Farewell to Lancashire (39 page)

Matron had heard the tale of him accusing their maid of theft and she wouldn’t have advised Cassandra to go and work for them again. Anyway, it could only have been a temporary position, with the baby due, so she introduced them to some other young women, none of whom suited.

In the middle of the afternoon, Mrs Southerham came in to repeat her offer of a job for the youngest sister. Knowing Pandora had already refused it, Matron took the girl into her office and gave her a good talking-to, but Pandora refused to change her mind.

Matron wanted to give her a good shaking. ‘But Mrs Southerham is also offering to house your sister. The two of you will never get another chance like this, never.’

Pandora looked at them both unhappily. ‘I know. And I’m sorry, really I am, Mrs Southerham, but it’s Reece, you see. Cassandra doesn’t want to be where he is, and who can blame her?’

Matron waited until the girl was out of earshot and turned to Mrs Southerham. ‘If you can be patient for a day or two, I think I can persuade them to change their minds. I doubt they’ll get another chance to be together.’

‘You really think they’ll change their minds?’

‘I do.’

‘Well, I’ve plenty of things I need to purchase, so I wouldn’t mind staying on in Perth for a bit longer. And my husband wants to see about getting some convicts assigned to us. I’ll come back in two days to see how they’re feeling. But after that we’ll have to leave.’

Matron sighed as she went to deal with another employer, finding for him a rather cheeky but cheerful young woman who was prepared to work in the country. Life there would come as a shock to her, because it wasn’t like the country in England, but she’d probably find a husband quite quickly since she was pretty. Even the ugly ones usually found husbands with ten men to every woman in the colony.

By the end of the day, the Blake sisters had turned down several offers to employ them singly, and Matron was extremely angry with the lot of them.

T
he next day another employer presented himself at the Home. Conn Largan was someone Matron didn’t know and when he revealed that he was an emancipist, she couldn’t help regarding him less than favourably. He was Irish too, from his accent.

He leaned back in the chair, a slight twist to his lips, as if he could read her thoughts. ‘My mother’s not an emancipist, you know, and it’s she who needs the help. She’s crippled by arthritis, so we really need two maids, one to care for her and help around the house and the other to deal mainly with household matters.’

‘I’m not sure—’ she began then realised suddenly that this might be an opportunity for the Blake twins. ‘I’d really prefer to meet your mother myself before deciding.’

‘That’s easy enough if you’d care to walk round to our lodgings, but she’d not be able to walk here, I’m afraid.’

She hesitated. Normally she’d not have put herself to such trouble for an emancipist, but as he said, his mother had committed no crime and if this provided jobs for those two girls, then the other sisters would surely look more favourably on Mrs Southerham’s offer. ‘Where do you live?’

‘I’ve bought a property in the hills to the south of Perth.’ He explained exactly where.

Even better, she thought. They’ll not get anything closer to the Southerhams. ‘I’ll come with you now to meet your mother. You’ll understand that I have to be very careful of the young women in my charge.’

‘I’d like to meet them first. I too am careful and I won’t have my mother served by a slut.’

She stared at him in annoyance then decided what he’d said was fair. ‘Wait here.’

She went to the group of young women sitting sewing in the garden. ‘Maia and Xanthe, I have a possible employer for you both. Put that sewing down and come with me.’ She hesitated. ‘There’s just one thing: he’s an emancipist.’ She saw that they didn’t understand the implications of this and added, ‘That means he was transported here.’ She saw the surprise on their faces. ‘Probably a political prisoner, since he’s Irish. His mother isn’t well and needs help. One maid for her, one for the housework.’

‘Let me do the talking,’ Xanthe hissed to her twin as they followed her across the garden.

The man staring at them was tall, his hair a shade that was neither red nor brown, his expression guarded. He looked as if he’d been through some hard times and there was a scar along one edge of his chin. He nodded as they were introduced and continued to stare. ‘You’re not really alike,’ he said at last, in a voice with only the faintest of Irish lilts.

‘Most people think we are,’ Xanthe said, surprised by this.

‘No, your expressions are very different. I could never mistake one of you for the other.’

She listened carefully as he explained exactly what he needed them for.

‘It must be hard for your mother,’ Maia said.

‘It is.’

‘And you’ll be within reach of your sisters if they take up Mrs Southerham’s offer,’ Matron added. ‘It’s the best chance you’ll ever have of being near one another.’

‘Oh. That sounds—’ Maia began.

Xanthe dug an elbow into her ribs to shut her up. ‘How much will you be paying us, Mr Largan, and will we have regular time off and a way to see our other sisters? We’re a very close family, you see.’

‘I’ll pay ten shillings a week each and all found. And yes, you’ll have time to visit your family. Far be it from me to come between sisters. Close families aren’t common these days.’

She wasn’t sure whether he was being sarcastic or whether she’d glimpsed a hint of sadness in his eyes. ‘What does that mean?’

‘If they’re living within reach, I’ll lend you horses to go and see them if you can ride, or a gig if you can drive.’

‘I’m sure we can learn. No one’s ever accused us of being stupid.’ She put up her chin defiantly and saw a slight smile dawn on his face. It made him look younger, that smile did, and she couldn’t help wondering why he’d been transported.

‘I’ll just come and meet your mother first, Mr Largan, to make sure everything is all right,’ Matron said.

‘Can we not come too? After all, if we’re to be working for Mrs Largan, we want to be sure we’ll all get on.’ Xanthe heard Matron’s breath hiss inwards as if she was shocked by this, but she didn’t care. She wasn’t working for a harridan, no matter what.

‘Sure, and why not?’ He stood up. ‘No time like the present. She’s always better in the mornings.’

Xanthe found herself walking next to him and sneaked a quick glance. He had a bitter twist to his mouth when he wasn’t speaking, as if life had treated him badly, as if he’d been sorely hurt.

Mrs Largan was sitting on a chair. ‘Please excuse me if I don’t stand up,’ she said in a low, musical voice.

She looked young to be so twisted with arthritis.
I’d be surprised if she’s a harsh mistress
, Xanthe thought.

‘You’ve got unusual names,’ Mrs Largan said.

Tears filled Maia’s eyes. ‘Dad loved anything Greek, was even trying to learn it. He called all four of us after ancient Greeks.’

‘It’s hard to lose someone.’ From the sadness on her face, she too had lost someone close recently.

Xanthe looked at her sister for confirmation, though she didn’t really need to because they always knew instinctively when they were in agreement. She turned back to Mrs Largan. ‘If you think we’d suit and if the Southerhams live close enough, we’d be happy to take employment with you.’

‘Where exactly do they live?’

‘I don’t know exactly – south of Perth near the foot-hills.’

Matron hesitated, glancing at the clock. ‘I must get back. If I give you the address of the Southerhams’ hotel, perhaps the three of you can go and find out their exact location?’

‘That sounds like a good idea, does it not, Conn?’

He nodded, his expression softening as he looked at his mother.

They found Mr and Mrs Southerham just setting out from the hotel to do some more shopping and when they introduced Mr Largan and explained what they needed to know, everyone went back inside again.

After some discussion, during which Mr Largan seemed a bit impatient with Mr Southerham, he said, ‘I know where it is now. It’s about an hour’s drive away, close enough to visit from time to time, though not in bad weather, as the roads are only dirt tracks and they sometimes get flooded in winter.’

He turned to the twins. ‘Well? Have I found the help my mother and I need?’

Xanthe answered. ‘Yes, Mr Largan.’

‘Then we’ll set off tomorrow morning, if you’re agreeable.’

‘We still have to check that our sisters will take the job offered by Mrs Southerham. We’re not being separated.’

He let out a little growl of annoyance. ‘I’ve never had so much trouble finding help as I’ve had here in Australia. I’ll come round to the Home in an hour’s time to get my answer, then.’

‘He seems angry about something,’ Mrs Southerham said after he’d left. ‘Are you sure you’ll be all right working for him?’

‘It’s his mother we’ll be working for,’ Maia explained. ‘And she’s lovely.’

‘You’ll speak to your sisters? Get one of them to come and tell me if I have a maid or not?’ Mrs Southerham said with a smile.

‘Yes, of course. But I think you will have.’

As they walked back to the Home, Maia said thoughtfully, ‘I wonder what Mr Largan did to get himself transported.’

‘He doesn’t look like a criminal.’

‘No. But Mrs Southerham is right. He looks angry – deep down angry.’ She threaded her arm in her sister’s. ‘Isn’t it lovely to be out of that place on our own?’

‘Yes, but we’d better hurry back and talk to the others.’

When Cassandra heard that the twins had provisionally accepted employment with the Largans because it was reasonably close to where the other two would be, she looked at them in dismay. ‘But I told you: we’re not going to work for the Southerhams.’

There was silence, then Pandora said, ‘We might have to, love, if it’s the only way we can be near one another.’

‘No! No, I can’t do it.’ She couldn’t bear the way they exchanged glances, was desperate for some time on her own, so walked outside, gesturing with one hand to stop them following. But there was little privacy to be had in the garden, either. Only in bed did she have time to think her own thoughts, and she was sleeping so badly she wasn’t even thinking straight there.

She felt powerless, as if fate was still dragging her along in a direction she didn’t want to go. She saw Pandora come outside to join her. ‘I suppose they’ve sent you to persuade me to go to Mrs Southerham’s!’

‘Yes. But I don’t need to persuade you. You know it’s the only way we can stay together ... don’t you, love?’

‘Does no one care how I feel about being near
him
?’

‘Yes, of course we do. Though I think you’re wrong not to marry him. But ...’

‘But there’s no other choice.’ Cassandra sighed and suddenly felt too weary to fight any longer. ‘Arrange what you like. I’m going to lie down. I’m exhausted.’

She didn’t expect to fall asleep but next thing she knew, Maia was waking her for the evening meal. By then it had all been arranged and they were to set off the following morning.

Although she’d slept for hours, she still felt tired and muddy-brained, unable to fight against what fate had done to her.

Reece! She’d be with him every day. How could she cope with that? Why couldn’t she just stop loving him? Why was she still hankering after the impossible?

Pandora watched Cassandra as they repacked the few things they’d taken out of their trunks. She saw the bone-deep weariness and ached for her sister. She ached for herself, too. She’d dreamed of Outham last night, dreamed she’d been walking on the moors, been desolate when she woke up and realised where she was.

Would it never end, this homesickness? And how long would she be able to hide from the others that it was eating away at her?

A man with a cart arrived to pick up their trunks at six o’clock in the morning. The vehicle was already piled with sacks and boxes. They hoisted themselves into the back, sitting on boxes, for lack of anywhere else, and were bumped through the streets to pick up the Southerhams – and Reece.

When the trio came out of the hotel, Reece stared at Cassandra and she at him, then they both looked away without a word.

Pandora felt so sorry for them, for the unhappiness and longing she saw in their eyes. She wasn’t at all sure her sister was doing the right thing in rejecting him. Look at the way they pretended to be indifferent to each other, yet stole the occasional glance. Look at the love in their eyes. You couldn’t mistake that emotion. She hoped one day she’d love again, as she’d loved Bill, dead two years now, poor fellow.

Her aunt had a lot to answer for and she hoped fate would deal as unkindly with the horrible woman as it had with the four of them.

You were supposed to forgive your enemies, but she would never forgive Aunt Isabel, she knew, not only for hurting her sister so badly, but for driving them away from Lancashire.

In Outham Mr Rainey received a polite note from the lawyer. He read it quickly. ‘Featherworth wants to see me, my dear.’