Bendigo
Tuesday 20 September
Raff couldn’t very well just drop onto Evie’s doorstep and knock. Even if she did still reside there, what the hell would he say, anyway? How have you been? Still stepping out with Fitz?
Besides which, he was filthy from riding hard and sleeping rough. No woman in her right mind would receive him looking and smelling like he did. For that alone, she might send him on his way, not to mention that nearly two years had passed since they’d last seen each other.
He and Fitz had often walked Evie home in those days after they’d all been to the tearooms, the chatter lively. Conversation had been more spirited some days than others. The subject invariably turned to Fitz wanting a rover’s life—with a wife in tow. The side-glance at Evie would always set her off: ‘A roving life is a waste of time, and no wife would want that.’ Raff always thought she meant that they’d have to stay put once they married. That wouldn’t have suited Fitz.
But they hadn’t married. Nothing had happened, and Fitz hadn’t offered any explanation. Maybe Raff’s father had been right. Fitz could be fine with the idea of Raff courting Evie. The look Paddy had given him … Canny old bugger. Raff shook it off, didn’t want to explore any niggle that gave him hope.
Dismounting, he stared at her house wishing she’d suddenly emerge. Acutely aware he might look suspicious, he dipped to Bluey’s hoof and checked a shoe. Fine. Checked another. Fine. He waited a while longer, checking this, adjusting that. Fed up with himself, he was about to mount and ride away when he saw a well-dressed, pale-faced man with a lush gingery moustache and sideburns stride through Evie’s gate and up to the door. He didn’t knock. Instead he took a brief glance around, barely noticed Raff, then took a sideways step to peer in the front window.
Raff’s gut clunked. He squinted, mouth set, hands bunched in the reins. A throb beat hard at his temples. What the hell is he doing?
Again, the man took a look around. This time his glance lingered a second on Raff, who’d swung onto Bluey and begun a slow walk towards the house. Ambling by on his horse, taking his time, he might just have been passing except for his lengthy, unwavering, squinty-eyed scrutiny. The man jittered and, straightening his coat and ducking his head, marched down the short path and away from the house. He didn’t look back.
Raff followed at a leisurely pace, easy on Bluey’s swaggering stride, and soon the man was well on his way ahead. Turning Bluey left into a road, Raff doubled back at a slow canter. He rode two streets down and turned into Evie’s once again.
Bugger me, the bloke’s had the same idea.
The man was ahead of Raff and hadn’t seen him. He was sprinting to the house. Two women had appeared on the stoop and one of them let out a yelp. Not Evie, but she was there. His chest boomed. The other woman clutched at her. Shouting ensued and Evie snatched her arm clear of the man’s grab at her.
Bastard.
Raff nudged Bluey. The horse leaped forward and in quick time hooves trod the footpath. Then the mighty horse squeezed through the gate into the little yard.
Gaping, the women flattened themselves against the door of the house.
Bluey got his bearings then sent the man staggering when his great flank bumped him. Then his hefty rump shoved the bloke into the garden bed and, indignant, Bluey snorted and then blurted spit. Annoyed, he then stomped on the shrubbery.
Raff leaned down. ‘Beg pardon. My horse got away from me.’
‘Get your horse out of it,’ the man bellowed from under Bluey. He floundered around in the bushes and a fragrant, lemon scent wafted up, fresh and biting. Battling the shrubs, his hat had shot off and the earlier slick head of hair now resembled a clump of stable hay matted with horseshit.
‘Sorry, mate, tiny garden. We’re a bit stuck until you crawl out. Otherwise, he might trample on something precious if you know what I mean. Accidentally, of course.’ Raff held Bluey, but the hooves danced—only a little.
Edwin squawked.
‘Hurry up, Edwin.’ Evie.
‘Yes, Edwin,’ Raff said. ‘Hurry up.’ He tipped his hat back a little, peering down at the fella still on his back under Bluey’s belly. ‘Out you get.’
‘I can’t move,’ Edwin screeched. ‘He’s in the way, damn you.’
‘Oh, here,’ Raff said and tugged on the reins.
Bluey danced a little more and the man gave a gurgled shriek.
‘No, no, you’re right, that’s no good,’ Raff said, straight-faced.
‘Best idea—crawl out on your hands and knees.’
As it was, the woman beside Evie couldn’t hold in her mirth and it burst from behind the hand covering her mouth.
‘Edwin, for God’s sake, get out from there,’ Evie snapped, bending down to eye the man flat on his back.
A fair bit of huffing and puffing went on before Edwin scrambled out to relative safety. Lurching to his feet, his face beet red, he wobbled as he snatched up his crushed hat. Bedraggled, he stabbed a finger at Raff. ‘I’ll have you for assault.’
‘Don’t reckon you will,’ Raff said.
Bluey’s head jerked, and the man jumped back.
‘It seemed to me you were sneaking a peek in the window of this house, looking all the world like a peeping tom.’ Then mildly, he added, ‘Edwin.’
The flush on Edwin’s face deepened. He got to the gate. ‘I won’t forget this,’ he snarled.
‘Me neither.’ Raff nudged Bluey forward and Edwin was bumped outside the gate and onto his backside on the footpath. ‘A terrible accident might occur, mate, unless you move on and keep your threats to yourself.’ No longer in a laughing mood, Raff dismounted. He reached down and with both hands grabbed Edwin’s coat, hauling him to his feet. ‘There you go.’
Edwin, eyes popping, only stood to Raff’s shoulders. Wrenching out of the steely grip, he took a step back, fists clenched.
Raff leaned in closer. ‘Best you don’t take a swing. Now get your skinny arse out of here,’ he said quietly.
Edwin turned and marched away, his crumpled hat taking the brunt of his fists as he tried to get it back into shape.
Raff led Bluey onto the footpath to turn him back towards the house. He tipped his hat. ‘Ladies. Apologies for the ruined garden.’
The other woman was smiling broadly at him. ‘We don’t mind, do we, Evie? I’d pay money to see that all over again.’
Evie had her hands on her hips. She took a step and reached out for Bluey’s muzzle, giving it a rub. ‘You always were a good horse, Bluey.’ When she finally met Raff’s gaze, her merry smile had his heart galloping. ‘Rafferty Dolan. You are a sight for sore eyes.’
Raff walked them to Mrs Benton’s house. Evie must have been taking an evening meal there.
‘Oh,’ Evie said, flicking her hand in the air. ‘Edwin’s being a pest. He clearly believes he’s owed something from me,’ she said lightly. ‘And he’s not. It’s nothing.’
Whatever it was, it wasn’t nothing, Raff decided. But he kept his mouth shut. If it were to become more of his business today, he’d deal with it.
Ann spoke to Raff, who was leading Bluey on the side of the path closest to the road. ‘Do you hail from Bendigo, Mr Dolan?’
‘From Ballarat, Mrs Benton. I have a wheelwright’s shop there.’
‘Raff is a friend of Fitz O’Shea’s, Ann,’ Evie said, and nothing more.
‘Oh,’ Ann said, her gaze blank.
Talk of Fitz was not on the cards, it seemed, but he gave Evie’s short explanation some context. ‘The O’Shea’s lived next door to my folk in Ballarat so we’ve been mates for years. When Fitz got his job at the Bendigo newspaper, he moved here. I’d come to visit from time to time. All his folk have gone from Ballarat now, a brother or two live further south-east.’
‘Oh,’ Ann said again and fell in step with Evie, glancing at her.
The walk was brisk and, for an awkward time, in silence.
Then Evie asked, ‘So, Raff, what brings you to Bendigo?’
You. ‘Truth to tell, I thought I’d track down an old friend. Found myself on your street, which is why I saw that Edwin fella at your window.’ Back to Edwin again.
‘Well, good thing you did,’ Ann said.
Evie turned a bright face towards him. ‘How long are you staying in town?’
They waited at the crossroads for a couple of laden drays to pass.
Walking again, Raff said, ‘I’ll be heading off tomorrow.’ He took a punt, and a deep silent breath. ‘I’ll be happy to walk you back home, Miss Emerson, if that bloke is causing you trouble.’
‘Thank you,’ she said, directing her beam of a smile at him. ‘But I’m not staying at home, I’m at the Bentons’ for tonight.’
Because of that fella? ‘Right. That’s good.’ He nodded towards Mrs Benton. Then to Evie, ‘And your ma? What of her these days?’
‘She died over a year ago, Raff.’ Evie had her head down watching where she was putting her feet.
‘I didn’t know, I’m sorry.’ Why the hell had Fitz never said? Raff remembered that there was a sister, too, but she’d moved away long before Fitz and he had met Evie.
‘Where are you lodging, Mr Dolan?’ Mrs Benton asked.
‘Well, I’ve just been camping out, but I reckon tonight I’ll find a good hotel with a bath and clean myself up.’
‘Try the boarding house two streets over that way, the Bartletts’. It has a sign,’ Mrs Benton said, pointing to the left. ‘You’re most welcome to take a meal with us this evening. I’m sure my Ross would enjoy the company.’
Man, he was tempted, but it wouldn’t do him any good. Instead, he said, ‘Appreciate it, but I’ll be on my way.’
When the two women stopped outside a pleasant-looking timber home, fronted by a picket fence and a wrought-iron gate he figured they were at the Bentons’. Ann said her goodbyes and headed inside.
‘Thank you, Raff,’ Evie said. ‘You saved me from screaming at him all the way down the street.’ Her blue eyes, the colour of the sky on a clear and warm summer’s day, had a spark of humour in them. ‘Wouldn’t have looked too good, would it?’
Everything he’d felt for her years ago was all still there, had just been locked deep inside, tucked away. Now it burst into his heart. His breath was a little short. ‘Are the police no help?’
‘It’s no matter, it’s in hand,’ she said and took a swift glance at Ann’s door. ‘Well, I’d better go in.’ She hesitated, her gaze direct. ‘Raff, can I write to you at your workshop?’ Another hesitation. ‘Would you write back to me? It’d be just like the old days. I’d like that.’
Now we have it, the old days. She’d want to know about Fitz, all the way. No one needed to spell it out. ‘Of course,’ he said, amiably enough although the warmth in his chest from before had started to fizzle a bit. He tried a smile, gave a bow of sorts, as if things were formal. ‘Good day to you, Evie.’
She held out her hand, sliding it into his. ‘Good day, Rafferty. It was so good to see you,’ she said, her smile tentative. She turned and walked to Mrs Benton’s door.
Surprise hit him. For a moment, Raff could still feel her hand engulfed in his. Where it should be. He was still staring at the door as it closed. Bluey jerked the reins. Ride away. The Bartletts’ boarding house. He’d go there. Get the breath back into his body.
It was so good to see you. So much for having a crack at it.