Our Australian Girl (6 page)

A
heavy box landed with a thud in the back of the cart, narrowly missing Edith's feet.

Daisy could hear Old Mac pull himself up onto the cart with a groan, and pick up the reins. The leather slapped against the horse's back, and they were off. Daisy found Edith's hand under the sacks and squeezed tight.

It was a long, bumpy ride in the cart, and Daisy felt sweat running down her face even though the day was overcast. She could only see tiny pinpricks of light coming through the sack. As they drew closer to the city, the roads became smoother and the sounds of traffic increased. Daisy's heart beat faster as she heard the clang of the trams in the distance.

‘Woah, girl,' Old Mac called, and the cart came to a slow stop. ‘Good work, my lovely. I'll be back with some water for you directly.'

‘Quick,' Harry said. ‘Before he comes back.'

Daisy threw the sack off with relief, and felt cool air on her hot face. She scrambled out of the cart with Edith and Harry, and they ran to the shelter of some nearby bushes.

‘Urgh,' she said. ‘That was so hot and smelly.'

‘Awful,' Edith agreed. ‘But we made it!' She threw her arms around Daisy.

‘That's enough of the mushy stuff,' Harry said with scowl. ‘We have to get moving. I have a horse race to get to. Here.' He passed them a damp handkerchief. ‘Wipe your faces. There's metho on that to get the spots off.'

‘Pooh, that stinks,' Daisy laughed, dabbing the cloth at Edith's ink measles. She felt giddy with joy at being free. This must be how heroes feel when they're released from dungeons, she thought to herself. ‘Let's walk that way,' Daisy said after Edith had wiped all the spots off her face. She pointed toward a group of shops. ‘Then I'll be able to get my bearings.'

They hurried down the road. ‘Oh, look,' Daisy said. ‘We're in luck! There's a tram stop right there – oh, and there's Chinatown. We can catch a tram from here and we should be at the racetrack in a few minutes.'

‘Except we don't have the dosh to pay for a tram ride,' Harry sneered. ‘I knew I shouldn't have trusted a girl with a crucial part of the plan. Now I'm going to miss Phar Lap after all.' He pursed his lips angrily and strode away.

Daisy ran after him. ‘It's okay, Harry,' she said. ‘We don't need money – not to ride the trams how my friends taught me.'

‘Are you sure?' Harry asked hopefully.

‘'Course. Ooh, here comes one now! Just do what I do.' Daisy crossed the road and waited for the tram to stop. As passengers spilled out, she looked for the conductor. Seeing him on the right side of the tram, she motioned to Edith and Harry to follow her to the left side.

‘Right, just stand up here,' she said, jumping on the tram's running board, ‘and hold on tight to this pole. Keep your heads down.'

Harry and Edith nervously stood behind Daisy as the driver rang the bell and the tram rumbled to life.

I'd forgotten how wonderful this feels, Daisy thought as the tram barrelled through the streets. It's like flying! ‘This tram goes up Flemington Road, so I guess it must go straight to the racetrack,' she yelled.

‘There it is,' Edith shrieked some time later. ‘Look at all the people going in.'

‘Get ready to jump off at the next stop,' Daisy called over the wind that was blowing her hair into her face. ‘Remember to stay low.'

The tram shuddered to a halt almost directly in front of the racecourse. The area was abuzz with people arriving laden with picnic baskets and dressed in fancy clothes.

‘That was super fun,' Harry cried as they ran to the side of the road. ‘I've never been on a tram before, let alone on the side of one.'

‘Really?' Daisy said, trying to smooth down her wind-blown hair. ‘But you're a city kid! How could you not have been on a tram?'

Harry blushed. ‘There aren't many trams at the orphanage, now, are there?' he said crossly and walked ahead of them.

Edith grabbed Daisy's arm. ‘Don't mind him, Daisy, it's just that he's been in the orphanage since he was a baby. It's the only life he knows.'

‘I didn't even think,' Daisy gasped.

‘Just leave it,' Edith said. ‘It's best that way.' She stood staring at the sea of people streaming into the gates of Flemington Racecourse. ‘Did you ever see such glamour?'

Daisy shook her head in wonder as two women wearing long white furs sauntered past. What utterly divine hats, she thought, touching her scruffy hair again. I've never seen so many ribbons and feathers. How elegant.

‘Come on,' Harry called impatiently. ‘Would you ever stop gawking and get a move on.'

The girls ran to catch up with him.

‘Right, now, all we need to do is sneak past the front gates and we're home,' Harry said.

‘Well,
you
might be,' Daisy reminded him, ‘but Edith and I have got family to find.'

Harry looked crestfallen. ‘Oh go on,' he said, ‘you're so close and it will be such a grand day. I reckon Phar Lap's gonna make history.'

‘I don't know . . . ' Daisy said doubtfully. ‘I really want to get to Gertrude Street.'

‘But you'll be telling your grandchildren about this one day,' Harry said. He awkwardly stepped off the curb and almost fell in the gutter as a group of men in top hats pushed past him.

‘Watch it there, Harry! It's busy out here in the real world,' Edith laughed.

Daisy looked at Harry's face and realised he was nervous. What would it be like to never have seen the world outside the orphanage? she wondered. It must be terrifying to be around so many people at once.

‘Could we just see Harry's precious horse run, and then be off?' Edith asked.

‘Well, all right,' Daisy agreed. ‘But once the race is over we have to leave straight away.'

‘Deal,' Edith said.

‘Follow me,' said Harry with relief.

Edith and Daisy clasped hands and stayed close to Harry as he weaved through the tight crowd. There were ticket booths on opposite sides of the large metal gates at the entrance. Harry motioned for the girls to crouch down and sneak behind a large group of people as they bought their tickets and wandered into the racecourse.

Within minutes, they were through the entrance and into the sweeping grounds.

It's all so beautiful, Daisy thought, looking across the lush green lawns that rolled down to the racetrack. A sea of people filled the huge lawn and the two large grandstands behind them.

At the sound of trumpets, the crowd surged toward the railing around the track and began cheering loudly as the horses began racing. A man called the race over a loudspeaker, firing out names quicker than Daisy could catch.

‘Oh no – have we missed it?' she called.

‘No,' Harry said. ‘Big Red's not running till three. We've got plenty of time.'

‘My head is spinning with all these people and this noise,' Edith said.

‘We'll find a patch of grass and plant ourselves.' Harry led the way to a quieter spot near a big flower garden. ‘Now, I want to go off and do a bit of poking around the stables, but I'll make sure I'm back before the big race.'

Daisy nodded. ‘Will it be long?' she asked. Inside she had begun to feel jumpy and anxious again. I'm so close to Flora now, she thought.

‘Just another hour or so,' Harry said, and waved as he wandered off to find the stables.

Daisy leant back on her elbows to watch the crowd. I feel like I'm in a fairytale, she thought.

People sat on rugs all around them, eating lunch from picnic baskets. Daisy's stomach rumbled. It had been ages since breakfast.

‘Be nice to have a bite of something,' Edith said and gave her a gentle nudge.

‘I was just thinking the same thing,' Daisy replied. She licked her lips hungrily and looked over at a row of bins near the racecourse fence.

‘Wait here,' she said to Edith. She walked past each bin slowly, and took a quick glance inside. The first two were filled with papers and empty bottles, but the third held a bulging brown paper bag. That looks promising, she thought. She quickly dipped her hand into the bin and swung the bag out. She looked around, but no one seemed to have noticed. She wandered along the bins a bit further. Ooh look – race program! Harry will like that. Underneath it was a half-empty bottle of lemonade. Right, let's be having you then, she thought, and thrust her hand in once more. She ran back to Edith with her treasures. ‘A picnic!' She dropped to her knees and rustled the paper bag open. Inside sat a half-eaten sandwich.

‘You're so clever,' Edith said.

‘Why, thank you,' Daisy said, as she munched on her share of the sandwich, gazing at the fascinating people all around. I can't wait to tell Flora about it. She pulled dreamily at some blades of grass and suddenly caught sight of something shiny.

‘Oh my goodness, look, Edith!' Daisy cried. ‘It's a shilling, a whole big shining shilling just sitting in the grass waiting for us to find it.'

Edith gasped with delight. ‘You're rich!'

‘
We're
rich, more like it,' Daisy pulled Edith to her feet. ‘Come on, let's go and get an ice cream for starters, oh, and maybe some cake, too, if we feel like it. We're as posh as anyone here now!'

The girls wove through the crowd until they spotted a small tearoom set back from the track. Inside, waitresses in starched white aprons served tea and scones to ladies in furs and silk dresses.

Daisy walked up to the entrance, smoothed down her dress and did her best to neaten her plaits. She gave Edith a confident nod as they walked in arm-in-arm.

A waitress quickly bustled over, ‘Are you looking for someone, dear?' the woman asked as she gave them a gentle smile.

‘Oh, no thank you,' Daisy answered in her most sophisticated voice. ‘My father suggested that my companion and I take tea whilst we wait for Big Red's race.'

‘Certainly, dear,' the waitress said as a small smile played on her lips. ‘Come this way. It's truly an exciting day, isn't it?'

‘Magical,' Daisy said as she and Edith pulled their chairs up to a table for two.

‘Now, my name is Rose, and what can I get you little misses?' the waitress asked.

‘High tea for two, if you please,' Daisy said.

‘Are you sure?' Edith whispered, ‘Can you afford that?' She looked at Daisy with concern.

‘Look,' Daisy pointed to the menu, ‘it's four pence each, and that will leave us some money to buy a treat for Harry as well.'

Rose nodded. ‘High tea it is then.'

Daisy swung her feet happily under the table and looked around. Bunches of pink and mauve roses in crystal vases were dotted about. There was a low murmur of conversation and the tinkle of china as ladies sipped their tea.

Edith reached across the crisp linen tablecloth to clutch Daisy's hands. ‘This is the most exciting thing ever.'

‘Careful, dear.' Rose was back with a tray that held a china teapot, delicate cups and saucers, milk and sugar, which she set out before them.

I feel like a queen, Daisy thought to herself as Rose poured hot, golden tea into the dainty floral cups. ‘Milk and sugar?'

‘Yes, please,' Edith and Daisy said together.

‘Did you ever see such a pretty teapot and such sweet little cups?' Edith sighed. ‘I'm too scared to touch it in case I break it.'

‘Come on,' said Daisy, ‘you'll be fine. You cock your little finger out like this, see? And blow gently first.' She pursed her lips and blew at the surface of her cup before taking a tiny sip. ‘Oh, how delicious,' she said in her fanciest voice, and gave Edith a mischievous wink.

‘Where did you ever learn to be so hoity toity?' Edith asked in amazement as she struggled to stick her little finger out to one side. ‘My pinkie has a mind of its own – it won't do what yours does,' she laughed.

‘I've been watching all the ladies,' Daisy said. ‘You can learn a lot just from watching.'

Rose returned with a high cake stand. ‘Here we go, my dears.'

‘Oh my . . .  ' Edith breathed.

‘Now, you've got mini éclairs at the top, iced cakes next, chicken sandwiches in the middle, and scones with jam and cream on the bottom. And you just let me know if there's anything else you need.' Rose turned to leave, then came back. ‘Oh and this is a special treat from me.' She placed a bowl of strawberries and ice cream in the middle of the table. ‘You girls look like you'd enjoy it.' She gave them a kind smile and whisked away before Daisy and Edith could thank her.

‘Did you ever . . .  ?' Daisy stuttered. ‘It's so . . . '

‘So
wonderful
,' Edith said and shook her head in awe at the feast in front of them.

I must be in a dream, Daisy thought. I must have fallen asleep at my desk at school and be in a dream. ‘Come on, Edith, tuck in!'