Flight of the Jabiru (48 page)

“That must've been frightening,” Winston said.

“Miss Penrose helped him and went to tell someone to get an ambulance.”

“I see,” Winston said. “Is it possible that your papa thought Miss Penrose hit him with the rake?”

Harrison looked astonished at the question. “No, she didn't have anything in her hands, so he wouldn't think that. Miss Penrose didn't see the rake on the floor, and neither did papa. I wish Miss Penrose was still my teacher. I like Miss Simms, but Miss Penrose was my favorite.”

“We'll have to see if she can work at your school again,” Winston said.

“Really?” Harrison asked excitedly.

“Yes, I have to go, but we'll see each other again soon.”

“Thank you for the stamps, Uncle Winston,” Harrison said smiling.

“You're very welcome. I'll save you all the good stamps that come to me.”

Winston knocked on Roy's library door before entering, but it galled him. He didn't think his brother-in-law deserved any courtesy.

Roy was sitting behind his desk. When he looked up, his expression was sullen.

Winston had brought his coffee with him. It was laced with a good measure of Roy's finest brandy and he was sure he was going to need it. “You wanted to see me,” he said, casually glancing around before sitting on a chair on the opposite side of Roy's desk.

“You are well of aware of what I'm unhappy about, Winston, so don't be coy,” Roy snapped. “That woman has returned to England before serving the term of her sentence.”

“She shouldn't have been given a sentence in the first place because she didn't assault you.”

Roy looked astonished. “Yes, she did,” he retaliated.

“I've just been talking to your son, the only witness to this so called assault. You stepped on the head of the rake and it flew up and hit you in the face. Lara Penrose told me the same story and it was the truth.”

“Are you calling me a liar, Winston?”

“I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and say that the rake flew up so fast that you didn't know where it came from. Would you agree that is a possibility?”

Roy's features became florid and his lips clamped together.

“Then we concur,” Winston said, sparing Roy the humiliation of saying it out loud. “I'm not going to have Lara Penrose arrested. In fact, I'm going to see that she gets her job back at Harrison's school and I don't want any interference from you. It's the least I can do. She's lucky to be alive after the Japs bombed Darwin. She was lucky to get home but obviously she rushed to her sick father's bedside. You do know how ill he's been, don't you? He had double pneumonia and the doctor's didn't think he was going to recover. If not for Lara's love and daily visits to buoy his spirits, he might be dead now.”

“I know what goes on with my staff,” Roy said haughtily.

“Really? Then perhaps you can explain why you haven't been to see him in hospital.”

“I don't have time to waste.”

Winston became angry at such a callous remark. “For pity's sake, man, Walter Penrose has looked after your horses for years. I have no idea why you think you are above the rest of us, Roy. It's no wonder you don't have a real friend in this world. You're so vindictive and hateful that you'd go so far as to tell the rest of the staff at the stables to keep away from the hospital. Why would you do something so spiteful?”

“I don't owe you an explanation,” Roy said dourly.

Winston had heard enough. He stood up. “I don't owe you any favors, either, so never send my sister to my chambers again when you want someone jailed. And if you threaten Nicole, or harm a hair on my nephews head, I'll make you sorry you were born.”

Winston placed the coffee cup on the desk with a thud, stood up, and left Roy's office without a backward glance. He felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, but he still had some wrongs to put right.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

July 1945
Darwin

“Is that land I see?” Elsie asked Lara excitedly. They were standing side by side at the ship's railing. After more than two years of getting to know each other and much soul searching on both sides, Lara had forgiven her mother, and Elsie had finally forgiven herself for something that wasn't her fault. Now they were as relaxed as any mother and daughter in each other's company and determined to make up for lost time.

“Yes, mum, that's Darwin Harbor. I'm eager to see how much of it has been rebuilt!”

It was ten o'clock in the morning and the harbor looked very different to the first time she'd seen it at sunset, when she'd felt so crestfallen and afraid of the future, and also different to the last time, after it had been destroyed.

After Walter suffered recurring bouts of pneumonia and bronchitis over a twenty-month period, his doctor suggested a warmer climate might be the solution. Walter had been mulling over a short trip to Spain, but Lara came up with the idea of travelling much further.

“Why don't we go to Darwin for an extended holiday, Dad?” Lara suggested. “I'd love to see my friends in Shady Camp again and show you where I was teaching.”

“Darwin! That's across the world,” Walter said in shock.

“I know, but I've made enquiries and we can go by sea as soon as the war is drawing to an end. A sea journey would be good for your health, too, with all that salt air and sunshine.”

“But Australia, Lara,” Walter said aghast. He'd only been out of County Suffolk once, when he took a trip to London.

“It's a big decision, but think about it, Dad,” Lara said as she was about to set off for work.

At first, Walter thought it was an astonishing idea, something he couldn't consider, but winter was dragging on and constantly having a bad cough was taking a toll. When he spoke to Elsie she had the same shocked reaction, but agreed it was a very good idea, although the thought of being apart from Walter and Lara was acutely painful. Lara had a feeling her father's reticence also had something to do with being apart from Elsie.

Two evenings later, as they shared a steak and kidney pie that Elsie had made, Walter surprised her by asking if she'd like to join them on the trip to Australia. Without a moment's hesitation Elsie said yes. Up until that point they'd been close, taking a day at a time, but Walter hadn't known how she felt about their long-term future. Feeling reassured after she readily agreed to join them on the trip, Walter found the courage to ask Elsie to marry him again, and she joyously accepted. Their wedding was a simple civil ceremony held in April, with Lara and a few close friends and neighbors in attendance. Walter then gave up his job as stable manager at Darley Stud, a prestigious horse-breeding farm in Newmarket.

Unbeknown to Walter, Judge Mitchell had been instrumental in seeing him offered the sort after position rather than have him return to work for Roy Hornsby. Walter had put the word out in the horse-breeding world that he was looking for work after Lara was sent to Australia, and assumed that's where the offer came from. It was only when Lara was contacted by Richard Dunn, the Principal of Newmarket Elementary School, and offered her old job with a pay rise, that she and her father became suspicious that someone was behind their good fortune. They made a few enquiries through Herbert Irving, the solicitor who'd represented Lara when she was charged with assault. It was confirmed that Judge Mitchell had called in a few favors. Neither Lara nor Walter questioned his motives. They knew he was trying to make up for sending Lara to Australia and that he couldn't openly admit he'd made a mistake or had been influenced by family. She might've been resentful if she hadn't met Rick and found love and fleeting happiness. But how could she regret the experiences and friendships she'd made in Shady Camp?

“When was the last bombing raid?” Elsie asked with interest, trying to imagine one hundred and eighty-eight planes flying overhead loaded with bombs, while her daughter took shelter on top of Stokes Hill, a sitting duck for the Japs. It sent a shudder down her spine.

“12 November, 1943. I'm sure some rebuilding will have taken place by now. I'm very eager to find out if Shady Camp is still okay. I did write to my student teacher, Jiana but I didn't hear back...”

“Gosh, it's warm,” Elsie complained, dabbing perspiration on her brow.

Lara smiled. She knew it would get much hotter once the sun was high in the sky. “Its winter in the Top End,” she said, watching her mother's astonished expression.

“If this is winter, I'm not sure I'm going to cope with summer, Lara,” Elsie said.

“I thought I would die, too. Believe it or not, you do acclimatize,” Lara said smiling at her mother. “My first winter back in England came as a terrible shock. I found it hard to believe I ever coped with it.”

“A swim in the sea would be nice,” Elsie said admiring the turquoise water with foaming white wake streaming back from the bow of the ship.

“Yes, that would nice, but you can't swim in the sea between October and April, as there are stinging jellyfish that can kill. Sometimes crocodiles are found in the sea, too.”

“Oh, my Lord,” Elsie said, and Lara laughed, remembering her own reaction in 1941. “Don't tell me anymore,” she insisted. “Or I'll never get off this ship.”

“It might be very warm, but it's better than freezing, isn't it, mum?” Lara said. They'd just suffered a particularly savage winter, almost thirteen weeks of knee-deep snow and temperatures below zero. Lara didn't ever remember it being that cold and was sure she wouldn't complain about the heat ever again.

“Walter's chest is much clearer since going through the Suez Canal, Lara,” Elsie said. “That's all that matters.”

It warmed Lara's heart to hear her mother talk about her father with so much love in her voice. It also reminded her of what she'd lost and her growing loneliness. She'd had the strongest compulsion to return to Darwin for quite some time, but had kept it to herself until Walter was urged to travel to a warm climate for his health. That was all the excuse she'd needed. She longed to feel close to Rick again, if only in spirit, but she didn't think anyone would understand. But now that she was so near Darwin again, she was growing afraid of her reaction to seeing the billabong and crocodiles again, and reliving memories, painful and wonderful. Elsie seemed to know what Lara was thinking and put a comforting arm around her shoulders to let her know that she was not alone.

Walter joined them at the railing, accompanied by Christopher Coleman, an architect they'd met aboard ship. He was travelling to Darwin to design new government buildings to replace those destroyed in the bombings. He'd dined with them most evenings, and had been good company. Lara hadn't missed the subtle signs that her father hoped a romance might blossom, but her heart wasn't ready to accept another love.

“Your father has fleeced the crew of all their hard-earned money,” Christopher claimed.

“That's not true,” Walter grinned. “They don't work hard.”

“I hope it's not true, Walter,” Elsie said in concern. “I heard some of the stewards saying how much they were looking forward to a drink in the bars on shore, but they won't be able to afford it if you've taken all their money.”

“I'll shout them all a beer if I see them,” Walter said smirking devilishly.

Lara was just happy to see some color in her father's face. His appetite had also improved, so he'd gained some of the weight he'd lost. Honeymooning on board a ship in a relaxing atmosphere, warm sunshine, and tantalizing sea air, had given him a newfound lease on life.

“Where are you staying in Darwin?” Lara asked Christopher.

“The Victoria Hotel. Do you know it?”

“Why, yes, it's on Smith Street,” Lara replied, astonished. “I stayed there when I first arrived in Darwin in 1941. It was damaged in the first raid by the Japs, although it was still standing. Actually it was one of only two buildings standing on Smith Street. Everything else was completely destroyed, even the actual street itself, which took a direct hit.”

“The hotel must've been built well in the first place,” Christopher suggested, thinking like an architect.

“Peggy Parker, the publican's wife, told me it had survived two cyclones that had flattened most of Darwin, but I'm still surprised it's open for business as a hotel,” Lara said. “I wonder if the Parkers have returned. I saw them after the first bombing raid and they'd been hurt, although not seriously. They were leaving for Alice Springs.”

“My accommodation was arranged for me so I haven't had contact personally with the owners of the hotel,” Christopher said. He was a nice looking man with fair hair and a Clarke Gabel mustache. Although he had many good qualities, he didn't make Lara's heart flutter.

“Why don't you all have lunch with me at the hotel before heading out to Shady Camp?” Christopher suggested.

“Oh, I don't know,” Lara said hesitantly.

“We have to eat, don't we?” Walter said. “And I'd like to see the hotel.”

Lara was actually keen to see it, too. “Okay,” she agreed. “That would be nice, thank you, Christopher.”

As Lara and her parents walked with Christopher towards Smith Street, she relived the day the city was bombed by telling them what she and Jiana saw from Stokes Hill. She also showed them the bushes where they hid. They all agreed the girls were lucky to have survived.

The wharf had been rebuilt and there were ships alongside, so it looked quite different to the devastation after the first raid. Lara couldn't forget that the wreck of the
Neptuna
was somewhere under the sea, though, or that Sid and the rest of the crew probably had lost their lives that day. As they walked along the esplanade they saw that some buildings had been rebuilt, or were in the process of being rebuilt. But there was still plenty of devastation.

Lara was delighted to find that Peggy and Desmond Parker had returned to The Victoria Hotel.

“We were bored in Alice Springs and missed this place, so we came back six months ago and got the hotel up and running again, which was hard work,” Peggy said, equally pleased to see Lara, who introduced her to her parents and Christopher.

They enjoyed a delightful lunch in the dining room, where there were many military men, Australian and American.

“They've been doing a great job of defending the Top End,” Peggy explained. “But I don't think the Japs will ever come back.

“By the way,” Peggy added. “Your friend was in here two weeks ago.”

“Friend? Are you referring to Colin Jeffries?” Lara wondered if he and Betty had returned to the Top End.

“No, not him. I'm talking about the merchant seaman; the man who was fond of exposing his hairy chest and belly because he could barely do his shirt up, although he can now. He's lost a lot of weight, but he can still down a few beers. He asked about you and was pleased to know you survived the first attack. In fact, he was quite emotional about it.”

Lara stared at Peggy in shock. “You can't mean ... Sid.”

“Yes, that's his name. He told me the
Neptuna
had been sunk, but he's working on another ship. It comes into port about once a month.”

“Oh, Peggy,” Lara cried in delight. She leapt to her feet and pulled her into an embrace. “I thought Sid had been killed. That's fantastic news.”

“Apparently he was hurt badly on the wharf and had several operations to remove pieces of metal from his stomach, which is why he's lost so much weight. He offered to show me his stomach, but I told him I've seen enough of it over the years. He did have a scar on his forehead, though, but he's back to work and drinking like there's no tomorrow, so he must be feeling quite good.”

“I'm so happy to hear he's alive,” Lara said, brimming with tears. “I hope I see him while we're here.” “Where are you staying, love, in case I see him?”

“We're going out to Shady Camp. After that, I'm not sure. We might take rooms here.”

“Good. It will be nice to have you back.”

After lunch, freshly-caught barramundi and a wonderful salad they all enjoyed, they went outside, as Elsie wanted to look at the few shops that had reopened for business. Walter and Christopher walked down the street, while Lara and Elsie went into a market for a look around. Half an hour later they met up with Walter and Christopher.

“We went into a crocodile exhibit that's not long opened, apparently,” Walter told Lara and Elsie.

“They have the biggest crocodile ever held in captivity in there,” Christopher added excitedly. “I never imagined they could grow that large. It was truly remarkable.”

Lara's blood immediately ran cold and she gripped her mother's arm.

“Do you want to see it?” Christopher asked Lara.