And Those Who Trespass Against Us (7 page)

Catriona shuddered. "Oh God, how do you do that? How do you manage to make me feel this way?"

Adele lightly laughed. "It's love, remember. There's so much more I want to share with you." Reaching down, she placed her hand on top of one of Catriona's legs and, ever so gently, her fingers traced a path to Catriona's inner thigh. She exerted a gentle pressure pulling her leg toward her, in turn revealing Catriona. Bending down, she kissed the soft flesh between Catriona's thighs.

Catriona felt like she was about to explode. It felt like the lower half of her body had physically disassociated from the rest of itself. Adele softly nipped the inside of her legs. Catriona clenched the blanket to stop herself from screaming out Adele's name. Adele's tongue played on a fold of skin no one, except for herself, had ever touched. Adele parted the folds with her tongue, as if she were searching for something special. Catriona moaned. Adele had found the centre of her being.

Letting go of the blanket, Catriona placed her hands on Adele's head and arched her hips toward her mouth. A bright light pierced the inside of her eyelids and time stood still. Then, in an eruption of pleasure, she thrust her hips until she could raise them no more.

Adele moved back up, placing her body next to Catriona's. Leaning across, Adele kissed her on the lips and Catriona tasted what could only be herself. Catriona wrapped her arms and legs around Adele. "I love you. I've never felt like this, and I love you for making me feel this way." Catriona held Adele tightly in her arms. "Please don't ever leave me. I don't know if I could ever love or feel the same way again."

THE ROMANTIC INTERLUDE between the two proved to be memorable yet brief. For six months, both managed to lead the dual lives of governess and student and lovers. Unfortunately, during a period when her father and Alexander were away on business and her mother was supposed to be at afternoon tea, Elizabeth Pelham discovered them. Despite her pleas of love for Adele, her mother gave Adele her notice without reference. Her mother refused to speak to Catriona, instead sending her to her room. On top of Adele's abrupt departure and her exile, her mother had forced Catriona to sit through hour after hour of discussion with Father Cleary. All Catriona knew was that because of the bigotry of her mother, she'd lost the one person she loved. After politely thanking Father Cleary for his words regarding the sanctity of marriage, she told him the same thing she had told her mother. She would never marry merely to satisfy the social requirements of a female living in the Australian countryside.

CATRIONA HAD NEVER again met another lover. Yet she remained resolute. She knew what she wanted. Unfortunately, in a town the size of hers, celibacy wasn't so much a choice as a way of life
.
Yet, surprisingly, after such a long period of time she'd again found someone. Ironically though, she couldn't have directed her feelings toward a more non-receptive person--a nun.

She thought maybe the best option was to introduce Katherine to one of the town's matriarchs, and see her nicely settled in a well-to-do family.

Catriona shuddered at such an option. She believed Katherine had so much to offer. And her ability to speak her mind--living with those old prunes would see that taken from her. She silently snorted. She'd be nothing more that a confidant to the daughters of landowners and wealthy families. Yet despite Catriona's justification regarding why Katherine should remain at the homestead, the main one was still left unspoken. Catriona had again found someone she liked too much.

Chapter Four

KATHERINE WATCHED THE parties of three and four men move among the rubble where homes and stores once stood. Workmen, already dusty from the day's exertions, divided items into a heap of what could be used again, and put in the back of a cart an ever-increasing pile of what was no longer useful.

"At least the town looks a bit better than what it did yesterday," Katherine said to Catriona.

"It does, but there's so much still to do." Catriona waved to the men who called to her. "I expect it will be a while until some of these people are back on their feet, if at all."

What a strange way for men to greet a woman, Katherine thought. They didn't tip their hats or the use of the word "Miss." Instead, their acknowledgments were like those given to a work partner or an equal.

"It sounds like you're well-known."

Catriona nodded. "Some of the men are part of the farming cooperative. We often share news and crop-raising ideas between us."

"It must be nice to be able to talk with them about things that matter, rather than be constrained by only female social chit chat."

Catriona raised her brows. "I thought you would've preferred such talk."

"I much prefer to talk about substantive issues, rather than vacuous ones."

"Excuse me for a moment."Catriona halted the wagon, to answer a question from one of the workers.

While she spoke with the man, Katherine politely listened, noting that she spoke to the men like no other lady Katherine had ever known. She surreptitiously scanned the woman beside her. Catriona was again dressed in a similar fashion to what she wore yesterday--dusty work boots and long white pants, complemented by a maroon shirt and a broad-brimmed hat.

Catriona and her brother obviously possessed a degree of financial independence, not as great as what Katherine experienced in Ireland, but comfortable just the same. She thought how fortunate for Catriona to be in a position where she didn't have to marry due to fiscal pressures, or to satisfy family. If Katherine had been given the same opportunities, without the pressure of her family, she wondered if she would have joined the convent.

After an abridged trip through town, Catriona again stopped the wagon in front of a store. She hopped off, came around to Katherine's side and stood, poised. With an impertinent grin, she held out her hand. "I know you can get off by yourself. Based on your success last night though, I think it would be better, in the light of day, if I helped you, just in case."

Deciding discretion was the better part of valour, Katherine took the proffered hand. Steadied by Catriona when she alighted, Katherine was surprised at her strength, thinking it must serve her well on the farm.

Catriona reached into the back of the wagon and picked up a mechanical implement. She walked up the stairs of one of the few stores left standing. Reaching the top, she shifted the apparatus to one hip and turned. "I'll be a few minutes. Is there anything you need while we're here?"

Katherine couldn't think of anything. Besides, she didn't have a substantial sum of money. The convent had supplied her with only enough to see her to her destination, assuring her the local parish would then support her. Yet, from what she had seen so far and, with the exception of Catriona's home, it was unlikely the town would be able to provide much support.

Katherine didn't know what she was going to do about that. "N-no, thank you, I have all I need. I'll come in to have a look around if I may."

"Feel free, there's no need to ask. I'm sure the proprietor will be more than happy to see a new face in town."

The shop's interior was markedly darker than outside, and Katherine took a moment to adjust. She cast her eyes around a store that held a bit of everything. There were picks, shovels, and all sorts of weaponry, bolts of cloth, and provisions, to name a few. The store was nothing like the ones she'd frequented back home. She could do a month's shopping in here, without visiting anywhere else. She concluded that the man who owned it must be quite the entrepreneur.

Turning to the counter, Katherine attempted to identify the proprietor and did a double take. Standing among piles of stores and equipment was a short woman with Germanic features. Her blond hair had been pulled into a functional bun, capably suiting Katherine's impression of what a storekeeper should look like. Her dress was a practical one of light blue cotton, covered with a freshly starched apron for the day's duties. Her round, wire-rimmed glasses served to add to her air as a proprietor. Yet, she had a serene face, which put Katherine at ease.

Catriona placed the metal tool on the counter. "Good Morning, Susan. I'm very relieved to see you fared better than some, with yesterday's storm."

The shopkeeper pointed to the implement occupying the bench top. "Get
that
off my clean counter missy. I've got to lay cloth on this top, and the last thing I want are grease stains caused by the bits and pieces you regularly place on my workspace. The last time you did that it cost me two yards of fine lace. Now put it down on the floor where it belongs."

"Yes, Mrs. Crosier." Catriona touched her hand to her hat, as if mocking Mrs. Crosier. She placed the implement on the floor.

"I'm glad this old shop is made of stone rather than wood," Mrs. Crosier replied as she swept her hand across the counter. "It may be costly to maintain, but it paid for itself yesterday. Unfortunately, my laundry hasn't fared so well. Although, in all honesty, it was only a wood outhouse." She nodded to Katherine. "This must be the new sister. As Catriona's manners have temporarily abandoned her, as they so often do, let me introduce myself." She walked around the counter to Katherine, hand extended. "I'm Susan Crosier. Welcome to Australia."

Katherine shook Susan's firm yet petite hand. "Thank you Mrs. Crosier, I'm Sister Katherine Flynn. Please call me Katherine whenever you deem it appropriate."

"Thank you, and please call me Susan."

Katherine gazed around the store. "Please excuse me for staring, but I'm amazed at the abundance of goods you have in such a confined place."

"There's quite a selection. I expect purchasing goods out here is somewhat different from what you're most likely used to. My store is patronised by people as far as two hundred miles away. They don't always get the opportunity to come in on a weekly basis."

"From that far away--that's almost the size of Ireland, where I've come from."

"That's why some of the families we serve only get into town every six months or so. So it's important they can purchase all their items at once and in the one place." Susan proudly looked at the varied items, uniformly arranged around the walls. "Is there anything you see you'd like to purchase?"

Looking around, Katherine realised how difficult her stay in this country was going to be. There were so many things she needed after her journey. But she absolutely couldn't afford them. Masking the shame of not being able to buy even the most rudimentary item, she walked toward the far corner of the store. "No, thank you. I've more than I require. I'm quite happy to browse if you don't mind." Katherine picked up a hand mirror from one of the shelves. Looking in the glass, she caught the glance exchanged between Catriona and Susan, and the slight nod of Catriona's head.

"If you're going to stay with me," Catriona said, "I don't intend to be responsible for your dying of heat stroke. By now you must realise, from yesterday's near disaster at the train station, it's extremely important to keep your head covered when you're out in the sun. If you've no objections, I'm going to buy you a hat--as a welcome present." Catriona walked to the hat stand at the corner of the store. "What size are you?"

Hearing the determination in Catriona's voice, Katherine sensed her refusal would only bring about an embarrassing scene. With a sigh, she trudged to where Catriona stood. Katherine's hands consciously reached up to her veil. "I'm not quite sure. It's been a while since I've owned one."

Catriona held out a ladies straw-woven hat. "Try this one on. It has a nice broad brim and should keep the sun off your face."

Placing it on her head, Katherine felt that Catriona had made the perfect choice. Only then did she become aware of the silence in the shop. She turned in time to see Catriona and Susan, who were both in the process of restraining themselves from bursting into laughter. "What's wrong?"

"Have you any idea how silly you look with your veil, wimple
and
a hat on?" Catriona managed to say before breaking into gales of laughter.

Susan's face twitched. "I'm sorry. We're not laughing at you. Your habit, particularly your wimple and veil, is terribly inappropriate for the Australian climate."

Katherine picked up the hand mirror and recognised immediately that she looked ridiculous
.
She blushed and placed the mirror down. "That settles it. I can't possibly wear a hat with my veil and wimple. Your offer is most generous." She took off the hat and handed it back to Catriona. "However I'm sorry. It's one I can't accept."

"There's another solution, Katherine," Catriona said in clipped tones. "Don't wear such a ridiculous head covering." She thrust the hat back toward her.

"You know that's not possible. This is a part of my habit." Katherine stubbornly handed the hat back to Catriona.

"Now you're being silly," Catriona retorted. "I don't care if your veil and wimple is glued to your head. The simple fact of the matter is if you don't wear a hat you'll suffer under the Australian sun. The sun out here does not differentiate based on religion,
Sister Flynn
."

Catriona stood, hands on hips, challenging Katherine to counter the logic of her argument. Katherine held her ground, hands tightly clasped at her waist, calling on all her willpower to keep her Irish temper in check.

Susan failed to stifle a laugh. "For heaven's sake, look at the two of you. If you stand there much longer one of you are going to burst something." She carefully extricated the now crumpled straw hat from Catriona's hands and poked the other woman in the chest. "You should know better. Katherine's barely been in this country a day and you're already mapping out her life, without first asking. If she doesn't want the hat, then you may buy it, but you can't force her to wear it. And you, Katherine, should step back for a moment. We're not disparaging your religious beliefs. All we're doing is pointing out that maybe your woollen habit needs to be adapted to suit the Australian conditions. If you don't want to wear the hat, then so be it. Either way I won't have you two arguing in the middle of my store." She reshaped the hat and returned it to its original place. "You'll scare away the customers."