It can't, I've got things there.” She bit back on a surge of panic.

“Some old bits and pieces. What if they do get wet?” He gave a careless shrug. She often got the impression he was jealous of the time she spent in the hut.

“I've got all the…I mean, some of those things are quite good.” Her heart seemed to rise up into her mouth. She wanted to jump up from the table and rush over to rescue her things. With determination dredged from she didn’t know where, she forced herself to keep on eating so he would not become suspicious.

The thought of all those lovingly created garments being destroyed had her clenching her hand into a fist under the table. It seemed in her agitated state, Adam prolonged his lunch.

She watched him downing his third cup of tea as if he had all the time in the world.

“Aren't you anxious to get back to the paddocks?”

He gave her a hard, penetrating look. “Does my presence upset you?” His sensuous lips twisted.

“It's just that the rain has stopped and I thought you might be anxious to do some work before it starts up again.” She gnawed her lower lip. Please God, make him hurry up.

After draining his cup he stood. “As my presence is so offensive, I'll remove it. Coming, Jamie?”

“Yes.” The child shot off his chair with such speed it brought a pang of jealousy. “See you at dinner.” He gave a cheerful wave, while a tight-lipped Adam stalked off without uttering a word.