And Those Who Trespass Against Us

by Helen M MacPherson

  Just when Katherine finally determined exactly what he was carrying, the Hansom cab she was travelling in lurched sideways. Obviously the town's counsellors had expended all their available funds on building and pavements, for the main street was little more than a pothole-ridden dirt road--not at all like the cobbled streets of her home town in Ireland. Katherine tightened her grip on the door handle when the cab passed the equally ostentatious General Post Office. They turned the corner, and she finally arrived at the birthplace of Australia, Circular Quay.

  She politely manouevred her way around the numerous hawkers selling their wares, pausing only long enough to ask directions of a constable in charge of a work gang. His directions led her straight to the booking office. She straightened her bonnet and entered.

  A middle-aged, bespectacled man looked up from the charts in front of him. "Good morning, Miss, may I help you?"

  Katherine baulked at the man's use of "Miss" and then recovered herself. "Good morning and, yes, I hope you can. I'd like to book a passage to Ireland as soon as possible. Could you please tell me when the next available boat departs?"

  The man smiled. "Well, ma'am, it would be better for you to refer to these fine vessels as ships, unless of course you want to incur the wrath of the Captain." Katherine nodded in mock chastisement. "We do have a ship due to leave port for Ireland. She's set to sail on the fourteenth. If you--"

  Katherine was sure the look on her face was what had made the man pause. "That's not for another seven days. Don't you have something leaving sooner?"

  "I'm sorry, ma'am, it's the best I can do. If I might be so bold, I'd suggest you book now. It doesn't take long for these passages to fill up. If you miss this one, it'll be another month before another ship sails for Ireland."

  Taking the man's advice with resignation, Katherine parted with enough money from the funds she was given to book a shared cabin for the long sea journey home.

  "Thank you. I'll see you in seven days." Absorbed in securing her ticket, she walked straight into someone. Stepping back and raising her face to apologise, Katherine's jaw dropped. "Adele?"

  Katherine looked at Adele's refined features, her mind uncontrollably dragging up an intimate image of Catriona and Adele. She closed her eyes, trying to dismiss such thoughts.

  AN EQUALLY SURPRISED Adele looked at Katherine in her plain dress, rather than her habit. She could clearly see the beauty which had so captured Catriona. Despite the unruly wisps of hair struggling to free themselves from her broad-brimmed straw hat, Katherine's emerald green eyes capably accentuated her delicate features. "Katherine, what are you doing here?" She carefully chose her words. "Have you been called home early? Is everything all right with, er, the town?" She caught herself before she could pose the question she was dying to ask as to whether anything had happened between her and Catriona.

  "Well, yes and no. But, what of you. I thought you were due to return to England. What happened, did your business keep you here?"

  Adele laughed, her eyes crinkling in delight. "My business affairs did keep me slightly longer than I'd anticipated, but my delay has been imposed by the vagaries of the sea. The ship I was to sail on foundered in Bass Strait and barely managed to limp into Port Phillip Bay. I'm not due to sail for another ten days. That's what brought me here this morning. I was about to check with Mr. Jamieson to ensure my return journey had not again been delayed." Adele's last words were said loudly enough within the confines of the cramped office to ensure their intended recipient heard them.

  Doffing an imaginary cap, the man who had previously served Katherine checked the book in front of him. "I've had no reports of any difficulties with your ship. She's due to arrive in Sydney on the seventeenth, weather permitting."

  Adele nodded her thanks and turned to Katherine. "Where are you staying? Maybe we can take tea. I'd very much like to catch up on any news you might have of the town." She looked at Katherine's downcast features. Ushering her out of the office and the prying ears of Mr. Jamieson, Adele took Katherine's hand. "What's wrong?"

  "It's a long story. I'd like to speak with you. But first I've got to find somewhere inexpensive to stay. I didn't expect a seven-day wait in Sydney, but my funds should be enough to secure me a room in an inn for the intervening period."

  Adele shook her head. "The inns of Sydney are not like those in Ireland. They're no place for a woman, much less a nun. I'm currently staying at Petty's Family Hotel and I've more than enough room for us to share. I'd be very offended if you refuse. After all, I couldn't bear to think what might happen to you if I let you stay in one of those hovels. I don't think the church would ever forgive me," she finished lightheartedly, still perplexed over Katherine's absence of religious attire.

  "Thank you. I promise I won't be much of a nuisance. Maybe after I'm settled we can get something to eat and I can tell you what's happened since you left."

  Adele strove to read Katherine's features but found them closed. Something incredibly significant has occurred. That much she was sure of. She tried to collect her thoughts. Why was Katherine in a dress? Finding her in the booking office could only mean she was booking a passage to return to Ireland. Was this so she could finalise matters with the convent prior to returning to Catriona? Despite Katherine's silence, her non-verbal cues spoke volumes. Katherine was desperately unhappy.

  EXCEPTING A NEAR collision when they left the Circular Quay yards, the trip to the understated, yet exclusive, hotel was silent. Katherine was engrossed in her own thoughts. Thinking back to the first time she and Catriona had made love, Katherine recalled their discussion regarding Adele's sudden departure. Catriona told her Adele had gleaned an involvement between the two of them at the dinner party, and left to give their feelings the chance to grow. Katherine blushed at the realisation that Adele had read her so well. Even though embarrassed, she was relieved. At least with Adele she'd be able to express what had happened, without shocking her.

  Katherine followed Adele to the rented room and quickly attended to the accumulated dirt and grime of her train journey. Both women then left for the tearooms of George Street and a well-deserved meal.

  CATRIONA NO SOONER alighted from her journey in the bone-jarring coach when she hailed a cab and jumped in. "Central station please."

  "Certainly," the driver replied and cracked his whip.

  Sitting in the confines of the coach, her thoughts strayed to Katherine and the train journey she'd taken. She dwelled on the length of Katherine's journey and cursed. Despite the coach usually being the more reliable means of travel, she and the rest of its passengers had been forced into an unscheduled halt at the foot of the Blue Mountains due to a broken rear axle. Replacing it took the greater part of the night, with the coach departing very early the next morning.

  Catriona prayed the delay wouldn't hinder her attempts to, one last time, convince Katherine to return with her to Gleneagle. Pausing only long enough to pay the driver, she grabbed her bag and ran for the station.

  Arriving at the platform her heart sank. While the train was there, the station was bereft of any passengers. Collapsing onto one of the railway seats dotted along the platform, she struggled to come to grips with what to do next.

  "Excuse me, sir, can I help you?" Catriona looked at the porter in front of her. It hadn't been the first time during her journey she'd been mistaken for a man. Given her clothing, the assumption was a reasonable one. And, given the greater freedom of men to move unhindered through an established town the size of Sydney, she saw no need to correct him. After all, her voice had always held a low timbre--, something her mother had regretted, but was now potentially to her benefit.

  "Has the Western weekly arrived yet?" A sinking feeling filled the pit of her stomach when he nodded.

  "It arrived about half an hour ago. We're cleaning it now for the return service. Would you like to book a passage? It's due to leave at about twelve fifteen this afternoon."

  For a fleeting moment she was tempted to call an end t
o it and book her trip home. How in the hell was she supposed to find Katherine in a city of this size? Mentally cursing Susan's suggestion, the coach's broken axle, and her own stupidity she almost didn't hear the porter repeat his question.

  "Sir, do you want me to book you a journey home? There are still a number of first class carriages available for the return journey."

  Catriona's eyes widened and she slapped her leg. The first thing she would do if she were Katherine would be to book a sea passage home. Maybe she was still doing that. "No thank you. Can you hail me a cab please?"

  Her urging the driver to get to the Quay as fast as possible almost resulted in them causing an accident. As the Hansom entered the enclosure of the booking office yard they nearly careened into a cab containing two women departing the yards. Ignoring the curses of the other driver, Catriona sprang down from her cab, hoping the two ladies hadn't been harmed. She strode toward the booking office.

  Mr. Jamieson gazed up from his tables. "Good morning, sir, can I help you?"

  She placed her bag on the floor and glanced at the man's nametag. "Yes, Mr., er, Jamieson," she said with a calmness that belied how she actually felt. "I'd like some information on a passenger if I may."

  Mr. Jamieson furrowed his brows. "I'm sorry, sir, but it's the policy of this office not to provide information regarding the nature of people booking passages."

  Catriona forced herself to remain calm while deep down all she wanted to do was reach across, grab the man by the shirt, and shake him senseless until the information fell from him. "And a sensible policy it is. After all, the privacy of your passengers must be maintained at all costs. Would it be possible then for you to tell me when the next ship is due to sail for Ireland?"

  "Indeed I can. The next ship to Ireland is not due to sail until the fourteenth. Would you like to book a passage?"

  "No, that's fine." Besides, the last thing she wanted to do was to be stuck on a ship with a woman who didn't want her there. "I do have one more question. Have any nuns booked a passage to Ireland?"

  "No, sir, not that I can recall."

  "The person I'm looking for is a nun. Would it be possible for you could keep an eye out for her? She's a friend of the family. I missed saying goodbye to her when she left." Catriona reached into her pocket and pulled out a roll of notes. "I know a man such as you must be too busy to look for someone as specific as a nun. I'm certainly willing to cover any inconvenience this may cause."

  "Yes, it is a busy job," he replied, as he greedily held out his hand. "But I know what it's like when you don't get to say goodbye before family sail overseas. I tell you what. The Elizabeth sails at four o'clock on the afternoon of the fourteenth. If you return here before the ship sails, I'll let you know if there have been any such passengers."

  Catriona uttered her thanks as she handed over what she thought was an adequate sum to cover any 'inconvenience' caused. "I'm going to remain in Sydney at least until the ship sails. Could you recommend a place where I might stay?"

  "There are a number of taverns about the town which would be more than suitable for you. The Princess Royal on Hunter Street is one of the more reputable establishments."

  Catriona shook her head, as she recalled one previous visit to Sydney, when she'd boarded there.

  "Of course it can become rowdy once the sun goes down. Possibly a hotel would be more to your liking? Then might I recommend the Petty's Family Hotel? It's on church hill. Any driver will be able to take you there."

  She thanked the man and left the office, wondering when Katherine was going to book a passage home. Maybe she'd been side tracked. If that were the case, then Catriona's last chance would be on the day the boat was sailing, which was seven days away. How was she to occupy her time until then?

  She made her way to Petty's Family establishment where, tired and bedraggled, she booked herself a room for the week and ordered a well-deserved bath. Busy with signing the register, she didn't see the two women she'd nearly crashed into at the shipping yards cross the reception room and leave the hotel.

  KATHERINE FOLLOWED ADELE and the waiter as they weaved around the other seated diners, finally arriving at a quiet corner of the tearoom. Taking a seat, Adele ordered for them both. She waited until the waiter was a safe distance away. "Pardon my audacity, Katherine, but what's going on?"

  Katherine looked down at her tightly clasped hands, wondering where to begin. "Catriona told me about you and her." The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.

  Adele's brow twitched, as if her composed exterior had been slightly breached. Casting her eyes in the direction of the other diners and seeing they were ensconced in their own conversations, she returned her gaze to Katherine. "If she told you then that could naturally only mean one thing. Do you and Catriona share a similar relationship?"

  Katherine's blushed furiously. "Yes, we did," she replied quietly, her face downcast. She jumped at the soft feel of Adele's hand on her own.

  "You needn't be worried. I'm not about to leave in disgust. That would be a bit hypocritical, don't you think?" Katherine nodded. "I sensed something between the two of you. And the night of the dinner-- I'm terribly sorry I walked in on you. I assure you, my actions were unintentional."

  Adele searched Katherine's face. "Pardon my bluntness, but what are you doing in Sydney? You don't have to answer me if you don't want to, but were Catriona's feelings for you not the same as you felt for her? Was it all too much for you?"

  Katherine looked at Adele. How could she tell her that in Catriona's arms she'd finally felt at home. Yet, despite feeling so, she'd left her? "No, it wasn't too much, and the feeling was mutual." She laughed ruefully. "After a number of false starts we finally admitted our feelings for each other. My decision to leave the convent was the next obvious step, so I approached Father Cleary." Adele's eyes widened. "Rest assured, I didn't tell him the whole story, regarding my leaving the Order. I told him I was no longer comfortable continuing my religious calling." Katherine paused when the waiter returned with a plate of sandwiches and refreshments.

  Satisfied the man was at a respectable distance, Adele looked at Katherine. "Is that why you're returning to Ireland, to get dispensation to leave the convent?"

  Katherine couldn't stop the tears welling in her eyes. "That's not exactly the truth, although it's one thing I'll see to on my return. We were caught by the young Greystone girl, kissing on the way to town." She paused at Adele's quiet gasp.

  Katherine dabbed her eyes. "I know it was a foolish indiscretion, and given the day again we'd have never let it happen. But it did. I'm sure you can imagine the reaction of the ladies' committee. I truly believe if they could have organised it, they would've seen to our lynching. Instead they settled for me leaving town."

  "What did Catriona do through all of this? She doesn't strike me as someone who'd take such treatment lying down."

  "She wouldn't if she'd been given the choice. If you could have seen the reaction of the father, you would've understood what I had to do. Catriona's livelihood relies on her receiving a good price for her crop and her cattle. That was unlikely to occur if I remained. I couldn't bear to see her and the farm waste away because of me. I didn't want her to carry the simmering resentment which might have arisen from her being made an outcast. So I decided to leave. I knew Catriona would never ask me to go. And, if I stayed, I don't think she would have managed to keep the farm."

  "Did she try to stop you?"

  Katherine sadly smiled. "At first she did, when I tried to explain why I was doing what I was doing. But as it came closer to my departure, she acted like she didn't care anymore. She stopped speaking to me and refused to take me to the station. On my last day I barely managed to get any words from her at all." She paused then quietly added, "I think she was glad to see me gone."

  ADELE SAT BACK in her chair. She had dealt with her stubborn charge often enough to recognise a defence mechanism when she saw it. As a teenager, withdrawing into herself had been
Catriona's way in dealing with pain. Feigning indifference had caused many a frustrating time when she'd been her governess. "Are you telling me she made no move to tell you to stay?" Katherine nodded. "Do you love her?"

  Silent tears fell down Katherine's face. "Yes." She again reached into the folds of her dress for a handkerchief.

  "Believe me when I tell you she loves you, and the last thing she'd have wanted was for you to leave. Go back, Katherine. Tell her you love her, and be damned with what the townsfolk say or do. If you feel half as much for her as what she does for you, there'll be no issue with your return."

  "How can you say that? You weren't there. You didn't see how she acted on the final day. And what about the farm? If I return I doubt the townsfolk's position on our relationship will have changed. And what if she doesn't take me back? I've barely enough funds as it is. I'm sorry, Adele. As much as this hurts, and believe me when I tell you it's like a suppurating wound, I can't go back. It's best I return to Ireland. In time, Catriona's life will go on. As days pass, her memories of me will fade, along with the pain she's currently suffering. It's for the best."

  "I don't think so, Katherine. I really don't." Sensing closure to their discussion, at least for the moment, Adele took a sip from her now lukewarm tea.