by Walker, Lucy
`Frightened?’ Jeckie said surprised. ‘I’m not really frightened.’
Jane Baker smiled as she shook her head.
‘Oh yes, you are, my dear. It’s mostly Mr Andrew who alarms the new relatives when they first come to Mallibee. He doesn’t mean to, of course. He is just very reticent. He has all the worries, you know. Then — I’ve always thought secretly — he’s so lonely up there on top of the family — the responsible Manager. He’s grown just a little shy of people. Well, some people anyway.’
`With new relatives? You mean relatives who’ve never been to Mallibee before? Have they all started coming to see the ancestral acres?’
`Well, not all, of course. The family is so widespread, isn’t it? Some weeks ago when Sheila Bowen came — ‘
`Sheila! I know Sheila quite well,’ Jeckie exclaimea. `Did she come? I wonder why!’
`Well … Mallibee is the root home of you all, isn’t it?’ Jane said gently. ‘Miss Isobel appears to be delighted that some of you in the younger generation are taking an interest.’ She went to the door. ‘I simply must not waste time gossiping,’ she added. ‘That is, I didn’t mean it as gossip, of course. It’s all family news, isn’t it? Because my father and my grandfather belonged to Mallibee, I feel a special sort of belonging interest ..
`Thank you for bringing me tea.’ Jeckie smiled a little shyly. ‘I should have been up long since. I won’t have the courage to face Aunt Isobel if I don’t get a move on now.’
`You need never be afraid of Miss Isobel, Jeckie.
Andrew is very particular, of course. He has to be as Manager. So solitary. Sometimes he can even be a little stern. You must be like your cousin Sheila and win him over. She really worked at it and was quite successful. It made her visit a real joy to all of us. Andrew seemed to come out of his shell. He liked her very much, I’m glad to say.’
‘Sheila?’ Jeckie was puzzled. Did she really enjoy being up here in the great Australian wilderness? She’s so very gay, and very social down south. Always at parties. I can’t quite imagine her - ‘
‘But that was exactly it, my dear. She’s so lively and gay. She had a wonderful effect on us all. Specially Andrew. On Barton too, of course. Oh dear - I really must stop chattering. Please do forgive me, Jeckie. I love to see the family coming together again. It’s quite wonderful - after all these years. Now I really must fly.’
She was half-way through the door. She turned and gave a half-wave of her hand.
‘And you being here, Jeckie, will also help to pull the family together again. Of course, Andrew is not likely to be reconciled to that other cousin of his. The one he calls “Joe Blow”. That one was the son of the second daughter, Anne. He’s really Miss Isobel’s first cousin, but much younger, of course. She doesn’t acknowledge him. Oh no! That would never do!’ Her voice dropped almost to a whisper. ‘He put his share of Mallibee into helping that mining company, Westerly-Ann- the one that’s moving Mallibee Mountain over to the sea. Such a dreadful thing to do.’
`Moving a mountain? To the sea?’ Jeckie asked, incredulous.
But Jane Baker had already left the room and was hurrying off along the passage.
Outside Jeckie’s window two men were crossing the gravel square to the veranda. One was Barton, and he had just brought the Land-Rover up nearer the homestead. The other was Andrew. He must have been one of the horsemen Jeckie had heard galloping down the slope to the creek earlier. She could not help overhearing the conversation.
‘Did you see any of the Westerly-Ann mining people when you were in at the airport last night?’ Andrew was asking Barton.
‘Yes. The usual pair. That tall, skinny geologist fellow, and the management engineer. Forget their names - ‘
‘That’s all?’
‘Yes. That’s all.’
But what about Jason, the nice one? Jeckie wanted to demand indignantly. The one who’s Shire President and Justice of the Peace, store owner and all sorts of other things?
She couldn’t imagine why Barton had told such a large-sized fib - though for some reason he had warned her not to mention who she met at the airport.
`Joe Blow around?’ Andrew asked through tight lips.
‘Well, you kinda stumble over Joe Blow wherever you go once you come off the tableland,’ Barton said casually. ‘A nod of the head is the best I’d ever give him. I don’t waste any words.’
‘He wouldn’t get a nod of the head from me,’ Andrew said bluntly. ‘He wouldn’t expect it.’
‘Or return it,’ Barton said with a laugh.
The two men stepped on to the veranda then disappeared through a side door.
Jeckie gulped her tea down quickly. She didn’t feel mad with herself for coming to Mallibee anymore.
Well, not for the time being anyway. She assured
herself of this as she quickly dressed in a light-coloured cotton dress, and equally quickly clapped on some make-up. Only with the lipstick did she take special care. She was fond of saying: ‘A mouth is a mouth, is the one you’ve got ! So make the very best of it.’
Mallibee Downs was suddenly interesting, not because it was what she had derisively called to herself - the family seat-but because it was peopled with persons ever so much more intriguing than she had dreamed they would be. Barton was fun - though it was just possible that he had an embarrassment-making streak in him. Andrew was …
Well, what was Andrew? Jeckie was too honest with herself not to admit that he was very attractive in a
remote, controlled kind of way. For the time he had sat drinking his tea last night, and she had sat surreptitiously glancing at him, she had for the first time clean forgotten the pain and indignation she had lately been suffering. Even this morning she no longer felt downhearted.
Not a suitable marriage indeed! That was what Edgerton’s Commanding Officer probably meant by giving all that advice! Jeckie, damping down her hair, was careful not to let her indignation boil up again.
The Commanding Officer’s advice didn’t forbid. It merely undermined.
She, Jeckie, came from a reasonably sound family. She’d been educated at a good school. She could dance well, and dress well when she had the time. She knew all about good manners.
Jeckie realized she was working herself up into a `state of mind’ again. She dusted a little powder on her nose, stood back from the mirror and looked at herself. She could read in her own reflection the challenging light in her eyes.
`Calm down,’ she chided herself. `Its all over, remember? Bury it!’
She guessed she had looked like this when she’d said in her own home: ‘All right, Mother. You are always wanting me to go to Mallibee Downs. Well, surprise! Surprise! I’ll go.’
Jeckie!’ her mother had exclaimed. ‘Are you sure you want to go just now?’
`Well, once I’ve been and come back, everyone will stop talking about it, won’t they?’
`You will be at your best, won’t you, dear? I mean, lately you’ve been just a little out of sorts ..
Out of sorts! Jeckie had thought forlornly. What a way to define being in a state of despair!
Jeckie had known what was in her mother’s mind about
her, Jeckie, being at her best. Barton, on that long drive
over the tableland to the homestead, had put it bang into
words — Which of us are you going to marry? Coming
from Barton, she had felt absolutely outraged. They
hadn’t even the tact to cover up their machinations about
marrying Mallibee shares to Mallibee management!
Now this morning she was inch by inch coming to believe that things were different. All because they were going to be interesting. Even the fact that her cousin Sheila had been here before was tantalizing — therefore interesting too. It was something to think about.
So Sheila had made an impression on Andrew! Well, maybe Jeckie could do that as well. Not necessarily on Andrew, of course. Maybe she could prove to herself she wasn’t an en
tire flop because she’d had a lost ‘love affair’.
Jane Baker was nice and friendly and chatty. Aunt Isobel wasn’t as alarming as she had feared.
If they could just like her a little bit!
If Sheila could go out and charm the birds off the trees well, she, Jeckie, could try. Not with Andrew, of course. But with Jane … And Aunt Isobel … even Barton maybe…
`Here’s for it!’ she said wryly as she went to the door. ‘Here I come! Well— trying my best anyway!’
CHAPTER FOUR
Meantime, Aunt Isobel had finished watering her pot-plants. She put her watering can down by the step, stripped off her gardening gloves and moved along the veranda to where the breakfast table was set behind a screen of glorious crimson bougainvillea.
She sat down at the table. Almost as if she had pressed a button to summon a genie, Jane Baker appeared through the side door carrying a loaded tray.
Over the top of the tray her fair, round, pleasing face smiled cheerfully. Miss Isobel was now sitting straight-backed and formal.
`Here I am — just at the right moment, Miss Isobel,’ Jane said lightly. ‘I think our little guest is about ready too. Oh, Miss Isobel …’ She set the large tray down and moved the teapot and the hot water just a fraction this
way and that, as if they weren’t already set out correctly. `Our guest is really rather a lamb, don’t you think? Pretty, but full of character too?’
‘It all depends, Jane dear, what you mean by character. I had a feeling Andrew thought she might be just a little self-willed.’
‘Oh now! Andrew is always cautious, isn’t he? Still, that is why he has such sound judgment — ‘ Jane took herself to the other side of the table and sat down. ‘He was very sceptical about Sheila, wasn’t he? Then after a while I thought I saw him smiling much more than usual. I even thought — ‘
`Never mind what you “even thought”, Jane dear. Sheila has returned to Pepper Tree Bay — by that beautiful Swan River — where no doubt she graces a very gay and lively social set. We have Juliet with us now.’
Jeckie had arrived in the doorway, and she had heard some of this conversation. It took all her self-control not to say: ‘Jeckie, please! I’m never called Juliet.’
So Andrew had formed an opinion already, had he?
‘Oh, there you are, child,’ Aunt Isobel said. ‘Come and sit down. Over there, next to Jane, please. That’s right. We leave the top place for Andrew even though he has had his breakfast long since. He might have a second cup of tea presently.’
‘Good morning, Aunt Isobel; I slept very well, thank you, so I’m not tired any more. Oh, isn’t that bougainvillea gorgeous!’
Aunt Isobel looked at the girl. ‘I had not yet asked how you slept, Juliet,’ she said, lifting the teapot. ‘Will you have your tea with the cereal, or do you prefer to wait?’
Jeckie suddenly felt dashed. Why do I always start oft on the wrong foot? I always say the wrong thing.
Aunt Isobel saw her catch her bottom lip, then shake her head as if to shake away some unhappy shadowy thought.
‘I’d like a cup of tea now, please, Aunt Isobel,’ Jeckie said in a quiet voice. ‘I meant just to tell you how well I had slept. I’m sorry I put it so badly.’
‘That’s quite all right, my dear. Early morning is never a very good time to start a new acquaintanceship, is it?
Dear Jane is always so cheerful. Such a blessing because none of the rest of us feels that way. Not till we’ve had a good cup of tea.’
‘Thank you,’ Jeckie said as the cup of tea was handed to her.
`Do you have early morning tea before breakfast on your farm, Jeckie?’ Jane asked across the sugar bowl as she passed it. She was making conversation to change the subject, and Jeckie was grateful.
‘Oh yes. We’re terrific tea drinkers at Beckonning. Of course we all have to get up so early. Because of the horses, you know. Baxter, who is in charge of them, has them out before daylight — ‘ she broke off. Aunt Isobel’s eyes were fixed on her as if not so much impressed as wondering if Jeckie was stating a case for the defence. Of what? Why was this uneasy child putting up a defence for herself?
‘Jane dear, do fetch the hot scones now, will you?’ she said. ‘I think I’ll do without a cereal this morning. We did have such a late supper last night, didn’t we?’
‘Of course, Miss Isobel.’ Jane slipped out of her chair and disappeared into the side passage almost as noiselessly as a wraith.
Now I’m for it! Jeckie thought as she poured milk on her wheat biscuit. She’s sent nice ‘Jane dear’ away so as not to embarrass her.
`Do you cook, Juliet?’ Aunt Isobel asked pleasantly. ‘If so, I do hope you can make good scones. I always like hot scones for breakfast.’
‘Yes. I can cook,’ Jeckie said. ‘Mostly farm cooking. But when we have a party I can do the fussy things too.’ ‘You do have parties? On the farm?’
‘Oh yes. We’re only five miles from the Siding.’
‘Yes, of course. I remember Andrew telling me how convenient your father’s farm is to the wheat silos at the Siding.’
‘Andrew?’ Jeckie asked, surprised. ‘How did he know? I mean, I didn’t imagine he would be interested. That is— ‘
‘Of course we are all interested. Though it is such a pity the two branches of the family never really meet. I’ve written to your mother about it several times.’
‘There are more than two branches, aren’t there, Aunt Isobel?’ Jeckie said politely. ‘Even at school I seemed to meet people who were called Ashenden. We’d put our heads together and work out we were cousins way back two or three generations. But we’d never met before.’
`Yes, of course. Andrew Ashenden the First had four sons and two daughters. My mother was the eldest daughter. So I inherited a share, you see. But one of them, his third son John’s grandson, sold his share out to strangers. He doesn’t have the Ashenden name because his mother, being an Ashenden, inherited. And she married, of course. Just as your mother and Sheila’s mother inherited. So many different surnames! Such a pity!’
Aunt Isobel had a subdued graveyard tone in her voice as she said this.
`Do you think he should have kept his share as a duty, Aunt Isobel?’
‘Oh dear me — not necessarily — if he needed the money. But he should have given Andrew or Barton the first offer. It has all caused so much trouble that Mallibee owners are what you might call divided amongst themselves over the issue. The share should have been kept in the family. As it is, it has gone to that inhuman monster — a Mining Company.’
‘You think my mother and Sheila’s mother should give their shares back to Andrew? Or Andrew and Barton?’
‘Not give, child. Don’t be foolish. But, well — if they wanted to sell some day, it would be pleasant for Mallibee if they did think of the Company first. They’re very valuable shares. Nevertheless, the share is your mother’s rightful inheritance: the same as with Sheila’s mother. I only hope—’ she broke off.
Jeckie saw that Aunt Isobel’s face, from being very contained and almost negative, now looked troubled.
‘What do you hope?’ Jeckie prodded gently. ‘I’m sure my mother would not sell to anyone outside the family.’
`No, no. Of course not. It’s just that this other wretched share has gone out of the family. Not even to a person. He had the impudence to say it was a better thing for Mallibee anyway. The mining people would improve the
property. Improve! Those dreadful scars all over the range! Huge holes dug in the ground! They’ve taken the best water. The underground river, you know. And now, the Mountain ..
Jeckie didn’t know. She knew little about Mallibee except that her mother owned a share in it. Now was not the moment to find out more because Jane Baker had come back, still wearing her cheerful smile and carrying a plate covered with a snowy white napkin.
`Straight from the oven, Miss Isobel,’ she said as she placed the plate on the table. ‘Cassie timed it beautifully,
didn’t she? We must remember to praise her.’
`Yes, of course, Jane dear,’ Aunt Isobel said firmly. ‘I always remember.’
`Yes. I know, Miss Isobel. I was just using a little figure of speech.’
`Jane dear, do you think we could ask Andrew if he would care for a cup of tea? I think I heard him come in a little while ago. We could mention the hot scones, couldn’t we?’
‘I did ask him, Miss Isobel. I popped my head in the office door as I came past. He said he would come.’
`And Barton too?’ Jeckie asked brightly.
She could have bitten her lip all over again. She was a guest not a host, and perhaps she should not have mentioned Barton so eagerly. Clearly Aunt Isobel and nice ‘Jane dear’ seemed to think only about Andrew.
A very spoilt man, perhaps! Jeckie wondered of Andrew. Well, he’d made up his mind about her very quickly, hadn’t he? She was self-willed, was she? She would return the non-compliment and decide very quickly about him. He was spoiled. As someone had said at the airport, ‘King of the Plains’. He had Aunt Isobel and nice `Jane dear’ falling over one another to idolize him and spoil him.
She would show her preference for Barton.
Oh dear! Her thoughts were sad and silly all over again! Did she even believe them herself?
At that moment Andrew came through the door.
All Jeckie’s intentions — and reservations — fell away from her like a fallen cloak.
He gave her the briefest smile and the barest ‘Good
morning’, as he walked round the table to his place at the head. But there he was — bearing the aura of ‘head of the house’ about him ! And it destroyed her defences. He didn’t even have to open his mouth.
`There you are, dear,’ Aunt Isobel was saying. ‘We’re breakfasting, as you can see. And you’ve already had yours hours ago.but I´m glad you´ve come to join us for a cup of tea. It’s Juliet’s first morning, so we must make it bright for her.’
