The Silent Frontier (9 page)

‘That is not necessary,’ Amanda said, turning to face him.
‘The book is very expensive and you have already given me a beautiful present in the necklace, which I cherish.’

‘Call it my payment to the lady who got me the fight,’ Lachlan grinned, thinking that he could see an interest in his proposal in Amanda’s eyes. ‘I would like to inscribe it to you.’

‘On that condition I would be flattered that you might present me with such a beautiful gift,’ she said with a shy smile.

Lachlan paid for the slim, leather-bound book, borrowed a pen and dipped the nib in an inkstand. Very carefully he formed the words in his best copperplate handwriting just inside the cover:
A gift to the most beautiful woman in the world. That she may remember me in the years ahead as an explorer of this land.

L. MacDonald

Lachlan blotted the wet ink and carefully closed the book, passing it to Amanda, who accepted the gift in her gloved hands.

‘I would rather you not read what I have written until we part,’ Lachlan said.

‘I will do that,’ Amanda replied, pressing the book to her breast. ‘Thank you, Mr MacDonald. I hope that our paths may cross again some day.’

As she walked away Lachlan knew that no matter what else he achieved in his life, winning the heart of Amanda Lightfoot was the most important of his aspirations. He would march through hell if necessary to gain her love.

SEVEN

T
he day came when the last brick was laid in the construction of the great building, that would now become a warehouse. Old Harry announced to his team that they would have a couple of weeks break before the next contract was ready to begin. The enforced lay-off was hard on finances and one or two of the team had decided to seek work with other contractors to ensure that they continued to receive an income. Lachlan however decided to make the most of the break between jobs to see a little more of this rapidly growing city on the great and magnificent harbour. And there was always the Erin Hotel, which by now had become something of a second home to him.

Max was busy in the bar when Lachlan finally made his way to the Erin, but Daniel was at home and greeted Lachlan. ‘You must stay and dine with us tonight,’ he said.

‘Thank you, Daniel,’ Lachlan replied as they stood in the
bar of the hotel, which was rapidly filling with patrons from the nearby factories, workshops and building sites. ‘I would enjoy that. Your mother is a fine cook. Have you had any word from Kevin and Kate?’

A dark shadow fell across Daniel’s face. ‘My mother received a letter from Kate in Rockhampton. She has lost a baby and that bastard O’Keefe has deserted her,’ he replied angrily. ‘Michael never trusted O’Keefe, but Kate was besotted by him. He is lucky Michael is not around to give him a thrashing.’

‘I am sorry to hear about that,’ Lachlan said.

‘A perception of love seems to have brought nothing but tragedy to my cousins’ lives,’ Daniel said. ‘First, with Michael being besotted by that squatter’s daughter, Fiona Macintosh, and then Kate wedding that no-good son of Irish convicts. Both loves have left nothing but sorrow in their wake.’

After hearing Daniel’s bitterly delivered tirade against love, Lachlan decided to keep his feelings for Amanda Lightfoot to himself. Sharing a meal with the Duffy family in the Erin’s kitchen, he felt just a little awkward when Bridget said grace in the Catholic fashion. Although not a devout Presbyterian, he still harboured the old religious animosities Duncan had instilled into him. And he was well aware that while his MacDonald ancestors had stood at Culloden as Catholics loyal to Prince Charlie, the family had since converted to the religion of Scotland.

When dinner was over, Max joined them and the three men retired to the backyard for Max to smoke his battered old pipe under the stars. Mugs of tea in their hands, they chatted on subjects of the day. Popular was the matter of the bushranger Henry Manns being hanged at the Darlinghurst prison back in March. He had been convicted of his role in a robbery whilst under arms of the Eugowra gold escort. The
law firm where Daniel was articled as a clerk had some involvement in the unfortunate man’s defence. Hangings in Sydney were not uncommon and Lachlan knew that Michael Duffy had made his escape, although Daniel swore that he had been innocent of murder. It was not worth the risk of losing a case and having him end up on the gallows despite any facts that might prove his innocence. None of the family had any idea where Michael had fled. All they had gleaned from friends was that Michael had jumped a Yankee schooner returning to America.

Eventually a silence followed and it was Max who spoke next.

‘That pretty lady, the sister of that Captain Lightfoot, is travelling to New Zealand with her brother,’ he said, puffing his pipe.

Lachlan looked at him sharply.

‘How do you know?’ Lachlan asked.

‘I hear a soldier from his regiment talk about it at the bar,’ Max answered.

‘She is a nice lady,’ Lachlan replied, appearing not to have any great interest in the matter but feeling crushed by the news of Amanda’s impending absence. He had hoped that he might find a way to see her again.

‘I thought you might like to know,’ Max continued. ‘I think she was sweet on you.’

At the old German’s statement, Lachlan frowned. ‘Why do you say that?’ he asked, curious to know what was going through his friend’s mind.

‘No reason,’ Max answered, staring ahead into the night and listening to the rowdy drinkers in the bar.

But Lachlan suspected that Max was not letting on to something and only the enigmatic expression on his face gave him away.

‘It might be that she left a letter for you with me today,’ Max finally allowed, a broad smile over his battered face as he handed Lachlan an envelope addressed to
Mr Lachlan MacDonald
. ‘It is not usual for such a fine lady to leave letters with simple barmen unless they have good reason.’

As Lachlan took the letter he noticed his hand was trembling.

‘You will need the light of the kitchen to read your letter,’ Daniel suggested. But Lachlan was already making his way back into the kitchen.

Opening the letter carefully, he could smell Amanda’s eau de cologne.

Lachlan read the letter once more, hanging on every word. When he had finished a third time, he carefully folded the missive and placed it back in the envelope.

New Zealand, Lachlan thought. He stood up from the table and rejoined Max and Daniel.

‘How do I go about joining Colonel Pitt’s volunteers for the New Zealand campaign?’ Lachlan asked.

Even in the dimly lit backyard, Daniel’s surprise was apparent, but Max did not appear so taken aback.

‘You would go to be a soldier, then,’ Max said, rather than asked. ‘Ja, why is this no surprise?’

‘I heard that Colonel Pitt has been recruiting men to join militias to fight the Maori,’ Lachlan said. ‘I believe that there was a promise of land to those who served.’

‘So, it is for land that you vish to go,’ Max said slowly, savouring his knowledge of his young boxing protege’s unspoken desire to follow the woman he was infatuated with. Max had seen much of life and Lachlan’s feelings for the aristocratic lady were no secret to him. He was surprised that the educated young Daniel Duffy was not aware of his friend’s infatuation, as he had spoken of her enough times in their presence. Perhaps romance was far from his mind as he struggled with the technicalities of the law.

‘I am without employment here,’ Lachlan answered without much conviction. ‘And I have always had a desire to see the world as surely you must have when you were a sailor.’

‘A soldier is not a sailor,’ Max replied. ‘You must think carefully on what your travels to that land of savages may entail. You could get killed.’

‘Jimmy never went near a war and he up and died only a few months ago from his fever,’ Lachlan said. ‘At least I will get to see some of the world before it is my time.’

‘If you truly wish to serve in New Zealand,’ Daniel said, ‘I can arrange to have papers written up saying you are a man of good character. According to the terms of enlistment, you will need them.’

Lachlan looked to Daniel with gratitude. ‘Thank you. I just have a feeling that it is time for me to set out on the first leg of the search for my real dream.’

‘And what is that?’ Daniel asked.

‘One day, I will be an explorer,’ Lachlan replied quietly. ‘I think my service in New Zealand may assist me in doing that.’

‘Not the hand of a beautiful young Englishwoman?’ Max asked with a broad grin.

‘Er, ah,’ Lachlan spluttered. ‘Not really.’

‘Tomorrow, I will have the references drafted,’ Daniel said, oblivious to Lachlan’s untruth. ‘I am sure that you will be granted a berth on one of the steam ships travelling to New Zealand before you know it.’

Lachlan only wished it had been the same ship transporting Amanda to New Zealand.

The Melbourne inn was far less salubrious than the type of establishment where John MacDonald would have chosen to meet someone. But the semi-literate note that he had received at his hotel stated the writer had information of great value to him. He was to bring twenty guineas with him as payment for that information.

‘I will go with you,’ Nicholas said when John informed him of the note. ‘I know the place your mysterious writer intends to meet you and it does not have a good reputation.’

John was pleased to see Nicholas’s concern and readily accepted the offer.

Now the two men sat in a corner of an inn frequented by Melbourne’s underworld of pickpockets, thieves and other persons – both male and female – who made their living on the borderline of respectability. It was early evening and a cold draught of air blew through the door each time it was opened. Nicholas had ordered a couple of rums, which sat in front of the two untouched.

After some fifteen minutes, a thin, poorly dressed man sidled over to their table. He had been standing at the bar when John and Nicholas walked in.

‘You Mr John MacDonald?’ the man asked, leaning on the table.

‘I am,’ John responded, recoiling from the smell.

‘You bring the money – like I asked?’

‘I have,’ John said, and a satisfied expression replaced the flat stare of the man facing him across the table.

‘But don’t even think about taking it,’ Nicholas hissed quietly, ‘without services rendered.’

Affronted, the man turned to glare at Nicholas. ‘What makes yer think I couldn’t just call me mates at the bar to take anything we wanted from you?’ he asked in a belligerent tone.

‘The pistol I have under the table pointed at your groin, my dear chap,’ Nicholas said with an evil twinkle in his eye.

The menace in the man immediately evaporated and he sat down without invitation. ‘I was only jestin’,’ he added quickly with a half-hearted attempt at a smile. ‘I heard Mr MacDonald has been askin’ around with a certain private detective about those who were on the Ballarat fields back in ’54. I’ve just come down from Sydney and I think I might have some information about his family worth the money I ask.’

‘You tell me what you have,’ John said, ‘and I will judge if it is worth it.’

‘It’s about yer brother, Lachlan,’ the man explained.

You will have to do better than that,’ John responded. ‘I have left that name – and that of my sister – with many that I have spoken to in the last few months.’

Yeah, well I’ve seen him and he even looks a bit like you,’ the man offered.

‘Still not sufficient proof to earn the money.’

‘’E’s got a reputation as a bare-knuckle fighter around Sydney,’ the man continued, desperately groping for more information.

John sighed. ‘I am sorry, but that could be someone completely different to my brother.’

Exasperated, the man leaned back in his chair. ‘Oright, why don’t you go to Sydney to find out if I’m right and when you do, give me the money when you get back.’

‘That is a fair enough proposal,’ John agreed.

‘An’ I wouldn’t make any plans to renege on the deal either,’ the man hissed, leaning forward with a fire in his eyes. ‘Because next time I will have the drop on you an’ you will pay with yer skin for trying to doublecross me.’

‘If I travel to Sydney to confirm that your information may be correct, how would I find the man to identify him?’ John asked.

‘That’s easy,’ the man said. ‘’E hangs out at the Erin Hotel in Redfern. I even saw him fight the army champion. ’E’s a bloody good fighter.’

When they had finished their business with their informant, John and Nicholas stepped outside to their waiting carriage and valet.

‘Do you believe what he told you?’ Nicholas asked, shoving his hands in his pockets to protect them from the bitter wind blowing.

‘I don’t know, he’s not exactly trustworthy,’ John replied, as they stepped up into the carriage. ‘But I must at least attempt to find out if the man is my brother.’

‘And if he is,’ Nicholas said quietly, ‘how will he react to the news that his older brother is a sodomite?’

Startled, john blinked at the question. He had never really considered the matter. Until now his love for Nicholas was a
well-protected secret. What would his brother think of his relationship with another man? John did not have an answer.

All the Duffy clan came to say goodbye to Lachlan when he embarked on the ship to New Zealand. Daniel had, as he’d offered, been able to secure the necessary papers for Lachlan to enlist in the militia recruited from the Australian colonies by Colonel Pitt.

Lachlan was going to war. But not for the British Empire, as his friends imagined, but for the vague hope that he might once again find Amanda, and prove his worth to earn her love.

The steamer set its course and soon the twin heads of Sydney Harbour were mere specks on the horizon.