Farewell to Lancashire (34 page)

‘I shan’t want one if it turns people as sour as you.’

She regretted the hasty words as soon as she’d spoken them. It never paid to make outright enemies. There was a long, fraught silence, then Cassandra picked up her shawl and went up on deck. Why hadn’t she remembered to take things slowly this morning?

She stood by the rail and felt better for the fresh air blowing in her face. Narrowing her eyes against the sun, she saw a faint smudge in the east that could only be land. A little closer to the ship was a lighthouse standing on another piece of low-lying land. It must be Rottnest Island. And beyond it, Matron had told them, was the port of Fremantle, where they’d disembark.

Cassandra had a sudden desperate longing to stride out on dry land, to walk for hours on her own and not just shuffle her way round the deck, afraid of bumping into someone.

Sighing, she went back below to tidy her hair and wait for a summons from Mrs Barrett. There was no sign of Miss Pershore, which was unusual, because her mistress wasn’t an early riser and didn’t normally summon her maid until later.

When the steward knocked on the door and said Mrs Barrett wanted to see her, he was frowning.

‘Is something wrong?’

He looked at her stomach openly then. ‘I gather there is.’

Miss Pershore must have been gossiping. Cassandra raised her chin defiantly. ‘It’s not wrong for a married woman, even one who’s been widowed, to be carrying her husband’s child. Some would say it’s a good thing and wish me well.’

He shrugged. ‘I suppose so. I forget sometimes you’re not really a lady’s maid. You’ve learned the job quickly.’ He moved away, tossing a ‘Good luck!’ over his shoulder.

Why should she need good luck? Cassandra’s heart sank. What had Miss Pershore
done
?

When she was bidden enter the Barretts’ cabin, she found Mr Barrett there with his wife, both of them frowning, their eyes going immediately to her stomach.

‘Why did you not tell us you were with child?’ he demanded. ‘Whose is it?’

She didn’t reply at once, standing very still and telling herself to answer quietly and confidently.

‘I’m recently widowed, so whose do you think it is?’ she countered. ‘My husband’s.’

‘So you say.’

‘I’ll remind you that I was introduced to you by a clergyman. You didn’t pick me up off the street.’

He ignored that remark. ‘Why have you said nothing about your condition?’

‘I didn’t know at first, then I wanted time to grow used to the idea. I hadn’t expected a child, felt sad it would never know its father.’

‘I can’t possibly have a maid with a big belly like mine!’ Mrs Barrett said pettishly. ‘Think how people would laugh at the pair of us.’

‘My condition isn’t showing yet, and won’t for a while. It hasn’t made me work any less hard, nor will it.’

‘I shall have to inform the Captain about this,’ Mr Barrett said.

She’d had enough of people telling her what to do. ‘Why? What business is it of his?’

‘He must inform the authorities when we land. They may even send you back to England. They won’t want you to be a charge on the public purse.’

‘I have some money to tide myself over and I’m a hard worker. I’ll be a charge on no one. I also have my sisters, so I won’t be alone. This baby is no one’s business but mine.’ She had a fleeting thought of Reece as she spoke, because it affected him too, but knew she mustn’t let herself be distracted so clamped her lips tightly together.

‘Leave us alone, Simon. Please? There are things women can only say to one another when men aren’t present.’

When he’d gone, Mrs Barrett looked at her and sighed. ‘I’m sorry you won’t be able to stay with me after we land, Lawson. You’ve worked hard and I’ve grown used to you.’

Not much of a compliment, thought Cassandra mutinously. ‘Can I not stay with you until my condition begins to show, at least, to earn a little more money?’

Mrs Barrett hesitated. ‘We’d decided not, but it must be dreadful to face this alone, so I’ll think about it. I don’t know what I’d do without Simon to look after me at a time like this.’

Cassandra bent her head, feeling tears well in her eyes. ‘I’d not expected to be having a child on my own, either. But I’ll look after it carefully and love it, because it’ll never know its father.’

Mrs Barrett dabbed at her eyes. ‘How sad. And that Pershore creature is a mean old stick. It was she who approached my husband on deck and told him. She didn’t even have the courtesy to come to me first.’

‘She’s not been an easy woman to share a cabin with, but I don’t understand why she wishes me ill. I’ve done nothing to harm her, have always treated her politely.’

‘Have you looked in the mirror lately?’

‘I beg your pardon, ma’am?’

Mrs Barrett waved one hand towards the mirror that stood on top of the cabin trunk. ‘Look at yourself.’

She moved across the room. ‘I don’t see anything different.’

‘You’re glowing with health and though you’ll never be pretty, not with that nose, you look handsome.’ She came to stand beside the maid and studied their reflections. ‘I’m pretty and have a husband who loves me, so
I
don’t need to envy you. Miss Pershore is ugly and has never been loved, so she envies you greatly.’

‘Oh.’ Cassandra cast another quick look at herself. She’d never spent a lot of time in front of the mirror, but had to agree that she was looking well. The sunny days on board ship had lent colour to her cheeks and the good food had given her back her womanly figure.

‘You never talk about your husband.’

‘It’s too – painful. If I dwell on the past, I’ll be lost.’

Mrs Barrett sighed. ‘How brave you are! I’ll give you a good reference. And you can still keep Hilda’s trunk. I don’t like to think of a child wanting. Since I shall still need help, you can stay with me for a few weeks after we disembark. But I can’t have you as a maid once your condition shows. It’d make me a cause for ridicule if there were two of us in the family way.’

What a strange reason on which to base a decision! Cassandra thought. But she thanked her mistress, saying how grateful she was for this generosity.

It was terrible to have to be so deceitful, in large ways as well as small, but she was fighting for her own and the child’s future now, and would do whatever she had to.

As for Miss Pershore, she would ignore the woman completely. It might make things uncomfortable in the cabin, but it wouldn’t be for long now.

When she went back to the Barretts’ cabin in the afternoon, Cassandra found Mr Barrett waiting for her again, his expression no more friendly than it had been last time. His wife looked sulky.

And in the middle of the floor was Hilda’s trunk.

‘Open it, if you please,’ Mr Barrett said, pointing.

‘Could I ask why?’

‘Because we never did check what was in it, which may have been hasty of us. I want to look through it now, before you take it away. There may be things of value in it.’

She felt outraged. ‘I don’t think that’s necessary, sir. There was nothing valuable. I’d have told you if there were.’

He glared at her. ‘If you don’t open it, I’ll send for the Captain and get him to do it.’

Furious, she pulled out the key, which was on a chain round her neck. ‘There are some of my own things in that trunk.’ She’d put her money there because Hilda’s trunk had a better lock.

When she opened it, he pushed her aside, pulling out the contents and tumbling them on the table and floor, not caring whether they got creased or dirtied by this rough treatment.

‘Aha!’ He pounced on her purse.

‘That’s mine, sir.’

‘So you say.’ He poured out the coins it contained on the table and counted them, then stared at her. ‘No wonder you wanted to keep me away from this. I’m sending for the Captain. You’re nothing but a thief.’

‘We gave her the trunk, Simon.’

‘Not Hilda’s savings, though. It isn’t right to take them.’

‘The money is
mine
!’ Cassandra protested again.

‘So you say. But I don’t believe you.’ He rang for the steward and then they waited for the Captain to arrive.

The message about theft brought him quickly, even at a busy time like this, and he stared in surprise at the mess in the cabin.

Simon pointed to Cassandra. ‘This woman is a thief!’

‘I’m not! That’s my own money and
you
gave me the trunk.’

Mrs Barrett went to stand by Cassandra. ‘We did give her the trunk, Captain.’

‘But not the money,’ Mr Barrett insisted. ‘We said if there was any money in it, that would have to be returned to our former maid.’

‘But there wasn’t any money in it. That’s my savings!’

‘Can you prove it?’

Her mind wasn’t functioning and for a minute she stared at him, then desperation made her rack her brain and she suddenly cried, ‘Yes! The woman who gave me most of that money is in Western Australia. She’ll tell you.’

‘How can she have given you the money if she lives there?’ the Captain demanded.

‘She sailed out on the
Eena
earlier this year.’

‘A fine tale!’ Mr Barrett scoffed.

‘Wait!’ The Captain held up his hand. ‘There is a ship called the
Eena
and it did sail for Western Australia earlier this year. What’s this woman’s name?’

Cassandra gave him the details, praying that Mrs Southerham would still be in the colony.

‘In the meantime, I’ll keep the money,’ the Captain said, putting the bag of coins into his pocket.

‘If you please, sir, I’d appreciate it if we could count the money and you could give me a receipt.’

He gaped at her. ‘Impudence! Do you think I’m going to steal it?’

‘No, sir. Of course not. But it’s simple good sense. That money is all I have in the world. It’s safe with you, I know, but if anything were to happen to you, who would know the money belonged to me?’

‘Hmm. Very well. You have a point. Count it out again.’

After this had been done, he looked at her thoughtfully, then said, ‘When the others disembark, you are to stay behind, Mrs Lawson. You’ll be escorted to the Migrants’ Home and will stay there until we hear from this Mrs Southerham.’ He nodded to the Barretts and took his leave.

Mr Barrett pointed to the contents of the trunk. ‘Put this stuff back, Lawson, then we’ll lock up the trunk and send it back to the hold. You’re not to come into our cabin on your own from now on.’

Cassandra deliberately took her time repacking her things and in the end he grew bored and left her to it, with his wife supervising.

‘It is your money, isn’t it?’ Mrs Barrett said.

‘Yes.’

‘I’m sorry. He – gets the bit between his teeth sometimes.’

‘I’m sorry too. I’ve served you well, worked hard and this is a poor reward for my efforts.’

‘It was that Pershore creature again. She told him she’d seen you counting money and was worried you’d stolen it. And indeed, there has been a lot of pilfering by the single women during this voyage.’

‘I’ve never stolen anything in my life. Never.’

When she’d finished repacking her things, Mrs Barrett rang for the steward, but he said the sailors were too busy preparing for arrival at Fremantle and the trunk must stay where it was.

Mrs Barrett yawned. ‘I need a nap. You may go, Lawson.’

Cassandra went up on deck. Her sisters found her and at last, with them, she gave in to the tears she’d held back in front of her accuser.

They were horrified about what had happened, murmuring words of consolation. None of them knew what would happen after the ship docked and they were all anxious about the future.

Would nothing ever go right for her? Cassandra wondered. And would this accusation once again separate her from her sisters?

And what if Mrs Southerham couldn’t be found and she lost her money? How would she manage to get her money back then?

Or would they send her back to England?

The first few days at the new farm passed very quickly. Livia made light of having to do the household chores, but Reece could tell Francis hated to see his wife doing such menial work.

He held his tongue about their current situation, but in his opinion, his employer was going about everything wrongly. They’d need to build additions on to the shack before the winter came, but Francis had said nothing about doing that and seemed more concerned to make sure that shade was provided (in the form of a tarpaulin strung between trees) for the two horses and was talking about building them a stable for the winter.

It was Reece who cobbled an outdoor table together from pieces of the wooden crates holding the furniture. Livia needed something to prepare food on, and they all needed it for eating. The shack itself was too full of boxes and packing cases to be used as a dining room, and even the small veranda was crammed with boxes still to be unpacked.

He just prayed people he’d talked to were right and it wouldn’t rain until about March or April.