Freedom's Land (40 page)
Authors: Anna Jacobs
‘Who are these from?’ Irene asked.
‘The other groupies, I suppose. The food wasn’t here when I left for Pemberton.’
‘How kind of them!’ She looked round and beamed at him. ‘You built them a cradle.’
He’d been busy helping Andrew, so it’d cost him some precious hours of sleep, but it was worth it. ‘Can’t have my daughters sleeping on the floor, can I? You said they always like to sleep together, so I built it wider.’
‘They do.’
Jenny stirred in her mother’s arms, her rosebud mouth opening and shutting as she searched for food.
‘Let’s put them down for a minute or two and get our things in, then when Billy’s gone I’ll deal with these two.’ She looked round. ‘You’ve done a lot of work on this place.’
‘I want you to be comfortable. Though it looks like we’ll be getting a proper house in the next few weeks. Andrew and Norah have got theirs going up this very week.’ He pulled the rocking chair forward. ‘Sit down and I’ll pass you whichever baby you’re feeding first.’
‘Jenny. She’s always more hungry than Mary.’
That night they slept chastely side by side on two stretcher beds because Irene’s body hadn’t recovered from the birth yet, so consummating their marriage would have to wait.
‘I’m so glad to be back,’ she said sleepily.
‘Not half as glad as I am to have you here.’
‘Mmm.’
He lay listening to her soft, even breaths. He hadn’t expected to be as happy as this ever again.
A few days later, men turned up with a load of timber to build the first of the farmhouses.
‘It’s scheduled for Lot Seven,’ one of them said, pulling a crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket.
‘That’s changed,’ Gil told him. ‘Lot Twelve is the one to start on.’
They looked at him suspiciously. ‘It says Lot Seven.’
The man held out the paper for him to see, but he pushed it aside. ‘Look, there’s been a bush fire through, and Lot Twelve was badly hit, lost all their outbuildings. Let’s give their spirits a boost, eh? Let’s build them the first proper house in this group.’
The men looked at one another and shrugged. ‘No one up in Perth is going to know where we build it, are they?’ one said.
The other smiled. ‘By the time they send an inspector out to check on it, it’ll be up and they’re not going to pull it down again, are they?’
‘If anyone asks, I’ll tell them I misheard the lot number you told me,’ Gil offered.
‘You’re on, mate.’
Andrew saw the truck pull off the track at his farm and put down his hammer. There wasn’t any more timber due. He had his farm buildings up now. ‘Can I help you?’
‘We’ve come to build your house. Yours is the first to go up.’
‘House?’ It took a few seconds for him to realise what they meant. ‘The farmhouse, you mean?’
‘Yeah. We’ll drop this stuff off today and be back with some more tomorrow. Better work out where you want it.’
Norah came out to join them and Andrew picked her up and swung her round. ‘It’s our house! They’re building our house first.’
After the men had left, they walked together to the spot they’d chosen, the children tagging along behind them.
‘This is still the best place to put it.’ She looked down the slope towards the entrance to their farm.
‘Shall we have a celebration when it’s finished?’
The children crowed with delight.
‘Oh, yes. We’ll invite all our friends, have a sing-song and then . . .’
‘Then what?’
‘Then we’ll settle down to work and make this the best farm in Northcliffe.’
When the house was finished, Andrew picked Norah up and carried her over the threshold.
She clung to him, laughing, looking up at his dear face with its strong features. ‘Happy again?’
‘Yes. But though this place sets the seal on it, what makes me happiest of all is you, my family and the best neighbours on earth.’ He looked round. ‘It’s not exactly free land, is it, as we thought when we read that brochure?’
‘No. We buy it with our sweat and toil.’
‘But we have the freedom to do that here, which we’d never have had in England. Still glad you came?’
‘More than ever.’ She hesitated, then added shyly. ‘Talking of family, we’re going to have another member in a few months.’
‘I wondered.’
‘Yes, I thought you’d guessed.’
‘It’d be hard to miss it, living as closely together as we do. Are you glad?’
She laid her head on his shoulder. ‘Very glad. I don’t know what the children will say, though.’
‘The boys will love their baby brother and spoil him to death. Or baby sister. And having seen the way Janie cares for that lame chook of hers, I think you’ll have trouble keeping her away from the baby.’
They stood on the front veranda, watching the children carry the first of their possessions across from the humpy. Sunlight slanted through the trees, whose leaves were already starting to grow again. One of the cows mooed, and not to be outdone a pig squealed a reply.
Then the children arrived and all was bustle and noise – just the way Norah liked it to be.
About the Author
Anna Jacobs grew up in Lancashire and emigrated to Australia, but still visits the UK regularly to see her family and do research, something she loves. She is addicted to writing and figures she’ll have to live to be 120 at least to tell all the stories that keep popping up in her imagination and nagging her to write them down.
She’s also addicted to her own hero, to whom she’s been happily married for many years.
Anna Jacobs’ novel
Pride of Lancashire
won the Australian Romantic Book of the Year Award in 2006.
Pride of Lancashire
won the Australian Romantic Book of the Year Award in 2006.
Also by Anna Jacobs
THE GIBSON FAMILY
Salem Street
High Street
Ridge Hill
Hallam Square
Spinners Lake
THE KERSHAW SISTERS
Our Lizzie
Our Polly
Our Eva
Our Mary Ann
THE IRISH SISTERS
A Pennyworth of Sunshine
Twopenny Rainbows
Threepenny Dreams
THE SETTLERS
Lancashire Lass
Lancashire Legacy
THE STALEYS
Down Weavers Lane
Calico Road
THE PRESTON FAMILY
Pride of Lancashire
Star of the North
Bright Day Dawning
Heart of the Town
STAND ALONE NOVELS
Jessie
Like No Other
Tomorrow’s Promises
Yesterday’s Girl
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Rena's Promise by Rena Kornreich Gelissen, Heather Dune Macadam
The Hook by Raffaella Barker
SweetHeat by Jan Springer
The Best American Sports Writing 2011 by Jane Leavy
Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix
The Dark Inside (A Human Element) by Donna Galanti
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey, Alex Bell
