The mountain that went to the sea (6 page)

'I'd like a cup of tea now, please, Aunt Isobel,' Jeckie said in a quiet voice. 'I meant just to tell you how well I had slept. I'm sorry I put it so badly.'

'That's quite all right, my dear. Early morning is never a very good time to start a new acquaintanceship, is it?

Dear Jane is always so cheerful. Such a blessing because none of the rest of us feels that way. Not till we've had a good cup of tea.'

'Thank you,' Jeckie said as the cup of tea was handed to her.

`Do you have early morning tea before breakfast on your farm, Jeckie?' Jane asked across the sugar bowl as she passed it. She was making conversation to change the subject, and Jeckie was grateful.

'Oh yes. We're terrific tea drinkers at Beckonning. Of course we all have to get up so early. Because of the horses, you know. Baxter, who is in charge of them, has them out before daylight — ' she broke off. Aunt Isobel's eyes were fixed on her as if not so much impressed as wondering if Jeckie was stating a case for the defence. Of what? Why was this uneasy child putting up a defence for herself?

'Jane dear, do fetch the hot scones now, will you?' she said. 'I think I'll do without a cereal this morning. We did have such a late supper last night, didn't we?'

'Of course, Miss Isobel.' Jane slipped out of her chair and disappeared into the side passage almost as noiselessly as a wraith.

Now I'm for it! Jeckie thought as she poured milk on her wheat biscuit. She's sent nice 'Jane dear' away so as not to embarrass her.

`Do you cook, Juliet?' Aunt Isobel asked pleasantly. 'If so, I do hope you can make good scones. I always like hot scones for breakfast.'

'Yes. I can cook,' Jeckie said. 'Mostly farm cooking. But when we have a party I can do the fussy things too.' 'You do have parties? On the farm?'

'Oh yes. We're only five miles from the Siding.'

'Yes, of course. I remember Andrew telling me how convenient your father's farm is to the wheat silos at the Siding.'

'Andrew?' Jeckie asked, surprised. 'How did he know? I mean, I didn't imagine he would be interested. That is— '

'Of course we are all interested. Though it is such a pity the two branches of the family never really meet. I've written to your mother about it several times.'

'There are more than two branches, aren't there, Aunt Isobel?' Jeckie said politely. 'Even at school I seemed to meet people who were called Ashenden. We'd put our heads together and work out we were cousins way back two or three generations. But we'd never met before.'

`Yes, of course. Andrew Ashenden the First had four sons and two daughters. My mother was the eldest daughter. So I inherited a share, you see. But one of them, his third son John's grandson, sold his share out to strangers. He doesn't have the Ashenden name because his mother, being an Ashenden, inherited. And she married, of course. Just as your mother and Sheila's mother inherited. So many different surnames! Such a pity!'

Aunt Isobel had a subdued graveyard tone in her voice as she said this.

`Do you think he should have kept his share as a duty, Aunt Isobel?'

'Oh dear me — not necessarily — if he needed the money. But he should have given Andrew or Barton the first offer. It has all caused so much trouble that Mallibee owners are what you might call divided amongst themselves over the issue. The share should have been kept in the family. As it is, it has gone to that inhuman monster — a Mining Company.'

'You think my mother and Sheila's mother should give their shares back to Andrew? Or Andrew and Barton?'

'Not give, child. Don't be foolish. But, well — if they wanted to sell some day, it would be pleasant for Mallibee if they did think of the Company first. They're very valuable shares. Nevertheless, the share is your mother's rightful inheritance: the same as with Sheila's mother. I only hope—' she broke off.

Jeckie saw that Aunt Isobel's face, from being very contained and almost negative, now looked troubled.

'What do you hope?' Jeckie prodded gently. 'I'm sure my mother would not sell to anyone outside the family.'

`No, no. Of course not. It's just that this other wretched share has gone out of the family. Not even to a person. He had the impudence to say it was a better thing for Mallibee anyway. The mining people would improve the

property. Improve! Those dreadful scars all over the range! Huge holes dug in the ground! They've taken the best water. The underground river, you know. And now, the Mountain ..

Jeckie didn't know. She knew little about Mallibee except that her mother owned a share in it. Now was not the moment to find out more because Jane Baker had come back, still wearing her cheerful smile and carrying a plate covered with a snowy white napkin.

`Straight from the oven, Miss Isobel,' she said as she placed the plate on the table. 'Cassie timed it beautifully, didn't she? We must remember to praise her.'

`Yes, of course, Jane dear,' Aunt Isobel said firmly. 'I always remember.'

`Yes. I know, Miss Isobel. I was just using a little figure of speech.'

`Jane dear, do you think we could ask Andrew if he would care for a cup of tea? I think I heard him come in a little while ago. We could mention the hot scones, couldn't we?'

'I did ask him, Miss Isobel. I popped my head in the office door as I came past. He said he would come.'

`And Barton too?' Jeckie asked brightly.

She could have bitten her lip all over again. She was a guest not a host, and perhaps she should not have mentioned Barton so eagerly. Clearly Aunt Isobel and nice 'Jane dear' seemed to think only about Andrew.

A very spoilt man, perhaps! Jeckie wondered of Andrew. Well, he'd made up his mind about her very quickly, hadn't he? She was self-willed, was she? She would return the non-compliment and decide very quickly about him. He was spoiled. As someone had said at the airport, 'King of the Plains'. He had Aunt Isobel and nice `Jane dear' falling over one another to idolize him and spoil him.

She would show her preference for Barton.

Oh dear! Her thoughts were sad and silly all over again! Did she even believe them herself?

At that moment Andrew came through the door.

All Jeckie's intentions — and reservations — fell away from her like a fallen cloak.

He gave her the briefest smile and the barest 'Good

morning', as he walked round the table to his place at the head. But there he was — bearing the aura of 'head of the house' about him ! And it destroyed her defences. He didn't even have to open his mouth.

`There you are, dear,' Aunt Isobel was saying. 'We're breakfasting, as you can see. And you've already had yours hours ago.but I´m glad you´ve come to join us for a cup of tea. It's Juliet's first morning, so we must make it bright for her.'

`With Cassie's best hot scones in attendance I see,' Andrew said. He looked directly at Jeckie, and she saw his eyes were really an unusual blue-grey with tiny gold flecks splintered through the colour. They were taking her in — those eyes — yet somehow shielding his own self, from anyone who looked into his eyes.

`Did I hear you say something about not being called Juliet?' he enquired, still not smiling, yet being mildly interested.

`Generally I'm called Jeckie. But Aunt Isobel seems to prefer Juliet.'

`I have a feeling you have had a change of mind,' he said quietly. 'You were very firm about your other name last night. Or did I mis-hear you?'

He was still looking at her. Jeckie's eyes met his eyes. `If Aunt Isobel prefers — ' she began with a determined kind of dignity.

Andrew actually smiled. It was not a big smile but it was rather a nice one.

`You are — let me see — a fourth generation Ashenden, aren't you, Jeckie?' he said. 'I can see you have some of the Grand Old Man's fire in you.'

His calling her `Jeckie' mollified her a little.

`Well, of course I don't remember Andrew the First,' she said carefully choosing her words. 'He lived so long ago, didn't he? I wasn't even born — '

`Nor was I born then,' Andrew said. 'But Aunt Isobel remembers him. She has quite a memory. You must ask her to tell you about Mallibee in its first and second generations. Thank you, Jane. Yes, that tea is just right. Jeckie, would you pass me the sugar, please?'

Jeckie had been won over by Andrew's smile, but having to be reminded of her manners distressed her. She felt she

had fallen from grace again.

'Where is Barton?' she asked as she passed the sugar. And as if to change the subject. 'Doesn't he like tea and hot scones too? He was very kind to me last night when he picked me up at the airport. He told me about the country — ' she wavered. Andrew was watching her face

her.

How stupid can I be? she thought. He's at home, and I'm not. I'd never beat him at this kind of silent interroga-tion. He only has to look at me — or anyone — that way . . .

'Jane dear,' Aunt Isobel interposed. 'Pass the scones to Jeckie. She seems to have finished her wheat biscuit. Oh dear! I called her Jeckie, didn't I? Well, so be it.

Though it's such a pity. Juliet is a beautiful name.'

Barton had come through the passage door to the veranda.

'Who's talking about Juliet?' he asked with a grin. 'And if we have our Juliet — where, and who is Romeo?'

'Now you all know why I am not called Juliet,' Jeckie declared. 'Those jokes weren't funny even when I was only three.'

'Well, may this Romeo sit down beside Juliet, Jeckie?' Barton persisted, still smiling. He edged the chair out with the toe of his very dusty desert boot and sat down. He put his elbows on the table and leaned forward and sideways to look into her face. `Did you pick that seat where you are sitting, girl, because you knew in advance that this seat where I am now sitting is mine?'

'Don't talk nonsense, Barton,' Aunt Isobel said sharply. 'I invited I — Jeckie to sit there. It's much too early in the morning for teasing. Nobody is in the mood at this hour. Jul-Jeckie, my dear, pay no attention to Barton when he is in this mood.'

'Barton dear,' Jane Baker said, peace-making. `Do have some scones while they're hot. And here's your tea. Andrew will pass you the sugar.'

'Just to sweeten me up,' Barton said, taking the tea then helping himself to a scone. 'I'm not going out to the cattle camp this morning. Andrew is not pleased, are you, brother? I'm going to take Jeckie a few miles up over Mallibee's hump so she can see how Westerly-Ann

Mine — and a certain Joe Blow — are together conniving to take lumps of Mallibee from us and send it off to sea. Jeckie, would you like to see for yourself how a land-lubbing mountain range looks like ending up as seafaring lumps of black gold?'

`Yes, Barton, I'd love to go with you,' Jeckie said eagerly. 'That is ... if Aunt Isobel ... thinks ..

'You must do what you would like, my dear. There's plenty of time for you to see the homestead and its workings later. Quite like a village, aren't we, Jane dear? Andrew, do you think it advisable for Barton to take Jul . . . Jeckie so far out on her first day? It's quite an exhausting trip and she travelled a great distance yesterday.'

'Barton will please himself, I imagine,' Andrew said drily. 'And what pleases Barton seems on appearances to please Jeckie.' He looked up from the second half of the scone which he had been buttering. 'Barton,' he said shortly. 'I'll want you out at the Number Five Bore next week to start the shut-down. So perhaps you had better get your other goings and comings over during the rest of this week. Sheep, as well as cattle, remember, is the business of Mallibee Downs.'

'I hear you, brother. Funny, but that's just how I'd worked things out myself.' He looked at Andrew challengingly. 'You don't mind if I rob you all of our cousin Jeckie's company for today?'

Jeckie's gaze moved from Barton to Andrew. Somehow she found herself waiting uneasily for Andrew's answer. She felt like a bundle of goods being subtly passed, in some mysterious way, from one brother to the other. Then back again. She remembered that outrageous question of Barton's: Which
of us are you going to marry, J
eckie?

Was this business of marrying the last outstanding shares of Mallibee back into the Ashenden family something more than a joke in bad taste? Was bartering-ofbrides the inthing amongst the Ashendens of today?

Jane Baker looked at Jeckie, anxious to catch her eyes.

'May I pass you something?' Jeckie asked. She was embarrassed because she felt her colour rising.

'No, Jeckie dear, I've quite finished, thank you. I just

wondered if you would like to come to the kitchen and meet Cassie and the other girls. They're all dying to meet you. We don't often have visitors so far across the outback as this. Sheila was our last visitor and that was some time ago — '

Jeckie knew instinctively that nice Jane Baker was again changing the mood and the subject at the breakfast table. No wonder Aunt Isobel always addressed her as 'Jane dear'.

Jeckie nodded. 'Yes, please. That is, if Aunt Isobel will excuse me.'

`Of course, my dear. But don't be too long. You must get ready to go with Barton. Andrew, could I have a few words with you in the office when you're ready? There's the order for the homestead stores to go through.'