The Outback Governess

by Sarah Williams

  The Outback Governess

  Sarah Williams

  Copyright © 2017 by Sarah Williams

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  Cover design: Lana Pecherczyk.

  Top picture courtesy of iStock by Getty Images. River scene by Sarah Williams, Copyright © Sarah Williams

  The Outback Governess / Sarah Williams. – 1st ed. AUS English.

  ISBN 978-0-6480462-6-4 Print Edition

  ISBN 978-0-6480462-7-1 Digital Edition

  Serenade Publishing

  www.serenadepublishing.com

  Created with Vellum

  To my mother, Carol

  My first and favourite teacher

  Contents

  Foreword

  Prologue

  1. Chapter One

  2. Chapter Two

  3. Chapter Three

  4. Chapter Four

  5. Chapter Five

  6. Chapter Six

  7. Chapter Seven

  8. Chapter Eight

  9. Chapter Nine

  10. Chapter Ten

  11. Chapter Eleven

  12. Chapter Twelve

  13. Chapter Thirteen

  14. Chapter Fourteen

  Epilogue

  Afterword

  Preview

  15. Chapter One

  16. Chapter Two

  17. Chapter Three

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Thank you so much for reading The Outback Governess. I hope you enjoy this sweet journey to love. For more information about me and my books, including the inspiration behind my stories, how I help other authors, and plenty of other fun stuff visit my website. If you’d like to know when my next release becomes available, plus gain access to exclusive content, news and giveaways, please sign up to my newsletter via my website and social media:

  www.facebook.com/sarahwilliamswriter

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  * * *

  Help others find their next read by leaving a review of this novel on your favourite book website.

  Governess Required

  * * *

  Family cattle station near Hughenden seeks an experienced teacher or governess for our 3 grandchildren. The outgoing, energetic children are aged 9, 6 and 4. The six-year-old has mild autism – high functioning but needs extra support and tutelage. Education is delivered via online lessons through Longreach School of the Air. You will need to be energetic, self-motivated and have the ability to remain calm in stressful situations. You will be a role model for the children. Someone who can challenge and inspire as well as encourage their development of a lifelong love of learning. Great wage and conditions for the right person.

  Chapter One

  Paige had always thought of herself as a country girl.

  But this country was different. Mars was supposed to be like this. Hot, dry and uninhabitable. Parched dirt with no signs of life or water. How could anyone live out here?

  And the heat! After an hour and a half in a cramped postal van, surrounded by boxes and parcels, with no air conditioning, she was sweltering. The hot sun scalded her skin through the fabric of her sweat-soaked, long-sleeved shirt. How was it possibly this hot?

  At nine o’clock in the morning.

  In October.

  "Here we are then." Jed turned the van into an unmarked driveway and she frowned as the crunch of tyre on gravel battled with the rising noise of the diesel engine. The elderly man had been kind enough to drive her from Hughenden on his postal run. Paige stared through the window, waiting for a house to appear, or an animal. Something, anything. She didn’t care what; just some reassuring sign that she hadn’t uprooted her life for nothing.

  "Currawilla's closest neighbours are the Hendersons." The driver lifted his arm and pointed out the windscreen, bringing with it a whiff of his body odour. Jed had forgotten his deodorant this morning. "They have a govie too. An English sheila named Helen." The old man continued to ramble on, as he had the entire drive, about the local stations in the district. Who lived where and what they were doing. Paige barely listened to a word of it. Her mind racing with anticipation about her new position as governess to three young children.

  She was trained and qualified for the role having been a special needs teacher in Ballarat for the last eight years. But from the looks of it, outback Queensland was very different to country Victoria. These flat plains were more like a desert.

  A tall solemn windmill spun slowly in the distance with a weathered concrete tank beside it. Finally, a sign of water. Ballarat had been in drought for eight years. She wondered if water was just as precious here, where water was a luxury not to be wasted. Every shower was timed and its runoff was collected in buckets which were then used on the garden or lawn.

  She sat up straight as they approached a concrete block building badly in need of a paint. Shade cloth had been strung up to posts around the front to create outdoor shade, since there were no trees in the area.

  The engine cut out and Paige scrambled out of the vehicle, eager to stretch and breathe fresh air.

  "You'll be right here at Currawilla," Jed said as he pulled her bag from the back of the van and sat it on the gravel beside her. "Hugh and Ruth will take care of you. Lovely people, both of them. Shame what happened to that family. The good die young and all that."

  "Thanks, Jed. I appreciate the ride." She watched the mail van drive off, leaving a cloud of bull dust in its wake. Paige extended the handle on her suitcase and rolled it towards the house.

  A long phone call last week with Ruth, her new employer, had eased her mind about the remote location but seeing it was something different.

  "You'll have your own room and facilities. Even a school house," she had said. "There are lots of govies out here. You'll make lots of friends."

  The air held a strange hush as she walked up to the front door. She had expected the three children running around and farmhands working in sheds. But not even the warble of a lonesome magpie broke the eerie silence. She knocked on the wooden door and listened for murmurs from the other side.

  Nothing. No response.

  Surely Jed dropped me at the right place? He seemed to know all about them so it must be. The house and property looked almost abandoned. She wandered along the side of the house and came across another small building. The door was unlocked so she pulled open the screen and stepped inside. The living room was furnished with a faded blue fabric couch and coffee table. A basic U-shaped kitchen lay behind it. To the left of the living area was a bathroom and a small bedroom. It was simple but adequate for her needs.

  At the other end of the building was a bathroom and a work room. Two aging computers sat side by side on a large desk, beside them, some loose paperwork was being weighed down by a set of head phones. This was surely the school room Ruth had mentioned. Paige was grateful for a quiet room away from the disruptions of the main house. She imagined pictures hanging on walls, books in a bookcase and School of the Air being taught over the computer.

  Outside a dog started barking and the unmistakable sound of children's voices broke the silence. Paige stepped outside in time to see people walking along a path toward the house.

  "Hello!" An older woman called in a merry
voice. Paige guessed the short grey hair and weathered face belonged to Ruth. Next to her, a solid looking man wore a dusty Akubra above thick, brown eyebrows and a friendly smile.

  The three children raced towards her and circled her.

  "Are you Paige?"

  "You're pretty."

  "Have you seen the schoolroom?"

  Paige held up her hands. “One at a time, please."

  Ruth clapped her hands and the children fell silent. The older woman extended her hand and Paige shook it. "Sorry we weren't here to meet you. We were down at the shed looking at some newborn kittens."

  "They're so cute. You wanna see?" the older girl asked excitedly.

  "Maybe later. Paige has just arrived and its smoko time." Their grandfather stepped forward and extended his hand. "I'm Hugh. Nice to meet you."

  "This is Layla, she's nine," Ruth introduced the children, "and Brooke here is four."

  Brooke grinned at her from a chubby, angelic face framed by dark curly hair. She wore a pink tutu and brown boots. Paige smiled and crouched down at eye level with the small girl. "I love your tutu. Pink is my favourite colour."

  She was rewarded with a bright smile. "Mine too. Can you teach me ballet?"

  "Maybe." She winked then turned to Layla. "Do you like ballet too?"

  Layla's nose wrinkled. "No thanks."

  "Where did Scotty go?" Hugh said, looking around.

  "He went up to the house already." Layla shrugged and skipped off.

  Paige turned to Ruth, and spoke quietly so Brooke wouldn’t overhear. "I meant to ask, is Scotty on medication?"

  "Yes, and it's really helping to slow him down. He has trouble concentrating and staying on task," Ruth said.

  "I understand. So, it's only mild then?"

  Ruth nodded. "He has sensory issues too. Loud noises in particular. Even the dogs barking can set him off. He has ear muffs in his room."

  "When was he diagnosed?"

  "Fiona, his mother, began to notice some things when he was around two. He loved dropping stones into a bucket, he wasn't very social and he didn't talk much."

  "I've worked with lots of kids on the spectrum and they tend to be consistently inconsistent." Paige smiled. "But they are just gorgeous kids and I learn as much from them as they learn from me."

  Brooke grabbed Paige's hand and started pulling. "Hungry."

  As they walked, Ruth asked about her trip. "You must be tired from all that travelling."

  Paige had spent all day yesterday travelling–a four-hour flight from Melbourne to Townsville followed by nearly five hours on the bus to Hughenden. Last night she had stayed at the caravan park which was fine, apart from no hot water.

  "I am, but I could really use a shower and a change of clothes."

  Ruth waved at the building Paige had been exploring. "Let's get you settled in then."

  The children's high-pitched chatter could be heard all the way to Paige's room. As she showered and dressed she caught snatches of their animated conversations. Accusations were being tossed around like a stick to a dog. "She stole my doll!", "He hit me!", "Don't copy me!" Typical childish behaviour that steadily grew louder and angrier. Paige pulled on her shoes and left her shoulder-length hair to air dry.

  Her heart tightened in her chest. Poor Hugh and Ruth. Nearing retirement age and raising children again. They appeared to be doing a fine job of it, but three children would be hard work for parents in their prime. No wonder they needed a governess.

  Her thoughts drifted to her own parents back in Ballarat. They had stopped at two children, blessed with a pigeon pair - a son, and then a daughter two years later. Paige was as close to her brother, Antonio, as she was to her many cousins who were scattered around country Victoria. Her aunts and uncles had helped in her upbringing, just as her parents had been involved in their children's. Theirs was a large extended family who gathered together for all the holidays. Their Italian background meant ravioli, spaghetti and minestrone soup were the foundations of the occasions, followed by sweets and trifle. Her mouth watered remembering.

  Hugh was sitting at the dining table reading a newspaper when Paige entered the main house. Ruth's voice could be heard down the hall, sternly telling the children to be quiet and behave for their new governess.

  "Is everything okay?" Paige asked Hugh when he looked up from the paper.

  He sighed heavily. "Just the usual spats. Help yourself to tea. The kettle's boiled."

  Paige opened cupboards, familiarising herself where kitchen essentials were kept. After finding a mug and spoon she made herself a milky tea and joined Hugh at the table as Ruth returned. Her face was flushed.

  "Oh good, you made yourself a tea. I certainly need one after this morning." Ruth reached up to a high shelf and pulled down a yellow Tupperware container. "Some biscuits for smoko. Store bought I'm afraid. I just don't have time to bake anymore."

  "Ruth makes some mean ANZAC bikkies." Hugh smiled as he opened the lid and retrieved two chocolate chip biscuits.

  "Yum." Paige sipped her tea. "Hopefully you’ll have more time on your hands now I'm here."

  "There are plenty of books and stationary out in the school room. If you need anything else make a list and we can send for it." Ruth placed a mug in front of Hugh and sat next to him with her own.

  "That's great, thanks. I brought a lot of things with me too. Especially for Scotty. How is he going?"

  Ruth leaned back in her chair. “He needs a lot of one on one attention and he might take a while to warm to you. Let him know you’re here to stay. He likes stability. It’s hard for him with his father coming and going. He just gets used to Logan being home and then he’s off again."

  Paige frowned. She didn't know much about their father. "Why is that?"

  "Our son works at the mine in Mt Isa. One week on, one week off. He'll be back in a few days."

  Hugh sniffed. "They all lived in Mt Isa before Fiona got sick. It all happened so quickly."

  "She was diagnosed too late.” Ruth’s voice was soft and filled with emotion. “She died a month after being diagnosed. Christmas hasn't been the same since."

  Paige nodded. "I'll do what I can. Will their father be home for Christmas?"

  "Not if he can help it." Hugh snorted. "I don't think he would come back at all if he had his way."

  "Now Hugh, that's not true." Ruth placed her hand on her husband’s. "Logan just doesn't know how to act around them anymore. Fiona did everything for the kids. He barely knows his own children. I’ve tried to talk to him about it. He just doesn’t want to listen to me."

  "That's good for me to know. Maybe I can help them find common interests and bring them together somehow. I'll have a think about it." Paige finished her tea. "Well, I might as well go and get to know them a bit better."

  "Good luck." Hugh smiled encouragingly.

  Paige took a deep breath before heading down the hall to gather the children. This position would be a challenge, but one she knew she was up for.

  Paige followed the sound of the children's whispers and giggles, to a large room at the end of the hall. The room was taken up by a set of bunks, a single bed, a bookcase and a dresser. Clothes and toys were scattered over the floor, the walls were decorated with crayon scribbles and there was a strange smell coming from the closet.

  The three children lounged on their beds, sheets twisted at their feet. Their attention was firmly on the tablet screens in front of each of them. Scotty was talking to himself as his small finger moved across the screen.

  Brooke looked up first, a smile spread across her face and her eyes lit up. "Will you play with me?"

  Paige's heart melted. She was such a beautiful little girl, eager for love and attention.

  "I'll tell you what, we can all play a game after we tidy up this room." Paige crouched to the little girl's level. Brooke bounced off the bed and started shoving things in the dresser. Layla and Scotty didn't move.

  "You too." Paige took the tablet from Layla's hands. In ret
urn, the girl rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

  Paige turned to Scotty on the top bunk. She took an educated guess that taking the tablet off him would probably be a mistake so she changed tack.

  "Hi Scotty. I'm Paige." She peered over the mattress. His glance rested on her.

  "Hi," he whispered back but didn’t turn to face her.

  "Do you want to play a game with us?"

  "What game?"

  "How about tag?"

  He shook his head vigorously.

  "Hide and seek?"

  "No."

  Paige looked around the room for inspiration. There was a stack of board games next to the bed. They were still in their original packaging. "Snakes and Ladders?" she asked hopefully.

  Scotty looked up hopefully. "Is that a board game?"

  She nodded at him, walked over to the games and lifted it from the pile. She placed it on the bed for Scotty to see. A smile spread slowly across his face.

  "Okay. You help us tidy up and we can play this game together."

  Scotty bounded off the bed and started helping to clean up. Paige turned, eyebrows raised questioningly at Layla.

  "Oh, alright." She slid off the bed and in no time the room was clean and beds were made.

  They set up the game on the floor and for the next hour played several rounds. Paige helped move counters around the board and chatted to the kids about their likes and dislikes. Scotty sat next to her, one hand on her leg the whole time. He tensed up when he had to move backwards and got fidgety when the girls were taking too long with their turns. Paige began to recognise the signs and pre-empt them before they could turn into a tantrum.