South of Capricorn

by Anne Hampson

  ‘Jim, you mean?’ He shook his head as he sat down.

  ‘He’s off on a fortnight’s holiday tomorrow, so he won’t want me around now.’ Automatically Dave’s eyes wandered to the small bungalow which stood all on its own in a lush, flower-filled garden. Only the lights could be discerned from here, but these were on in every room and Dave smiled faintly as she added, ‘They’ll be busy packing. Betty’s so excited at the idea of bringing back their daughter.’

  Gail looked interested.

  ‘I didn’t know they had a daughter. You’ve spoken of Jim and Betty once or twice, saying what good friends they’ve been to you, but you never mentioned a daughter.’

  ‘I suppose,’ replied Dave thoughtfully, ‘it’s because I’ve never seen her.’

  ‘She’s married?’

  Dave shook his head.

  ‘No, she works in Perth. They all lived there until two years ago, but then Jim decided he wanted an outdoor job and he and Betty moved out here, Jim having got the job of stockrider. He was a stockrider in his youth and left the Outback when he met Betty while he was on holiday in Perth. She didn’t want to leave her family, so they bought a house and settled down. Georgina - that’s the daughter - had a splendid job, so she didn’t want to come with them. In any case, there’s nothing here for a girl of eighteen.’ ‘She’s only eighteen?’

  ‘She was then. She’s twenty now.’

  ‘She’s coming for a holiday only?’

  ‘I have an idea they’re going to try to persuade her to stay permanently. She’s been teaching in a private school which has closed down and as the Boss will soon be short of a teacher Georgina could fit in nicely.’

  Gail nodded, aware that one of the teachers was leaving next month. She was marrying a grazier from a station two hundred miles away, a man she had met at one of Kane’s shed dances a few months previously.

  ‘It would be nice for your friends; they sound homely, the sort who like to have their children with them if possible.’ She drifted off into a pensive silence and Dave asked her curiously.

  ‘Are you dreaming of home, and your parents?’ He seemed faintly disconsolate as the question was asked and Gail looked up with a friendly smiles

  ‘Yes, Dave, I was.’

  ‘You’re looking forward to going back?’

  She nodded, but not with any enthusiasm,

  ‘I love it here, but my parents wouldn’t be happy for me to stay, even if that were possible.’

  He made no comment and for a long moment there was silence between them.

  ‘It’s a bit of a muddle, isn’t it?’ he said at last. ‘I said I’d like to get to know you better, and I meant it.’

  She swallowed hard.

  ‘Dave, I don’t think we ought to talk about such things.’

  He looked at her through shrewd and frank brown, eyes.

  ‘You like me, just a little, don’t you, Gail?’ The question was out and she coloured delicately. Somehow she had known that it was bound to come some time. And she had to answer truthfully and the answer was yes. He nodded his head as if he had never doubted what her answer would be. ‘What are we going to do, then?’ He was brisk all at once, and she frowned as the great difficulties crowded in upon her.

  ‘It’s better that we don’t talk about it,’ she said again. ‘I’m Kane’s wife as far as everyone is concerned—’

  ‘Everyone?’ he cut in swiftly.

  ‘Kane’s giving a party for my birthday and all his friends will be here. I wonder if Kane took an assessment of all the difficulties that must result from this deception.’

  ‘He’ll have something ready. I believe in your supposition that he’ll just spread it about that you became fed up with our way of life and deserted him again.’

  ‘It seems the only way that I can visualize.’

  ‘But us ...?’ Brief the query and Gail had no answer to it. ‘There must be some way in which we can get together - eventually, I mean.’ Another pause while he waited once again for her to speak. She shrugged her shoulders and glanced at her watch. It was time she was going to see Kane, but she had not the heart to terminate this interlude and send Dave away to spend the time brooding, on his own somewhere in the garden or upstairs in his room. ‘I could follow you to England,’ he suggested, but now it seemed to Gail that he was moving far too fast for her.

  ‘I don’t know if I want that,’ she had to say. ‘After all, we’ve not really had a chance to get to know one another, let alone ...’ She trailed off, her colour rising again. Dave’s forehead creased in a frown.

  ‘We must find an opportunity of seeing one another just occasionally.’

  ‘We see one another several times each day,’ she reminded him.

  ‘You know what I mean, Gail,’ he returned almost angrily. ‘I mean - alone!’

  ‘It would be far too risky. Kane would be furious if scandal and gossip resulted from anything I did.’

  ‘I can understand that,’ he replied with a little less heat. ‘All the same, you’re not married, and therefore he should realize that you’re free to do as you wish.’ ‘I’m free, yes, but I’ve made him a promise to pose as his wife. I must keep that promise, Dave; I must - it wouldn’t say much for my integrity were I to let him down.’

  He had to agree, but she saw that he was thinking hard, endeavouring to find a way out of the difficulties. ‘Dave,’ she said at length, taking another glance at her watch, ‘I have to see Kane about my party. He says there are things to discuss—’ She looked apologetically at him. ‘I’m sorry ...’

  He smiled to put her mind at ease and she thought again what a nice person he was.

  ‘All right, Gail.’ He paused and his eyes wandered. ‘You’ve noticed how the colour of the MacDonnell Ranges changes according to the time of the day?’ he said, diverted. She looked first at him and then at the dark outline of the mountains. He was in a sort of brooding mood and she recalled her own conclusion that he was a lonely man.

  ‘Yes, I’ve noticed. They’re flame at dawn and change throughout the day until, at night, they are a deep purple like this.’ She allowed her eyes to travel along the summits. ‘They’re far more beautiful when the moon is out.’

  He nodded absently, and then looked at her.

  ‘I must let you go,’ he said, and they both got up from their chairs. ‘Good night, Gail.’

  ‘Good night.’

  He followed her into the room, then stopped. ‘Tell Leta I’ll be free tomorrow at four o’clock. We’ll go riding.’

  Gail nodded and promised to mention this to Leta.

  ‘She loves riding with you,’ she murmured, and again he nodded his head.

  ‘I could make something of her.’ His lips went tight and suddenly Gail’s heart contracted. She said impulsively,

  ‘Dave, how is it that you haven’t married before now?’

  He turned his head to look full into her face.

  ‘How often does a man meet girls in a place like this?’ he asked.

  ‘But you have holidays.’

  He seemed to laugh within himself - a short and humourless laugh.

  ‘A couple of weeks now and then. What am I supposed to do — rush around taking a look at any girl who happens to cross my path, eyeing her with a view to making a snap decision and asking her to marry me?’

  Although frowning heavily at his sarcasm, Gail allowed it to pass, understanding and compassion rising within her.

  ‘It’s difficult, I can see that.’ She forced a smile to her lips as she added, ‘At my party - you might meet someone there ...’ And then she trailed off, aware of her lack of tact.

  ‘I don’t happen to want to meet anyone now,’ he told her seriously. ‘I want - somehow - to find a solution to this problem of our not being able to see one another alone. You’ve admitted that you like me and that’s a beginning. We’ll find a way,’ he ended, and before she could make any comment he had said good night again and turned back on to the verandah.

  She
was looking troubled when she entered her ‘husband’s’ room and she saw his eyes narrow slightly. He was sitting comfortably in a deep armchair but rose on her entry.

  ‘Sit down, Gail.’ He drew a chair forward and she took possession of it. He was obviously in a mellow mood and she did wish she could have opened up and told him what was on her mind.

  ‘No,’ she lied, ‘it’s only that I’m feeling rather tired.’

  ‘You are? You’d rather leave this until tomorrow evening?’

  She shook her head at this.

  ‘I’m not too tired to do what’s necessary.’

  ‘There isn’t anything to do, exactly,’ he smiled, sitting down again. ‘But naturally we must talk about your party. You’ll be wanting to know what kind of people are coming. You will also have to be briefed, of course.’ He was expressing faint amusement and she found herself smiling in response even though she murmured something about being scared. ‘Nonsense,’ he said, passing that off on the instant, ‘Why should you feel scared? You have me there for support.’

  ‘Meeting so many strangers ... and also, I’m going to feel strange because we’re supposed to have been separated. Everyone will believe that it was all my fault.’

  The slate-grey eyes opened very wide.

  ‘Why on earth should they believe that?’

  ‘Well... They’re going to think that I wouldn’t face the life out here.’ The window behind him was wide open and she allowed her eyes to travel to the dark void that was the plain.’What else can they think?’

  Kane answered quietly,

  ‘I’ve already been in touch with everyone who matters - over the air, of course. I’ve explained that it was all my fault—’

  ‘Did they believe you?’ The question was out before she realized just what had prompted it. Kane seemed far too honourable a man to marry and then decide it was all a mistake. And yet ... he was not an honourable man; this had been proved.

  ‘Why should they disbelieve me?’ he asked her curiously, and, when she offered no reply, ‘I’m a cad, remember - the type to make a mistake like that and then with a shrug of my shoulders forget all about it.’

  Gail lost a little of her colour. And that odd little access of doubt rose up again. She was suddenly floundering in uncertainty, like someone lost and not knowing which way to turn.

  ‘I did say, if you remember, that I couldn’t believe you were the cad we had all branded you.’ Not in the least diplomatic, but she had to speak plainly to him.

  His eyes kindled for a space, but then they portrayed a sort of amused satire as he returned, his voice low and carrying a faintly husky note which always sounded so attractive to Gail,

  ‘But what about Leta? Isn’t she proof that I’m the cad you branded me?’

  She looked down at her hands, strangely reluctant to agree with what he had said. She tried to analyse her emotions, tried to tell herself that , she should retain her contempt for this man ... Mechanically she shook her head, her thoughts going for a moment to Sandra. Gould there possibly have been some blame on her part?

  Suddenly Gail found herself saying, as she looked across at Kane, looked into steadfast grey eyes that never flinched under her stare,

  ‘You told me to remember that there are always parts unknown.’ Her voice was low, and not quite clear, for in her throat was a constriction that made speech most difficult ‘You - you didn’t explain, though?’ A question - and a plea. Gail now knew for sure that she wished for nothing more than to be told that Kane had not been entirely to blame for what had happened.

  His eyes were soft; her voice contained a gentle note, a note that held a wealth of understanding.

  ‘I can’t explain, my dear. But just you keep on remembering about those parts unknown.’ He looked kindly at her and said, ‘It’s all puzzling to you; I can see this. But be patient, Gail, and do the job you promised to do. It doesn’t really matter whether or not you understand everything, since when your job is done you’ll be leaving here and never returning.’

  She moved her tongue, swallowing the moisture that had collected on it. ‘...you’ll be leaving here and never returning.’ Unemotional tones, even though the kindly expression remained. Gail was acutely conscious of a dead weight within her, of a sort of hopelessness which she could not even begin to explain.

  ‘Kane,’ she said at last, and her eyes were far too bright as they looked into his, ‘I wish you would explain - just a little?’

  He shook his head and once again he was the Boss of Vernay Downs, authoritative, inflexible.

  ‘It’s quite unnecessary. You’re here to do this job; you are in fact an employee—’ His eyebrows lifted in a gesture of inquiry. ‘You will agree about that, I think?’

  She nodded and said yes, she did agree.

  ‘But-’

  ‘No arguments,’ he interrupted on a note of finality that gave its own warning. ‘As you’re an employee of mine it’s not either necessary or desirable that you should be given any details about my personal affairs. If you’ll keep that in mind, Gail, then it will save any unpleasantness between us.’

  She flushed uncomfortably and turned her face away from him. Her voice quivered as she said,

  ‘I shall make sure to keep it in mind, Kane.’

  ‘Good!’ He then changed the subject and they discussed details of the party. She would not be pestered with questions, this he promised her, and although she would not venture to inquire how he knew, she was extremely puzzled, simply because it would only be natural for people to ply her with questions. However, she would have to wait and see what happened. She was given a picture of the activities and despite her anxiety she could not help but be a little excited at the prospect of so expensive and well-organized a party being given for her - even though it was only for appearances’ sake, a mere business event that was, in her ‘husband’s’ opinion, necessary.

  The day arrived and still the preparations continued, preparations which had been going on for several days. The party was to be in the large barn which stood some distance from the house. Its name was rather deceiving since it was beautifully constructed of pine with polished blood-wood floor and panelled walls. Concealed lights ran all round the ceiling, which was raftered and festooned with brightly-coloured paper flowers and streamers. Outside was a surrounding garden complete with massive lawn - on which sprinklers worked regularly - flower borders and of course trees of many varieties. Secluded arbours abounded, and a lovely ornamental pool also had seats set around it, partially hidden by the bushes growing close to its edges. In the centre of the pool was a waterfall and a beautiful piece of statuary - a grotto of cherubs - from which came several coloured lights - pink, deep rose and yellow. Part of the pool was covered with mauve lilies, and black and white ducks swam about among them.

  ‘All this is for you, Mummy,’ cried Leta as she and Gail watched the three lubras setting out the long table with pretty cloths, prior to the important event of bringing out the food. ‘Will I be having a party like this?’

  ‘Of course — when it’s your birthday.’

  ‘I’ll have all my friends from school, won’t I?’

  Gail looked down at her.

  ‘Have you made some more friends, then?’

  Leta’s eyes shone.

  ‘Yes, they all like me - not hitting me as they did when I went to the other school!’

  ‘But you hit them first, remember.’

  ‘Only because they didn’t like me!’

  Was it all a vicious circle? Gail was asking herself when on looking round she saw Dave coming across the ochre-coloured ground that separated the barn and its gardens from the home paddock.

  ‘Hello there, you two!’ he was greeting them a moment later as he slid from his horse. He was hot and dusty, but there was a brightness in his eyes as they settled on Leta. Playfully he ruffled her hair and she laughed up at him. Gail’s eyes flickered as she watched; this was a strange relationship which had sprung up between Dave and Leta
. In fact, she was sure that the relationship was stronger and closer than that between Leta and her father. Come to think of it, Kane showed practically no interest at all in his daughter. He accepted her and yet she was just left to get along - another addition to the household as it were, but one of no real importance, of no importance other than that of making herself a nuisance to Mrs. Farrell, that was. ‘What have you been doing, my little one – other than giving cheek to certain people, that is?’

  A grin of pure mischief looked out from those vivid blue eyes, eyes that were not unlike Dave’s when it came to expressiveness.

  ‘Being good!’ she chuckled, and again he tousled her hair. Fascinated by the way they were with each other, Gail stood aside, content to be the silent onlooker. Never had anyone ruffled Leta’s hair and got away without a kick in the shins or a finger being viciously bitten.

  ‘Fibber! The truth – or we don’t go riding—’

  ‘Ooh ... Are we going riding? I want Sinner; he’s not so quiet as Sunstorm—’

  ‘Not so fast!’ he interrupted sternly. ‘I asked what you had been doing?’

  ‘Reading my book - truly!’

  ‘Has she?’ he asked Gail.

  ‘Yes, as a matter of fact she’s been sitting quietly with a book. I couldn’t make out what had got into her. I didn’t ask, as you can imagine - not when she was quiet like that! I left her alone.’

  Dave gave a laugh and returned his attention to Leta.

  ‘Very well, so long as you’ve done as you were told you shall have Sinner.’

  ‘Oh, but—’ Gail looked at him in some consternation, ‘I heard Kane say that Sinner was far too frisky even for an experienced child.’

  ‘I’m riding Sinner!’ stamped Leta, glaring up at her. ‘You mind your own business! Dave knows what I want. He knows I’m a good rider!’

  ‘Will it be all right?’ Gail asked, and he nodded at once, reassuringly.

  ‘She’s cut out for something more challenging than Sunstorm. Yes, she’ll be all right. I’ll be alongside her, so you’ve no need to worry.’

  Gail relaxed, confident that Dave would know what he was doing. And he did. A couple of hours later Gail happened to be by the paddock when the two came riding back after having ridden their horses hard, judging by the sweat on the animals’ necks.