by Meg Buchanan
Sophie shook her head. “I am not discussing anything, I want to stay.” She went inside the house and shut the door behind her.
Courtney stood on the path and watched the shut door. The logical part of his brain thought, why shouldn’t she stay with Eliza? Charlotte wouldn’t look for her here. But his gut was filled with the certainty Sophie was in real danger if she didn’t leave.
He ignored the logical part of his brain, strode up the steps and wrenched the door open. “Get out here, Sophie. We need to talk about this.” If necessary, he’d pick her up and carry her to the port like William thought he should have in the first place.
Sophie, Alice and Eliza ignored him and carried on cutting the cabbage and setting the table.
Then Eliza moved so she was between him and Sophie and still holding the knife she’d used to cut the cabbage. “There’s nothing to discuss, Courtney. Sophie is happy here, I like her, and she’s good to my children.” “Yes.” Alice was setting the table. “She doesn’t have to go anywhere she doesn’t want to go.”
He ignored his sisters’ contribution and tried to step around Eliza. She stepped in front of him again, and he wasn’t sure the cabbage was the only thing in danger from that knife.
He looked over Eliza’s head at Sophie. “Come on, Sophie,” he said exasperated. “For once do what I want you to do.”
Sophie shook her head, every inch the well brought up Miss Westmore now. “No thank you, I like being here.”
He tried to sound more reasonable. “Don’t do this, Sophie, come for a walk so we can talk about it on our own.”
Sophie brushed escaping curls off her face, tucked them behind her ear and shook her head again. She was self-possessed and distant.
Eliza stood rooted to the spot in his way. He gave up and decided to leave things the way they were. Sophie was safe for the moment and there was no logic to the way he was acting. Charlotte’s men were looking for her in Auckland and Thames, not here. It was just a coincidence Seth’s parents lived in Waihi. Eliza would look after Sophie and Sophie would soon grow out of thinking she loved him.
“Is there anything else you wanted?” Eliza asked.
“No, I already have everything I want.”
Eliza turned abruptly and dumped the knife on the bench. “You don’t know what you want, Courtney.” She could afford to take some lessons from her mother and be a little less critical.
Sophie was tearful again. There was little he could do about that.
He went into the sitting room and poured himself some of Declan’s whiskey and sat and drank it. It was too late to go back to Paeroa tonight, he’d get up early and go in the morning.
Chapter 22
WHEN DINNER WAS OVER, a meal where he talked just to Declan while Eliza, Alice and Sophie fussed over the children and ignored him. He’d never had three women angry at him before. Usually, he managed to work things so people liked him.
When the little girls were in bed, Miss Westmore played cards with Dom and Alice in the parlour. Old Maid it looked like. Miss Westmore had changed her clothes. After dinner, she’d put the pale silk Sophie dress on. It was looking faded as if it’d been laundered to within an inch of its life, but it was still seductive. Even though she’d decided to add underwear this time. Declan and Dom would have got an eyeful if she hadn’t.
He watched the slapping down of cards and the laughing argument over a rule. He was annoyed by the fun, and Dom was being considerably more attentive to Sophie than he approved of.
Sophie grabbed one of Dom’s cards and held it in the air away from him, laughing. Dom leaned across her, trying to get the card.
Eliza was also watching the young ones together. “Join them, play cards too,” she advised.
“I’m a little long in the tooth for Old Maid.”
Eliza laughed. “How frustrating for you. You can’t kill him, you realise that, don’t you?”
“Why would I want to kill him?”
“Just the way you’ re looking at him.”
“I’m watching out for my new little sister.”
“Have you looked at our family?” asked Eliza. “There’s no way Sophie could be your sister.”
He ignored the comment and was still watching Sophie, Alice and Dom. How did he decide to stay the night? Once he decided to let Sophie have her way, he should have left. There was a good moon tonight, it would have lit the way. He should have just stayed in Paeroa in the first place and not panicked at Seth’s visit and come here.
After a while, the young ones stopped playing cards, and Dom went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. When he came back, Courtney watched Dom lean against the frame of the parlour door and watch Alice gathering up the cards that were scattered on the table, the way he used to when they were younger. Alice looked up and smiled at him, and he saw Dom relax and smile back. So, they were still enthralled with each other. That hadn’t changed in over ten years, despite how seldom they saw each other.
He knew they were in touch because Alice always seemed to know what was happening in Dom’s life, but for some reason they did nothing about making a life together. Then Dom said something about being tired and ready for bed.
A little later, through the open kitchen window, in the moonlight, he saw Dom come out of the outhouse then head for the barn. He was looking serious, frowning the way he usually did, eyes and hair nearly black. He looked even taller than he used to be and he’d filled out. Army life obviously suited him.
Courtney went back to the parlour and sat in the fireside chair opposite Declan. Dom hadn’t come back.
Declan folded up his newspaper and put it beside his chair.
“Where’s Alice?” Courtney asked.
“Gone to bed,” said Declan.
Courtney nodded. He should go to bed too. He’d had an early start. But he didn’t feel tired.
“Courtney,” said Eliza, breaking into his thoughts. He was still watching Sophie curled up on the sofa with a book. The pale silk hem of the dress fell to the carpet. She still hadn’t spoken to him or looked his way since the disagreement in the kitchen. He dragged his attention away from her, caught by something in his sister’s voice.
“If you love her, marry her.”
A typical female way of looking at things. Anyway, it wasn’t that he loved Sophie. He just felt protective towards her. Like he would with appealing puppy or kitten. Then her next comment surprised him. It was more pragmatic. “You could go on a long honeymoon anywhere in the world, and you wouldn’t have to worry about the men who are looking for her.”
He watched Sophie sitting there reading her book. Little Lord Fauntleroy again. Or pretending to read it he suspected. She wound a midnight curl around her finger, nibbled it with the perfect mouth, then turned a page. She was acting engrossed in the story, but he was sure she was as aware of him as he was of her.
Before he left to come here his mother had said to him, “It’s time you did something about this, son. You’re not being fair. Marry her.”
The whole family seemed to be singing the same tune.
Maybe everyone was right. He should. Perhaps Eliza was right too, instead of just taking her to Sydney, a long honeymoon would solve the Charlotte problem.
When he told William about Seth’s visit, William suggested a more direct method of solving that problem, but killing Charlotte and burning down her club seemed a little extreme, and more to the point, dangerous.
Sophie moved on the couch to get more comfortable. The more he saw of her the more perfect Sophie seemed, so the idea of marrying her had some appeal. Maybe being young was an advantage, she might adapt well to being a wife. And with time she’d get older. Mere wasn’t going to leave William for him. She didn’t even know he thought of her that way. Now Sophie had taken homemaking lessons from Eliza it could be pleasant being married to her.
Plus she was beautiful and refined, and he enjoyed her company. She had that perfect body, and they were good in bed together. Everything you coul
d want in a wife. Why not just get on with it and marry her? She could be the chaste Miss Westmore until he’d found a way around her father, that should keep his mother happy.
He decided what to do about Sophie. He’d take the plunge. Eventually, Eliza and Declan headed for bed, leaving the two of them together in the parlour.
He stood near the fireplace, still ambivalent about his decision. Sophie came up behind him and tentatively slipped her arm around his waist the way she did when he first got her away from Charlotte.
“I’m glad Eliza decided to go to bed early. And I’m sorry I made you cross.” She lay her cheek against his shoulder. “I’ll do what you want.”
He removed the arm. “Do you want a whiskey?”
Sophie shook her head and pulled a face. “No thank you, I don’t like it.”
“Have you tried it?”
Sophie nodded. “Declan and Eliza drink it, Eliza gave me some. I like champagne better.”
“Did she give you champagne too?”
“No, you did.” She was subdued and looking everywhere except at him. She bit the side of her bottom lip.
“Did I?”
“Yes, at the club, you said it would help me relax.” She blushed slightly as she said it and he knew she was thinking about the first time they made love to keep Charlotte happy. “Do you still want me to go to Sydney?” she asked reluctantly.
He nodded. “But first, I want you to marry me.” If they did go travelling together, a wife would have more status than a mistress. And if William wanted to concentrate on the developing his land, they could sell the business. With the money from that and what his father had left him he wouldn’t need to work any longer.
Sophie looked surprised as if this definitely wasn’t the answer she was expecting.
“Vraiment?” she asked doubtfully the way she used to at the club.
“Vraiment.”
Sophie smiled hesitantly. “That’s a very romantic proposal,” she said.
“Take it or leave it,” he said.
“I’ll take it. Am I allowed to touch you now you’re my fiancé?”
He put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer.
Sophie rested her head on his shoulder. “I love you so much, Courtney,” she said.
He woke up to the sound of hooves on the gravel driveway, then a loud banging on the front door. This wasn’t good. No one went to anyone’s house this early in the morning. He slid out of bed then pulled on trousers and went into Sophie’s room. Sophie blearily opened her eyes.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Stay here.” He’d heard Declan and Dom leave to go and do the milking so there was only him and the women in the house with the little girls.
He went out into the passageway, then the living room and pulled the curtain back to see who was at the door. Seth Grogan was standing there. The boy’s horse stood quietly, rein looped over the front fence. The boy tapped his riding gloves against his leg and looked out at the roadway.
Courtney let the curtain drop and went to the front door.
“Seth?”
“Mr Samuels,” He could see relief on the boy’s face. “I hoped this is where you’d be.”
He let the boy in. “Has something happened?”
Seth nodded. “I just saw them.”
“Who?”
“The men looking for Sophie.”
“Where?”
“In town. They are going from place to place asking about you. Someone will know where your sister lives and send them here.”
“When did you see them?”
“About half an hour ago. I went out for a ride. My father discovered I’d been back to the club and when he heard I was going again tonight, it wasn’t wise to stay at the breakfast table.” Understandable, his father probably didn’t feel buying his son out of trouble was money well spent.
How long would it take Charlotte’s men to find them? He was reasonably well known in Waihi because of the work he’d done around here, but how many people would know Eliza was his sister?
Enough would know. He had to get Sophie away now.
“We’d better leave.”
“I think so,” said Seth. “Nobody followed me here, but it is only a matter of time.” He opened the front door.
“So, you’re still going back to the club tonight?” Courtney asked.
Seth nodded. “Tonight, tomorrow night, every night until I get her away.”
“You know what will happen if you get caught?” He saw the colour leave the boy’s face.
“I know. And Lucy knows. But I can’t afford to pay for Lucy for much longer. I don’t know what else to do.”
“Be careful.”
“Yes, sir.” Seth left and Courtney went back to Sophie.
“We need to go.”
Sophie was already up. “I’m dressed,” she said. She took her mother’s coat out of the wardrobe. “I’m ready.”
He went to his room and Sophie followed. “Is there anything you want to take with you?” He picked up his bag and put it on the bed.
She shook her head and sat to button up her boots. At least this time she’d be running away in warm clothes and proper footwear.
But he rode here, he should have borrowed the trap again. He’d need to borrow Declan’s horse for Sophie. If she knew how to ride, of course. Declan could use the dray if he needed to go anywhere.
“Can you manage a horse?” he asked Sophie. There was so much he didn’t know about her yet.
Sophie nodded. He slung his bag over his shoulder, and they went out into the kitchen.
Eliza stirred the embers in the coal range with a poker. She hung the poker on the rack. “Are you leaving now?” she asked.
“Yes. Did you hear what Seth said?”
Eliza nodded. “Where will you go?”
“Paeroa.”
“Will Sophie stay with mother?”
“No, they might look for her there. We’ll go to William’s old house by the mine. We can get to it from the old miner’s road at the Waikino end. We’ll be safe there for a while.”
He untangled from Sophie, took his coat off the peg at the back door, shrugged into it and picked up his bag. “Take the little ones and find Declan and Dom and tell them what’s happening. Tell Declan I’ve borrowed his horse for Sophie.”
“I will.”
“Maybe you should stay with someone for a few nights until this is over.” Eliza nodded again. Sophie was all fingers and thumbs trying to do up the buttons on her coat. Eliza helped her then picked up a flour sack from the floor.
“This has food in it, enough for a few days.” Eliza handed him the bag. “Is there furniture in the old house?”
He nodded. “A little.”
“Bedding?”
“No.”
I’ll get you a blanket each.” Eliza left the kitchen and came back with two blankets, neatly folded. She handed them over. “Be careful and take care of Sophie.” She hugged her. “I’m sure we will see each other again.”
Sophie nodded.
“Come on.” He hurried Sophie out the back door. Seth said he saw the men in Waihi and others could be covering the roads out of the town. He’d stay away from the main roads. They’d take the back way through the bush to Waikino and then get onto the miner’s road and go through the gorge to the bottom of the track to the old house.
“Is it far to the house?” asked Sophie.
He nodded. “It will take us a few hours to get there.”
Chapter 23
THEY WENT TO THE STABLES, and he saddled his horse. The horse snorted and stamped as he shoved the food into one of the empty saddlebags. He put the bag of clothes into the other and tied the blankets onto the back of the saddle. This was all taking longer than he’d like they needed to move faster. He saddled Declan’s horse for Sophie, helped her onto it and then swung up onto his.
“Ready?” he asked, and Sophie nodded. They went down the race and followed the line of will
ows beside the creek that ran parallel with the road, and he was relieved to see Sophie really could ride. She rode well. It was a surprise.
They needed to cross about half a mile of open paddocks with only the willows as cover before they reached the first of the bush. It was a slow, sickening, nerve -wracking walk and he listened and watched, expecting at any moment to see a mob of Charlotte’s men. Sophie sat quietly, hunched up in her coat, keeping the horse close to his.
Finally, they made it to the trees and ferns of the bush without hearing that shout to stop, or the sound of men running after them. They slipped in amongst the foliage and worked their way to an old track he knew of.
“Will it take long, this way?” whispered Sophie.
“A bit longer than if we went by road. We’ll take it quietly.”
His horse delicately picked its way through the leaves and tree trunks. The next biggest danger would be around Queens Head rock with no cover there, and no way to avoid it. If anyone was waiting, they’d be seen as they left this track and turned towards Waitawheta to pick up the old miner’s road.
They got near Waikino and were still in the bush, but the trees and ferns had started to thin out around the township. Once they were past the houses, they’d have nowhere to hide.
He stopped and signalled to Sophie to stop too. They’d wait here until dark. No point in taking risks and it didn’t matter how late it was when they reached the house, no one was expecting them.
“What are we doing?” she asked as he helped her down.
“We’ll wait for dark before going out into the open.”
“But it’s early.”
He looked at his watch. Two o’clock in the afternoon and they were halfway to the house. It was summer so it wouldn’t get dark until after eight o’clock. They had a six hour wait.
He looked around the small clearing beside the track and then he grinned at her. “This looks as pleasant a place as any to spend six hours alone with you.” He sat down and stretched out on the ferns, hands behind his head. Sophie took off her coat, spread it out over the ferns and sat on it. His heart constricted at her beauty, the way it always did when he watched her.
