Ghost Gum Valley (76 page)

‘I'll advise you of the legal measures you can take, Marmaduke, limited as they are without proof of de Rolland's crimes. But promise me you will stop short of murder.'

Marmaduke looked at him levelly. ‘No promises, mate. I'll do whatever needs to be done. I won't have my wife living in fear of what he'll do next. My problem is to find a way to remove the scoundrel from
Isabel's life without losing everything that matters to me – Isabel, my kids, my liberty. If I got killed, Silas would claim her and Rose Alba.'

Both were aware that Rose Alba was happily talking to the horse. Edwin told him of their encounter with a bolter during the journey and Rose Alba's plucky response.

‘That child seems to see everything, good or bad, as high adventure.'

Marmaduke was suddenly serious. ‘I'll give that little kid the best life I can afford. But the fire was a real setback. By the way, mate, Isabel doesn't know Mingaletta was burnt to the ground. I gave her the impression we lost a couple of rooms in a blaze from a campfire that got out of control. No hint there was any connection to Silas bloody de Rolland. But it means I've got to go like the clappers to rebuild it – Isabel's determined to give birth there!'

Edwin said quietly, ‘I've found you a safe loan. An English settler newly arrived in the Colony is willing to put up the money on a two-year loan at rock-bottom interest rates.'

‘Jesus! Who is he? Santa Claus?'

‘You've always claimed the English are an eccentric race and for once I'd have to agree. I would suggest you don't argue with good luck. Just sign your name beside The Far Horizon Agricultural Company and the loan is yours.'

Marmaduke clapped him on the shoulder. ‘Edwin, your blood is worth bottling!'

Suddenly light of heart Marmaduke crossed to Dangar and talked to him as he would to a mate, briefing the horse and Rose Alba about what was now expected of him. Then he turned to the men.

‘Righto, who's Dangar's first passenger?'

Thomas quickly backed down. ‘I can't swim. Besides there's only one horse to ride on the other side.'

Edwin tentatively suggested he would stay overnight at the inn and try his luck in the morning.

‘Pikers, both of you!' Marmaduke said amiably. ‘I'm not letting you off the hook, Edwin. You mightn't be too hot as a swimmer, but you can hold on to Danger and he'll do the swimming for you.'

Edwin nodded unhappily but Marmaduke turned to find Rose Alba had put her hand trustingly in his.

‘May I have a ride on Dangar, please, Uncle?'

Marmaduke bent down on one knee and stroked her hair. ‘Rose Alba, you're a girl after my own heart. You're as brave as your big sister Isabel. She can't wait to meet you. So over you go! I'll swim beside you – we'll be across the creek in two shakes of a lamb's tail.'

He hoisted Rose Alba onto the horse's back and walked with them some yards upstream where it was possible to enter the water.

‘Can you sing me a song, Rose Alba? Dangar loves music. Right. Now hang on tight, I'll be beside you all the way.'

They entered the water and, although buffeted by the current, they swam across the creek with Rose Alba singing ‘God Save the King'.

Safe on the opposite bank, Rose Alba called to Edwin who was standing nervously awaiting his cue.

‘It's easy, Mr Edwin.'

Thomas released one of the carriage horses from the harness and walked him upstream to the safest place to cross with Edwin on his back. Marmaduke was amused to see his friend's eyes were closed all the way.

He's a tiger in the courtroom, but as nervy as a kitten in the bush.

When Edwin was safely deposited at their side, his suit dripping and his face blanched, Rose Alba clapped her hands in delight.

‘Isn't this fun, Uncle Marmaduke? Can we do this again?'

Marmaduke rocked with laughter. ‘Rose Alba, you were born to be a Currency Lass! And sweetheart, there's no higher compliment than that in my book.'

Edwin, shivering with cold, changed into Marmaduke's dry shirt and Rose Alba's wet dress was covered by Marmaduke's jacket as she rode pillion behind him. Marmaduke enjoyed the feeling of being her shield from the wind, her little hands clasped around his waist.

Rose Alba kept up a string of curious questions about everything they passed. When a kangaroo hopped to the side of the track and cocked its head to one side as they rode past, the child was enchanted.

‘I saw a drawing of a kangaroo in a book. I didn't know they were
real
!'

Despite his pleasure in her company Marmaduke grew tense as they rode past the gates of Penkivil Park. Every window in the mansion was alight and the sound of chatter was suddenly hushed,
followed by the beautiful strains of a woman singing. There was no mistaking the quality of Josepha St John's voice and Marmaduke's seductive memories of her lush body came unbidden.

Rose Alba's piping tones jerked him back to the present. ‘What a lovely house. Who lives there, Uncle?'

‘Nice enough house, but the man who lives there isn't nice at all. Don't worry, we'll have plenty of parties of our own now you're here, sweetheart.'

Edwin tried to sound casual. ‘That sounded like Josepha St John's voice.'

‘It was. I've invited her to come over and sing for us at Bloodwood Hall in between her concerts at Penkivil Park.'

Edwin blinked. ‘Good God, that's opening the door to trouble!'

‘There's no saying she'll come, but I told her I'd invite her. Don't worry, Silas de Rolland's too much of a coward to front up at Bloodwood. He only gets pleasure from manipulating others to carry out his dirty work.'

Edwin was clearly not convinced and remained silent for the remaining few miles.

On their arrival Rose Alba was in awe of the size and grandeur of Bloodwood Hall and Marmaduke was reminded it must seem like a palace to her in contrast with the only house she had ever known, a two-room tumbledown cottage in a rural English hamlet.

When he lifted her down from the horse, Rose Alba looked anxious.

‘Oh dear, look at my dress. The red has run from my petticoat!'

‘Don't worry, you look just perfect! Come on, Isabel's dying to meet you.'

Marmaduke left Bridget to show Edwin to his room. He carried Rose Alba up to the nursery were Isabel was preparing Queenie's old bedroom.

The moment Isabel saw them Marmaduke recognised the flash of panic in her eyes. He knew this long-awaited moment of reunion was something his wife must handle alone. He should withdraw as soon as possible.

Isabel stared at them. She only managed to stammer out, ‘You're both wet. Is it raining?'

‘It's a long story, it'll keep for later,' he said quickly.

Bedraggled as she was, Rose Alba made Isabel a deep curtsey. Her polite speech sounded as if it had been drilled into her as carefully as a catechism.

‘I am so very pleased to meet you. Aunt Elisabeth sends you her fondest wishes. I will be no trouble at all. I'm four years old but tall for my age. And I'm very quiet – well most of the time.'

Isabel nodded and smiled but she was nervously fingering her throat as if trying to free the words trapped inside her. Marmaduke decided he must break the ice.

‘Rose Alba told me about her exciting journey along the highway with Edwin.
A toll man
stopped their carriage and everyone had to give him their money,' he said significantly.

Isabel looked bewildered. ‘But there isn't any toll house.'

‘Yes, there
is
dear,' Marmaduke corrected politely. ‘You know the toll man,
Mr Bolter.
He wears a handkerchief across his face!'

Isabel turned pale. ‘Oh, my goodness,
that
Mr Bolter!'

‘Yes,' the child said helpfully, ‘and Mr Edwin even had to hand over his gold watch to pay the toll!'

‘Yeah,' Marmaduke added firmly. ‘But all's well that end's well.'

Rose Alba explored the other room where she was to sleep. Isabel was trembling, so Marmaduke crossed to her and folded her in his arms.

‘You've nothing to be afraid of – the kid loves you already.'

‘But I don't know what to say to her! I've rehearsed the words for years but I can't remember them.'

Marmaduke cupped her face in his hands. ‘I taught you how to overcome your fear of water. I taught you how to make love – even how to cry. You don't need me to teach you this. It's all inside you, Isabel. Just open your heart to her – that's how you won
me
.'

He spun around at the door and gave her the thumbs-up sign of total confidence. ‘You can do it, girl. I know you can.'

Out in the corridor Marmaduke pressed himself against the wall and listened for the words he hoped would come.

He heard Isabel say softly, ‘I have been waiting to meet you again. I do hope you will be happy here, Rose Alba.'

‘Oh yes, I will, Sister. I saw a kangaroo in your garden. Can I play with him?'

‘Yes, of course. But it's a mama kangaroo. The baby in her pouch is called a joey.'

There was a little silence. ‘What would you like me to call
you
? Are you
really
my sister? My aunt? Or my cousin? Aunt Elisabeth said you would tell me one day.'

There was no reply so Rose Alba covered the silence. ‘When I was a little girl Aunt Elisabeth told me when I grew bigger you might ask me to live with you. I'm four and a half now. Is that big enough?'

Marmaduke heard the cry in Isabel's voice.

‘Rose Alba, I want you to live with us for ever and ever. Please, may I have a hug?'

Marmaduke sighed with relief when he heard Rose Alba's whisper.

‘Are they happy tears? I'd give you my handkerchief, but I lost it when I swam across the creek on Dangar's back.'

‘What happened?!'

‘The bridge fell down. Uncle Marmaduke swam beside me all the way so I was quite safe.'

‘Yes,' said Isabel, ‘he's rather good at that!'

Marmaduke finally knew it was safe to leave when he heard the lovely sound of two little girls laughing together.

Chapter 54

Isabel had one overwhelming fear that she refused to express in words in case she gave it energy and made it reality. This was the safety of those she loved deeply, Marmaduke, Rose Alba and the little one who was the constant companion inside her body.

Starved for years of the opportunity to release her maternal instincts, in the two days since Rose Alba's arrival at Bloodwood Hall she had watched the child with hungry eyes, trying to store in her mind every word, every expression and gesture as the little girl explored with wonder the new world of the mansion, the garden full of exotic plants, birds and animals.

Isabel understood her enchantment. From an isolated hamlet Rose Alba had been set down in the Garden of Eden.

Isabel knew that Marmaduke's air of secrecy involved measures for their protection. He had been careful to define the child's boundaries. Rose Alba was free to wander anywhere in the house but must not go outside into the garden without him or Isabel to accompany her. Isabel knew that Marmaduke had alerted every house servant about the need to guard the child's safety and had instructed Murray Robertson to brief their assigned men to be on the look out for the appearance of strangers on the estate. All were given descriptions of Silas de Rolland and the pugilist Cooper, the man with the metal nose.

But Isabel knew these measures were not foolproof. The anonymous envelopes containing the white roses had increased but no one admitted seeing them delivered. Someone at Bloodwood Hall must be in the pay of Silas.

Isabel was touched to see that the child had instantly adopted her new grandfather and fetched Garnet anything he wanted, placed a footstool at his feet unprompted, and sat beside him, wide-eyed at the cleverness of Amaru, the magical cockatoo who talked with a human voice.

Now as she trailed through the house behind Rose Alba, Isabel felt oddly uneasy when the child stopped at the far end of the picture gallery in front of the portrait that most fascinated her. Miranda.

‘She's very beautiful, isn't she?' Isabel said. ‘That's Uncle Marmaduke's mother.'

‘Indeed yes, Sister.' Rose Alba cocked her head on one side. ‘But not quite as lovely as she
really
is. Her eyes are kinder. A bit sad. Why doesn't she eat with us?'

‘Eat with us?' Isabel felt conscious of the chilly aura that was almost tangible at this end of the galley. ‘What do you mean? Marmaduke's mother isn't with us anymore.'

My God, what does she know about death?

‘Yes, she is. I met her yesterday in the garden. When you sat in the summerhouse and fell asleep. This lady told me she taught Amaru to speak.'

‘Garnet must have told you that, dear. You're mistaken.'

Rose Alba politely shook her head. ‘She showed me the birdcage. She said a bad man poisoned all her little birds. He lives at Penkivil Park and I must never speak to him.'

Isabel felt faint and steadied herself against the wall. No one had ever linked Silas's name to the disappearance of those budgerigars. Garnet had only said someone had forgotten to close the aviary door. She distracted the child from Miranda and suggested they hurry downstairs and join everyone for breakfast. But her thoughts were in turmoil.

Rose Alba can see the Other! She's inherited it from me – and, God forbid, from Silas.