Silence hung between the two as they ate. Taking the opportunity the silence presented, Catriona surreptitiously viewed Katherine. Her face sported a scant sprinkling of freckles, the supposed bane of every good lady. Her brown, curly hair was cropped in a manner normally associated with women in religious orders. By the looks of her face and given where she's come from, she can't be more than twenty-five or twenty-six, Catriona thought. If she wants to maintain such a complexion then she's going to have to find something more to protect her than her veil and wimple. And who cut her hair? I could've done a better job with a pair of sheep shears. The most amazing thing about her though is her eyes. They look like the deep green emeralds my mother used to wear on special occasions.
Catriona realised she'd been caught staring and gulped down the last of the mouthful she'd been chewing for the past minute. "How's your breakfast?"
"It's fine, thank you. You're quite a good cook. Unfortunately, I've never been able to master the art of cooking. The nuns who trained me found this out early in my training and ensured I was never relegated to kitchen duties. Mind you, it did take one meal for them to realise this." Katherine placed her knife and fork beside the plate. "I'm sorry for my reaction earlier. I didn't allow you to finish the rest of your story. How did Father Cleary react to the news about your brother and Sister Coreen?"
"At the beginning he was all thee's and thou's, fire and brimstone, as you were a moment ago. He warned Coreen against the dire consequences of divorcing the church to marry a man. When he finally saw them together he realised their relationship wasn't just a stage in Coreen's life. Under the auspices of his own church, he couldn't condone the union. However, he did advise the two of them. He advised Coreen she shouldn't rush into such a marriage, no matter how right it felt. He asked her to wait until you arrived and she could discuss the consequences with you. His advice to Alexander was to find a church and priest willing to marry them. I know Alexander found this hard to accept, but decided to go along with the father's decision. In fact that's where he is now, attempting to find a priest.
"Don't get me wrong. He's not desperately scouring the countryside. If they couldn't find someone local, then they intended to go to Sydney and get married. Once they were married, it wouldn't matter what the people thought. And, truth be told, it certainly wouldn't have bothered them."
"I don't know what the father expected me to do. It's very likely Coreen wouldn't have listened to me anyway. Besides, what business of mine would it have been to come all this way and stop her from marrying your brother? I'm sorry for my abruptness earlier, especially given how you must be feeling about the loss. Have you given much thought to what you propose to tell your brother when he returns?"
"I haven't, and I'm not exactly sure when he'll be home. Hopefully between now and then I'll come up with some way to break the news." Catriona rose to clear the table. "I expect there are more immediate things to think about, like washing up and getting back to town. There's still a lot to do."
"You're right." Katherine rose. "I'll help you if you like, and then I'll get dressed for the day."
WASHING UP FOR two wasn't like some of the wash ups Katherine had endured at the convent. The chore had been the bane of her existence in Ireland, but she didn't feel right leaving Catriona to look after the mess. Once finished she returned to her room with a pitcher of water and filled her hand basin to attend to her own ablutions. Having read her daily passage from the Bible, she turned, somewhat reluctantly, to place on her number two habit. "I can't possibly wear the one I arrived in, given how stained and dirty it is." She sighed. "I expect it won't be long before they're both as dirty as each other."
Using the remains of the water in her basin, she attempted to sponge off the stains on her soiled habit. Satisfied she'd done as much as she could, she carried both the water and the habit out the back of the house and looked for somewhere to hang the garment.
Catriona had hitched the horse to the wagon. The wagon itself was indicative of most things Katherine saw around the farm. Its primary conventional purpose was clearly to carry stores and produce, with its secondary purpose being the transportation of humans. Katherine hung her habit over the clothesline to dry and headed toward Catriona to see if she could lend a helping hand.
"Right, that's done." Catriona turned and almost ran into Katherine. "I'm sorry. I didn't hear you coming. Are you all right?"
Katherine straightened her veil and wimple. "I'm fine, nothing broken."
"If that's the case, I think it's time we educated you on the ways of the bush. Today I'm helping with the rest of the cleanup in town, and this will give you the opportunity to meet the town's matriarchs."
Katherine frowned. "How do they know I'm here?"
"I sent a messenger to them yesterday to let them know you'd safely arrived and that I'd bring you into town today. Anyway, I don't go into town on a regular basis and when I do it's normally astride a horse. You, on the other hand, will find your trips around the immediate countryside to be a lot more frequent. So, your first lesson will be how to manage a horse and wagon. I'll leave the more difficult task of rigging them for travel for a later time. On the table on the verandah is a pair of gloves. I suggest you wear them, for the reins can cause quite a few blisters on soft hands." Catriona placed a mechanical implement in the back of the wagon. "Is there anything you wish to take into town with you?"
"I don't think so," Katherine called over her shoulder while she looked for the pair of gloves. She put them on and made her way back toward the wagon.
"The first thing you have to learn is to use both hands when getting on and off. That was your mistake last night, trying to get off too quickly. Now hop up there and we'll start lesson number two."
Katherine gathered her habit and hitched a small length of it into her belt to ensure her feet were unimpeded. She grabbed the wagon with both hands and climbed aboard. "Sorry about last night. I was a bit terse. But then I'm not used to falling off wagons."
Catriona eased into her seat and grasped the reins with both hands. "I don't think anyone is, are they?" They shared a laugh. "The second thing to learn is how to hold the reins. Don't hold them too far apart or the horse won't know what you want him to do. He relies on you, through the reins, to direct him. If they're too loose he'll wander." Catriona handed over the reins to her. "Now you try. Hold them like I did and you shouldn't have a problem."
Katherine attempted to weave the leather through the third and fourth finger of her hands like Catriona had demonstrated. She initially found the procedure quite difficult, but after some amount of floundering she was satisfied she'd succeeded. Turning to Catriona for assessment was the worst thing she could have done. The motion of her turning body resulted in the lines of the horse being snapped accidentally, causing horse and wagon to lurch forward. The horse, assuming they were on their way, broke into a light canter.
Katherine whipped her head and eyes around to the front. "What do I do now?"
"Unless you wish to go straight through the fence, you'll have to wheel the horse's head," Catriona said, her voice laced with amusement.
Katherine swung the reins above her head, in attempt to regain control of the horse. "Wheel! What do you mean?"
"It means turn the horse." Catriona calmly grabbed Katherine's hands and placed them in her lap. "Keep your hands close together, down in your lap, not above your head as if you were dancing a jig. Move one of the reins slightly toward you and, most of all, don't shout. You'll scare the horse. Right, now pull the left rein toward you and you'll see the horse's head will turn."
Katherine who had never controlled any form of gig was amazed. The horse's head turned and so the wagon followed.
As the horse lightly trotted in ever decreasing circles, Catriona eased Katherine's left hand back toward her right. "You've skipped a number of lessons, so we'll go back to your final lesson on the wagon and that's how to stop it. Slowly ease both reins toward you. At the same time, tell the horse you wi
sh to stop by saying 'whoa.' Then I'll put the brake on." Catriona guided Katherine's hands back.
"Whoa!" said Katherine. The horse slowed and came to a complete halt. "That was exciting. I've ridden in coaches when I was at home, but I've never actually driven one. It can be most invigorating."
Although they had stopped, Katherine looked down to where Catriona's hands still held her own. Her hands were so delicate, compared to Catriona's. "Shouldn't you be putting the brake on now? Catriona, are you all right?" Katherine's eyes alternated between Catriona's face and their hands.
Catriona released Katherine's hands as if they were hot coals. "I'm fine. I was daydreaming." She pushed on the brake with her foot. "Based on the success of today's lesson, I better drive into town today. Don't worry though. You'll be doing this soon enough, especially if you're going to stay here for any amount of time."
Katherine smiled. "Thank you very much for the first lesson. At least with you driving I'll be able to concentrate on where we're going. Last night was far too dark for me to see much of anything."
Leaving the property, Katherine saw the countryside to the right of the wagon primarily consisted of gently undulating hills, covered with a brown-yellow straw-like grass. "What's that?"
"It's wheat. It's a staple crop in this part of the country."
The wheat undulated with the wind's hypnotic dance, swaying in time to an invisible beat. It made the paddock come alive.
On the other side of the uneven road, the grass was a brown-green colour. "That's the same colour grass I saw when I woke up this morning. Is the colour because of the lack of rainfall?"
Catriona nodded.
Katherine shrugged, assuming Catriona's nonverbal answer to mean she was more pre-occupied on the task at hand. She continued to look around.
Affording minimal shade in the paddock were groups of trees, which couldn't honestly be called a copse in the Irish sense of the word, and grazing away in the middle distance were a group of the most unusual animals Katherine had ever seen. She'd first seen them on the train trip. Having stood up from her seat to stretch her legs, she'd gone out onto the train's back platform in time to see these great grey creatures with two legs and a massive tail bounding up the hill away from the train. At that exact moment, the conductor had come to the back platform and told her they were kangaroos.
The kangaroos didn't sense danger from the passing wagon, instead content to graze on what sparse vegetation abounded in the paddock. Only one kangaroo paused in his repast. Lifting his head, he looked in their direction. Obviously satisfied by the absence of an immediate threat, he lowered his head and continued to graze.
CATRIONA WAS LOST in her own thoughts. She'd seen this countryside too many times to longingly gaze at it every time she travelled across it. Its purpose was to maintain cattle and grow wheat along with other crops. The countryside's aesthetics rarely entered the equation. And this morning she paid it even less attention.
Although outwardly calm and composed, her mind was racing. It's happening again! It had felt like a lifetime since she'd felt the same stirring of emotions she was experiencing. Although she'd hated her first governess with a passion, the same couldn't be said of her second governess. When her mother realised she wasn't growing out of the normal tomboy stage most girls brought up on a farm go through, Adele Cooper had been employed by the Pelham family to refine Catriona. Elizabeth Pelham had realised, if Catriona were to have any chance of securing a husband, she would first need the rough edges removed.
At seventeen, Catriona baulked at the idea of another shrivelled up governess, employed to force her away from her love of working outside. She was pleasantly surprised. Adele was not much older than her, and they quickly became comrades in arms. Adele taught Catriona the finer graces of music, poetry, and art. While Catriona hesitated at the first two, in art she exhibited a natural affinity. Her mother was relieved she'd finally discovered a liking for something socially acceptable for a woman. Catriona and Adele spent hours in the countryside, painting it from all perspectives. Over the following months, her skill with watercolours became more developed, and she created paintings from strength within.
Yet overnight and without warning, she again grew sullen and distant to everyone and, in particular, Adele. Her mother, concerned by her mood, confronted Catriona. In awkward sentences, Catriona explained she was afraid she liked her new governess too much. Her mother assured her such feelings were natural for girls to have. It was no more than a stage all girls went through, and one which they quickly grew out of when they married. Her mother went so far as to tell her she'd in fact had a crush on her governess when she was fifteen. This quietly confused Catriona, given her own age was now closer to eighteen than fifteen. Rather than try to speak further with her mother about her feelings, which even at the best of times was a difficult task, she let the topic rest. Satisfied that what she was experiencing wasn't out of the ordinary, she returned to her art classes with Adele.
The weeks passed and Catriona grew closer to Adele who acted like she was, at times, at odds with how to deal with the situation. Adele became more circumspect about the time and contact she shared with Catriona.
Sensing Adele was more content spending time with Alexander, Catriona hit upon a plan to draw her back into her own circle. She'd often told Adele of a spot, about half a day's ride away, which presented a wonderful opportunity for painting. After repeated assurances to her mother that the place was still on the property and both women could cope with staying out overnight, they set off one morning for the spot Catriona had often spoken about.
The wagon was packed as if they were going for a year, not a couple of days. The sun was past mid-way when they eventually came in sight of a familiar group of trees. The surroundings were just as Catriona remembered. The trees shielded from the casual observer the natural treasure within, and served to create a hideaway from the outside world, a fact Catriona most enjoyed. When life and problems on the property were too much to bear, she'd often escape to this place. Now she was sharing it with Adele.
Searching along the outside of the trees, she eventually found the break that led them to the inside of the grove and the waterhole. The overgrown track was hard for the wagon and team, for the trees had long since encroached on the path. The unyielding progress of leaf and vine made the place so dear for Catriona. It didn't matter what she tried to do to tame the waterhole and its surroundings, nature always came back to reclaim its own.
Catriona heard Adele catch her breath. The waterhole, fed by a bubbling spring at one end, took up most of the enclosure. The surrounding trees were full-grown and healthy from the abundant water supply. To the left of the wagon was a clearing, not much bigger than the wagon. She brought the horses to a halt next to the clearing.
No longer encumbered by the noise of the constant movement of the wagon, the sound of the native birds could be heard echoing through the trees.
Adele scanned her surroundings. "It's beautiful and so private. How does it manage to survive in such a sparse country? It's amazing."
"I'm not quite sure, but father believes this spot here, and water bores in the local area, are fed by artesian water." Catriona alighted from the wagon with one of the many blankets her mother had packed. "We'll have to set up a shelter for the night, but first things first. I'll spread this so we can have some lunch. After all, it's been a long ride."
"Let me help you." Adele got off the wagon and grabbed the picnic basket, bringing it to where Catriona spread the blanket. Adele looked toward the spring occupying the greater part of their hideaway. "I know you must be hungry but our long ride has left me quite hot. The water looks far too inviting. Before we eat, would you like to go for a swim?"
Catriona faltered. She loved the water but she'd never learnt how to swim. She had little problem with wading her feet in the creek near home, but she was unsure how deep this waterhole was. Fearing she would be less in Adele' eyes she said the first thing which came into her mind, "
I can't. I haven't brought anything to swim in."
"Neither have I," Adele replied. "Are you expecting anyone out here?"
"N-no."
"In that case I'm going to bathe in my chemise."
Adele began to undress and Catriona turned away. She felt backed into a corner. To delay the embarrassment at her own inadequacy, she slowly peeled off her outer garments.
Try as she might she couldn't help her eyes from wandering in Adele's direction. She looked so different when she wasn't wrapped up in lace and crinoline. Stealing a look toward Adele's chest, Catriona caught her breath. She felt ashamed when she thought of her own breasts, for they had only begun to fill out, yet still they didn't show much promise. They would never be like Adele's. Hers were beautiful.
"Are you coming in?" Adele called over her shoulder as she walked toward the bank. Without waiting for an answer, she waded in until all that Catriona could see were her shoulders. She paused, as if taking her bearings, then dived headlong into the water.
Catriona rushed toward the waters' edge. Adele was nowhere to be seen. Frantic, she waded into the water in search of her. What if she was struggling, caught in the reeds off the bank? She wouldn't be able to help. She couldn't swim. "Adele where are you? Are you all right?"
Like a bolt out of the blue, Adele surfaced directly in front of Catriona, her hair clinging tightly to her shoulders. However this wasn't the only thing clinging to her body. The plain cotton chemise which had been opaque only moments before was now translucent. The lower part of Adele's body was concealed by the water, but her upper half was quite exposed. The damp cloth now outlined Adele's breasts, her brown nipples visible, pressing against the cotton material.
Catriona blushed. She slowly broke her gaze, moving it up Adele's body and bringing her eyes to rest on the enigmatic expression masking Adele's face. She was smiling, yet at the same time was trying hard not to.
And Those Who Trespass Against Us Page 4
