Beyond Innocence (22 page)

Yaraay and Waruu, seeking news of Bulanggi, stood in the doorway of the kitchen. Yaraay’s eyes darted to the baby. Her brow puckered in a deep frown. She looked at Electra and nodded her head at the child, seeking permission to approach him. Relieved, Electra grabbed her by the arm and pulled her toward the baby, placing Yaraay’s hand on his burning skin.

“Haiee!” She shook her head, eyes wide with alarm.

“Get her away from my baby! I don’ want her touchin’ him,” said Mary, pulling the limp bundle away from Yaraay, who backed cautiously toward the door.

Electra put her hand on Mary’s arm. “Mary, I know you’re frightened but Yaraay is a medicine woman and she may know how to get Freddy’s fever down.”

“No mum, you kin do it. You knows what ter do. Yer fixed him last time,” she said, not moving her eyes from Yaraay.

“I’m sorry, Mary but I don’t know anything more than sponging him. Yaraay might know some herbs we can use. I trust her completely. Please let her help Freddy,” pleaded Electra.

Mary looked at Electra, over to Yaraay and then down at her baby. Freddy had become quiet and as she watched him, his eyes rolled back into his head. “Oh mum, do sumfin’ quick. I fink as how he’s dyin’,” she sobbed.

Yaraay disappeared as quietly as she had appeared. While they waited, Electra sponged the tepid water over Freddy’s small, burning body and Mary squeezed water into his mouth. He was too weak to swallow but a little trickled down his throat. Shi Liang, despite his earlier resistance, had now become quite attached to the baby. And in his distress, he hovered around them wailing pathetically until Electra lost patience and sent him outside.

Not long after, she heard an exclamation from William. The noise had brought him hurrying to the kitchen where he collided with Shi Liang, pacing outside the kitchen door. Extricating himself, William peered in the doorway. Electra was aware of his eyes following her as she bent over a small tub, cradling Mary’s baby in her arms and gently sponging his body. Her hair had escaped its combs and hung in ringlets over her face, sticking to the beads of perspiration running down her face and neck. Beside her, Mary was ringing her hands, praying loudly for divine intervention. Despite the surprise and confusion on William’s face, no one stopped to give him an explanation. Nor did he interrupt by asking or make any attempt to leave.

Yaraay returned and squeezed past William into the kitchen. In her hands she had two types of leaves and strips of bark.

Electra looked at the leaves and bark, then over to William, raising one eyebrow in question.

“It’s fever bark,” he said. “Comes from a gum tree. The natives use it to treat fever. And the leaves are eucalyptus.”

She nodded her thanks for the information.

With no other language than hand gestures, Yaraay directed Mary, Waruu and, surprisingly, Shi Liang to prepare the herbs. The bark was boiled until the water turned to a yellowy brown, then cooled and dripped into the baby’s mouth through a muslin cloth to lower his temperature. The leaves from the eucalyptus tree were crushed, placed in a bowl and boiling water poured over them to release the vapours. Electra understood these were supposed to relieve his distress and also help lower the fever. The bowl was then held under the baby’s nose with a large linen cloth around him to prevent the vapours from dissipating too quickly.

Electra flexed her shoulders and lifted her head, absently wiping the hair from her eyes with the back of her hand. Catching William’s eye again, she tried to smile but the smile died on her lips as she looked back at Freddy’s limp form.

“Is there anything I can do? Can I get anything?” he asked.

Electra shook her head and mouthed “thank you,” tending once more to the baby.

Yaraay reached for the second bundle of leaves that had been taken from a small bush near the house. These were also boiled, causing the liquid to become jellylike. Yaraay pointed at the runny mess down Freddy’s leg and indicated it would help the diarrhea. Mary alternated with dripping the fever bark and jelly leaf liquids into the baby’s mouth. William stayed nearby.

The four women bathed Freddy and administered the herbs throughout the night. Shi Liang kept the water boiling for the herbs and for tea. He also insisted they eat a meaty broth to keep their strength up. Even the two native women agreed to eat what he served, frowning as they spooned it into their mouths. William had cushions and blankets brought out to the kitchen, which helped to ease their aching vigil.

After some hours, by wordless agreement, they took turns to sleep for short periods of time. Mary, however, insisted the two native women were never alone with the baby so either Electra or Mary was always awake. At some point in the night, William had made the mistake of suggesting Electra leave Freddy’s treatment to the other women and go to bed. Her sharp retort sent him scampering into the house, but not before she saw the spark of respect in his eyes. This did not, however, deter him from appearing at regular intervals to ask if she needed anything. He obviously would not allow himself to sleep while the others battled to save Freddy.

An hour before dawn, Mary woke Electra from her curled position in the chair. It seemed Freddy’s fever had broken and his diarrhea had eased. Waruu stood beside Mary, a white smile splitting her dark face as they both stroked the baby’s cool forehead. Electra blinked to make sure she was not dreaming the image of Mary and Waruu both fondling the baby companionably. On the far side of the room, Shi Liang snored quietly, no more than an arm’s length from Yaraay, also asleep on the floor. Despite her exhaustion, Electra chuckled as she surveyed the unlikely group.

Mary finally took Freddy home with bowls of the herbal juices to continue the treatment. Yaraay and Waruu returned to Pretty Creek and their children, and Electra wearily climbed the stairs to her bedroom.

As she reached the top of the stairs, William came out of the library. His eyes, as heavy lidded as her own with lack of sleep, ran over her anxiously. Befuddled with tiredness, her body swayed toward his and he caught her in his arms. Holding her to his chest, he pushed the bedroom door open with his foot, picked her up, and carried her to the bed.

She snuggled into him, too tired to be angry anymore. His warmth and strength were all she wanted. There was a moment when she was sure he would climb onto the bed with her. But he covered her with the quilt, kissed her forehead, and left the room.

As Electra drifted into the addictive realms of sleep, she was aware of a cold emptiness where moments before had been the warm protection of William’s hard chest.

Before Electra arrived at Riverside, visitors were rare. But lately, not a day passed without at least one visitor.

Mr. Cartel, the lawyer William hired, was due to arrive mid-morning for further discussions regarding Bulanggi’s trial. However, when he stepped from his carriage, he was not alone. As Electra and William watched, he handed down a plump, attractive young woman who he introduced as his niece, Caroline.

Caroline had recently arrived on a packet from London and was eager, she said, to experience the excitement of the wild colony of New South Wales. Without stopping for proper introductions, she breathlessly told them the adventure of her sea voyage was nothing to the thrill of knowing she was about to meet a transported convict.

William’s lips thinned as he set her straight. “My wife is no longer a convict. She has been pardoned by the governor.”

Cartel offered his arm to Electra, who decided to remain silent on the matter. As they entered the house, she listened to the conversation behind her.

“How wonderful for her. Meeting her is still a novelty, nonetheless,” she cooed at William. “Uncle told me people like yourself could take wives for the convenience. It must be difficult, when after having done so, one then finds the person they truly wish to marry?”

Electra came to a sudden halt. She did not hear William’s response as Cartel, sensing her shock, moved her forward, exclaiming loudly at how well she looked.

Shi Liang served tea and cinnamon cake, making the most of Miss Cartel’s astonishment at seeing a Chinaman. He backed out, bowing theatrically a number of times and then shuffled down the hall.

“My goodness. I’ve heard of the Orientals but have never seen one. How fascinating this trip is proving to be,” she said clapping her hands.

William grinned wryly. “Miss Cartel, you haven’t seen the half of it.”

Before Caroline could ask what he meant, Electra, suspecting he referred to her friendship with Yaraay, hastily changed the subject and offered her another cake.

“I wondered if you would like to show Caroline your lovely garden, Mrs. Radcliffe? That will give William and myself time to deal with the trial,” said Cartel.

Electra gritted her teeth but graciously agreed. William turned away to hide his amusement, clearly aware of her opinion of Miss Cartel.

The ladies wandered for some time around the gardens where camellias, chrysanthemums, and native shrubs were flowering, and then over to the fruiting trees. Miss Cartel was fascinated with the abundance of fruit in the orchards and in the distant vineyards. Electra then led her down to the banks of the river.

“What luck for you to find yourself in such a position, Mrs. Radcliffe. Your husband is such a handsome and knowledgeable man and with such obvious wealth.”

Electra doused the urge to hit the pompous, insensitive woman. Then seeing Caroline’s wide-eyed innocence, realized she had no idea of the effect of her words.

She chose to ignore her first statement and answer the second. “Yes, I suppose he is rather handsome and has worked hard to build this farm. Do you have a special person waiting for you in London, Miss Cartel?”

The girl lowered her eyes. “Well, there was such a person but father was very much against the match. I have been sent to uncle so that I may forget him.” Her countenance changed to a radiant smile. “And I think I may just be able to do so.”

“Of that I have no doubt, Miss Cartel,” said Electra, running her hands down a leafy branch of the willow.

They remained for some time at the river’s edge, their eyes focused on the water’s movement as Caroline Cartel prattled on aimlessly.

Electra only half listened to the young woman as her mind wandered to the awkward uncertainty that existed between herself and William. Despite telling Shelagh she would not make it easy for him, his considerate behaviour was breaking down the hard edges of her anger. In fact, when she caught him watching her bathe baby Freddy the night he was so ill, there was a surprising depth of tenderness in William’s eyes. And later when she left the kitchen to make her way upstairs, she was sure he had gently put her to bed, kissing her forehead like a child. These actions contradicted her opinion that he sought only warmth for his bed from their union. Perhaps there was still some small capacity for affection, despite his past experiences.

A question concerning entertainment in the colony brought her attention back to the young woman. They discussed this topic for a while and when Electra considered a sufficient amount of time had passed, she suggested they walk back to the house. She returned the woman to her uncle with a begrudging invitation to visit again.

As they drove away, William cast a sideways glance at his wife. “Such a lovely young woman and so perceptive.”

Electra threw him a thunderous look and without a word, headed down to Shelagh’s cabin.

“I imagine he thought that was funny,” she mumbled, as she walked away.

• • •

His joke backfired two days later when another visitor arrived at Riverside.

“Captain Hawley! How delightful to see you. To what do we owe the pleasure?” asked Electra, tossing a smug look at William, who glowered at the man.

“Mr. Radcliffe. Mrs. Radcliffe. I apologize for coming unannounced but my ship is ready to sail and I leave tomorrow. I hope I have not come at an inconvenient time.”

“Not at all, captain. William is just heading off to the north paddock and I am ready for a cup of tea,” said Electra, hastily tidying her hair.

“Splendid timing then.”

“Yes. Splendid,” William muttered, loud enough for them both to hear, as he strode out to his horse.

As Electra organized tea and biscuits, she sensed Captain Hawley watching her. She looked up and caught the look of yearning in his eyes before he blinked and looked away.

“Is something wrong, captain?”

“Er, no, madam. I was just thinking how well you look.” He coughed and looked away, changing the subject. “And I was wondering if there were any errands I may run for you while in England. If you have engaged a lawyer to investigate your case further, perhaps I could pass on a message or letter?”

She relaxed. “That would be wonderful, captain.” She went on to tell him the governor had, on William’s request, made inquiries into her uncle’s present activities. There had been no response yet, but word had come by letter on a ship two weeks previously, that her uncle, not surprisingly, was spending more time gambling and drinking than managing the business. His behaviours had soiled his reputation considerably, and now might be the time to hold him to account.

• • •

Unable to concentrate on anything other than the man presently with his wife, William turned his horse back toward the house, meaning to be close enough to keep his eye on the captain. He told himself it was simple curiosity and his duty as a husband to protect her. Definitely nothing else behind his actions. But if the snake tried to touch her …

Damn, why was she so enticing?

So much so, the woman started a fire in his belly every time he laid eyes on her. So why would it be any different for the captain? He felt a surge of jealous anger race through his body at the obvious answer to his question.

William checked himself. What good would it do to show his vulnerability? He had little doubt she would leave as soon as the conditions of her pardon allowed it. Besides, even if for some reason she stayed, she would never stand his touching her, not after the last time. He had reached the house and could not resist happening to be in earshot as they spoke.