Driftwood (13 page)

Taylor sat back on her heels, shocked. ‘Jesus, Zoe, I said I was sorry. It was an accident.' She reached out to take the tray. ‘Here, let me take it back to the kitchen so I can explain what happened to your mum. I'm sure she won't —'

Zoe tugged the tray back. ‘Just leave it.' Then, glaring at Taylor, she lowered her voice. ‘You just go and enjoy your day off at Waratah Station. And don't say I didn't warn you when Jay breaks your heart. He'll suck you in and then spit you out. You just wait and see. Don't come running to me when he does.' Zoe stood and stormed off in the direction of the kitchen.

Taylor watched her stomp away, gobsmacked. ‘What in the hell?' she mumbled, not knowing whether to chase after Zoe or leave her be. After a quick think she chose the latter, feeling Zoe needed some breathing space. Something other than bumping the tray had pissed Zoe off. But Taylor was beginning to tire of Zoe's moodiness and lately it always seemed to be directed at her. She'd have to have a chat with her about it later, when she'd calmed down. But for now, it was a beautiful sunny day, and she and Floyd were Waratah bound. Yee haa!

1863 — Waratah Station, Far North Queensland

Dawn sunlight streamed through the many cracks of the corrugated iron roof of the bough shed. The simple slat walls exposed the rustic beauty of the native gum used by the previous owner to build the structure Anne and William called home. The scorching Far North Queensland summer had arrived, its relentless heat already making the shed groan.

A family of local wallabies bounded through the thick scrub, which was flourishing after the recent monsoonal rain had brought the dry and dusty landscape back to life. A flock of rowdy cockatoos landed among the branches of the towering paperbarks that surrounded the makeshift home, causing a shower of seed to scatter across the iron roof. The pitter-patter stirred Anne from her deep, fantasy-filled sleep.

Still floating blissfully between slumber and wakefulness she rolled onto her back, her hands instinctively slipping between her thighs. Dreams of her husband-to-be caressing every inch of her skin with his lips had left her hungering for him, aching for his touch. But he couldn't fulfil her needs right now — he and Joey had left early yesterday morning to collect their first mob of cattle from the neighbouring township. While part of her wanted to pleasure herself, to be rid of the ravenous yearning, tonight she would get to make love to Will as his wife, and she wanted to save her pent-up desire for him. They were going to consummate their marriage by making love all night long — she'd make damn sure of it.

Familiar sounds from the corner of the room brought Anne fully awake. Eight-month-old William Junior was letting her know he was up and hungry by rattling the side of his cot. Their eyes met and little Will grinned, baring his gums as he babbled and cooed. Smiling with motherly love, Anne pulled back the sheets, sweat already bringing a sheen to her skin, and rose from the bed, the uneven, decaying floorboards creaking beneath her bare feet.

She bundled Will into her arms and showered his angelic little face in kisses, her heart swelling with the deepest love she had ever experienced. Yes, she loved William, her husband-to-be fiercely, unconditionally, but the love a mother felt for a child was on a different level, one that Anne relished. She longed for more children, as did William, and she hoped that tonight they would create the seed of a new life to grow within her once again. It would be lovely to have a girl next so she could share her love of cooking and sewing with her and also be guaranteed of company around the place, knowing that once Will was old enough he would be out by his father's side, helping with the daily tasks at Waratah. At the moment, they had Joey to lend a hand whenever needed, but then he always had a lot to do too, so William was hesitant to ask. Anne constantly worried about him and the heavy workload he carried — he was gone before sunrise and rarely home before dusk. But not once did her beautiful man complain, walking through the front door with a smile on his face as he took his family into his arms and hugged them like there was no tomorrow.

Padding over to the wooden rocking chair William had made for her birthday, Anne sat down and lowered her nightdress, the milk leaking from her nipple even before Will had brought his pink lips to it. It was just one of the many things she thanked the good Lord for every day, this ability to produce plentiful milk for her darling Will. Times had been extremely tough since moving to Waratah Station, and she and William — and Abby and Joey — had had to get used to the idea of eating the local wildlife: kangaroo, possum, wild ducks, turtle doves, scrub hens, rabbits and even snake were on the menu. William had also purchased eight chickens that were plentiful producers of eggs, and would one day become hearty stews or roasts. Her green thumb had come in handy, too, and she was extremely proud of her thriving vegetable patch. She was quietly delighted with her recently discovered abilities to survive in such a harsh and unforgiving landscape; in the dry months when food could become scarce, her supplies of dried vegetables and meat would see them through. Soon, though, they would have their very own cattle to slaughter and eat, and the thought made Anne's mouth water.

The crunch of wagon wheels on dirt announced an approaching horse and sulky, and brought Anne's attention from Will's big blue eyes to the view outside the bough shed. She could just make out Abby's petite features and pregnant belly as her best friend skilfully directed the horse onwards. It certainly was a blessing having Joey and Abby as their neighbours; the strength they gathered from one another a godsend in such trying times. There was a lesson to be learnt each and every day.

Watching as Abby pulled the horse to a stop, Anne slowly rose from the chair so as not to disturb Will's feeding, and padded towards the door. Butterflies filled her belly with the thought of all the things she and Abby would do today, in preparation for her and William's wedding. It was going to be a very simple affair, the local pastor having kindly offered to come and officiate their marriage by the dam at Waratah, just so long as he got to enjoy the feast afterwards, he had said jovially. Anne was more than happy to have him join in the celebrations — the more the merrier. It was just a shame, given their current circumstances, that she hadn't been able to invite family and friends. Abby had made her dress and veil from some linen and lace Anne's mother had shipped from England. Anne had made a boiled fruit cake and decorated it as best she could. Her bouquet was going to be a bunch of freshly gathered wildflowers. Afterwards, they would all sit down to a feast fit for a king: boiled beef with all the trimmings. Abby and Joey were taking William Junior for the night to give Anne and William some much needed privacy.

Waving to Abby as her friend stepped down from the sulky, Anne smiled broadly, filled with joy and excitement. It was going to be a wonderful day. Finally, her dream of marrying the love of her life would become her reality. Her life couldn't possibly get any better.

Directing the last of the cattle into the paddock he and Joey had spent backbreaking months fencing, William wiped his sweaty brow and smiled beneath the dust covering his face. The paddock was split between Waratah and Joey's station, Blue Gums, and they would share the responsibilities. From the vantage point of his saddle, he gazed out across the heads of the bellowing animals to where his many acres of land met the horizon. His heart filled with pride; his promise to Anne that they'd one day have a thriving cattle enterprise was so much closer to being realised. But he was no dreamer, and knew these lean times would linger, but once he'd fattened the cattle up, the amount of money he and Joey would make from their sale would mean he and Anne could finally build a new cottage. He might even be able to buy her some pretty dresses. She deserved the finer things in life, after living in such poverty for the past year and with not one complaint passing her kissable lips. God, how he loved her, and admired the infinite strength she possessed.

With a contented sigh, William turned his horse towards Joey, his thoughts drifting to his wedding. He couldn't wait to see his darling Anne in her wedding dress — she was sure to be a sight to bring tears to his eyes. He and Joey had had strict instructions from the women to get dressed at Blue Gums and be down by the dam on Waratah by four p.m. sharp, and he was more than happy to comply. Only two more hours and he would be holding Anne in his arms as his wife for the very first time. The thought made his heart swell. There was no other woman who walked the earth as beautiful, as loving and as wise as his Anne. He was the luckiest man alive.

Dressed in his finest cotton shirt, necktie and trousers, William paced the banks of the dam, unable to stand still for the nerves in his belly. He observed two wedge-tailed eagles effortlessly circling in the cloudless blue sky above. He'd always believed them to be magnificent creatures, especially as they mated for life, and knew it was a sign from the good Lord that he and Anne would be together forever. Their hearts beat as one, and he knew that if hers stopped, not long after, so would his. Their love was too strong for either of them to survive without the other to hold and cherish, of that he was certain.

He closed his eyes and said a silent prayer of thanks to the Lord for working in such mysterious and yet wondrous ways, the nerves in his belly gradually disappearing. He had no need to feel tense; this day was the one he had desired with every part of his being since the first time he laid eyes on Anne. They had been through hell and back to get here, but now he was so happy he wanted to dance on the spot. And he probably would have, if the pastor hadn't been standing near him. A man had an image to uphold around these parts.

The whinny of a horse drew William's attention up the gently sloping bank of the dam, the sight of his handsome little Will in Abby's arms filling him with exhilaration. His hands came to rest on his racing heart as he looked behind Abby to where Anne appeared, so angelic he could swear she was glowing, a simple bouquet of wild flowers held in her hands. He couldn't make out her features for the lace veil covering her face, but he knew she'd have tears of joy in her beautiful eyes. His vision blurred from his own tears and William wiped at his cheeks, the moment stealing the breath from his lungs. Here, before him, was the woman he loved, lived for and would die for, and she was about to become his wife.

His life would now be complete.

1866 — Waratah Station, Far North Queensland

After a long day out checking on his two thousand head of cattle, William brought his horse to a stop at the wooden garden gates. Wearily, he dismounted, the cloud of dust following in his wake hovering in the rapidly diminishing afternoon sunlight as if glitter had been scattered in the wind. Dark clouds were beginning to gather, swallowing up the last few hours of daylight, and the very sight made his heart sing. The delighted squeals of his two young children, Mary and Will, welcomed him home as they ran towards him with their arms outstretched, their broad smiles having the power to brighten even his darkest of days. And there had been plenty of dark days; the deep fear that Anne would one day find out about him taking Hocking's life was a constant heaving weight on his shoulders, and heart. He thanked God every day that she had been spared the news, his only saviour the two months they'd spent on the paddle steamer — any newspaper reports of the sergeant's death had come and gone by the time they'd set foot on northern soil. He knelt down, scooping both of his beloved children up in his arms effortlessly, laying kisses all over their grubby faces and savouring their sweet innocence as they both animatedly told him about their day.

After listening intently, their breathless stories warming his heart, he put them back down, pretending to be the tickle monster as he chased them down the stone path. Their laughter filled the air as they ran excitedly around the garden where the many native shrubs and flowering bushes Anne had so lovingly planted hung droopily. The only part of the garden still green was the vegetable patch, which was watered sparingly by their dwindling rainwater supply. Ducking and weaving, William allowed both children to believe they were faster than him, until he finally caught them and tickled them to the ground.

Fun over and still chuckling heartily, William stood and swaggered back to unsaddle his dependable horse, Max. He was pleased with his day's work and encouraged by the cattle's good health. Soon he would be able to sell most of the steers, though he'd keep the heifers for his carefully scheduled breeding program. The prize bulls he'd recently purchased from the saleyards had cost a small fortune but he believed them to be a good investment for Waratah Station. The bulls' bloodlines were superior to anything else in the district, which in turn meant high-quality meat, and with the mining boom predicted to hit the far north, the number of affluent people would be on the rise and so too would the demand for good beef. All of these factors meant more money in his pocket and an improving life for his family. He'd heard word that some of the farmers around Driftwood were calling him a fool for buying such expensive bulls, saying he was clutching at straws and jumping the gun, but he didn't doubt his choices for a second. He'd made many a good business decision thus far, and Waratah Station was known as one of the most productive in the area, a hugely gratifying fact. He was not going to listen to their chatter, knowing full well that it stemmed from their jealousy of his and Anne's good fortunes, ones only gained from backbreaking hard work.

Glancing towards his children he smiled. With their tongues lolling out, Mary and Will resembled over-excited puppies, both eager to be the one to catch the first big droplets of monsoon rain, the scent of its approach hanging heavily over the dehydrated countryside. A few splatters hit the ground, followed by a booming crack of thunder and a sudden downpour. Glancing skywards, enjoying the rain splashing on his face, he said a silent prayer of thanks. Seven long challenging months had passed since he had seen precious water fall from the sky, and the sheer relief of it finally arriving filled his heart with optimism. Max now unsaddled, William joined the children in their ecstatic romp around the garden, his tongue flapping from his weather-beaten lips as he laughed and whooped along with them.